The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the
knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
s of the fellowship of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
in the literary cycle of the
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Weste ...
. First appearing in literature in the mid-12th century, the Knights are an order dedicated to ensuring the peace of Arthur's kingdom following an early warring period, entrusted in later years to undergo a mystical quest for the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
. The
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
at which they meet is a symbol of the equality of its members, who range from sovereign royals to minor nobles.
The various stories in the cycle present an assortment of knights from all over
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
and abroad, some of whom are even from outside of Europe. Their ranks often include
Arthur's close and distant relatives, such as
Agravain
Sir Agravain () is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, whose first known appearance is in the works of Chrétien de Troyes. He is the second eldest son of King Lot of Orkney with one of King Arthur's sisters known as Anna or Morgau ...
and
Gaheris
Gaheris ( Old French: ''Gaheriet'', ''Gaheriés'', ''Guerrehes'') is a knight of the Round Table in the chivalric romance tradition of Arthurian legend. A nephew of King Arthur, Gaheris is the third son of Arthur's sister or half-sister Morgau ...
, as well as his reconciled enemies and those he defeated in battle, including
Galehaut
Galehaut (or Galaha ''l/u''t, Galeho ''l''t, Gallehau ''l''t, Galhault, Galetto, et al.) is a half-giant knight and sovereign prince in the Arthurian legend. He is most prominent within the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle where he is a noble enemy ...
and
Lot. Several of the most notable knights, including
Bedivere,
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
,
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
and
Yvain, are based on older characters associated with Arthur in the Welsh version of the myth. Many knights appear recurrently, such as Gawain,
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
,
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
and
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
, with each of them featuring as a protagonist or eponymous hero in various works of
chivalric romance
As a literary genre, the chivalric romance is a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the noble courts of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a chivalric ...
. Other well-known members include the holy knight
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
, replacing Percival as the achiever of the Grail, and Arthur's traitorous son
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
.
By the end of Arthurian prose cycles (including the seminal ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''), the knights split up into groups of warring factions following the revelation of Lancelot's adultery with King Arthur's wife,
Queen Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...
. In the same tradition, Guinevere is featured with her own personal order of young warriors and knights, known as the Queen's Knights. Some of these romances retell the story of the Knights of the Old Table, led by Arthur's father,
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon ( Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur.
A few ...
, whilst other tales focus on the members of the 'Grail Table'; these were the followers of ancient Christian
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several ...
, with his Grail Table later serving as the inspiration for Uther and Arthur's subsequent Round Tables.
Numbers of members
![William Dyce - Piety- The Knights of the Round Table about to Depart in Quest of the Holy Grail - Google Art Project](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/William_Dyce_-_Piety-_The_Knights_of_the_Round_Table_about_to_Depart_in_Quest_of_the_Holy_Grail_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
The number of the Knights of the Round Table (including
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
) and their names vary greatly between the versions published by different writers. The figure may range from a dozen to as many as 1,600, the latter claimed by
Layamon
Layamon or Laghamon (, ; ) – spelled Laȝamon or Laȝamonn in his time, occasionally written Lawman – was an English poet of the late 12th/early 13th century and author of the ''Brut'', a notable work that was the first to present the legend ...
. Most commonly, there are between 100 and 300 seats at the table, often with
one seat usually permanently empty (300 was also chosen by
Edward III of England
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
when he decided to create his own Order of the Round Table at
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original c ...
in 1344). In many versions there are over 100 members, as with 140 according to
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
(150 in Caxton's version) and
Hartmann von Aue
Hartmann von Aue, also known as Hartmann von Ouwe, (born ''c.'' 1160–70, died ''c.'' 1210–20) was a German knight and poet. With his works including ''Erec'', ''Iwein'', '' Gregorius'', and ''Der arme Heinrich'', he introduced the Arthuria ...
. Some sources state much smaller numbers, such as 13 in the Didot ''Perceval'', 50 in the
Prose ''Merlin'' (the prose expansion
Vulgate ''Merlin'' has 250), and 60 in the count by
Jean d'Outremeuse. Others state higher numbers, as with 366 in both ''
Perlesvaus'' and the ''Chevaliers as deus espees''.
Partial lists
Some of the more notable knights include the following:
In addition, there are many less prominent knights. For instance, the "Healing of Sir Urry" episode in the
Winchester Manuscript of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' lists, in addition to many of the above, the following:
*
King Anguish of Ireland
*Earl Aristance
*Sir Azreal
*Sir Arrok
*Sir Ascamore
*Sir Barrant le Apres (also known as the
King With the Hundred Knights)
*Sir Bellenger le Beau (Bellinger le Beuse, Bellangre the Bewse; son of Alisuander le Orphelin / Alexander the Orphan, slayer of King Mark and supporter of Lancelot)
*Sir Belliance le Orgulous
*Sir Blamor de Ganis (Blamour, brother of Bleoberis)
*
Sir Bleoberis de Ganis
*
Sir Bohart le Cure Hardy
*
Sir Brandiles
*Sir Bryan de Les Iles (Brian de Listinoise)
*Sir Cardok
*
Duke Chalance of Clarence
*King Claryaunce of Northumberland (Clarion)
*Sir Claryus of Cleremont (Clarius)
*
Sir Clegis
*Sir Clodrus
*Sir Crosselm
*Sir Damas (reformed co-conspirator of Morgan in the Accolon-Excalibur plot)
*Sir Degrave sans Villainy (fought with the giant of the Black Lowe)
*Sir Degrevant
*Sir Dinas
*Sir Dinas le Seneschal de Cornwall
*
Sir Dodinas le Savage
*
Sir Dornar
*
Sir Driaunt
*Sir Edward of Orkney (of Caernarfon)
*Sir Epinogris (son of King Clariance)
*Sir Fergus
*Sir Florence (son of Gawain by Sir Brandiles' sister)
*Sir Gahalantyne
*
Sir Galahodin
*Sir Galleron of Galway (a Scottish knight from the English Arthurian tradition, also spelled Galaron or Geleron)
*
*Sir Gautere (Gauter, Gaunter)
*Sir Gillimere (or Gillimer, not to be confused with similarly named three different Kings of Ireland in early Arthurian chronicles)
*Sir Grommer Grummorson (Gromer)
*Sir Gumret le Petit (Gwyarte le Petite)
*
Sir Harry le Fils Lake
*Sir Hebes (not Hebes le Renowne)
*Sir Hebes le Renowne
*Sir Hectymere
*Sir Herminde
*Sir Hervyse de la Forest Savage
*
Sir Ironside (Knight of the Red Launds)
*Sir Kay l'Estrange (different than
Kay le Seneschal)
*Earl of Lambaile (known as the Count of Lambale in French romances; also Lambayle, Lambelle, etc.)
*Sir Lambegus
*Sir Lamiel
*Sir Lavain (son of Barnard of
Ascolat
Astolat (; French: Escalot) is a legendary castle and town of Great Britain named in Arthurian legends. It is the home of Elaine, "the lily maid of Astolat", as well of her father Sir Bernard and her brothers Lavaine and Tirre. It is known as Sh ...
