Maiden

1. Maiden of Many Years

   An old woman who led Lancelot on several adventures, ending with Lancelot's unfortunate slaying of Duke Calles.

   
   

2. Maiden of the Cart

   The name of three damsels who served the Fisher King. Their names reflected the cart in which they traveled, which contained some 150 heads in sealed boxes. They included the heads of Adam and Eve.

   The Maiden of the Cart most often mentioned had gone bald when Perceval failed at the Grail Castle. Afterwards, the Maiden traveled to Britain and tried to rectify the situation by guiding Perceval, Gawain, and Lancelot towards holy quests. Her tasks were completed when Perceval killed the Black Hermit.

   
   

3. Maiden of the Circle of Gold
   Pucelle au Cercle d'Or

   A damsel whose castle, Montesclaire, was besieged by the Knight of the Dragon. Perceval rescued her and killed the knight. The Maiden was the daughter of King Esclador.

   
   

4. Maiden of the Green Meadow

   A lady named Sandinose, who married Duke Beladigant.

   
   

5. Maiden of the Ivory Horn
   Pucelle au Cor d'Ivoire

   She owned a magical horn that provided food and drink in unlimited quantities (much like the horn of Bran in Welsh legend).

   While she was traveling with Gawain, the horn was stolen by Sir Macarot of Pantelion. Gawain tracked down the thief, killed him, and retrived the artifact. In reward, the Maiden gave Gawain a magic ring that quintupled his strength.

   
   

6. Maiden of the Moors
   Demoisele des Landes, Lady of the Lands

   A cousin of King Anguish of Ireland. The king threw a tournament at the Castle of the Moors, her stronghold, to find her a husband. Palamedes and Tristan were the best knights in the tournament, but neither of them married the Maiden.

   
   

7. Maiden of the Narrow Wood
   Pucelle del Gaut Destroit

   A damsel who appears in French romance. She is given the proper name Lore of Branlant in the Livre d’Artus.

   Her castle was besieged by Waldin of the Fearsome Vales, a jilted suitor, and she sent a messenger to Arthur’s court for assistance. Gawain, under the alias 'Daguenet' (Dagonet), delivered her from Waldin and departed. Later learning Gawain’s identity, she fell in love with him.

   She built a trap in her castle designed to behead Gawain on his next visit, either (depending on the text) because he spurned her love or because she wanted to be entombed with him forever. In one text, Gawain visits her castle but manages to escape unrecognized with the help of her servant, Marot. The Maiden’s plan never came to fruition, and she eventually married Maduc the Black. A similar character is called Orguelleuse of Logres in Perlesvaus.

   
   

8. Maiden of/with the White Hands
   Dame d'Amour, Pucelle aux Blanche Mains

   A fairy who ruled the Golden Isle.

   She had several suitors, so she declared that she would marry anyone who could defend the Golden Isle against all visitors over a period of seven years. Malgier the Gray, a loathsome knight, was only two years away from winning the challenge when he was killed by Arthur’s knight Guinglain. The Maiden was so pleased by Malgier’s death that she abolished the custom and agreed to marry Guinglain immediately.

   Guinglain was in the middle of a quest to remove a curse from Queen Esmeree the Blonde of Wales, however, and - fearful that the Maiden would try to detain him - he sneaked away from the Golden Isle in the middle of the night. Tortured with love for the Maiden, Guinglain returned as soon as he could. The Maiden had followed his progress on the quest. She scorned him upon his return and befuddled him with enchantments of revenge. Eventually, she accepted him back into her heart, but he lost her love for good when he decided to leave her so he could participate in a tournament at the Castle of Maidens.