Yvain- Part 3

Question 1-

After the scene involving the fight between the dragon and the lion, it is possible to see some change in Yvain. To explore this change, and why it caused Yvain to take a new name, I think it is prudent to look into the significance of the dragon and the lion's fight. In popular myth dragons and snakes usually signify treachery, deceit, and evil. Paradoxically, they also symbolize knowledge and learning. The very word 'dragon" stems from the Greek verb "to see" and the serpent in the Garden of Eden was offering Eve the opportunity to learn. Lions, on the other hand, represent loyalty and honor. Because of this, by Yvain taking the side of the lion, he is symbolically giving up the adventurous and precocious attitude that he had throughout his life, and instead he is taking up the mantel of honor, and by way of chivalry, ignorance.

I think that in this scene Chretien is expressing a withering criticism of chivalry and knighthood. While the story reads that Yvain is wrongfully seeking adventure in both his avenging of Calegrenant and after he marries Laudine, I would argue that a different conclusion could be drawn from this.

Arthur's world was one that was fraught with odd views of morality. Examples include Arthur being lauded, despite the fact that he murdered all of the infants in England in an attempt to save himself, and Merlin being viewed as a wise and venerable sage, even though he is a liar, deceiver, and a lecher. Hand in hand with these is a lack of rationality that is prevalent throughout the whole Arthurian canon. An example is the willingness of Arthur's knights to die upholding the Pentecostal Oath, while the oath is only a meager way for Arthur to repent for his
misdeeds.

When viewed through this lens it is easy to see how knighthood and chivalry are representative of ignorance. Because of Yvain's conscious choice to forgo learning and knowledge and be chivalric, it was necessary for him to change his name. The name Yvain is a form of the name "Owain", which means youth. This change can then be interpreted as a sign of maturation for Yvain, or as a further loss of his curiosity, an attribute that is present most profusely in childhood. By taking on the name "The Knight With The Lion" we can say that Yvain is now thoroughly adopting a close minded and chivalric attitude.