num_pages: 164
description: This is a prose translation of the lais or poems attributed to Marie de France. Little is known of her but she was probably the Abbess of the abbey at Shaftesbury in the late 12th century, illegitimate daughter of Geoffrey Plantagenet and hence the half-sister of Henry II of England. It was to a king, and probably Henry II, that she dedicated these poems of adventure and love which were retellings of stories which she had heard from Breton minstrels. She is regarded as the most talented French poet of the medieval period.originally published circa 1160
language: English
title: The Lais of Marie de France
titlecomplete: The Lais of Marie de France
characters: Sir Gawain, King Arthur
genres: Classics, France, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Arthurian, School, French Literature, Poetry, Medieval
ratings_count: 8265
places: France, Logres
publisher: Penguin Classics