Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart

Introduction by W. T. H. Jackson. "Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart" (French: "Lancelot, le Chevalier de la Charrette") is a 12th-century Old French poem by Chrétien de Troyes, although it is believed that Chrétien did not complete the text himself. It is one of the first stories of the Arthurian legend to feature Lancelot as a prominent character. The narrative tells about the abduction of Queen Guinevere, and is the first text to feature the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere. "Le Chevalier de la Charrette" is found in six manuscripts, of which by far the most important is Bibliothèque Nationale, français, 794, usually called, after its scribe, the Guiot manuscript. It is of the thirteenth century. The other five are less reliable and in some cases have gaps in the text. In the Guiot manuscript, "Lancelot" appears between "Erec" and "Cligés". It has no title, and the first indication of the name of the author is the mention of him in the text. This translation is based on the Roques edition of the Guiot manuscript.