Eliduc by John Fowles. Short summary

5 seconds

Knight Eliduke is slandered and forced to travel across the sea, leaving his wife at home. When he returns, his wife becomes a nun so as not to disturb the lovers.

1 minute

A translation of a lé by the medieval poetess Marie of France.

The knight Eliduke is slandered before the king of Brittany. He leaves to serve at the court of the King of England. Eliduke falls in love with a princess, daughter of King Gillyadoon. He loves her too, but is tormented by the fact that he has a wife.

The King of Brittany calls Eliduke back. The princess declares that if he does not return, she will kill herself.

At home, Eliduke is gloomy. He returns to England and takes the princess away in a ship. A storm rises, and one sailor accuses Eliduke of bigamy. The princess learns of her lover’s wife and drops dead.

Elidyuk thinks she is dead, leaves her in a chapel near his castle, goes there every day and wails. One day his wife follows him. She discovered Gilliadoon and gave her a magic herb.

The beauty came to life. The knight’s wife leaves for a monastery so as not to disturb the lovers. Gilliadoon and Eliduke marry, and when they are old they also give themselves to God. Gilliadoon goes to the same monastery as Eliduke’s wife, and they live there as sisters.