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(Above): the Erec and Enide MS 24403, fol.119, at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
(27) On Easter day, in springtime, at Cardigan, his castle, King Arthur held court. 30 So rich a one was ever seen, for there were many good knights, brave and combative and fierce, and rich ladies and maidens, daughters of kings, noble and beautiful; 35 but before the court concluded the king said to his knights that he wanted to hunt the white stag in order to revive the tradition. My lord Gawain was not a bit pleased 40 when he heard this: "Sire," said he, "from this hunt you will never have either gratitude nor thanks. We have all known for a long time what tradition is attached to the white stag: 45 he who can kill the white stag by right must kiss the most beautiful of the maidens of your court, whatever may happen. Great evil can come from this, 50 for there are easily five hundred Damsels of high lineage here, daughters of kings, noble and prudent, and there is not a one that is not the favorite of some valiant and bold knight, 55 each of whom would want to contend, either rightly or wrongly, that the one who pleases him is the most beautiful and the most noble." The king replied: "This I know well, 60 but I will not give up my plan for all that, for the word of a king must not be opposed. Tomorrow morning with great pleasure we will all go to hunt the white stag 65 in the forest of adventures: this hunt will be truly wondrous." Thus was the hunt arranged for the morrow, at daybreak. The next day, as soon as it was light, 70 the king arose and made ready; to go into the forest he put on a short tunic. He had the knights awakened, the hunting-steeds readied. 75 They had their bows and their arrows, and set off to hunt in the forest. The queen mounted up after them, accompanied by an attendant; she was a maiden, daughter of a king, 80 and sat upon a good palfrey. A knight came spurring after them: his name was Erec. . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 They rode speedily on and came straight to the forest. Those who had gone on ahead Had already raised the stag: some blew on horns, others shouted; 120 the dogs went noisily after the stag, running, rushing and barking; the archers were shooting thick and fast. Out in front of all of them the king was hunting, mounted on a Spanish hunter.
As the hunting party moves on ahead, Erec and the Queen chance upon a "armored knight on a charger," accompanied by a "fine looking maiden," and a dwarf, "who was very evil and baseborn." The confrontation is an ugly one; "Folly is not prowess; / in this Erec acted very wisely: / he withdrew...", but after reflection resolves to follow the knight and avenge himself.
275 Erec left the queen and followed the knight. And the queen remained in the woods, where the king had caught up with the stag: at the taking of the stag 280 the king arrived before any of the others. They killed and took the white stag. All started back, carrying the stag as they went; they arrived at cardigan. 285 After the evening meal, when the nobles were joyful throughout the house, the king, according to the tradition, since he had taken the stag, said that he would bestow the kiss 290 in order to observe the tradition of the stag. Throughout the court there was much muttering: They promised and swore to one another that this would never be done without contention by means of sword or lance of ash-wood. 295 Each one wanted, by deeds of arms, to contend that his lady was the most beautiful in the hall; these words did not bode well; When my lord Gawain heard this, You may be sure that he was not at all pleased.
-- Chretien, de Troyes. Erec and Enide. Carleton W. Carroll, trans, ed. Garland Library of Medieval Literature; vol. 25. series A. (New York : Garland Publishing, 1987). pp 3-5,7,15.