Lancelot Ozerny: history, biography and interesting facts

In the medieval literature of the 11th-12th centuries, a moral and ethical image of an ideal knight developed, to which the asceticism of church saints was alien. On the contrary, the hero of courtly novels is a man of secular and therefore close to readers. He has many virtues and, of course, is devoted to his Lady of the Heart.

Lancelot Ozerny is one of the most famous heroes of the knightly epic. About his exploits and love for Guinevere composed novels in the Middle Ages, and today they make films. They are based on the ancient legends of the Celts about the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur.

Celtic Mythology

What do we know about the Celts? Much less than about the Romans or the Greeks. Historians are sure that they had a written language, but not a single text written in that era was preserved. It is assumed that the priests-druids have put their hand to this.

Be that as it may, everything that we know today about the Celtic civilization is based on archaeological finds and oral tradition. The latter is preserved in the form of legends, and each of them has several options.

A clear example of this - the legends in which there is a famous medieval character: Lancelot. Celtic mythology, according to some researchers, transformed one of the pagan gods into a new hypostasis - the glorified knight of the Round Table.

Moreover, there are various accounts of his life and adventures. All this was reflected in the heyday of medieval knight literature, when in England, Germany and France, cycles of novels about King Arthur were created.

Breton legends

In the mythological history of the Celts, Arthur appears quite unexpectedly. The most ancient mention of him can be found in Welsh sources, where he appears as an ordinary military leader, not standing out against the background of others. However, soon the legends take him to an unprecedented height.

This turn remains a mystery for researchers to this day. However, like the very personality of King Arthur. Unfortunately, we will never know if he had a real prototype, although many historians tend to such a version.

It is believed that the Britons - one of the Celtic tribes - at the end of the V - the beginning of the VI century there was indeed a military leader named Arthur. Later in legends, his personality merged with the image of the Celtic god Artaius and in this interpretation was widely spread among the Britons. The same semi-mythical origin has his faithful associates.

Lancelot - Knight of the Round Table - appeared in these legends later than other actors of the Arturovsky cycle. Nevertheless, it was he, along with the king, became the most famous hero of medieval literature.

Knights of the Round Table

Chretien de Troyes, the author of courtly novels of the 12th century, mentions in one of them the castle of Camelot as the place where King Arthur collected his knights at the Round Table. According to Celtic legends, this unusual shape of the table was invented by the magician Merlin in order that all the knights behind him felt on an equal footing.

Thanks to the same Chrétien de Troyes, the series of works about King Arthur was enriched by a new character, who later became one of the most famous in the literature. Lancelot Ozerny first appears in the novel "The Knight of the cart" as a model of the ideal lover, ready for Dama's heart for the most reckless feats.

From this time on, the compositions about the Knights of the Round Table acquire the character of a courtly novel. They praise such virtues as personal valor, the willingness to come to the aid of the weak and, of course, the service of the Beautiful Lady.

Sir Lancelot Ozerny: The Legend

If King Arthur may have had a historical prototype, then Knight Lancelot is a fictional character. Information about his life we draw from the courtly novels of the XII century and later works. In them, medieval realities are firmly intertwined with Celtic mythology. What do we know about this popular hero of knightly novels?

Lancelot was the son of Ban, the King of Brittany. One day, Cloud attacked the lands of Lancelot's father, who, along with his family, had to flee under cover of night. But the heart of the king could not stand it, when he looked around and saw his castle, engulfed in flames. The queen put her son on the shore of the lake, and herself bent over the body of the dying husband.

Behind all this was Vivian, the Lake Maiden, who had simply stolen the little Lancelot and carried him to her domain. The poor queen, who had lost her son and her husband, had no choice but to find shelter in the monastery.

In the Castle of Camelot

Vivian, better known as the Lake Maiden, learned the magic of Merlin, who was in love with her. Over time, she created her own courtyard, consisting of numerous ladies and knights. In such an environment, Lancelot was raised until he was 18 years old.

Vivian sent a young pupil, nicknamed Ozerny, to Camelot to the court of King Arthur, where he was to be knighted. Arriving at the castle, he made a great impression on its inhabitants by his nobility, courage and ability to own weapons.

The wife of Arthur, Queen of Guinevere, among the other knights, highlighted Lancelot. Needless to say, according to the laws of the courtly novel, the vassal fell in love with the suzerain's wife and she answered him in kind. For the sake of Guineverra Lancelot Ozerny scored many military and tournament victories.

Enchantment of Elaine

Loyalty to the chosen lady of the heart in the Middle Ages was considered one of the main virtues. As an exemplary knight, Lancelot was, of course, faithful to Queen Guinevere, although many women coveted his love. For example, Princess Elaine. There are several variations of her relationship with Lancelot.

According to one of them, taking advantage of the help of the sorceress, Elaine takes the guise of the Guinevere and thus achieves her: Lancelot spends the night with her. True, when deception unfolds, he refuses to marry her and returns to King Arthur.

Only when Galahad, the illegitimate son of Lancelot Ozerny, came of age, he met with his father. The young man was distinguished for his nobility and purity, therefore from all the knights only he managed to find and obtain a precious relic - the Holy Grail.

Eternal Triangle

But let's return to the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, because it was the core of the knightly novels. Just as in the case of Elaine, medieval literature contains various interpretations of their relations.

Some works describe Lancelot's feelings towards King Arthur's wife as exceptionally platonic. Others, however, make it clear that the line of the permitted lovers still crossed.

In the end, the deceived king sentenced the unfaithful spouse to be burned. True, the execution never took place - Sir Lancelot Ozerny saved Guineverra and hid it in a monastery, he himself disappeared in Brittany.

The End of the Legend

According to feudal laws, King Arthur gathered an army to punish a vassal who violated the oath of allegiance. To control Camelot in his absence was Mordred, whom legends call either an illegitimate son or a nephew of the king.

But the perfidious Mordred, wishing to seize power in Camelot, concludes an alliance with the Saxons - hostile Britons tribes. King Arthur perishes in an ambush for him, and Guinevere, despite Lancelot's entreaties, takes the monastic vows and becomes a nun. Thus ends one of the most famous love stories in literature.

Since the creation of courtly novels, not one century has passed, yet the knight Lancelot Ozerny is not forgotten. On the contrary, his love for Guinevere, deeds and life in general continue to interest our contemporaries.