Book III

. p. 81, cf. note on passage.

Page 232, line 106--'_The Margravine of Heitstein_.' This name varies greatly in the MSS., but both Lachmann and Bartsch give the reading in the text. The Margravine mentioned is identified with the wife of Berchtold von Chamm and Vohburg, who died in 1204.

Page 233, line 146--'_Of my father's sister_,' _etc._ This line is curious as giving a very early instance of a play upon words familiar to us in modern puzzles. Gawain, of course, simply states that he is 'his father's son,' and gives the queen no information whatever as to his birth.

Page 234, line 181, and _seq._--'_At length did she chance on some chess-men_,' _etc._ It should be noted that chess-men, in the Middle Ages, were often of a very large size, and would form no despicable weapons. In Chrêtien's version of the incident he specially speaks of these as ten times larger than other chess-men, and of very hard ivory. Adventures in which a chess-board plays a part are of not infrequent occurrence in the Grail romances.

Page 234, line 190--'_The Burger maids of Tollenstein_.' Tollenstein is a town in the neighbourhood of Eschenbach; the allusion is evidently to some kind of Carnival sports held there. Mock Tournaments, in which women took part, are often alluded to in old French and German poems. The point of the allusion evidently is that they fought for mere sport, while Antikonie fought in defence of her guest, and her action is therefore held the more praiseworthy.

Page 235, line 221--'_The knight who to battle bade him_.' Cf. Book VI . p. 184 and note.

Page 236, line 257--'_With a lance-thrust by Ekunât_.' Ekunât has been already named in