Lancelot of the Lake
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Lancelot of the Lake, written early in the thirteenth century, is one of the major works of European literature, and was translated or adapted, in several languages, throughout the Middle Ages.
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This is the first English translation of the original, short version of the Lancelot. The story tells of Lancelot's noble birth and his childhood in the care of the Lady of the Lake, his arrival at King Arthur's court, the great adventures which earn him the reputation of the best knight in the world, his tragic friendship with Galehot, and his discovery of his own identity. It explores in detail the medieval concepts of feudalism and chivalry. But most of all this is the story of the flowering of Lancelot's legendary love-affair with Queen Guinevere.
This translation is based on Elspeth Kennedy's Clarendon edition of the Old French Lancelot do Lac.Dr Kennedy has written an introduction, and Corin Corley has provided extensive explanatory notes for this edition.
Cover illustration: Lancelot and Guinevere's First KissFrom a manuscript illustration in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
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