It is unknown exactly when the poem was composed, only that it would have been between 1175 and 1181 (most likely 1177), and before or at the same time as Chrétien de Troyes' own "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion", ("Le Chevalier de Lion"), the two serving as companion pieces with overlapping narratives. While little is known definitively about the life of Chrétien, many speculative theories exist based on his work. He was employed as a writer by aristocrats of Champagne, explaining the "champenois" dialect detected in his work, and he usually crafted stories based on material that was presented to him.