Elaine of Astolat (), also known as Elayne of Ascolat and other variants of the name, is a figure in

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...

. She is a lady from the castle of

Astolat Astolat (; French: Escalot) is a legendary castle and town of Great Britain named in Arthurian legends. It is the home of Elaine, "the lily maid of Astolat", as well of her father Sir Bernard and her brothers Lavaine and Tirre. It is known as Sha ...

who dies of her unrequited love for

Sir Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

. Well-known versions of her story appear in Sir Thomas Malory's 1485 book ''

Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...

'',

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

's mid-19th-century ''

Idylls of the King ''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for ...

'', and Tennyson's poem "

The Lady of Shalott "The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the 19th-century English poet Alfred Tennyson and one of his best-known works. Inspired by the 13th-century Italian short prose text '' Donna di Scalotta'', the poem tells the tragic story of Elain ...

". She should not be confused with Elaine of Corbenic, the mother of

Galahad Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...

by Lancelot.

Legend

The book of romance - b&w plate facing page 116

The possible original version of the story appeared in the early 13th-century French prose romance ''

Mort Artu The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian legend, Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle ...

'', in which the Lady of Escalot (''Demoiselle d'Escalot'') dies of unrequited love for

Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

and drifts down a river to

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...

in a boat. In the 14th-century English poem Stanzaic ''Morte Arthur'', she is known as the Maid of Ascolot.

Thomas Malory Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...

's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian tales, ''

'', include the story. Another version is told in the 13th-century Italian short story '' La Damigella di Scalot'' (No. LXXXII in the collection ''Il Novellino: Le ciento novelle antike''). Two of

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

's famous and influential poems, both titled "

" (1832 and 1842), were later inspired by the Italian variant.

''Le Morte d'Arthur''

In Malory's telling, Elaine's episode begins when her father Bernard, the lord of

(

William Caxton William Caxton ( – ) was an English merchant, diplomat and writer. He is thought to be the first person to introduce a printing press into England, in 1476, and as a printer to be the first English retailer of printed books. His parentage a ...

's misread of Malory's original Ascolat), organises a tournament attended by

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...

and his knights. Sir Lancelot was not originally planning to attend, he is persuaded otherwise and visits Bernard and his two sons before the tournament. While Lancelot is in her family's household, Elaine becomes enamoured of him and begs him to wear her token at the coming tournament. Explaining that Queen

Guinevere Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...

would be at the tournament, he consents to wear the token but says that he will have to fight in disguise so as not to be recognized. He asks Bernard if he can leave his recognizable shield with him and borrow another. Bernard agrees and lends him the plain-white shield of Sir Torre, Elaine's brother. Lancelot goes on to win the jousting tournament, still in disguise, fighting against King Arthur's party and beating forty of them in the tournament. He does, however, receive an injury to his side from

Sir Bors Bors (; french: link=no, Bohort) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) du ...

' lance, and is carried off the field by Elaine's other brother, Sir Lavaine, to the hermit Sir Baudwin's cave (Baudwin being a former knight of the

Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...

himself). Elaine then urges her father to let her bring the wounded Lancelot to her chambers, where she nurses him. When Lancelot is well, he makes ready to leave, and offers to pay Elaine for her services; insulted, Elaine brings him his shield, which she had been guarding, and a wary Lancelot leaves the castle, never to return but now aware of her feelings for him. Ten days later, Elaine dies of heartbreak. In accordance with her instructions, her body is placed in a small boat, clutching a lily in one hand, and her final letter in the other. She then floats down the river to Camelot, where she is discovered by King Arthur's court, who call her 'a little lily maiden'. Lancelot is summoned and hears the contents of the letter, which explains what happened. Ashamed, he pays for her rich burial.

Modern culture

Paintings

Elaine has captured the minds of many painters, becoming one of the most recognizable tertiary characters from the Arthurian legends. Those who have depicted her story in their art include

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...