)
*Sir Lovell (another son of Gawain by Sir Brandiles' sister)
*
Sir Mador de la Porte (brother of
Gaheris of Karahau)
*Sir Marrok (whose wife turned him into a werewolf)
*
Sir Melias de Lile
*Sir Melion of the Mountain
*Sir Meliot de Logris
*Sir Menaduke
*
Sir Morganore
*
King Nentres of Garlot
*Sir Neroveous
*
Sir Ozanna le Cure Hardy
*
Sir Perimones (brother to Persant and Pertolepe; called the Red Knight)
*Sir Pursuant of Inde (or Persant; also known as the Blue Knight)
*Sir Pertolepe
*Sir Petipace of Winchelsea
*Sir Plaine de Fors (Playne)
*Sir Plenorius
*
Sir Priamus
*Sir Reynold
*Sir Sadok
*Sir Selises of the Dolorous Tower
*Sir Sentrail
*Sir Severause le Breuse (or Severauce, known for rejecting battles with men in favour of giants, dragons, and wild beasts)
*Sir Suppinabiles (Cornish knight Supinabel from the French Tristan legend)
*Earl Ulbawes
*Sir Urry of Hungary (this story's original character and plot device, cursed by a spell of Spanish duchess for killing her son)
*Sir Villiars the Valiant
Conversely, the
Winchester Round Table features only the knights Sirs Alynore (Alymere), Bedwere (Bedivere), Blubtlrys (Bleoberis), Bors De Ganys (Bors de Ganis), Brumear (Brunor le Noir), Dagonet, Degore, Ectorde Marys (Ector de Maris), Galahallt (Galahault or Galahad), Garethe (Gareth), Gauen (Gawain), Kay, Lamorak, Launcelot Deulake (Lancelot du Lac), Lacotemale Tayle (La Cote Male Taile), Lucane (Lucan), Lybyus Dysconyus (Le Bel Desconneu), Lyonell (Lionel), Mordrede (Mordred), Plomyde (Palomedes), Pelleus (Pelleas), Percyvale (Percival), Safer (Safir), and Trystram Delyens (Tristram de Lyones) for the total of merely 24 (not counting Arthur).
Selected members
Aglovale
![Blason imaginaire d'Agloval de Galles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Blason_imaginaire_d%27Agloval_de_Galles.svg)
Aglovale de Galis (''Agglovale'', ''Aglaval
', ''Agloval'', ''Aglován'', ''Aglovaus'', etc.; -''de Galles'', -''le Gallois'') is the eldest legitimate son of
King Pellinore of Galis (
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
), introduced in the
Vulgate ''Lancelot''. Like his father and his brothers (who may include
Drian,
Lamorak, the original Grail hero
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
, and
Tor) he is a Knight of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
. According to the
Post Vulgate Cycle, and
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', Aglovale is the one who brings his long lost brother Percival to
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
to be knighted after meeting him by chance in Perceval's woods. In an alternate account in the ''Livre d'Artus'' version of the
Vulgate ''Merlin'', the young Agloval has all of his fourteen brothers killed during the Saxon wars by the forces of King
Rions
Rions is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spa ...
' relative King Agrippa in their attack on his mother's domain.
![Queen Guenever's Peril](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Queen_Guenever%27s_Peril.png)
In the ''Livre d'Artus'', Agloval then accompanies
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
and
Sagramore
Sir Sagramore (also known as Sagremor and many other variations) is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He appears in standalone and cyclical chivalric romances and other works, including some where he is the titular protagonis ...
in leading an army that defeats the invaders, personally slaying Agrippa but suffering severe wounds. In the Third (Manessier's) Continuation of ''
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
'', Agloval dies seven years after Percival became the Grail King, causing Percival's retirement to a hermitage to grieve for his final ten years. In the
Vulgate Cycle
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
, Aglovale dies accidentally at Gawain's hand during the Quest for the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
. However, the rewrite in the Post-Vulgate ''Queste'' turns it into a deliberate murder, a part of the Orkney clan's long vendetta for the death of
King Lot
King Lot , also spelled Loth or Lott (Lleu or Llew in Welsh), is a British monarch in Arthurian legend. He was introduced in Geoffrey of Monmouth's influential chronicle ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' that portrayed him as King Arthur's broth ...
. In Malory, he is among the knights charged by
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
with defending the execution of
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
, and is killed by unknown hand during the bloody melee when
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
and his men rescue the queen.
Aglovale appears prominently in the Dutch romance ''
Moriaen,'' in which he visits
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or s ...
lands in Africa and meets a Christian princess whom he conceives a child with. He returns home and, thirteen years later, his son Morien comes to find him after which they both return to Morien's lands. In modern works, Aglovale is the eponymous protagonist of
Clemence Housman
Clemence Annie Housman (23 November 1861 – 6 December 1955) was an author, illustrator and activist in the women's suffrage movement. She was the sister of A. E. Housman and Laurence Housman. Her novels included ''The Were-Wolf'', ''Unknown Se ...
's 1905 novel ''The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis.''
Arthur the Less
![Armes imaginaires de Arthur Le Petit - variante 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Armes_imaginaires_de_Arthur_Le_Petit_-_variante_4.1.svg)
Arthur the Less or Arthur the Little (''Arthur le Petit'') is an illegitimate son of King Arthur ("Arthur the Great") found only in the
Post-Vulgate Cycle. After Arthur forces himself on a daughter of a knight named Tanas, he orders the child to be named either Guenevere or Arthur the Less. Having been abandoned and raised by a foster mother, the boy appears at Arthur's court on the eve of the
Grail Quest when his arrival is miraclously prophetised at
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
. He is knighted by
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
and soon proves to be superior to even
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
and
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
, defeating both of them. However, he is publicly known only as the Unknown Knight, keeping his lineage secret as to not shame his father with the story of his mother's rape. Loyal to King Arthur (who is eventually informed about his son's identity by
Morgan Morgan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend
* Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin
* Morgan (singer ...
), he fights in the late wars against domeetic and foreign foreign enemies, and is one of
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
's companions during the Grail Quest. After his father's death
at Salisbury, Arthur the Less is a candidate for the heir of throne of
Logres
Logres (among various other forms and spellings) is King Arthur's realm in the Matter of Britain. It derives from the medieval Welsh word '' Lloegyr'', a name of uncertain origin referring to South and Eastern England (''Lloegr'' in modern Welsh ...
, however he obsessively hates the
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
faction, blaming them for the disaster. When he is defeated by
Bleoberis in a duel to the death, he curses the entire kingdom in his dying breath. The curse manifests itself through
King Mark
Mark of Cornwall ( la, Marcus, kw, Margh, cy, March, br, Marc'h) was a sixth-century King of Kernow (Cornwall), possibly identical with King Conomor. He is best known for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and the husb ...
's devastating invasion, which destroys almost all remnants of King Arthur's rule.
Bleoberis
![Blason imaginaire de Blanor et de Blioberis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Blason_imaginaire_de_Blanor_et_de_Blioberis.svg)
Bleoberis de Ganis is a Knight of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
from the land of Ganis (''Ganes'', ''Gannes'', ''Gaunes'', ''Gaunnes''), meaning probably
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
or perhaps
Vannes
Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago.
History Celtic Era
The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who live ...
, who was first mentioned by
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
in his ''
Erec and Enide'', named therein as Bliobleheris. He has since appeared by variants of this name in many subsequent works, including as Barant le Apres (''Berrant'') and Bleoberys (''Bleoberis'', ''Bleoboris'', ''Bleoheris'') in
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''; as Bleobleheris (''Bliobliheri'') and Bleheris in respectively the First and the Second Continuation of ''
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
''; as two different characters named Bleheris and Blidoblidas in '; as two different characters named Bleherris and Blias, lord Bliodas in ''
Of Arthour and of Merlin''; as Bleoris in
Henry Lovelich's ''Merlin''; as Bleos von Bliriers in ''
Diu Crône
''Diu Crône'' ( en, The Crown) is a Middle High German poem of about 30,000 lines treating of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, dating from around the 1220s and attributed to the epic poet Heinrich von dem Türlin. Little is known of the ...
''; as Bleriz in '; as Bliobleherin in ''
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
''; as Bliobleeris in ''
La Vengeance Raguidel
''La Vengeance Raguidel'' is a 13th-century La vengeance Raguidel', ''Dictionnaire Étymologique de l'Ancien Français''. Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities poem written in Old French. It is widely, although not universally, attributed ...
''; as Bliobleris de Gannes (''Biblioberis'', ''Bla
ris'', ''Bleob
ris'', ''Bleobleheris'', ''Bleosblieris'', ''Bliaires'', ''Blihoble
ris'', ''Bliobeheri'', ''Blioberis'', ''Blyob
ris''; -''de Ga
s'') in the French prose cycles; as Blioblieris in ''
Le Bel Inconnu
Sir Gingalain (Guinglain, Gingalin, Gliglois, Wigalois, etc.), also known as Le Bel Inconnu, or The Fair Unknown, is a character from Arthurian legend whose exploits are recorded in numerous versions of a popular medieval romance. His nickname d ...
