Fair Unknown

This article is about the French romance. For the Middle English version, see Libeaus Desconus. For the German version, see Wigalois.

Le Bel Inconnu (The Fair Unknown) is a French Arthurian romance written by Renaut de Beaujeu c. 1200, referring to the young knight who is the protagonist of the tale. The knight, initially without a name, who eventually discovers his identity or his parentage is revealed during the course of the story.

Le Bel Inconnu (Fair Unknown) is Gingalain, son of Gawain and the fay Blanchemal. As a nameless youth, he arrives in King Arthur's court and is granted a boon to be knighted. He earns the nickname "Fair Unknown", then accepts his main quest, to save the Princess (and later Queen) of Gales (Wales), a mission heralded to the Court by the queen's maidservant Hélie. The Fair Unknown undergoes a number of side-quests, including his succoring of the Maid of the White Hands (French: La Pucelle à Blanches Mains, the enchantress of the Ile d'Or, who becomes his mistress, but he leaves abruptly to return to his main quest at the city of Snowdon. He defeats the enchanter Mabon and accomplishes the "Fearsome Kiss" (Old French: Fier Baissier) upon a serpent to dispel the transformation of the princess of Wales, after which a voice reveals to him his name and his parentage. The princess discloses her name as Blonde Esmeree; she is Princess/Queen of Wales, and wishes to marry the hero. The Fair Unknown has a chance of reunion with White Hands, but when Arthur calls a tournament to entice him back, she helps by magically sending him to the joust, and he takes this to be a rejection. He then marries Blonde Esmeree.

There are later French reworkings such as the Beausdous by Robert de Blois and the reconstructed Gliglois (both 13th century), as well as a modern prose rendition (published 1530) (cf. § French variants). There are also cognate tales in other languages: the Middle English Libeaus Desconus, German Wigalois, and Italian Carduino (cf. § Cognate tales in other languages).

The term "The Fair Unknown" might be applied more generically to any similar character assuming the same motif of anonymity (cf. § Literary archetype).


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