The Lion of the Knight

“And what are you trying to find?”

“Adventures…”

This is a book for me!

     Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, is a 12^th century tale written by the French author Chretin de Troyes.  Thankfully, it has been translated into modern English by Burton Raffel.  Featuring knightly battles and derring-do, high adventure and courtly romance, this is the book to have when relaxing by the fireside on a long winter night. 

     While riding through the woods, our gallant knight, Yvain, is attracted by the sounds of a ferocious battle between a lion and a snake.  Not just any ordinary snake - a treacherous, venomous snake with fire leaping from its mouth.  Such a description leaves me visualizing a serpentine, junior-grade dragon.  A chivalrous knight seeking adventure cannot pass by such a battle without becoming involved.  Yvain naturally sides with “that noble, highborn beast”, the lion.  He draws his sword and promptly hacks the treacherous, fire-breathing serpent into little pieces. 

     After finishing off the snake, he turns to meet the lion, naturally expecting no gratitude from a wild animal.  And the sight surprises him:

“Now hear what the lion did!

Showing his nobility and goodness,

He began to make it clear

That he surrendered himself to Yvain:

Placing his front feet together,

He stood erect on his hind legs

And bowed his face toward the earth.

And then he knelt again,

And his face was wet all over

With humble tears” (Yvain, 102-3).

     The descriptions used in these passages make it clear that in the twelfth century, snakes were associated with evil and treachery.  Lions, while respected as wild animals, were associated with nobility, and as we see in later passages, with courage and loyalty as well.

     Yvain and the lion become insepearable and have many adventures together.  Yvain and the lion go hunting together, as one would normally hunt with a hound.  On these hunts, the lion brings deer to Yvain.  At night, the lion stands guard over both Yvain and his horse.  I find it surprising that the horse tolerates such a close proximity of its natural enemy.  When reaching a castle, the servants did not want to allow admittance to Yvain’s faithful companion.  To this, Yvain replied, “If he can’t come in, neither can I.  Either receive us both or I remain out here:  I love him as I love myself” (114).  At this point, it becomes evident just how attached to the lion that Yvain has become.

     The lion fully reciprocates Yvain's attachment, as is shown in other scenes.  Yvain, exhausted and overcome with sorrow at the loss of his lady-love, faints.  The lion, distraught at the apparent death of his master, takes Yvain’s sword in his mouth and intends to end his own life until Yvain revives and prevents him from doing so.  Later, in a terrific battle with an evil giant, the lion comes to Yvain’s aid and together they defeat the giant.  After this fight, Yvain begins to call himself ‘The Knight of the Lion.’

     And so, we have a noble, high-born lion.  A beast possessed amply of both courage and loyalty, and an adoration for his master that would prompt him to end his own life rather than live without him.  Yvain, too, loves the lion and comes to depend on him.  He even changes his title in honor of the lion.  In view of these details, I am left with one nagging question.  Why does this remarkable lion not have a name?