Tristan and Iseult is a tale made popular during the 12th century through French
medieval poetry, inspired by
Celtic legend and possibly the 11th century Persian story
Vis and Ramin. It has become an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the
Cornish knight
Tristan (Tristram) and the Irish princess
Iseult (Isolde, Yseult, etc.). The narrative predates and most likely influenced the
Arthurian romance of
Lancelot and
Guinevere, and has had a substantial impact on
Western art, the idea of romantic love, and
literature since it first appeared in the 12th century. While the details of the story differ from one author to another, the overall plot structure remains much the same.