'' and in ''
Wigalois''; as Briobris in ''
La Tavola Ritonda''; as Pleherin in ''
Tristrant''; and as Pliopliheri in ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
''.
Bleoberis features as a major character in the later romances from the French prose cycles and their adaptations, in which he is portrayed as one of the cousins of the hero
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
. There he is son of Nestor de Gaunes and godson of Lancelot's father
King Bors, as well as brother of his fellow Round Table companion Blamo
(''Blanor
'). In the
Vulgate
The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible.
The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
''Merlin'', the ''
Livre d'Arthur'', and ''Arthour and Merlin'', Bleoberis fights alongside his brother Blamoure in the wars against the rebel kings at
Bedegraine
Bedegraine is a location featured in some tellings of the Arthurian legend. Its chief importance is as the site of a battle where King Arthur solidifies his reign in a victory over rebel kings.
Bedegraine is first mentioned in the French Prose '' ...
, against the Saxons at
Cameliard
In the chivalric romance prose works in the legend of King Arthur, Cameliard (various French and other spellings include ''Ca elide'', ''Camiliard'', ''Carmalide'', ''Carmelide'', ''Carmelyde'', ''Charmelide'', ''Tamalide'', ''Tameli e'', and ''T ...
, and against King
Claudas in the
Wasteland
Wasteland or waste land may refer to:
* Desert or barren area
* an uncultivated area of land, whether wooded or not, whether common land or not
Art, entertainment, and media Comics
* ''Wasteland'' (DC Comics), 1987–1989 anthology-style horror/ ...
; the latter earns him his nickname "of the Wasteland" (de la Deserte). In both the Vulgate and
Post-Vulgate versions of the ''Queste'', as well as in the
Prose ''Tristan'', he participates in the
Grail Quest. In Malory, he is the lord of the Castle of Gannis in Britain. In the Vulgate and the works based on it, Lancelot eventually makes him the Duke of
Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglome ...
for his part in saving
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
, after which Bleoberis becomes an important leader in Lancelot's war against Arthur and Gawain. In the Post-Vulgate ''Mort'', he returns to Britain and arrives at
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
after
the battle to destroy the corpse of
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
and build the Tower of the Dead. While searching for Lancelot, he meets Arthur's vengeful son
Arthur the Less (himself a member of the Round Table as the Unknown Knight), whom he kills in self-defence. Finding Lancelot at a hermitage with the former
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...
, he joins them; after Lancelot's death, Bleoberis buries his body at
Joyous Gard
Joyous Gard (French ''Joyeuse Garde'' and other variants) is a castle featured in the Matter of Britain literature of the legend of King Arthur. It was introduced in the 13th-century French Prose ''Lancelot'' as the home and formidable fortress ...
. In Malory, Bleoberis and his brother first live as monks together with Lancelot and the rest of his kinsmen at
Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor is a hill near Glastonbury in the English county of Somerset, topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower, a Grade I listed building. The entire site is managed by the National Trust and has been designated a scheduled monument. T ...
, then leave on a crusade and together die in battle in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.
He also appears in some tales as an opponent whom the story's hero must overcome during the course of a quest or an adventure. In the Prose ''Tristan'', Bleoberis abducts
Segwarides' wife from
King Mark
Mark of Cornwall ( la, Marcus, kw, Margh, cy, March, br, Marc'h) was a sixth-century King of Kernow (Cornwall), possibly identical with King Conomor. He is best known for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and the husb ...
's court, and fights for her against first Segwarides and later the protagonist
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
. In ''Wigalois'', one of the challenges faced by the protagonist Wigalois (Gawain's son,
Gingalain) is to defeat Bleoberis, the fierce guardian of the Perilous Ford. He is similarly the first adversary conquered by Gawain's son Guinglan in ''Le Bel Inconnu''. In ''Parzival'',
Orgeluse's suitor boasts of having him either slain or defeated but spared (depending on interpretation of the text). In ''Tristrant'', he is one of King Mark's vassals and an enemy of Tristan, who brutally kills him during his escape from Mark's court.
His name is considered to have been derived from the 12th-century Welsh storyteller known as Bledhericus or Bleheris (possibly
Bledri ap Cydifor), who is mentioned in several texts, including being credited by
Thomas of Britain and
Wauchier de Denain
Wauchier de Denain (also spelled "Gauchier de Donaing") was a French writer and translator in the langue d'oïl, active at the start of the 13th century. He is most notable for writing the first and second continuations of Chrétien de Troyes
...
as the original source of their early Arthurian poems. References to the narrative authority of Master Blihis repeat in the ''
Elucidation
The ''Elucidation'' is an anonymous Old French poem of the early 13th century, which was written to serve as a prologue to Chrétien de Troyes' '' Perceval, le Conte du Graal''.Lacy, "Introduction." The poem counts 484 lines and cites one Master B ...
'', in which the character of Blihos-Bliheris appears as the final opponent for Gawain.
Brandelis
![Armes imaginaires de Brandelis - variante 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Armes_imaginaires_de_Brandelis_-_variante_1.svg)
Brandelis (''Brandalus'', ''Brandel'', ''Brandeles'', ''Brandellis'', ''Brendalis'', etc.) is the name of a number of Arthurian romance characters, including multiple Knights of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
from the French prose tradition. As in the case of several other Arthurian characters, such as
King Ban, they might have been derived from the Welsh mythology's figure of
Brân.
The best known of these was originally known as Bran de Lis (''Brans'', ''Bras'', -''de Lys''), a character related to one of the mothers of the illegitimate sons of
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
. Bran first appears in the First Continuation of Chrétien's ''
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
'' as one of the brothers of Guilorete (''Gloriete'') of the Castle Lis, the mother of Gawain's son Lionel (''Lioniaus''). After Gawain had slain Bran's father Norroiz (''Norrois'', also ''Yder de Lis'') and two of his brothers (Meliant and Guilorete) in the previous duels in the long feud against him for seducing Guilorete, Bran is about to fight him as well, but they are stopped by Arthur and later become friends. This story is retold in ''The Jeaste of Sir Gawain'', where he appears as Brandles (the name also used for one of Arthur's knights in ''
Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle
''Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle'' is a Middle English tail-rhyme Romance (heroic literature), romance of 660 lines, composed in about 1400. A similar story is told in a 17th-century minstrel piece found in the Percy Folio and known as ''The ...
''), and in the Scottish ''
Golagros and Gawane
''The Knightly Tale of Gologras and Gawain'' (also commonly spelt ''Golagros and Gawane'') is a Middle Scots Arthurian romance written in alliterative verse of 1362 lines, known solely from a printed edition of 1508 in the possession of the Nati ...
'', where he is substituted by Spinagros. In ''
Perlesvaus'', Brandalus (''Brun
Brandelis'') de Gales (of Wales) is one of Perceval's uncles along with King Alain, whose name (and title) is shared with the father of Floree, mother of Gawain's son
Guinglain in the
Vulgate Cycle
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
. In Malory's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', Brandiles (''Brandyles'') is brother of the mother of Gawain's sons (and later his companions at the Round Table) Gingalin, Lovel and Florence.
Sir Brandeliz (''Brandalis'', ''Brandelis'', ''Braudaliz'') appears in multiple episodes through the Vulgate Cycle (some of which are included in ''Le Morte d'Arthur''), participating in the quests (including the quest for the Grail) and in the wars against
Claudas and
Galahaut. In the prose cycles, he dies while fighting either against
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
during the latter's rescue of the condemned
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
or against
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
in the final battle. In the standalone romance ''Claris et Laris'', Brandaliz is one of the eleven protagonists other than the eponymous duo; here he is a friend of Claris who, with the help of
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
, rescues Laris from the prison of the Danish king Tallas among his other acts. In both narratives, he is also repeatedly freed from enemy captivity by the other heroes, including Gawain, Lancelot, and Claris. The Vulgate ''Lancelot'' story of
Gaheriet
Gaheris ( Old French: ''Gaheriet'', ''Gaheriés'', ''Guerrehes'') is a knight of the Round Table in the chivalric romance tradition of Arthurian legend. A nephew of King Arthur, Gaheris is the third son of Arthur's sister or half-sister Morgaus ...
