While Meliagrant was holding Guenevere prisoner in Gore, the ladies and damsels of Logres, feeling blue, decided to lift their spirits by arranging a tournament, with the lady of Noauz challenging the Lady of Pomelegloi (neither of whom Chrétien has mentioned before). The tournament was held at Noauz – I have doublechecked the passage to make sure it is she of Noauz who is named as the challenger, at least in Owen’s translation.
The ladies announced it well ahead of time, so as to have good turnout; it was to serve as a sort of marriage mart, with the unwed damsels planning to accept husbands from among those knights who did well.
When Guenevere was safely returned before the tournament, the ladies invited her to grace it with her presence, which she did. Alas for their wedding projects! Drawn by the presence of the queen, Lancelot attended the tournament incognito and, of course, did so splendidly – Gawaine stayed out of the second day’s fighting for the pleasure of watching the unknown champion’s deeds – that all the damsels fell in love with this same unknown and refused to consider having any other husband that year, so no one got married after all.
The name similarity makes it very tempting to identify this lady with the Vulgate’s Lady of Nohaut.
See also
Meliagrant’s Seneschal and His Wife | The Legend of King Arthur
Loquacious Herald of Noauz | The Legend of King Arthur