Bruno Bettelheim's Guigemar

According to Bruno Bettelheim, fairy tale ‘characters are typical rather than unique’. Often, the characters of the lais are drawn simply. In “Guigemar”, Guigemar is the stereotypical “knight”, described as “handsome”, “wise”, and “brave”, while the “damsel” is “noble, courtly, beautiful and wise” (43, 46). Their love is even justified by the first serving maiden’s statement, “You are handsome and she is beautiful,” grounding their characters in superficial descriptors (49). The damsel’s husband is even openly stereotyped when the narrator uses “all,” as in “for all old men are jealous and hate to be cuckolded,” (46). “Yonec” repeats this stereotype, while the knight is “handsome”, the damsel’s husband is again a “jealous”, “old” man (87).

“Yonec” further flattens his character, calling him “the villain” (90). Unlike the others, Lanval in “Lanval” receives more unusual personality characteristics, such as “generosity”, (73). However, the damsel is primarily beautiful, and the archetype of the evil queen, similar to Potipher’s wife in this iteration, also features, as she attempts to seduce and prosecute Lanval. Accordingly, the stock characters of the villainous husband, beautiful damsel, and the handsome knight repeat, contributing to the fairy tale content of the lais. Additionally, there is the distinct “female character of the storyteller” in fairy tales, supported by Tartar, Zipes, and Warner. While men often collect the tales, they ascribe the narration to women. Thus, the explicit mention of the “words of Marie” meets this characteristic of fairy tales (43). The focus on women’s contemporary predicaments and trials, trapped with jealous husbands in “Guigemar” and “Yonec”, reinforce this idea of female focus.
In a similar manner, fairy tales have “basic plot structure”. Although the lais structure does not conform to the “magical tales” section of the Aarne-Thompson Tale Type Index (300-749), it is certainly basic. In particular, many lais, including “Yonec” and “Lanval” follow a triptic plot: the lovers meet, conflict occurs, and resolution follows. A fairy tale’s plot also has the connotation of happy endings, as the Oxford Dictionary defines fairy tales as “extremely happy”, though even some of Grimm’s tales do not meet this criteria. Regardless, while happy endings occur in “Guigemar” and “Lanval”, overall the lais focus on love as “suffering” (31).
Conversely, if defined using “contes des fees”, the lais are fairy tales to varying degrees, telling stories of magical agents akin to fairies.

In “Guigemar”, most explicitly, the damsel is described as “lovely as a fairy” and found in an otherworldly location (52). “Lanval” and “Yonec” contain significantly more evidence of fairy characters, if less explicitly termed as such. As previously touched upon, the damsel of “Lanval” hails from “Avalon”, an indisputably magical realm. Furthermore, she possesses otherworldly beauty, exceeding nature in that she is prettier the “lily” and “rose” (74). She is associated with the ancient past, out of place temporally in her “Alexandrian” mantle (74). The judges at Lanval’s trial consider the sight of her a “wonder”, a word evocative of strangeness and unfamiliarity. This again associates her with otherworldliness, like a fairy (80). Equally, her two attendants have otherworldly qualities, strange in their unknowability. Marie states that Lanval, “did not know who they were, whence they came, or where they were going” (79). The knight in “Yonec” is also fairy-like, with the ability to transform. From a “hawk,” he “turn[s] into a fair and noble knight” and states that he can also “assume [the damsel’s] appearance”, (87). He appears as wish-fulfillment, saying he arrives because the damsel “wished” for him (87). Additionally, he comes from an otherworldly realm and possesses magical objects, including a ring which alters the husband’s

memories. Finally, he demonstrates prophetic abilities, predicting his own death and the birth of his son. As a result, all three lais contain fairy characters.
Maria Warner presents an alternative, etymological explanation for the fairy tale: “fairy” in Romance languages signifies “wonder” and links with the Latin feminine “fatum” (fate), which refers to a goddess of destiny. Thus, the “fate[s]” of myth are the “fairies” of tales, adopting “fateful and prophetic roles”. In addition, she argues that the Middle English “feyen” and Anglo Saxon “fegan” originate the terms “fay” and “fair,” which in turn influence “fairy”. These roots and words suggest a “binding” ability, like in spells and agreements. Notably, the fairies of the lais indeed adopt prophetic roles. The transforming knight in “Yonec” foretells the exact circumstances of his death, while the otherworldly damsel of “Lanval” correctly predicts, “you would lose me forever if this love were to become known,” (75). Even in “Guigemar”, the hind arguably acts as a fairy. It is a magical creature, unusual as an entirely white, androgynous “hind”, female in name and due to its accompanying fawn, but with male antlers of a “stag” (44). Moreover, it speaks, indicated by single quotation marks, delivering a curse or prophecy to Guigemar. In relation to binding, the damsel of “Lanval”, “order[s]” Lanval to keep their relationship a secret, or he will “lose” her (75). In turn, he replies that he will do as “commanded,” implying a magical agreement has been made (77).
Significantly, Zipes suggests the current definition of fairy tale is inadequate, lacking emphasis on the connotation of “contes des fees” with its supposed originator Madame d’Aulnoy, whose fairy tales were “revolutionary”. This results in the strongest argument for the lais as fairy tales, detailed by Warner in her description of the subversive impetus of fairy tales:
“the stories’ greater purpose [is] to reveal possibilities, to map out a different way and a new perception of love, marriage, women’s skills, thus advocating a means of escaping imposed limits and prescribed destiny”.
In this way, Marie’s lais are undeniably fairy-tales, focusing on adulterous love, women, marriage, and women’s skills.

After all, it is the damsel of “Guigemar” who invents the impossible knot that will help her find her love at the end of the story—“Hand me your shirt and I shall tie a knot”—who undertakes an escape herself, even if aided by magical intervention. In “Lanval”, the damsel sets the terms of her agreement with Lanval and later rescues him, taking him to her land to enjoy their otherworldly love. Even in “Yonec”, the damsel escapes her tower, chases her dying lover through a dark descent, and rises into the light of the otherworld, obtaining the magical items necessary for her son to behead and unseat his father. Accordingly, the women escape the limitations of society and sometimes fate. This theme features in the majority of the lais, whereas the otherworldly elements are most notable in the three lais discussed. While the lais only somewhat match the criterion for fairy tales of origin, form, content, and style; the subversive meaning integral to the fairy tale

remains.