Le Bel Inconnu

''Libeaus Desconus'', vv. 7, 13 , "Begete he was of Sir Gawain" v. 8; cf. , p. 226 or (, ,Guingla(i)n, ''Le Bel Inconnu'' v. 3233 et passim, cf. index, p. 409. , , etc.), also known as , or The Fair Unknown, is a character from Arthurian legend whose exploits are recorded in numerous versions of a popular medieval romance. He was not even told his name, and unbeknownst to him, he is son of Sir Gawain and the fay Blanchemal.

The nameless youth arrives King Arthur's Court, and is granted a boon to be knighted. He earns the nickname "Fair Unknown", then accepts his main quest, to save the Princess/Queen of Gales (Wales), brought by the Welsh maidservant Hélie. He undergoes a number of side-quests, including his succoring of the Maid of the White Hands, (, aka the enchantress of the Ile d'Or) who becomes his mistress, but he leaves abruptly in un-chivalric manner to return to his main quest (at the city of Snowdon). He defeats the enchanter Mabon and accomplishes the "Fearsome Kiss" upon a serpent to dispel the transformation of the princess of Wales, after which a voice reveals to him his name, Guinglain, and his parentage. The princess discloses her name as Blonde Esmeree; she is Princess/Queen of Wales, and wishes to marry the hero. The Fair Unknown has a chance of reunion with White Hands, but when Arthur calls a tournament to entice him back, she helps by magically sending him to the joust, and he takes this to be a rejection. He is then married to Blonde Esmeree.

His nickname differs depending on the version and language; he is known in Middle English as Libeaus Desconus.

Nomenclature

The Old French form is actually , in the book's subtitle is: "'Li Biaus Descouneüs'; 'The Fair Unknown'". Cf., Fresco, index, "Biau Descouneü", also text, v. 131, etc. compared with the Middle English poem's name "Libeaus Desconus". While "The Fair Unknown" may be the modern English translation of ''Li Biaus Descouneüs'' (modern ), this designation had already been used in the Middle English work, which appends the literal translated meaning of "Libeaus Desconus" as "Þe faire unknowe".

Works

Guinglain is the later revealed Baptised name of the title character in ''Le Bel Inconnu'', a 6266 line French poem by Renaut de Beaujeu, completed some time after 1191 and before 1212/13, which survive in the unique Chantilly, Bibliothèque du Château/Musée Condé, MS. 472.

The character's adventures were later retold in Robert de Blois's ''Beausdous'' (third quarter of 13th century).

There are also cognate tales remade in English, Italian, and German. The Middle English version '' Libeaus Desconus'' (LD, of 2232 lines) by Thomas Chestre is arguably an adaptation from Renaut's ''Bel Inconnu'' (BI), and scholars have disputed over this issue, but one solution is that Chestre drew from multiple version of the story. At any rate, the LD, BI, the Italian ''Carduino'' and German ''Wigalois'' share the same basic plot.Cf. , pp. 2ff where he launches into a comparative analysis of these four poems.

There is also the French romance ''Gliglois'', reconstructed from a (destroyed) 13-century manuscript, but this may not belong to the ''Bel Inconnu'' cycle after all.

Plot comparison

The basic plot is shared by the various language versions, the ''Bel Inconnu'', Middle English ''Libeas Desconus'', ''Carduino'' (Car.), and ''Wigalois'' (Wig.), but the differences are considerable, as shown in the comparative study.

During the 19th century into the 20th, there was a plurality of scholars favoring the opinion that there was a lost original French version which was the common source for both Renaut's ''Bel Inconnu'' and the English ''Libeaus''. The view was held by Gaston Paris, Albert Mennung, William Henry Schofield, and Emmanuel Philipot, with Max Kaluza who edited LD named as detractor. However, modern Arthurian reference material sides with Kaluza, describing the English work as an adaptation of Renaut, though Thomas Chestre in crafting his Middle English version may have had recourse to multiple sources. Schofield, whose works was most influential, also felt that a version of the Perceval/Peredur tale has been blended in.

That ''BI'' had borrowed material from ''Erec et Enide'' as suggested by Mennung, and later extensively demonstrated by Schofield, is a point that is affirmed by recent authorities.

Secret identity

In ''Bel Inconnu'', a youth appears at Arthur's court in Caerleon and no knowledge of even his own name, and nothing of his youth is told to the reader at this point. The hidden identity constitutes a mystery or enigma element common to other medieval writings. In the BI, the mention of the name is withheld until midpoint into the poem after he completes the quest of the Kiss, this delay being a deliberate ploy by the author to enhance the dramatic effect.