's rescue of Brandeliz and his lady might have been rewritten by Malory as an early episode of his "Tale of Sir Gareth", the fourth book of ''Le Morte d'Arthur''. In the
Prose ''Tristan'', Brandeliz is a Knight of the Round Table from Cornwall, not Wales.
The Vulgate Cycle also features a different Knight of the Round Table other than Sir Brandeliz, a minor character of Duke Brandelis de Taningues (''Brandeban, Brandeharz'', ''Brandelz'', ''-de Tranurgor''). Yet another Knight of the Round Table named Brandelis (Brandelis le fils Lac, that is "son of
Lac") appears as brother of
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
in ''
Palamedes'' and the late Italian romance ''I Due Tristani''. The late French romance ''Ysaïe le Triste'' features Brandalis' own son, Brandor de Gaunes (of Wales). In the Didot ''Perceval'',
Peredur
Peredur (, Old Welsh ''Peretur'') is the name of a number of men from the boundaries of history and legend in sub-Roman Britain. The Peredur who is most familiar to a modern audience is the character who made his entrance as a knight in the ...
's uncle is Brendalis of Wales who also has a brother named Brwns Brandalis.
A few other Brandalis characters are clearly unrelated to the Round Table, such as that of the Vulgate's Saxon king Brandalis (''Braundalis'', ''Maundalis''). However, some scholars have connected Bran de Lis with the villains Brian des Isles (Brian of the Isles) from ''Perlesvaus'' and Brandin (''Branduz'') des Isles from the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', as well as to King Brandelidelin from an early German Arthurian romance ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
'', as possibly identical in origin.
Calogrenant
![Blason Calogrenant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Blason_Calogrenant.svg)
Calogrenant, sometimes known in English as Colgrevance and in German (''
Diu Crône
''Diu Crône'' ( en, The Crown) is a Middle High German poem of about 30,000 lines treating of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, dating from around the 1220s and attributed to the epic poet Heinrich von dem Türlin. Little is known of the ...
'') as Kalogrenant, among many other variants (including ''Calogrenan
/z', ''Calogrevant'', ''Calogrinant'', ''Colgrevaunce'', ''Galogrinans'', ''Kalebrant'', ''Kalocreant'', ''Qualogrenans''), is a Knight of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
and cousin to
Yvain. His character has been derived from the
Welsh mythological hero
Cynon ap Clydno
Cynon ap Clydno or in some translations KynonIn her translation of ''The Mabinogion'', Guest uses the spelling Kynon, but in the notes to her translation she acknowledges the character as Cynon ap Clydno or Cynan was an Arthurian hero from Welsh m ...
, usually the lover of
Owain mab Urien
Owain mab Urien (Middle Welsh Owein) (died c. 595) was the son of Urien, king of Rheged c. 590, and fought with his father against the Angles of Bernicia. The historical figure of Owain became incorporated into the Arthurian cycle of legends wh ...
's sister
Morvydd Morfydd ferch Urien (Middle Welsh orthographical variations include ''Morvydd verch Urien''; "Morfydd daughter of Urien") is a figure of Welsh Arthurian legend. She is the daughter of Urien Rheged by Modron, and twin sister to Owain. Morfydd appear ...
; although in ''
Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain,'' Cynon is stated to be the son of Clydno, possibly connected to
Clyddno Eiddin.
Roger Sherman Loomis
Roger Sherman Loomis (1887–1966) was an American scholar and one of the foremost authorities on medieval and Arthurian literature. Loomis is perhaps best known for showing the roots of Arthurian legend, in particular the Holy Grail, in native Ce ...
and other scholars speculated that Calogrenant was used specifically as a foil for
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
in some lost early version of Yvain's story. The 12th-century author
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
characterized him as everything Kay is not: polite, respectful, eloquent, and well-mannered. By this theory, his name can be deconstructed to "Cai lo grenant", or "Cai the grumbler", which would represent another opposite characteristic of Kay, who was famous for his acid tongue.
Calogrenant first appears in Chrétien's ''
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'', telling a story to a group of knights and
Queen Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...
. He describes an adventure he had in the forest of
Brocéliande
Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly ...
, in which there was a magic spring that could summon a large storm. Calogrenant reached the spring and summoned the storm, after which a knight named
Esclados attacked and defeated him. Yvain is upset that Calogrenant never told him of this defeat, and sets out to avenge him, embarking on the adventure that sets up the remainder of events in the romance.
Calogrenant appears later in the ''
Lancelot-Grail
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
'' cycle, though his kinship to Yvain is not as clear as in Chrétien. He dies during the
Grail Quest while trying to keep
Lionel from killing his own brother,
Bors
Bors (; french: link=no, Bohort) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) d ...
. Bors had faced a dilemma over whom to rescue between Lionel, who was getting beaten with thorns by two rogue knights, and a maiden who had just been abducted, and chose the maiden over his brother. Lionel was not pleased by this, and attacked Bors the next time he saw him. A hermit tried to intervene, but was killed accidentally in the process, and Calogrenant stepped in. Bors refuses fight his brother, who slays Calogrenant before attacking Bors; however, God intervenes and renders him immobile.
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
recounts Calogrenant's death scene in his ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', but also includes another one later in the narrative. Despite having died on the Grail quest, he reappears as one of the twelve knights who help
Agravaine and
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
trap
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
and Guinevere together in the queen's chambers. Lancelot has neither armour nor weapons, but manages to pull Calogrenant into the room and kills him; he then uses Calogrenant's sword to defeat the rest of Mordred's companions.
File:BN-MS-fr1433-folio65-Yvain-Calogrenant-fontaine.png, Calogrenant at the fountain in the BN MS fr.1433 manuscript of ''Yvain'' (c. 1325)
File:Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Sir Launcelot in the Queen's Chamber - Google Art Project.jpg, Malory-inspored ''Sir Launcelot in the Queen's Chamber'' by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...
(1857)
Claudin
Prince Claudin (''Claudine'', ''Claudyne'', ''Claudino'') is the son of the
Frankish King
Claudas of the Wasteland (''de la Deserte'') who appears in the ''
Lancelot-Grail
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
'' prose cycle, the
Prose ''Tristan'', the
Post-Vulgate Cycle, and ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''. His father, who he fights for, is a major villain during
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's early reign. However, when Claudas eventually loses the war and flees to Rome, Claudin surrenders and defects to Arthur, who makes him a member of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
. During the
Grail Quest, Claudin is one of the companions of
Bors the Younger,
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
and
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
in
Corbenic.
Cligès
Cligès is the title hero of
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
' French poem ''
Cligès'' (and its foreign versions). There, he is an offspring of Arthur's niece Soredamors and Alexander, a son of the Greek (
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
) Emperor. Following his adventures, Cliges eventually marries Fenice, a daughter of the German Emperor, and becomes the Greek Emperor himself.
As Cligés (''Clicés'', ''Clies'', ''Clygés''), he also appears in some other French Arthurian romances, including in the First Continuation of Chrétien's ''
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
'' (where his father is named
King Lac) and in ''Claris et Laris''. In the ''
Romanz du reis Yder'', he serves Queen Guenloie (
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
) until he is expelled from her court after he criticizes her love for
Yder (who later promises to reconcile them). In ''Les Merveilles de Rigomer'', he hails from Greece and participates in the quest to conquer Rigomer Castle as one of
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
's many companions; he also defeats the undead knight in his own episode. As Clias the Greek (''der Grieche Clîas''), he has a role in the German ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
''.
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
's Urry list calls him Sir Clegis (despite a similar name, Clegis is not in any way connected with the English ''
Sir Cleges
''Sir Cleges'' is a medieval English verse chivalric romanceLaura A. Hibbard, ''Medieval Romance in England'' p79 New York Burt Franklin,1963 written in tail-rhyme stanzas in the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century. It is clearly a minstrel ...
'', the hero of a completely different story set in the times of Arthur's father
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon ( Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur.
A few ...
).
