The Sources of "Ille et Galeron"

Abstract

The sources of the Ille may be conveniently divided into two groups: (1) written literary sources and (2) contemporary historical events or court gossip. The written sources have been extensively discussed by Paris,1 Foerster,2 and Matzke,3 and I shall merely sum up their conclusions with my own deductions added. Gautier himself gives his source as an estore4 and claims to have followed it faithfully. But scholars are inclined to accept two works as written sources, the Chronique de Nantes5 and Marie de France's Lai d'Eliduc.6