In contrast, the Middle English ''Libeaus Desconus'' immediately divulges the name of the youth as Gingelein and his father as Gawain to the readership in the opening scenes of the poem, in the youth or ''enfance'' segment of the work. The youth aims his travel to where Arthur holds his court which the Englishman places at Glastonbury. Arthur's court also differs in other versions, Camelot in Car., and Karidôl (Carlisle) in Wig.

Knighthood and main adventure

The nameless youth abruptly asks King Arthur for an unspecified boon, which is granted. The king sends out to discover the youth's name, but the youth cannot provide what he does not know, and he is given the nickname "Fair Unknown".

A maidservant named Helie (or Hélie) from Wales (Gales) then arrives at court, seeking a knight to take up an adventure to rescue her master, the Princess/Queen. The adventure is that of the Fearsome Kiss (''Le Bel Inconnu'' vv. 192, 3206, 4997, cf. index, "Fier Baissier" p. 408.). No knight seems willing, when the youth requests that his promised bonn be permission to accept this adventure. Arthur at first tries to dissuade, fearing it may be too dangerous, but relents, after enlisting the youth as a knights of his court. Helie however is unhappy with the choice of an unproven knight, "the worst rather than best". In the Middle English version, the messenger named Elene (Elaine) also complains that a child has been assigned to the task.

Side-adventures

But the youth will have the chance to prove himself in a number of adversarial encounters and adventures before arriving at the main quest in Wales. In the journey, he will be accompanied by Helie, her dwarf, and the squire named Robert assigned to Bel Inconnu by the king. In LD, Car., and Wig., no obvious figure corresponding to this squire, which is taken as corroborative key evidence by Schofield and others that the Middle English version is based on some simpler original French version (unlike Renaud's which is padded with additional material such as the squire).

In his first enemy encounter, Bel Inconnu defeats the knight Blioblïeris who defends the Perillous Ford (), after which he is challenged by Blioblïeris's two (or three) cronies, including "Willaume de Salebrant". LD sets the hero's first fight against William of Salebraunche at "Castle Adventurous.. upon the Vale Perilous" (or "Pont/Bridge Perilous").

Maiden Blanches Mains at Ile d'Or

But the most significant of the side-quests is his aiding The Maiden of the White Hands (),"Blances Mains, la Pucele as", in Old French, index, p. 406, glossed as "fairy mistress of Guniglain, lady of Ille d'Or. First so named at v. 1941. foiling the plans of her unwanted suitor Malgier le Gris ("Malgier the Grey") by defeating and killing him.: "The most important of these is the defeat of Malgier le Gris,..", etc. The victory earns him the title to this kingdom and claim to wed the Maid himself, and they are enamored of each other.

Bel Inconnu overspends his time here in leisurely amorous idleness (''recreantise''), but leaves abruptly upon remembering his main quest/adventure, to complete his obligation to the Welsh princess.

The Maiden of the White Hands is also called at one point "Lady of the White Hands" (), whom he had succored earlier.. She is also referred to as a veritable "Fay" or "Fairy" of Ile d'Or by commentators as she was an enchantress manifesting magical powers.

After completing his main quest, he will have a chance to revisit the Pucelle to apologise for his abrupt departure after their initial acquaintance, and she will then reveal she had been aiding him all along using her magical powers.

Serpent's kiss

Arriving in Wales, Bel Inconnu accomplishes the "Fearsome Kiss", namely, the ordeal of breaking an evil enchanter's spell by exchanging a "Kiss" with a serpent and causing it to transform back into a woman's form. This dispelling of the snake-woman's curse is common to BI and LD, and also occurs in the second ''cantare'' of Carduino.

In BI, the serpent or rather ''guivre'' ( cog. wyvern)v. 3128: "une wivre fors issir" draws near and kisses him. The enchanted and transformed woman introduces herself as Blonde Esmerée of Gales(Wales), claiming to be the acknowledged queen () of Wales, whose apitalcity is Snowdon. In LD, she is the Lady of Snowdon, given in text as the Queen of Sinadoune (var. Lady of Synadowne), who had been transformed by two magicians into the shape of a serpent with a woman's face. In ''Carduino'', the chained serpent becomes the beautiful Beatrice upon a kiss.

