Little

1. Little Britain

   A common alternate name for Brittany and, sometimes, Normandy.

   
   

2. Little Ireland

   A country ruled by King Yon, who went to war with Arthur at the beginning of Arthur's reign. It may be the Isle of Man.

   
   

3. Little King

   Nickname of Guivret the Small.

   
   

4. Little Knight
   Petit Chevalier

   A dwarfish knight slain by Gareth in the First Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval.

   Gareth was avenging the death of another knight named Brangemuer, as well as his own previous humiliation at the Little Knight’s hands. In the Second Continuation, the Little Knight’s sister, Tanrée, becomes Gawain’s lover. The Little Knight himself attended a tournament in the White Land. He had a magic shield that could only be carried successfully by a knight who was truly loved by his lady.

   
   

5. Little Piebald Palfrey

   The Haughty Maid of Logre's horse, at least according to her own statement.

   This well trained little mount waited in a garden of a city (Orquenseles?) just over the Galloway border, while the Haughty Maid sent knights to fetch it out to her, and a tall knight sat in the garden warning them of dire consequences to themselves if they did.

   Apparently the Haughty Knight of the Narrow Way waited somewhere outside to vanquish each knight who took the bait, though in Gawaine's case other adventures happened to intervene.

   The docile palfrey itself was presumably innocent of guile in all this, though at the same time it knew the routine quite well. Its head was black on one side and white on the other, somewhat reminiscent of Enide's sorrel palfrey.

   
   

6. Little Sleeves, Maid with
   Maiden with the Small Sleeves

   D.D.R. Owen calls Tibaut's younger daughter the Maiden with the Small Sleeves; I find Cline's Maid with Little Sleeves more mellifluous, even outside the verse translation.

   Whichever adjective is chosen, this little maid's sleeves were so tight that they looked painted on. While this may have been a fashionable affectation, I cannot help but wonder if it might not mean that the damsel was having problems outgrowing her clothes: she strikes me as one of Chrétien's youngest creations, if not the youngest. While possibly hovering on womanhood, she could equally well be seen as under ten.

   I doubt that she was completely guiltless in the obvious sibling rivalry with her older sister, but Garin's daughters loved the little maid well, which argues in favor of her amiability. It could have been her extreme youth that finally won Gawaine to break his own resolve and fight as her champion.

   After winning the second day's tourney for her, he made her the same promise he made so many a more mature fair one, vowing to be ever ready to drop any other business and hurry to her call for assistance. She replied by siezing his foot and kissing it - an unusual geasture, which she explained by saying she wanted to make sure he would always remember her face wherever he went.

   I like to think that had Chrétien finished the story, we would have seen much more of the Maid with Little Sleeves.

   ---

   For the Maid's story, see under
   Garin | The Legend of King Arthur
   Meliant of Liz | The Legend of King Arthur
   Tibaut of Tintagil | The Legend of King Arthur
   Tibaut's Elder Daughter | The Legend of King Arthur