, Emilie Autumn, Edward Reginald Frampton, Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, Elizabeth Siddal,

Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. In 1894, he began ...

, John Atkinson Grimshaw,

John William Waterhouse John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their de ...

( ''The Lady of Shalott'', ''

The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot ''The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot'' is an oil-on-canvas painting by John William Waterhouse, completed in 1894. It measures . The artist presented it to Leeds Art Gallery in 1895. Description This is the second of three major painti ...

'', ''

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott ''I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott'' is a painting by John William Waterhouse completed in 1915. It is the third painting by Waterhouse that depicts a scene from the Tennyson poem, "The Lady of Shalott". The title of the pai ...

''), Louis Rhead, Robert Gibb,

Sidney Paget Sidney Edward Paget () (4 October 1860 – 28 January 1908) was a British artist of the Victorian era, best known for his illustrations that accompanied Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories in ''The Strand Magazine''. Life Sid ...

Walter Crane Walter Crane (15 August 184514 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and Ka ...

William Holman Hunt William Holman Hunt (2 April 1827 – 7 September 1910) was an English painter and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His paintings were notable for their great attention to detail, vivid colour, and elaborate symbolism ...

Sophie Gengembre Anderson Sophie Gengembre Anderson (1823 – 10 March 1903) was a French-born British artist who specialised in genre painting of children and women, typically in rural settings. She began her career as a lithographer and painter of portraits, collaborat ...

and

William Maw Egley William Maw Egley (1826 in London – 20 February 1916) was an English artist of the Victorian era. The son of the miniaturist William Egley, he studied under his father. His early works were illustrations of literary subjects typical of th ...

, among others.

Literary adaptations

* Adams, Oscar Fay, "The Water Carriers" (1886) * Akhurst, W. M., ''Arthur the King'' * Baring, Maurice, "The Camelot Jousts" (1910) * Cabot, Meg, ''

Avalon High ''Avalon High'' is a young adult novel by Meg Cabot, published in 2005. Plot Ellie Harrison has just moved to Annapolis, Maryland. Her new school, Avalon High, seems like a typical high school with the stereotypical students: Lance the jock, ...

'' (a modern adaptation) (2005) * Fowler Wright, S., "The Ballad of Elaine" * Hamley, Edward Bruce, "Sir Tray: An Arthurian Idyl" (1873) * Kay, Guy Gavriel's, ''

The Fionavar Tapestry ''The Fionavar Tapestry'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, published between 1984 and 1986. The novels are partly set in our own contemporary world, but mostly in the fictional world of Fionavar. It is the story ...

'' hrough the character of the ''lios alfar'' ("light elf") Leyse* Kilmer, Aline Murray, "For All Ladies of Shalott" (1921) * Landon, Letitia Elizabeth, "A Legend of Tintagel Castle" (1833) * Lang, Andrew, ''The Lady of Shalott'' (1888) * Meredith, Owen, "Elayne le Blanc" (1875) * Millay, Edna St. Vincent, "Elaine" (1921) * Nieman, Valerie, "Elaine the Fair Accuses Lancelot" (2007) * Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart, "Elaine and Elaine" (1883), "The Lady of Shalott" (1871) * Rhodes, William Henry, "Rosenthal's Elaine" (1876) * Sandell, Lisa Ann, '' Song of the Sparrow'' (2007) *Sebastian, Laura, ''Half Sick of Shadows'' (2021) * Steynor, Morley, ''Lancelot and Elaine: A Play in Five Acts'' (1909) * Stoddard, Elizzle, "Before the Mirror" (1895) * Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, "

" (1833, 1842) and "Lancelot and Elaine" in the ''

'' (1859) * White, T.H., ''

The Once and Future King ''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection o ...

'' (1958)

References

External links

*
Elaine of Astolat/The Lady of Shalott
at The Camelot Project {{Authority control Arthurian characters Female characters in literature