Autumn Molnar ENGL4850:001 3/1/2024 Midterm: Textiles in the Lais Marie de France was an author who wrote during the latter half of the twelfth century. Little is known about her real identity as her texts only provide her name, Marie, and the country she wrote in, France. It is known, however, that during her life, she composed twelve lais, which are short narrative stories that often contain a romance or love affair that may be propelled by supernatural elements. Although the lais are individually different stories, they live within a genre that can encapsulate the main themes of each tale. They are centered around Marie's version of “courtly love” or chivalric romance and often employ themes such as love, suffering, jealousy, and virtue …show more content…
She spread lies about twins needing two separate fathers to be created, but ended up falling pregnant with two twin girls herself. To cover her lies, she sends one child away, who is found and raised in an abbey. Fresne falls for a lord who cannot marry her due to her unknown familial status and is arranged to marry her sister instead. It is only through the use of textiles that Fresnes's identity is revealed, and she reunites with her family and can marry the lord. The textile Marie uses is that which the child is wrapped in before being sent away shortly after birth. “In a very fine linen / they wrap up the noble child / and put over it a patterned silk cloth” (Le Fresne, Lines 121-123). Marie identifies the fabric as being fine linen and silk, which would have signified wealth and status. The acknowledgment of the child's nobility in this line ties the status of Fresne to the fabric they chose to adorn her with before being sent away. Textiles within this lai mirror Marie's use of them in Guigemar. The fabric Fresne is given transports her to the next part of her life, physically propelling the story forward and leading her toward the thing she desires to