Le Mans, Médiathèque Louis Aragon, MS 354

images taken for the Lancelot-Grail Project by DIAMM, reproduced by permission of the Médiathèque
page © Alison Stones




front flysheet


Le Mans f. 1
Four-part miniature: top left:  The hermit-narrator receives the book from heaven: hermit-narrator (shown as curly-haired man), in bed; haloed wingless figure emerges from sky holding book; top right: hermit-narrator encounters the composite beast: horned, lion-like animal which turns it head to look at him; bottom left: hermit-narrator meets the madman: hermit, accompanied by man in cale sees child on ground, who turns head back to look at them; bottom right: Josephé on his deathbed transmits the Grail to Alain, watched by a follower man in bed, man hands him escuelle, watched by another man standing at foot of bed.
Chil ki la hauece et la segnorie de si haute estoire com est lestoire del graal...
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Le Mans f. 7v
C, Joseph, wearing a hat, preaches; bottom border: man in cale raises sword at dragon which has his left hand in its jaw.
Ce doiuent sauoir tot boin crestien...
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Le Mans f. 11
A, champie initial
Av jour que Ihesu Cris fu crucefies...

Le Mans f. 21
A, Annunciation to the Virgin: Gabriel holds scroll, raises index finger; pot containing flowering plant; Virgin raises right hand, hold book in left; bottom border: hybrid creature with female head wearing hair net and touret bound under chin turns to look at ape.
Av tans augustini ceram La boam emperaour roume...
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Le Mans f. 30
Josephé in the ark: flanked by 4 red angels holding cross, lance, nails, Josephé, robed and mitred, stands at draped altar with partly veiled chalice on it and is blessed by Christ, also painted red.  Animal-head terminals.  Bottom border: man wearing cale carrying white shield rides towards snail, wielding sword.
O, foliate initial
Or vien auant Josephe li miens siergans car tu es dignes diestre menistres...
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Le Mans f. 37v
T, champie initial
Tantost comme Josephes eut chou dit si pierdi chil laparole...

Le Mans f. 47
C, Mounted combat between Seraphe and Evalach and King Tholomer and his men, shields gules a chief argent [white], azure, gules, argent [white] a cross gules.  Young man head terminal; knight terminal holding sword and buckler (gules a rose argent [white])
Chi dist li contes que la v les gens seraphes combatirent...
Rubric: Cest ci si comme tholomers li rois enmena eualac quant il leut pris viers la forest
Le Mans f. 49v-a
King Tholomer routed by Evalach (housing and shield fessy of 6 argent [white] and azure a bend gules, ailettes and surcoat white) rides to right and looks back at Evalach (ailette and surcoat white, housing gules, shield argent [white] a cross gules) who follows, on horseback.  Animal-head terminal
Et si menoient auoec lui .xv. ce ses chevaliers tous montes...
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Rubric: Cest chi si comme nostre sires enuoia le blaz chevalier ki vescoust eualach quant tholomers lenmenoit pris:-

Le Mans f. 49v-b
The White Knight intervenes in support of King Evalach: White Knight (surcoat argent [white], housing and shield argent [white] a cross gules) rides to left, followed by King Tholomer and Evalach (heraldry of both as before).
Si tost com il eut ches paroles dites si regarde deuant lui...
Bottom border: youth wields club and buckler

Le Mans f. 52
L, champie initial
Li contes dist que la feme Evalach...

Rubric (f. 58v): Cest chi si com vns hom ki auoit le puing colpe wari dou puing qant il le toucha al blanc escut a le crois vermelle par le grase nostre seignour.
Le Mans f. 59-a
Conversion of Seraphe and Evalach: Beneath two triple arches, 2 men (Seraphe and Evalach) stand before Josephe, seated, wearing academic hat, holding shield argent (white) a cross gules with the crucified Christ on it (miraculously revealed to Evalach during the battle).
Iosephe se tes dieus a signant pooir comme tu li tiesmongnes...
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Rubric: Cest chi si comme Josephe baptissa seraphe ki or non naschiens et Eualach ki or non li rois mordrains
Le Mans f. 59-b
Baptism of King Evalach and Seraphe: Watched by 2 standing men, Josephé, wearing academic hat, stands blessing the 2 naked figures (one crowned) in huge chalice-shaped font; bottom border: seated ape left; standing bear-like creature wearing ecclesiastical robes, holding book.
Lors le bautisa Josephes El non del pere et del fil et del .s. esperit...

