75ich weiß nirgent keinen hohen man, er urlaget wiedder sinen nachgebure. – Nachbarschaft als gewalt(tät)iges Ärgernis im Prosalancelot

The conflict-laden relationship with problematic neighbours is already evident at the beginning of the Prosalancelot and stands in contrast to the biblical teaching to love one’s neighbour. The neighbours in the Prosalancelot become a violent nuisance: they kidnap and abuse children, besiege countries, and covet their neighbours’ wealth as well as their wives. The reasons for these conflicts are manifold, but their resolutions are similar: something must be done against neighbours of this kind, and the knights of Arthur’s court are the agents who settle these conflicts. This article investigates why the nâchgebûr in the Prosalancelot does not present a desirable image of a social structure, and what role Arthur plays in the conflicts.