Elaine of Astolat

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Elaine of Astolat is a figure in Arthurian legend who dies of her unrequited love for Lancelot. Also referred to as Elaine the White and Elaine the Fair, she is the daughter of Bernard of Astolat. Versions of her story appear in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur and Alfred Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Elaine's story is also the inspiration for Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott".

1 Legend
2 Adaptations
3 Elaine in art
- 3.1 Gallery
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Legend

Elaine arrives at Camelot.

A version of the story appeared in the early 13th century Mort Artu, in which the Demoiselle d’Escalot dies of unrequited love for Lancelot and drifts down a river to Camelot in a boat.^[1]. Another version is told in the 13th century Italian novella La Donna di Scallota, which served as the source material for Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott.^[2]^[3]

In Malory's 15th century Le Morte d'Arthur, Elaine's story begins when her father Bernard of Astolat organizes a jousting tournament, attended by King Arthur and his knights. While Lancelot was not originally planning to attend, he is convinced otherwise and visits Bernard and his two sons before the tournament.

While Lancelot is in her family's household, Elaine becomes enamoured of him and begs him to wear her token at the coming tournament. Explaining that Guinevere would be at the tournament, he consents to wear the token but says that he will have to fight in disguise so as not to be recognised. He then asks Bernard if he can leave his recognizable shield with him and borrow another. Bernard agrees and lends him the plain-white shield of Torre, Elaine's brother.

Lancelot goes on to win the jousting tournament, still in disguise, fighting against King Arthur's party and beating forty of them in the tournament. He does, however, receive an injury to his side from Bors' lance, and is carried off the field by Lavaine to the hermit Sir Baudwin's cave (Baudwin being a former knight of the Round Table himself). Elaine then urges her father to let her bring the wounded Lancelot to her chambers, where she nurses him. When Lancelot is well, he makes ready to leave, and offers to pay Elaine for her services; insulted, Elaine brings him his shield, which she had been guarding, and a wary Lancelot leaves the castle, never to return but now aware of her feelings for him.

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Lancelot and Elaine

Ten days later, Elaine dies of heartbreak. Per her instructions, her body is placed in a small boat, clutching a lily in one hand, and her final letter in the other. She then floats down the Thames to Camelot, where she is discovered by King Arthur's court. Lancelot is summoned and hears the contents of the letter, after which he explains what had happened. Lancelot proceeds to pay for a rich funeral and Elaine's mass-penny, at her request.

[edit] Adaptations

Adams, Oscar Fay (1855-1919), The Water Carriers(1886)
Akhurst, W. M. (1822-1878), Arthur the King
Baring, Maurice (1874-1945), "The Camelot Jousts" (1910)
Fowler Wright, S[ydney] (1874-1965), The Ballad of Elaine (from the S. Fowler Wright Website)
Hamley, General Edward, Sir Tray: An Arthurian Idyl (1873)
Kilmer, Aline (1888-1941), For All Ladies of Shalott (1921)
Millay, Edna St. Vincent (1892-1950), Elaine (1921)
Nieman, Valerie, Elaine the Fair Accuses Lancelot (2007)
Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart (1844-1911), Elaine and Elaine (1883), The Lady of Shalott (1871)
Rhodes, W[illiam] H[enry] (1822-1876), Rosenthal's Elaine (1876)
Stoddard, Elizabeth (1823-1902), Before the Mirror (1895)
Tennyson, Alfred, Lord (1809-1892), The Lady of Shalott (original version, 1833)
Tennyson, Alfred, Lord (1809-1892), Lancelot and Elaine from The Idylls of the King (1859) ^[4]

[edit] Elaine in art

Elaine has captured the minds of many artists, becoming one of the most recognizable tertiary characters from the Arthurian legends. A brief list of those who have depicted her story in art would include:

[edit] Gallery

1911, by Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale	1898, by George Wooliscroft & Louis Rhead	by Arthur A. Dixon	by Arthur A. Dixon
by Sophie Anderson	1919, by Lancelot Speed	Howard Pyle's Illustration