Sir Launfal is a Middle English romance composed by Thomas Chestre at the end of the fourteenth century. The narrative is classed as a Breton lai on account of its concise rhyming form, Fairyworld motifs, and literary sources. It is written in a dialect typical of South-East England and survives in one early fifteenth-century manuscript: British Library, MS Cotton Caligula A. II. This volume contains thirty-eight items, including ten Middle English romances, one of which is another late fourteenth-century lai, Emaré.

Plot Summary

The narrative begins in the mythic past of Arthur’s England and introduces its eponymous protagonist, Launfal, a young knight of the Round …

3632 words

Citation: Colquitt, Olivia. "Sir Launfal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 April 2020 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38750, accessed 29 March 2024.]

38750 Sir Launfal 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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