Talk:Breton lai

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Why are they called Breton lais if they aren't written in the Breton language? Arthurian Legend 03:13, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

They are called Breton lais because they are supposedly translations of an older, Breton tradition. According to Marie de France, she is translating Breton songs into French, so that they might be remembered by later generations. Most of her stories either take place in Great Britain or Brittany or they deal with the so-called Matter of Britain. Later lais that mimic the style of Marie de France may or may not fall into these categories. One of the largest extant collection of lais is contained in BNF Ms Nouv. Acq. Fr. 1104, and this begins with the statement that these are "Lays de Bretagne," hence the name. Whether or not these are all "Breton" lais (or that those of Marie are either) is questionable, as the source material was oral, and therefore not preserved outside these manuscripts themselves. Nevertheless, scholars group these as "Breton lais" all the same. Portia1780 (talk) 16:39, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] merge with Lai article

I think we should merge this with the Lai article that already exists. Arthurian Legend 03:15, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Lai addresses the poetic form and its oral tradition, sometimes preserved in writing. Breton lai addresses specific Old French (or Middle English) texts that were originally inspired by the oral tales but were not necessarily performed as such. I kinda look at this like the difference between Waltz and Waltz (music). I vote to leave with the cross-references. Portia1780 (talk) 16:39, 20 November 2007 (UTC)