And Why the Damsels are Sweeping Them off Their Feet
In reading Marie de France`s “Lanval“ I was greatly surprized at how quickly I lost interest in the titular character. Rather what kept my attention in the poem was the way in which France`s poem depicts women. In the portrayal of Lanval`s secret lover and the Queen I believe the feminine begins to reach a level of sexual awareness previously unseen in works of literature. I liked the fact that the women in the poem were sexual beings who did not just sit by passively to be given to some man as a prize.
The way in which the Lover choses to give herself to Lanval yet only under her own conditions is a far cry from the passive, demure ladies in waiting I normally associate with the time of King Authur. Even in today’s world some people still supress the idea of female sexuality and even the ability to be the dominant partner and have control of the it is a bit mind blowing to think Marie de France has written something like this at the time she was writing is almost mind blowing.
I am but a novice in the realm of courtly love so I will refer to a definition from fellow classmate Bryan’s blog “ In courtly love, it is generally the man who makes the first advances, but it is always the woman who has all of the power, the power to say Yes or No, and leave the man either in heavenly bliss or with hellish longing“ and this is exactly what I loved about this poem. They way in which it begins to subvert what was the norm of love at the time, and give more power to a woman than just a yes or no decision . When a women engages the courtship or she can hold all the cards in the relationship and is even able to without any shame offer to “go all the way“ it puts a smile on my face knowing that it is not just a modern concept that women might just want sex and will pursue men for it rather than let it come to them . In “Lanval“ I am happy to see the acknowledgment of female sexuality and can only hope we continue on this path of deconstruction of what a male made cannon tells us women should be like.
All The best,
Jaclyn F.
Voicesfromwithinthemaleshadows 