Perceval, the Story of the Grail in the context of "Golagros and Gawane"

Chrétien de Troyes (Modern French: [kʁetjɛ̃ də tʁwa]; Old French: Crestien de Troies [kresˈtjẽn də ˈtrojəs]; fl. c. 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects such as Gawain, Lancelot, Perceval, and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's chivalric romances, including Erec and Enide, Lancelot, Perceval, and Yvain, represent some of the best-regarded works of medieval literature. His use of structure, particularly in Yvain, has been seen as a step toward the modern novel.

The Holy Grail (French: Saint Graal, Breton: Graal Santel, Welsh: Greal Sanctaidd, Cornish: Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance, often guarded in the custody of the Fisher King and located in the hidden Grail castle. By analogy, any elusive object or goal of great significance may be perceived as a "holy grail" by those seeking such.

A mysterious "grail" (Old French: graal or greal), wondrous but not unequivocally holy, first appears in Perceval, the Story of the Grail, an unfinished chivalric romance written by Chrétien de Troyes around 1190. Chrétien's story inspired many continuations, translators and interpreters in the later-12th and early-13th centuries, including Wolfram von Eschenbach, who portrayed the Grail as a stone in Parzival. The Christian, Celtic or possibly other origins of the Arthurian grail trope are uncertain and have been debated among literary scholars and historians.

Perceval (/ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/, also written Percival, Parzival, Parsifal), alternatively called Peredur (Welsh pronunciation: [pɛˈrɛdɨr]), is a figure in the legend of King Arthur, often appearing as one of the Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the late 12th century tale Perceval, the Story of the Grail, he is best known for being the original hero in the quest for the Grail before being replaced in later literature by Galahad, first introduced in the early 13th century.

The Haughty Maiden of Logres is a character from Arthurian legend, appearing in Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail and works based on it. She is left nameless in Chrétien's unfinished romance, but Wolfram von Eschenbach, who reworked the tale for the German epic Parzival, calls her Orgeluse (taken from orgueilleuse, the Old French word for "proud" ).

In Chrétien's work, Gawain meets the Haughty Maiden while travelling; she treats him with contempt and scorn. Despite her humiliating treatment, Gawain acts with unfailing courtesy towards her, accepting her insults with grace.