Dodinel
![Hb-dodinet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Hb-dodinet.jpg)
Dodinel (''Dodinas'', ''Dodine
'', ''Dôdînes'', ''Dodinia
'', ''Dodin
', ''Dodynas'', ''Dodynel'', ''Didones'', ''Dydonel
', ''Lionel'', etc.) le Sauvage (''le Savage'', ''le Salvage'', ''li Sauvages'', ''li Salvages'', ''el Salvaje'', ''der Wilde'', etc.), variously translated to English as the Wild, the Wildman, or the Savage (sometimes also as the descriptive "impetuous" or "fierce"), is a Knight of the Round Table found in a great many works of Arthurian romance, typically featured as a well-known knight yet merely a
figurant type of a character, and without a common role. He is nevertheless important in several of such works, including the Third Continuation of ''Perceval'', the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', the Post-Vulgate ''Merlin'', the ''Livre d'Artus'', the Prose ''Tristan'', and ''Claris et Laris''.
Dodinel is introduced in Chrétien de Troyes' ''Erec et Enide'', being named there as the ninth best of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's knights, albeit noted as a rude one. Dodinel is also listed among the top knights of Arthur in Chrétien's ''Yvain'' as well as in ''Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight'', while ''The Knight of the Two Swords'' describes him as a "truly exceptional ... man of many virtues." He might have been originally identical with
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
, which would explain his characteristic epiteth as meaning a man from the woods (wilderness). However, the only possible trace of such motif can be found in the German ''Lanzelet'', in which Dodines lives a double life: as an enchanter owning a magic horse and dwelling near the dangerous Shrieking Marsh (''Schreiende Moos'') in the summer, and as a knight in Arthur's lands in the winter.
As with his other characteristics, Dodinel's family relations are variably told. In the Vulgate ''Merlin'' Continuation, he is portrayed as an illegitimate son of either King Brandegorre or King Bélinant (''Balinant'', ''Belinans'', ''Belynans''; possibly based on the Celtic god
Belinus) de Sorgales ("of
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
"; Norgales / North Wales in the Vulgate ''Lancelot'') and Eglatine (''Eglantine'', ''Eglante'', ''Eglente''), and cousin of
Galeschin
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
. In the ''Lancelot en prose'', he is son of King Nantres and Queen Blasine (Arthur's sister), and brother of Galescin. In the Huth-''Merlin'', he is son of
Balin's brother Balaan le Sauvage. In the Didot-''Perceval'', he is son of the Lady of Malehaut (''Dame de Malohaut''). In ''Parzival'', he has a brother called Taurian the Wild (''der Wilde'').
In the Third Continuation of Chrétien's ''Perceval'', one of the six episodes of
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
's adventures relate his rescue of the "handsome and valiant" Dodinel (''Dodinal'') from a prison and his lover from a pyre, the latter then also again saved by Perceval. Dodinel is prominent in ''Claris et Laris'', portrayed there as a comical side story character, a
Dinadan-like humorously anti-chivalric knight, one who avoids dangerous combat in his wanderings and once escapes from a captivity by posing as a minstrel. He and Dinadan are themselves friends in the ''Meliadus'' Compilation; in the ''Marvels of Rigomer'', Dodinel is one of Gawain's quest companions. Thomas Malory in his ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', following some of the Dodinel material from the Vulgate ''Lancelot'' as well as his portrayal in the Prose ''Tristan'', has him (named as Dodinas le Savage in the
Winchester Manuscript) as a recurring companion of
Sagramore
Sir Sagramore (also known as Sagremor and many other variations) is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He appears in standalone and cyclical chivalric romances and other works, including some where he is the titular protagonis ...
and, early in his career, as one of the
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
's own ten knights.
His 'biography' can be found in the French prose cycles. In the Vulgate ''Merlin'' and the ''Livre d'Artus'', the young teenage Dodinel defects to Arthur early in the king's reign, opposing his own family. In the ''Livre'', he kills the Saxon king Mathmas at the Battle of Clarence (
Badon). Having been knighted by Arthur, he joins the Queen's Knights and eventually the Round Table. The Vulgate ''Lancelot'', besides telling the stories of
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
's rescues of the captive Dodinel on multiple occasions, has him as one of the only five knights who cross the perilous bridge into Sorelois alive (besides Gawain,
Meliant,
Yder and Arthur). In the Vulgate ''Queste'', he is one of the Grail knights in
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
's company. In the Post-Vulgate,
Lamorak is slain by Gawain and his brothers when he is injured following an earlier fight with Dodinel. In the end, Dodinel dies fighting against
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
's forces at the Battle of Salisbury Plain (
Camlann
The Battle of Camlann ( cy, Gwaith Camlan or ''Brwydr Camlan'') is the legendary final battle of King Arthur, in which Arthur either died or was fatally wounded while fighting either with or against Mordred, who also perished. The original le ...
).
In Italy, he is called Dondinello and its variants, usually with no epithet (except in the case of ''Oddinello le Salvaggio'' in the ''Tristano Riccardiano''). In his unusual characterization in ''Chantari di Lancelotto'', Dodinel (''Dudinello'') is a villain who joins up with Mordred to conspire against Lancelot. ''Cantari di Carduino'', a
Fair Unknown type epic poem possibly based on a lost Dodinel romance, tells the story of his eponymous son Carduino's vengeance against the clan of Gawain for having his father fatally poisoned by the jealous lords including Mordred and Augerisse (probably
Gaheris
Gaheris ( Old French: ''Gaheriet'', ''Gaheriés'', ''Guerrehes'') is a knight of the Round Table in the chivalric romance tradition of Arthurian legend. A nephew of King Arthur, Gaheris is the third son of Arthur's sister or half-sister Morgau ...
), as well as of Carduino's other adventures.
Drian
Drian (''Doryan'', ''Driant'', ''Durnor'') is one of
King Pellinore's sons out of wedlock. He is most prominent in the
Prose ''Tristan'' which describes him as one of the very best of the Knights, alongside
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
,
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
,
Palamedes, and his own brother
Lamorak. There, Drian and Lamorak are hated by
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
for being sons of Pellinore and for being superior knights to Gawain. Drian dies when he fights three of
King Lot
King Lot , also spelled Loth or Lott (Lleu or Llew in Welsh), is a British monarch in Arthurian legend. He was introduced in Geoffrey of Monmouth's influential chronicle ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' that portrayed him as King Arthur's broth ...
's sons, unhorsing
Agravain
Sir Agravain () is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, whose first known appearance is in the works of Chrétien de Troyes. He is the second eldest son of King Lot of Orkney with one of King Arthur's sisters known as Anna or Morgau ...
and
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
before being mortally wounded and left for dead by Gawain; Lamorak dies soon afterwards while trying to avenge him.
Drian is called Dornar (''Durnor
') by
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
in ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', where he is also killed by Gawain. He appears alongside two knights named Darnarde and Dryaun (''Dryaunt'', ''Tryan''), both of them also derived from the French Drian. Malory splits Drian's adventures from the Prose ''Tristan'' between the latter two: Dryaun guards a bridge with his brother Alain (one of Drian's other brothers), jousting the passing knights; Darnarde visits
King Mark
Mark of Cornwall ( la, Marcus, kw, Margh, cy, March, br, Marc'h) was a sixth-century King of Kernow (Cornwall), possibly identical with King Conomor. He is best known for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and the husb ...
's court with Lamorak, where they defeat Mark and all of his knights but
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
. Darnarde is eventually killed alongside his brothers,
Aglovale and
Tor, when Lancelot rescues
Queen Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...
from the stake.
Elyan
![Blason Helain le Blanc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Blason_Helain_le_Blanc.svg)
Elyan the White or Helyan le Blanc (also ''Elain'', ''Elayn'', ''Helain'', ''Hellaine'', ''Helin''; -''le Blank'', -''the Pale'') is son of
Bors the Younger in the prose romance tradition of ''
Lancelot-Grail
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
'' (Vulgate Cycle). His mother, Claire, has tricked Bors into sleeping with her using a magic ring (the only time Bors broke his vow of chastity). Claire is daughter of British king Brandegore (''Brandegorre'', ''Brandegoris'') and also half-sister of
Sagramore
Sir Sagramore (also known as Sagremor and many other variations) is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He appears in standalone and cyclical chivalric romances and other works, including some where he is the titular protagonis ...
