which carries Gugemar over the sea is undoubtedly of the
same class as those magic self-propelled craft which we meet with very
frequently in Celtic lore, and the introduction of this feature in
itself is sufficient to convince us of the Celtic or Breton origin of
Marie's tale. We have such a craft in the Grail legend in the _Morte
d'Arthur_, in which Galahad finds precisely such a bed. The vessel in
the Grail legend is described as "King Solomon's Ship," and it is
obvious that Marie or her Breton original must have borrowed the idea
from a Grail source.

Lastly, the means adopted by the lovers to ensure one another's
constancy seem very like the methods of taboo. The knot that may not
or cannot be untied has many counterparts in ancient lore, and the
girdle that no man but the accepted lover may loose is reminiscent of
the days when a man placed such a girdle around his wife or sweetheart
to signify his sole possession of her. If a man could succeed in
purloining a mermaid's girdle she was completely in his power. So is
it with fairies in an Algonquin Indian tale. Even so late as Crusading
times many knights departing to fight in the Holy Land bound a girdle
round their ladies' waists in the hope that the gift would ensure
their faithfulness.

_The Lay of Laustic_

The Lay of Laustic, or the Nightingale, is purely of Breton origin,
and indeed is proved to be so by its title. "Laustic, I deem, men name
it in that country" (Brittany), says Marie in her preface to the lay,
"which being interpreted means _rossignol_ in French and 'nightingale'
in good plain English." She adds that the Breton harper has already
made a lay concerning it--added evidence that the tale is of Celtic
and not of French origin.

In the ancient town of Saint-Malo, in Brittany, dwelt two knights
whose valour and prowess brought much fame to the community. Their
houses were close to one another, and one of them was married to a
lady of surpassing loveliness, while the other was a bachelor. By
insensible degrees the bachelor knight came to love his neighbour's
wife, and so handsome and gallant was he that in time she returned his
passion. He made every possible excuse for seeking her society, and on
one pretext or another was constantly by her side. But he was
exceedingly careful of her fair fame, and acted in such a way that not
the slightest breath of scandal could touch her.

Their houses were separated by an ancient stone wall of considera