Okay, the first thing I would like to get out of the way is that the knight in the cart had poor decision making skills when it came to transportation. He clearly didn't watch Monty Python because it's always been cool to ride pretend horses (apparently). What's with putting multiple real horses and his dignity in danger when he could ride up in style like these guys?
On a more serious but nowhere near serious note, this knight is 50 shades of obsessed. Who cherishes a lady's hair like that? If there were doubts of him being a stalker before this moment, they're gone now. If you witnessed someone doing his with hair they found in a comb present day, you would run, fast, and probably until you found a lock to hide behind. I can't call the knight crazy because he is still somewhat in his right mind at other moments. He's not letting this obsession control his every move completely, but wow. Just wow.
Thinking about the women who enjoyed reading this story, it makes sense because it probably does help them satisfy their yearning for the love their husbands can never give them. This story lets the women live vicariously through the queen's character. It helps them escape their reality, which is the same reason many people read books today. The fantasy they escape to is questionable, but I guess it's relative to some extent.
To close, I'll just leave this here (thank God for tumblr).
Lancelot fondness for his queen's hair is not as unusual as some might imagine. In the 19th century, people would have jewelry made from a dead loved one's hair or included in a piece of jewelry. For examples of some unusual, slightly creepy jewelry, do an internet search on Victorian hair and mourning jewelry. If looking for that one of a kind gift for a loved one, there are instructions for crafting your own hair jewelry pieces online.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, my mom has some great great great great someone's hair just locked away for safe keeping, but I don't think it's for the same reasons as you mentioned. I guess my point of view was influenced by cartoons that presented a crazy obsessed character who might have died in the process of obtaining a lock of their beloved's hair. They were portrayed as weird and crazy, so that's just how I associated that action.
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