, and their shared mother is daughter of the
Eastern Roman Emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as l ...
. At the age of 15, Elyan is brought to Arthur's court by Bors. He then becomes known as an excellent knight and is accepted as a member to the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
. True to his lineage, Elyan eventually becomes Emperor of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
himself.
Elyan's adventures are different the
Post-Vulgate ''Queste'', as well as the expanded version of the
Prose ''Tristan'', where he takes a vacant Round Table seat that had belonged to Dragan (''Dagarius'') after the latter knight's death by
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
. He later helps his cousin
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
rescue
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
after their affair is exposed, and then joins him in exile during their war with Arthur.
Elyan should not be confused with Elians (''Eliant'', ''Elianz''), a Knight of the Round Table from Ireland who occupied Lancelot's vacant seat in both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the ''Mort Artu''. A modern character inspired by Elyan the White was portrayed by Nigerian actor
Adetomiwa Edun
Babatunde Adetomiwa Stafford "Tomiwa" Edun, (born 1985)Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage 2003, vol. 3, p. 3063Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage, 1995, ed. Patrick Montague-Smith, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, p. 986 is a Nigerian actor. He is ...
as Guinevere's brother in the 2008 television series ''
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
''.
Erec
![Hb-herec](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Hb-herec.jpg)
Erec (French ''Erech'', ''Eric'', ''Herec'', ''Heret''; German ''Eres''; Italian ''Arecco''; Norse ''Erex''), the son of
King Lac, is most famous as the protagonist in
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
' first romance, ''
Erec and Enide'', later retold in ''
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
'' and other versions. Because of ''Erec and Enide''‘s connection to the Welsh ''
Geraint and Enid
Geraint () is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a valiant warrior possibly related to the historical Geraint, an early 8th-century king of Dumnonia. It is also the name of a 6th-century Dumnonian saint king from Briton h ...
'', Erec and
Geraint are often conflated or confused. Erec's name itself may be derived from 'Guerec', the Breton version of 'Gweir' which was the name of several of Arthur's warriors and relatives in the different early Welsh tales.
In Chrétien's story, Erec meets his future wife
Enide
Enide ( cy, Enid) is a character in Arthurian romance. She is the wife of Erec in Chrétien de Troyes' '' Erec and Enide'', and the wife of Geraint in the Welsh romance of ''Geraint and Enid'' analogous to Chrétien's version. Some scholars be ...
while on a quest to defeat a knight who had mistreated one of Queen
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
's servants. The two fall in love and marry, but rumours spread that Erec no longer cares for knighthood or anything else besides his domestic life. Enide cries about these rumours, causing Erec to prove his abilities, both to himself and to his wife, through a test of Enide's love for him. Erec has her accompany him on a long, tortuous trip where she is forbidden to speak to him, after which they reconcile. When Erec's father Lac dies, Erec inherits his kingdom. The Norse ''Erex Saga'' gives him two sons, named Llac and Odus, who later both become kings. The story of Erec and Enide is also retold within the
Prose ''Tristan''.
Enide is entirely absent from the Prose ''Erec'' part of the
Post-Vulgate ''Merlin Continuation'', in which Erec's mother's enchantment makes him immune to magic. His acts include saving
Bors
Bors (; french: link=no, Bohort) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) d ...
from the enchanter
Mabon; he also has a cousin named Driadam, whose death begins Erec's feud with the young
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
. In the Post-Vulgate ''Quest of the Holy Grail'', Erec is slain by
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
in revenge for the death of
Yvain of the White Hands, and does not regain his father's kingdom; his seat at the Round Table is taken by his friend Meraugis, who had buried him. In the
Alliterative ''Morte Arthure'', Erec dies during the final battle between the forces of Arthur and Mordred.
In ''
Lanzelet
''Lanzelet'' is a medieval romance written by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven after 1194. It is the first treatment of the Lancelot tradition in German, and contains the earliest known account of the hero's childhood with the Lady of the Lake-like fig ...
'', Erec and Gawain agree to be delivered as prisoners to the great wizard Malduc (whose father was killed by Erec), so that Guinevere can be rescued from King Valerin's castle; they are then tortured and almost starved to death in Malduc's dungeon, until they are eventually themselves rescued. In ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', Harry le Fyse Lake (or ''Garry le Fitz Lake'', Malory's corruption of the French ''Herec le Fils Lac'') participates in Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere from the stake.
Esclabor
![Hb-exclabor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Hb-exclabor.jpg)
King Esclabor the Unknown (''Astlabor'', ''Esclabort'', ''Scalabrone''; -''le Mescogneu'', -''li Mesconneü'', -''li Mesconneuz'') is a wandering
Saracen
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...
lord from a vaguely Middle Eastern land, usually either
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
(in today's Iraq) or
Galilee
Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Gali ...
(in today's Israel). He is the father of
Palamedes,
Safir, and
Segwarides, among others. During his long stay in Britain, Esclabor initially hides his faith, trying to pass as a Christian, but soon becomes widely known as a valiant pagan knight.
While visiting
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, he saves the life of the
Roman Emperor; he later travels to Arthur's
Logres
Logres (among various other forms and spellings) is King Arthur's realm in the Matter of Britain. It derives from the medieval Welsh word '' Lloegyr'', a name of uncertain origin referring to South and Eastern England (''Lloegr'' in modern Welsh ...
at the time of Arthur's coronation, where he rescues
King Pellinore as well. Esclabor eventually settles at
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
, later adventuring with Palamedes and
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
during the
Grail Quest. In the Post-Vulgate ''Queste'', eleven of his sons are killed during their encounter with the
Questing Beast. Shortly after finally agreeing to convert to Christianity, an act necessary for the full admission into the brotherhood of
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
, and which also allows his participation in the Grail Quest, Esclabor commits suicide from grief upon learning of his favorite son Palamedes' death at the hands of
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
.
Gaheris of Karaheu
Gaheris de Karaheu (''Gaharis'', ''Gaheran'', ''Gahetis'', ''Gaherys'', ''Gaheus'', ''Gains'', ''Gareis'', ''Ghaheris''; -''d'Escareu'', -''de Carahan''/''Car
/eeu'', -''de Gaheran''/''Gahereu'', -''de Karahau''/''Karehan''), also known as the White (''li Blans''), is one of the minor Knights of the Round Table and brother of
Mador de la Porte in the
Vulgate Cycle
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
and the derived works. He should not be confused with
Gaheris of Orkney, one of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's nephews and another Knight of the Round Table. His most prominent role, including the manner of his death, might have been inspired by the purportedly historical account of the fatal poisoning of Walwen (that is,
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
) from the chronicle ''
Gesta Regum Anglorum
The ''Gesta Regum Anglorum'' ( Latin for "Deeds of the Kings of the English"), originally titled ("On the Deeds of the Kings of the English") and also anglicized as or , is an early-12th-century history of the kings of England by William of Ma ...
''.
In the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', Gaheris of Karaheu appears in minor roles, mostly as a prisoner, prior to his accidental death. Gawain saves him from
Galehaut
Galehaut (or Galaha ''l/u''t, Galeho ''l''t, Gallehau ''l''t, Galhault, Galetto, et al.) is a half-giant knight and sovereign prince in the Arthurian legend. He is most prominent within the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle where he is a noble enemy ...
, while the mysterious White Knight (
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
incognito) rescues him from the Dolorous Prison near
Dolorous Gard and then again from the
Vale of No Return. Later, in the Vulgate ''Mort Artu'', he dies from eating a poisoned apple, which was made by the knight Avarlan and was meant to kill Gawain. The apple is offered to Gaheris unknowingly by
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
; the queen is accused of his murder, until she is cleared of the charge in the
trial by combat
Trial by combat (also wager of battle, trial by battle or judicial duel) was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the ...
between Mador and Lancelot. This story is retold in the
Stanzaic ''Morte Arthur'' and in Thomas Malory's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', where the victim is, respectively, either an unnamed visiting Scottish knight or Sir Patrise of Ireland (the poisoner is also renamed by Malory as Sir Pionel). The Italian ''Tristano Panciaticchiano'', in which he remains Mador's brother, calls him Giafredi.
