The Ring of Invisibility
"The maid gave him the ring to wear and said its power she could compare to the bark that grows upon the tree and covers it: no one can see the wood beneath."
- Yvain, lines 953 - 957 "Aflame with rage, the liege men all looked for their man within the hall. They beat the benches, walls, and bed, but they did not strike at the spread upon the couch where Sir Yvain was lying; he did not sustain one blow then."
- Yvain, lines 1047 - 1053
After having defeated the Storm Knight, Yvain followed him to his castle where he became trapped within the gate. Lunette found him and took him to her chambers where she gave him a magic ring that made him invisible. And so Yvain was protected from the Storm Knight's loyal men sent out by the Lady of Landuc, the late Storm Knight's wife, to find and kill him. Yvain fell in Love with the Lady of Landuc and convinced Lunette to help him get the Lady to love him in return. After a some work and a little trickery on Lunette's part, Yvain and the Lady of Landuc eventually fell in love and were married.
The ring of invisibility is used as a catalyst in starting the relationship between the Lady of Landuc and Yvain. From his vantage point, Yvain is able to watch her while she is unable to see him. He gains an almost God-like power to watch events without betraying his presence or whereabouts. The ring of invisibility thus changes Yvain, making him feel more powerful even as he becomes more afraid of being discovered by her men and killed. It is no coincidence that in this high state of emotional turmoil Yvain falls in love with the Lady of Landuc. He becomes entranced with her beauty, and even though he has just killed her husband, he falls in love with her: "But now, a new Love sweetens him with sugar and honey. Love, at whim, has hunted in her lands today, and now she gathers in her prey… The wound that Love has dealt the lord won't heal like the wounds from lance or sword, for any wound a sword has cut the doctors can cure quickly, but the wounds of Love, by definition, are worst when nearest their physician".
- Yvain, lines 1253 - 1270
Lunette is able to sway the Lady of Landuc into talking with Yvain, and they almost instantly fall in love, marrying each other the following day. Thus the significance of the ring of invisibility is that it is a very convenient way to get a happy beginning to the story by line 2024. This sets up the fall from grace the almost immediately follows the near pure bliss of true love that Yvain experiences. The ring of invisibility allows Chretien De Troyes to sharply contrast the Yvain in love, with the maddened Yvain with unrequited love. One important point about how the ring of invisibility is tempered by the expectations and rules that fall under the medieval romance genre during this time is Yvain's following statement: "I won't leave secretly, disguised like some low thief. When all the men have gathered in the town streets, then I'll go, more honored, in full sight, than if I'd sneaked away by night."
- Yvain, lines 1450 - 1454
One of the cardinal rules that must never violated is that a knight must never act in any way like a thief. A knight may never steal, lie, back stab, etc. and still be the hero of the story. Although this is slightly violated when he takes the bow and arrow from the boy later on, he is currently insane and it may therefore be forgiven. Chretien De Troyes knows his audience well in addition to their expectations, and so limits Yvain's use of the ring of invisibility. In the hands of a less valiant and less scrupulous man, it would be completely and utterly abused. The ring of invisibility is thus another test of Yvain's character, proving once again that he is the hero that the audience can stand by time and time again.
In conclusion, the ring of invisibility is a vital link in the plot that quickly and easily accomplishes the task enabling Yvain to live long enough to win the Lady of Landuc's love. It also provides another test of Yvain's courage and character, allowing the audience to continue to have faith in the hero of the story.
H.G. Wells - The Invisible Man
Rings from Claddagh Jewellers, Galway, Ireland
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