Breton lai

E951580

A Breton lai is a short medieval narrative poem, often involving romance, chivalry, and the supernatural, traditionally associated with Brittany and written in verse.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Breton lai canonical 3

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf literary genre
medieval narrative poem
short narrative
hasAlternativeLabel Breton lay
lai breton
hasCulturalAssociation Breton culture
hasForm verse
hasFunction entertainment
exploration of courtly values
moral instruction
hasGenreFamily medieval romance
hasLanguage Middle English
Old French
hasLiteraryTradition French medieval literature
Middle English literature
linked to: Middle English
hasMeter octosyllabic rhyming couplets
hasNarrativeFeature condensed action
focus on a single crisis
marvelous events
strong closure
hasNarrativeMode third-person narration
hasNotablePractitioner Marie de France
hasOriginRegion Brittany
hasPeriodOfOrigin 12th century
13th century
hasSetting Arthurian court
linked to: King Arthur's court

Celtic Brittany
medieval courtly world
hasSourceType minstrel performance
oral tale
hasStructure compact plot
single-episode narrative
hasTheme adventure
chivalry
courtly love
magic
marital fidelity
romance
tests of loyalty
the Otherworld
linked to: Celtic Otherworld

the supernatural
transformation
hasTypicalLength short
influenced Middle English lays
later romance literature
isAssociatedWith Marie de France
isRelatedTo Arthurian romance
linked to: Arthurian legend

Breton oral tradition
Celtic legend

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Franklin's Tale genre Breton lai
Franklin taleGenre Breton lai
Arveragus genreOfWork Breton lai