Galehodin
Galehodin le Gallois (''Galeh
/odin'', also ''Gal
des'', ''Gallind
s'', etc.) is
Galehaut
Galehaut (or Galaha ''l/u''t, Galeho ''l''t, Gallehau ''l''t, Galhault, Galetto, et al.) is a half-giant knight and sovereign prince in the Arthurian legend. He is most prominent within the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle where he is a noble enemy ...
's nephew and godson, and his designated successor as the King of Sorelois. Galehodin is introduced in the Prose ''Lancelot'' as the young grandson of the King of Norgales (
North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...
). There he is the lord of the town and castle of Pennin (''Peningue''), and desires to follow the great hero
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
so he can learn from him. He is described as one of the tallest knights in the world, using a plain white shield with no identification symbols. Together with
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
and
Mador, he easily triumphs over the men of Gorre in a tournament against King
Bagdemagus. In the Italian ''Tavola Ritonda'', Galehaut's heir is his son named Abastunagio, a character corresponding with that of Galehodin as he appears in the Prose ''Tristan''. Both appear in their respective texts in the role of the host of the great tournament in Sorelois. The Hebrew ''King Artus'' includes one Galaodin de Gaulis (of
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
) among Lancelot's followers.
Galehaut's cousin and fellow Knight of the Round Table named Galahodin (''Galihodin'', ''Galyhodin'', sometimes with 'yn' at the end) appears as one of closest companions of Lancelot in Thomas Malory's telling, in which Galahodin is given some of Galehaut's traits from the French tradition. Galahodin, described as a sub-king in Sorelois, serves Lancelot as one of his chief knights during the war against Arthur, later joining him in the hermitage at the end of his life. Before that, one of the episodes borrowed from the Prose ''Tristan'' tell of Galahodin's attempted kidnapping of
Isolde, foiled by
Palamedes. Malory's Galahodin should not be confused with two of his original characters from ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', Lancelot's own relatives Galyhod (''Galihud'', ''Galyhud'') and Gahalantyne (''Gahalantin''), who are also close companions of Lancelot. After taking over the lands in France, Malory's Lancelot appoints Galahodin as the duke of
Saintonge
Saintonge may refer to:
*County of Saintonge, a historical province of France on the Atlantic coast
*Saintonge (region), a region of France corresponding to the historical province
Places
* Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge, a commune in the Charente-Mar ...
, Galyhod as the earl of
Périgord
Périgord ( , ; ; oc, Peiregòrd / ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is div ...
, and Gahalantyne as the duke of
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...
. They eventually stay together with Lancelot and Galahodin as their fellow monks at the end.
Galeschin
![Blason imaginaire du Duc de Clerence](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Blason_imaginaire_du_Duc_de_Clerence.svg)
Galeschin (''Galaas'', ''Galachin'', ''Galathin'', ''Galescalain'', ''Galeschalains'', ''Galescin
', ''Galeshin'', ''Galessin'', etc.) is the son of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's half-sister
Queen Elaine and
King Nentres of Garlot. He first appears in the story of the Dolorous Tower in the
Vulgate Cycle
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
, in which he and his cousin
Yvain attempt to rescue their other cousin
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
from the wicked lord Carados; both are taken captive as well, but the trio are eventually rescued by
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
. (Galeschin is later additionally rescued by Lancelot from the
Vale of No Return.) Though mentioned in a few other stories, his role is ultimately minor. He loosely inspired the character of Duke Chalance (''Chalaunce'') of Clarence, a Knight of the Round Table appearing in different episodes of ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''.
Roger Sherman Loomis
Roger Sherman Loomis (1887–1966) was an American scholar and one of the foremost authorities on medieval and Arthurian literature. Loomis is perhaps best known for showing the roots of Arthurian legend, in particular the Holy Grail, in native Ce ...
derives the name Galeschin from the name ''Galvariun'', found on the
Modena Archivolt. He theorizes that the name was altered to make it sound more like ''Galesche'', the Old French word for
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
, and derives the name Galvariun from the epithet ''Gwallt Euryn'', found in ''
Culhwch and Olwen
''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whi ...
'', which he translates as "Golden Hair". Oddly, Galeschin is also called the ''Duc de Clarence'' in the French literature prior to the 14th century; this could not possibly refer to the position of
Duke of Clarence
Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England.
The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...
(which did not exist yet at the time and does not refer to a place name), leading Loomis to translate it as the "Lord of Light".
Gornemant
Gornemant of Gohort, also known as Gornemant de Goort or Gurnemans of Gorhaut (among other variants such as ''Gornemans'' or ''Gormans''), is the knight best known as
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
's mentor. He is mentioned in a few early romances and is prominent in
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
's ''
Perceval, the Story of the Grail
''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'' (french: Perceval ou le Conte du Graal) is the unfinished fifth verse romance by Chrétien de Troyes, written by him in Old French in the late 12th century. Later authors added 54,000 more lines in what are kn ...
'', in which he instructs the young hero in the ways of knighthood. There, Gornemant is also the uncle of
Blanchefleur
Blanchefleur ("white flower", also ''Blanziflor, Flanziflor'', cy, Blodyngwyn) is a female given name popular in the High Middle Ages.
Fictional characters with the name include:
*The mother of Sir Tristan, sister of King Mark and wife of Lord ...
, whom Percival later marries after successfully defending her city against attackers. Medieval German author
Wolfram von Eschenbach
Wolfram von Eschenbach (; – ) was a German knight, poet and composer, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of medieval German literature. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry.
Life
Little is known of Wolfram's life. There ar ...
gives him three sons named Gurzgi, Lascoyt and Schentefleurs, as well as a daughter named Liaze who falls in love with Percival but he declines to marry her. In the later Italian
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
romances, he appears under the name Governale, entrusted by
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
o to care for and edecate the young Cornish prince Tristano. In modern era, Gurnemanz is one of the main Grail Knights in
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
's opera ''
Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival'' ...
''.
Griflet
![Blason Girflet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Blason_Girflet.svg)
Griflet () the son of Do is a ubiquitous character in Arthurian legend, where he was one of the first Knights of the Round Table. He is first found in Chrétien de Troyes' ''
Erec et Enide
, original_title_lang = fro
, translator =
, written = c. 1170
, country =
, language = Old French
, subject = Arthurian legend
, genre = Chivalric romance
, form ...
'', named there as Girflez li filz Do. Like many other Arthurian romance characters, his origins lie in
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology (Welsh: ''Mytholeg Cymru'') consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of the predominantly oral societies Cel ...
; in this instance, it is the minor deity
Gilfaethwy
In Welsh mythology, Gilfaethwy () was a son of the goddess Dôn and brother of Gwydion and Arianrhod in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi.
His uncle Math fab Mathonwy, king of Gwynedd, must keep his feet in the lap of a young virgin at all times ...
fab
Dôn
Dôn () is an ancestor figure in Welsh legend and literature. She is typically given as the mother of a group known as the "Children of Dôn", including Gwydion, Arianrhod, and Gilfaethwy, among many others. However, antiquarians of the early mode ...
. He is notably the eponymous hero of his own, early chivalric romance, ''
Jaufre
''Jaufre'' (also called ''Jaufré'' or ''Jaufri'') is the only surviving Arthurian romance written in Occitan. A verse romance approximately 11,000 lines long, its main character is equivalent to Sir Griflet son of Do, a Knight of the Round Table ...
''.
He also appears as Gerflet in Beroul's ''Tristan'' and in the Norse ''Parcevals Saga''; Gerflet li fius Do in ''Mériadeuc''; Gifflet in ''Escanor''; Gifflet (''Girfles'') li fieus Do in the ''Livre d'Artus''; Giflés (''Gifles'') li fius Do in ''
Perceval ou le Conte du Graal
, original_title_lang = fro
, translator =
, written = between 1182 and 1190
, country =
, language = Old French
, subject = Arthurian legend
, genre = Chivalric romance
, for ...
