Marie de France probably wrote late in the twelfth century in England or France. She wrote poetry primarily in Anglo-Norman French, but also knew Latin and English. Her surviving works are mainly lais and fables. Twelve lais are attributed to Marie de France, while another twenty-four lais (“anonymous lais”) also have survived. Marie de France appreciated the challenges and difficulties in men’s lives and showed keen sensitivity for men as a gender.
The lai Conseil presents French as more courtly than Latin for schooling in love and responds to the scandalous love lessons of De nuntio sagaci. … Read the post lai Conseil elevated Latin rhetoric of De nuntio sagaci into French
In her lais Guildeluëc and Guilliadun, or Eliduc and Le Fresne, Marie de France showed medieval wives’ generous love for husbands loving other women. … Read the post Marie de France depicted medieval women’s generous love for men
Not just medieval history, the lai Haveloc critically depicts gender in Argentille and Haveloc’s marriage with personal insight like Marie de France’s. … Read the post lai of Argentille & Haveloc protested gender in medieval marriage
Marie de France’s medieval lays depict gendered love-quests. Classical literature, including the epistles of Aristaenetus, show gender symmetry in love. … Read the post gendered love-quests contradict classical symmetry of Aristaenetus
The Old French lay Amours and Machaut’s Voir Dit document men exchanging love letters with women who transgress gender to affirm their beloved man’s body. … Read the post Amours & Machaut’s Voir Dit: failed medieval gender revolution