Cross-legged Gods and One-legged Foresters

Abstract

hwedl Iarlles y Ffynnawn «The Tale of the Lady of the Fountain», a medieval Welsh romance also known as Owain, is a narrative closely parallel to the Chevalier au lion of Chrétien de Troyes 1 . The plot of both romances focuses on a knight of Arthur's court, Owain in Welsh and Yvain in the French version, who in search for adventure encounters a magic fountain, and upon killing its defender, marries its lady. A lengthy separation caused by forgetfulness during a visit to Arthur's court results in the hero's rejection by his wife. His subsequent madness and loss of identity is perhaps one of the most famous episodes in medieval literature, while the grateful lion who befriends him represents a motif of venerable and classical origin. 2