The Besieged Ladies in Arthurian Romance

One of the most familiar figures in Arthurian romance is the Besieged Lady, whose beleaguered castle is liberated by a young and obscure knight, and who rewards her deliverer with an offer of her love. So ubiquitous is she, in fact, that it is easy to dismiss her as an Arthurian commonplace. But even commonplaces must originate somewhere. Since the Besieged Ladies are by no means stereotyped replicas of one another, it is difficult to believe that all versions of the story derive from the earliest extant text. More probably, the story of the Besieged Lady and her troubles is a traditional narrative pattern which became a favorite with the romancers not only because of its beguiling aspects but also because of its adaptability to their concept of chivalry. A study of the more significant versions of this remarkably malleable theme will help us to discern the underlying traditions and their complex development.