The Blanchefleur incident shows some verbal parallels, “The maiden welcomed Peredur and put her arms around his neck.”
Et la damosele le prent
Par le main débonnairement (3,025-26)
Et voit celi ajenouillie
Devant son lit qui le tenoit
Par le col embraciet estroit (3,166-68).
Can, too, the “two nuns,” who bring in bread and wine, be due to the “Il Abéies,” which Perceval sees on entering Blanchefleur’s town? It may be noticed that in this scene the Welsh story-teller is not only more chaste, but shows much greater delicacy of feeling than the French poet. Peredur’s conduct is that of a gentleman according to nineteenth century standards. Chrestien, however, is probably nearer the historical reality, and the conduct of his pair—
S’il l’a sor le covertoir mise
·····
Ensi giurent tote la nuit.
is so singularly like that of a Welsh bundling couple, that it seems admissible to refer the colouring given to this incident to Welsh sources. Another scene presenting marked similarities in the two works is that in which the hero is upbraided before the court by the loathly damsel. In the Mabinogi she enters riding upon a yellow mule with jagged thongs: in Chrestien—
Sor une fauve mule et tint
En sa main destre une escorgie (5,991-2).
“Blacker were her face and her two hands than the blackest iron covered with pitch.”
Ains ne véistes si noir fer
Come ele ot les mains et le cor (5,998-99).
“And she greeted Arthur and all his household except Peredur.”
Le roi et ses barons salue
Tout ensamble comunalment
Fors ke Perceval seulement (6,020-3).