The possibly original version of the story appeared in the early 13th-century French prose romance Mort Artu, in which the Lady of Escalot (Demoiselle d'Escalot) dies of unrequited love for Lancelot and drifts down a river to Camelot in a boat.

[3] Two of Tennyson's famous and influential poems, both titled "The Lady of Shalott" (1832 and 1842), were later inspired by the Italian variant.

Sir Lancelot was not originally planning to attend, he is persuaded otherwise and visits Bernard and his two sons before the tournament.

While Lancelot is in her family's household, Elaine becomes enamoured of him and begs him to wear her token at the coming tournament.

Explaining that Queen Guinevere would be at the tournament, he consents to wear the token but says that he will have to fight in disguise so as not to be recognized.