Dra. Elisa Cifuentes Pérez

Universidad de Alcalá de Henares

The death of a genre: the breton lay in Portugal

Five lyric compositions known as Lais de Bretanha included in a Portuguese Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa (Colocci-Brancuti) constitute one of the most attractive evidence of the unquestionable presence of the Matter of Britain in Portugal. These Lais de Bretanha would be the descendants of Marie de France's Lais.

This paper will attempt with the transformation of the genre breton lay through time - 12th, 13th and 14th centuries - and space - France, England and Portugal - paying attention to these Portuguese pieces. They represent an element of transition and junction between a peninsular lyric tradition and the arthurian narrative.