Motyw grobu w pieśniach (lais) Marii z Francji

A motif of tomb appears in lais of Marie de France, a writer-poet of the 12th century, in two categories: as a description of tomb really existing or under construction and as the idea of a planned tomb. It seems that for the author the connotation of tomb is of fundamental importance. As this motif occurs in the context of an inseparable triad of love, death and memory, the tomb becomes not only a place-mark of the union of lovers, but also a place-mark of a commemoration of the terrestrial position of the deceased refl ected in constant prayers. The attitude the author takes toward the motif seems to necessitate an active approach of the reader, inviting the reader to look for an adequate interpretation.