Lais: "Yonec" (link to reading)
Author: Marie de France
Date: c. 12th century CE
Location: England
Course Unit: Domestic Violence and Rape
Context:
"Marie de France’s twelfth-century Anglo-Norman romance Yonec provides us with a startlingly stark test case to consider how domestic abuse was understood in the Middle Ages —and how it was condemned.
Yonec begins with a common occurrence in medieval romance: an arranged marriage. Here, between an old, but rich and powerful lord and a beautiful, high-born young lady. The arrangement is described in terms of acquisition and practicality as the elderly lord needs an heir for his vast fortune. Once married, 'love' is mentioned on his part at least, but again only in terms of possession and jealousy, to the point that the lord wants to control the lady’s body and freedom by keeping her confined." (Tracy)
Tracy, Kisha G. Why Study the Middle Ages. ARC Humanities, 2022.
Topics/Questions to Consider While Reading:
How is domestic violence represented?
How are mental health issues related to domestic violence represented?