Yvain went ahead of the others and found himself in a courtyard with a wall all around. There was a ring of sharp pointed stakes, and inside this sat three hundred ragged girls, all sewing away with silk or golden thread. Their clothes were torn and grubby at the neck and their faces were thin and pale from hunger and misery. They did not raise their eyes - knowing nothing could ever be changed for them - but their tears fell on their work.
So Yvain asked one of them why they did such beautiful silken sewing and yet lived in such poverty.
'I will not hide the reason,' she replied. 'In this castle live two sons of
a Demon. Many years ago the King of our island, the Isle of Maidens, came
here by unlucky chance. The two Demons were ready to fight him, but the
young King - he was barely eighteen - was so terrified out of his wits he
promised that if they spared his life, he'd send them every year thirty
girls as tribute
- until the day these two should be beaten in battle. Then we would all
be free - but that will never happen.
We work all day and most of the nights - for they say they will cut off our arms and legs if they catch us resting. We make these beautiful costly silks, and yet we ourselves are too poor even to buy clothes or have enough to eat. We get a crust of bread in the morning, and less at night. Our masters have grown rich from selling the silk we make, but we have less than four pennies a day. What is worse is seeing all the young knights who come to fight the Demons lose their lives or end up prisoners for ransom. You'll soon find out, for you must fight them yourself tomorrow.'
'That suits me very well,' said Yvain. 'And may God find a way to take all your great sorrow and turn it into joy.'
Did many people work like this in the Middle Ages?
