CHAPTER IV

LE CHEVALIER DE LA CHARRETTE

Summary of poem 40-42

Structure of poem confused and unsatisfactory--Probable reasons for this 42-46

Versions of Guinevere's imprisonment--Comparison with Siegfried-Brynhild story--Legend primitive and in earliest form unlocalised--Localisation points to an insular redaction 46-49

Relation between Chrétien's poem and other versions--Malory's version cannot be proved to be drawn from prose _Lancelot_-- _Iwein_ certainly independent of _Charrette_--_Parzival_ doubtful--Two latter possibly represent earlier version, imperfectly known by Chrétien 49-53