The Lais of Marie de France

Rings are a recurring motif throughout the Lais. They were the most popular type of jewelry in the Middle Ages amongst both sexes and could adorn multiple fingers or be worn on a cord around the neck or arms. The looping shape of a ring, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes eternity. Both historically and in the Lais, they were a symbol of a person’s identity and could be exchanged amongst lovers and family members as tokens of fidelity.

Knights give their rings to the ladies they love, even outside marriage, as a symbol of their intention to return. For example, Eliduc and Guilliadun exchange rings on parting so that they will each carry a piece of the other until they are reunited. Given that Eliduc is already married and has exchanged rings before with his wife, such an act indicates a transference of loyalties from Guildelüec to Guilliadun. Although a ring symbolizes eternity, the act of ring-giving can reflect changes in the giver’s psyche, and in this case, the act reinforces that Eliduc, both in terms of his identity and his affections, is changed. In this particular lay, the changing nature of Eliduc’s romantic devotion and the act of ring-giving that accompanies it contrasts with the more steadfast nature of the protagonists’ devotion to God.