Revelation

In BI, the accomplishment of the "Fearsome Kiss" is followed by a revelation in the form of a voice in his head which told him his baptismal name was Guinglain, his mother was Blanchemal the Fay, and his father Gawain. Although the hero begins by addressing "Dear God,..", the hero's amour, Lady of the White Hands, aka Fairy of the Ile d'Or (cf. ), later reveals it was actually her own voice that informed him of his name, after he despatched the enchanter Mabon (cf. ).

This is vaguely paralleled in the German Wig. version, according to some commentators, where the hero after fighting a dragon (unconnected with the enchanter), wakes from unconsciousness, finding himself stripped naked by robbers and not knowing his whereabouts, but is able to verify his own presence of mind, being able to recall that his mother was Queen Floriê of Syria and his father Gâwein. However, this he already knew, and this was not the moment of revelation.

Messenger and enchanters

The names of the female messengers and the enchanters imprisoning the ladies are also similar.

The acceptance of the ordeal of the "Fearsome Kiss" is beseeched at the beginning of the tale by a female messenger arriving at Arthur's court, namely Hélie, the lady-in-waiting serving the princess Blonde Esmerée in BI the female messenger is named Elene in LD, and in both works she is accompanied by a dwarf.

There are two men with power to cast and remove the serpent enchantment; in the BI, an elder brother named Mabon (), and the younger, a knight named Evrain the Cruel (). In LD, the captors are named Mabon and Irain.

Wedding of Bel Inconnu

When Bel Inconnu rescues the princess and out of gratitude, she offers herself to him in marriage. But he had already been proposed marriage by the Maiden of the White Hands.: "Guinglain is faced with the dilemma of choosing between two offers of marriage"

Bel Inconnu is having his reunion with the Pucelle à Blanches Mains when King Arthur holds a tournament with the intent to lure Gingalain back to court—and to steer his decision of marriage more towards the newly crowned Queen of Wales. In joining the tournament, Gingalain would have to forfeit his love for Pucelle and never see her again. He decides to join the tournament regardless of the sacrifices he would have to make. Pucelle altruistically offers to aid him with her powers; she transports him out of her castle with a horse, a squire, and armour to be able to join the tournament. This magical send-off by Blanches Mains is regarded by Bel Inconnu to be a gesture of final break-up and rejection, and he winds up marrying Blonde Esmeree, as was arranged for him to do.

Dilemma or no

Although both women are enamored with the hero, the Fair Unknown's heart lies with Blanches Mains and he is only tepidly interested in Blonde Esmerée. But circumstances conspire otherwise. The Fair Unknown, having abruptly left Blanches Mains's company to tackle his main quest rescuing Blond Esmeree, is later reunited with Blanches Mains and is forgiven; but when Blanches Mains helps him with her magic to attend Arthur's tournament (cf. ), he interprets this as her jilting him, and accepts Arthur's design to keep him at his court, relenting to his matchmaking with Esmeree the Queen of Gales as wife. Yet the readership's expectation to grant Fair Unknown his requited love for the enchantress is addressed by the poet in the very end, in a tantalizing and frustrating manner, for he quip that he would be willing to compose such a sequel, if only his Fair Lady were to grant him with a "favorable glance ()". This "naughty ending" has disappointed modern critics, who even accused him of flippancy on a sober romantic theme.

As for the ''Libeaus desconus'', Schofield categorically pronounced " Dmarries the disenchanted lady gladly. He has no desire for anyone else. Contrarily however, modern commentating explains that Chestre's Libeaus Desconus also dilly-dallies (''recreantise'') for a long while at the Ile d'Ore and "experiences the interrelations of knightly prowess and love" with the enchantress, there named Dame Amoure (''dame d'amour'').

Other works

There is a prose rendering by Claude Platin (1530) entitled ''Hystoire de Giglan et de Geoffroy de Maience'', which admixes the story of (Arthurian) knight Jaufre known from Provençal romance.

Gingalain also appears in Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', in which he is killed along with his brothers Sir Florence and Sir Lovell when Mordred and Agravain expose Guinevere's affair with Lancelot. The Fair Unknown motif was very popular in medieval romance; Gingalain's story is clearly related to (if not the direct source of) the tales of Gareth, Percival, and especially La Cote Mal Taile.

Heraldry

The heraldic device of Le Bel Inconnu is described as lion of ermine on field of azure colour, and this is observed to be an appropriation of the author's own Beaujeu (Bâgé) family coat of arms., pp. ix, x–xi; ''Le bel inconnu'', vv. 7374, 5921-2/

Explanatory notes

References

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External links

The Fair Unknown motif
at The Camelot Project

{{Authority control

Fictional characters introduced in the 12th century
Knights of the Round Table