Le Mans f. 67
O, King Mordrain and Queen Sarracinte in bed together.  Hooded male terminal holding round object; bottom border centaur turns back having shot arrow from bow.
Or sen vait Iosephes et sa compaignie par le plaisir et par le coumandement de Nostre Segnour...
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Le Mans f. 69v
C, champie initial
Chi endroit dist li conte et devise que qant li rois fu leves dou lit...

Le Mans f. 71v
L, champie initial
Li contes dist chi endroit que li roys Mordrains fu portes lonc de son resne...

Le Mans f. 75
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que moult fu li roys Mordrains esbahis...

Le Mans f. 88
C, Nasciens pushed through door of prison.  Bear-headed terminal
Chi endroit dist li contes que Nasciens fu mis en tel maniere comme vous aues oit en prison...

Le Mans f. 91v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant Nasciens fu mis en prison...

Le Mans f. 94
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes chi endroit que qant la mains en eut portet Nasciens...

Le Mans f. 110
O, Nascien looks at the bed on the boat.  There is a pillow in a check cover but no fuissiaus.  Top border: knight terminal holding seord; bottom: cleric terminal holding open book.
Or dist li contes que grant pieche resgarda Nasciens les iii fusiaux dont li lis estoit et por savoir...

Le Mans f. 113
E, champie initial
En ceste partie dist li contes que qant les neuf mains en eurent porte Celidoine...

Le Mans f. 123
O, Celidoine's boat is pushed off from the shore by 2 men; border: rebec player terminal wearing tall pointed hat, dancer terminal with raised hands.
Or dist li contes ici endroit del S. Graal et devise que quant...

Le Mans f. 126v 
O, Flegentine's four messengers ride in search of her husband Nascien; border terminals: bagpiper, knight wielding club and buckler.
Or dist li contes que li v. messasges furent parti de lour dame ainsi montet com il estoient...

Le Mans f. 130v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que voirs fu et lestoire des phylosophyes le tesmongne que Ipocras fu li plus souvrains clers...

Le Mans f. 137
C, Damsel and 2 messengers read letters written on Hippocrates’ house (not shown here) explaining that the philosopher had been put to death by his wife’s trickery.  Border terminals: youth’s head, bear’s head.
Chi endroit dist li context ke kant li doi message et la damoisiele Qui avoec iaus estoient orent grant piece resgardee la maison Ypocras...

Le Mans f. 151
O, Nascien’s wife Flegentine discusses his whereabouts with 3 messengers.  Border terminal: cleric reading open book; border figures: stone thrower; elephant with 2 knights in castle on its back.
Or dist li contes que qant naschiens se fu partis de bellyc si comme il vous est ia deviset deuant Flegentine sa femme...

Le Mans f. 152
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant Josef se fut partis de Sarras...

f. 155 (image on verso missed by photographer)
Le Mans f. 155v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant li preudons qui a Naschien eut contee...

Le Mans f. 158v
C, champie initial
Chi endrolit dist li contes que qant li dus se fu couchies en son lit...

Le Mans f. 166
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes ke kant Josephes se fu partis de Galafort...

Le Mans f. 188
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que a celui point que Symeons en fu portes...

Le Mans f. 190v 
C, The daughter of King Orcaut and two of her ladies standing the door of their castle see Pierre asleep in his boat; border terminals: bear and bird biting its own neck.
Chi endroit dit li contes ke quant la naciele u pieres estoit se fu eslongie de la rive...

Le Mans f. 197v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes en ceste partie que qant Josesphes se fu partis de Pieron...

Le Mans f. 199v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant Josephes se fu partis et il ot couronne Galaad...

Le Mans f. 200v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant Josephes vit que il estoit el trespassement...

Le Mans f. 204v
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant Josephe se fu partis dicest siecle...


Le Mans f. 205
O, champie initial
Or dist li contes que qant Celydoines se fu partis de son pere...

Le Mans f. 207v Text ends complete f. 207v
Explicit and Colophon
written by Walterus de Kayo