Iwein in the context of "Hartmann von Aue"

Laudine is a character in Chrétien de Troyes's 12th-century romance Yvain, or, The Knight with the Lion. The character is unnamed in the Welsh version of the tale, Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain, but is named as Laudine in both Chrétien's romance and the German adaptation, Iwein by Hartmann von Aue. Known as the Lady of the Fountain, she becomes the wife of the poem's protagonist, Yvain, one of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table, after he kills her husband, but later spurns the knight-errant when he neglects her for heroic adventure, only to take him back in the end.

Chrétien calls her "la dame de Landuc", i.e. the noblewoman in command of the territory and castle of "Landuc", located near a supernatural fountain within the enchanted forest of Brocéliande. The lady Laudine's fountain, which magically generated a powerful storm when its water was poured into a nearby basin, was guarded by her husband, Esclados the Red, until his defeat by Yvain. After learning about his cousin Calogrenant's encounter with Esclados, in which the former was attacked and beaten for using the well to create a storm, Yvain took revenge on behalf of his kinsman by slaying Esclados in single combat. He then followed the mortally wounded warrior back to the castle, where he fell instantly in love with his victim's widow. Though distraught over her husband's death, Laudine was convinced by her vassals (especially her servant and confidante Lunete) to marry Yvain to ensure the protection of her lands.

Yvain, the Knight of the Lion (French: Yvain ou le Chevalier au Lion) is an Arthurian romance by French poet Chrétien de Troyes. It was written c. 1180 simultaneously with Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, and includes several references to the narrative of that poem. It is a story of knight-errantry, in which the protagonist Yvain is first rejected by his lady for breaking a very important promise, and subsequently performs a number of heroic deeds in order to regain her favour. The poem has been adapted into several other medieval works, including Iwein and Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain.

In the Arthurian legend, Lunete (also known as Luned, Lunet, or Lunette) is a handmaiden and advisor to Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain. It is she who is responsible for convincing Laudine to accept Ywain in marriage.

She is described in Chrétien de Troyes' Yvain, the Knight of the Lion as "a charming brunette, prudent, clever and polite..." When Esclados the Red (Laudine's first husband) is mortally wounded and killed by Ywain, he finds himself trapped in Laudine's castle (Castle of Landuc near Brocéliande). Lunete offers him shelter and agrees to aid him in escaping the villagers who want to avenge their lord's death. During his escape from the castle, Ywain sees Esclados' widow and falls in love with her. Ywain, with Lunete's help, wins Laudine's hand and marries her. Lunete grows to become a close friend and confidant to the Lady of the Fountain. Ywain and the Lady of the Fountain are married for many years; but one day, Gawain arrives and reminds Ywain of his absence from his chivalric duties and from King Arthur's court. The Lady of the Fountain agrees to let him go — only if he promises to return after one year. Ywain breaks his promise and delays his return; the Lady asks her husband to leave her and never return. As a result of the separation, Lunete loses favour with her Lady, since Lunete was the one who advised Laudine to marry Ywain. Meanwhile, in court, the seneschal envies Lunete of her rising status and becoming Laudine's favourite advisor. He accuses her of treason and she is sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Ywain duels with the seneschal and his brothers and defeats them in combat; Lunete is then let free. Lunete later helps Ywain to win his wife's love back, by tricking the spouses into reconciliation. According to Phyllis Ann Karr, "All in all, even though Laudine is the hero's romantic interest, Lunette steals the spotlight to such an extent that one might be tempted to call her the true heroine of Chrétien's Yvain."