Marie de France was bom
in France but spent nearly all her life in England (she was rumoured
to be Henry II's illegitimate half-sister). Marie de France's 12th
century romantic adventures were so popular that they were translated
into several different languages. Copies of her books have been found
written in French, English, Old Norse, German, Italian and Latin.
Marie de France died in about 1190.
The
Normans: Classroom Activities
(1)
Marie de France, The Horse and
the Hedge (c. 1170)
A horse
saw grass growing in a meadow, but he didn't see the hedge that surrounded
the meadow. When he jumped over it, he was impaled. Many men do the
same... they are so anxious for what they want, they don't see what
trouble
follows.
(2)
Marie de France, Yonec (c. 1170)
There once
lived a rich man, old and ancient... he took a wife in order to have
children... Because she was beautiful and noble he made every effort
to guard her. He locked her inside his tower... He kept her more than
seven years... she never left the tower, neither for family nor for
friends... The lady lived in great sorrow, with tears and sighs and
weeping; she lost her beauty, as one does who cares nothing for it.
(3)
Marie de France, The Nightingale (c. 1170)
At night
when the moon shone and her husband lay sleeping, she would often
steal from his side; with her cloak wrapped about her she would go
to the window, for she knew her friend would be at his. This is how
they lived, gazing at each other for most of the night... She stayed
so often at the window, and would get up out of bed so often at night
her husband lost his temper, and more than once demanded to know the
reason she rose this way and where she went.
"My husband," replied the lady, "anyone who hasn't
heard the nightingale sing has not experienced joy in the world. That
is why I go to stand at the window... So much delight does it give
me and so intensely do I long to hear it, that I cannot close my eyes
to sleep."
When her husband heard
what she said, he laughed with angry contempt. An idea occurred to
him to trap the nightingale. He ordered the household servants to
work on traps, nets, and snares and to set them in the orchard...
Eventually they captured the nightingale. They took it alive to the
lord, who was overjoyed when he saw it. He went to the lady's chambers.
"Madam, where are you? Come now, let us talk. I've caught this
nightingale, the cause of your night long vigils. But now you'll be
able to sleep in peace, as it will never bother you again." She
asked him to give her the nightingale, but he... broke its neck with
his two hands. He threw the dead bird at his wife so that the front
of her gown was covered in blood.
The lady took the little
corpse, and softly wept over it... "Now I'll not be able to get
up at night and stand by the window where I've been accustomed to
see my friend."
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