'', ''Li Biaus Descouneüs'', and ''
Libeaus Desconus
''Libeaus Desconus'' is a 14th-century Middle English version of the popular " Fair Unknown" story. Its author is thought to be Thomas Chestre. The story matter displays strong parallels to that of Renaut de Beaujeu's ''Le Bel Inconnu''; both ver ...
''; Giflet le fils de Do in ''
Le Bel Inconnu
Sir Gingalain (Guinglain, Gingalin, Gliglois, Wigalois, etc.), also known as Le Bel Inconnu, or The Fair Unknown, is a character from Arthurian legend whose exploits are recorded in numerous versions of a popular medieval romance. His nickname d ...
''; Giflet fis Do in ''Sir Gawain and the Lady of Lys''; Girflet (''Giflet'', ''Giflez'', ''Giftet'', ''Girfles'', ''Gyfles'', ''Gyflet'', ''Gyrflet'') le (''li'') fils (''filz'') Do (''Doon'', ''Dos'') in the
Vulgate
The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible.
The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
and
Post-Vulgate prose cycles; Girfles (''Girlflet'', ''Girflez'') li filz Do in the
Prose ''Tristan''; Girflez le fils Do in ''
Lancelot, le Chevalier de la Charrette''; Girflez in ''La Mule sans Frein''; Griflet (''Gifles'', ''Gifflès'', ''Gifflet'', ''Gryflet'', ''Gryfflet'') li fieus Do (''Dou'') in ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''; Grifles in Henry Lovelich's ''Merlin''; Grimfles in the English
Prose ''Merlin''; Gyffroun in ''
Ywain and Gawain
''Ywain and Gawain'' is an early-14th century Middle English Arthurian verse romance based quite closely upon the late-12th-century Old French romance '' The Knight of the Lion'' by Chrétien de Troyes.
Plot
Ywain, one of King Arthur's Knights of ...
''; and Iofreit (''Jofreit'') fils Idol in ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
''.
Further texts featuring him include ''Hunbaut'', ''
La Vengeance Raguidel
''La Vengeance Raguidel'' is a 13th-century La vengeance Raguidel', ''Dictionnaire Étymologique de l'Ancien Français''. Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities poem written in Old French. It is widely, although not universally, attributed ...
'', and the First and Fourth Continuations of ''Perceval''.
![Griflet throwing Excalibur into the lake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Griflet_throwing_Excalibur_into_the_lake.png)
In French chivalric romance prose cycles, he is a cousin to
Lucan
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November 39 AD – 30 April 65 AD), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in Hispania Baetica. He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial ...
and
Bedivere who first appears as a loyal and valiant young
squire
In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight.
Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...
at the beginning of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's rule.
About the same age as Arthur, he distinguishes himself in the
Battle of Bedegraine against the rebels and joins the Round Table after personally slaying one of the Saxon kings when he helps
Kay and
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
rescue
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
in the Prose ''Merlin''. Later, however, his role becomes largely limited to him notoriously often falling into captivity for the other knights to rescue in the course of their own adventures, even leading Gawain to comment in the Prose ''Lancelot'' that "there never was a man so frequently taken prisoner as Girflet has been." According to the French ''Mort Artu'', he was one of the few survivors of
Arthur's final battle and was asked by the dying king to return his sword
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
to the
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...
. In ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', however, Sir Griflet is one of the knights killed by
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
's rescue party at the execution of Guinevere, making Griflet's cousin Bedivere the knight who casts away Excalibur, the role that has been given to Bedivere also in the earlier English adaptations of the ''Mort Artu''.
Hector de Maris
![Blason Hector des mares](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Blason_Hector_des_mares.svg)
Hector de Maris (''Ector de Maris'', ''Estor de Mareis'', ''Hector de Marais'', ''Hestor des Mares'', etc.) is the younger half-brother of
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
;
Bors
Bors (; french: link=no, Bohort) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) d ...
and
Lionel are his cousins. His name means Hector of the Fens (the form used in
Norris J. Lacy Norris J. Lacy (born March 8, 1940 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky) is an American scholar focusing on French medieval literature. He was the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor Emeritus of French and Medieval Studies at the Pennsylvania State University until ...
's translation of the Vulgate Cycle); he should not be mistaken with
Sir Ector
Sir Ector , sometimes Hector, Antor, or Ectorius, is the father of Sir Kay and the adoptive father of King Arthur in the Matter of Britain. Sometimes portrayed as a king instead of merely a lord, he has an estate in the country as well as pro ...
(''Hector''), the father of
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
and foster father of
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
. Hector's adventures are many and wide-ranging, especially within the Vulgate and the Post-Vulgate prose cycles. As Astore, he is also the eponymous protagonist of the Italian ''Cantare di Astore e Morgana''.
![William Dyce - Generosity](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/William_Dyce_-_Generosity.jpg)
As told in the Vulgate ''Merlin'', Hector is an illegitimate son of
King Ban of Benoic (in today's France), who, magically helped by
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
, fathered him with the Lady de Maris. He is raised by his maternal grandfather Agravadain the Black, lord of the Castle of the Fens. In the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', Hector fights against the Saxons and saves his relative
Elaine the Peerless. He is successful at tournaments, prevailing against such esteemed knights as
Palomedes and
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
. Hector is, however, one of the knights defeated and imprisoned by Turquine before being rescued by his brother Lancelot; he later returns the favour by finding the lost Knight of the Lake after Lancelot's period of insanity and returning him to the court. Hector has a long relationship with Lady Perse of the Narrow Borderland after saving her from a forced marriage; he also has an affair with a cousin of the Lady of Roestoc prior to reuniting with Perse. In the Post-Vulgate ''Queste'', his friendship with
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
turns into the hatred following Gawain's killing of Erec. Hector participates in the great
Grail Quest, during which his companions besides Gawain include Arthur the Less and Meraugis. Like most others, Hector is proven unworthy of achieving the sacred relic. Nevertheless, he helps the Grail hero
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
to destroy the Castle of Treachery, and the appearance of the Grail revives him and Perceval after the two mortally wounded each other. In the ''Mort Artu'' (and ''Le Morte d'Arthur''), when Lancelot is caught in his affair with
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
, Hector stands by his half-brother and leaves court with him. He becomes one of the top leaders of Lancelot's faction, participating in the battle to rescue the queen at her would-be execution and the subsequent defence of Lancelot's castle
Joyous Guard
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
. Hector accompanies Lancelot in France when they are expelled from Arthur's kingdom, before later returning to Britain to help defeat the Saxon army aided by
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
's sons after the
Battle of Camlann
The Battle of Camlann ( cy, Gwaith Camlan or ''Brwydr Camlan'') is the legendary final battle of King Arthur, in which Arthur either died or was fatally wounded while fighting either with or against Mordred, who also perished. The original leg ...
(Salisbury). He then joins his brother at the
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...
's hermitage, and later dies on a crusade in the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
.
King with the Hundred Knights
The King with the Hundred Knights (Old French: ''Roi des Cent Chevaliers'', sometimes translated as the "King ''of'' the Hundred Knights") is a moniker commonly used in for a character that has appeared under different given names in various works of Arthurian romance, including as Malaguin (''Aguignier'', ''Aguigens'', ''Aguigniez'', ''Aguysans'', ''Alguigines'', ''Angvigenes'', ''Malaguis'', ''Malauguin
', etc.) in the
Prose ''Lancelot''; the legendary figure of Malaguin seems to be loosely based on that of the historical
Maelgwn, an early 6th-century king of
Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...
known for propagating
Christianity in Britain. He appears as Heraut (''Berant'', ''Horel'', ''Horiaus'', ''Hovaux'', etc.) li Aspres in the
Prose ''Tristan'', while
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
refers to him as Sir Barant (''Berrant'') le Apres. Conversely, some texts such as ''
Palamedes'' do not give him a proper name.
His first known appearance is possibly in ''
Lanzelet
''Lanzelet'' is a medieval romance written by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven after 1194. It is the first treatment of the Lancelot tradition in German, and contains the earliest known account of the hero's childhood with the Lady of the Lake-like fig ...
'' as Ritschart, a count opposing
King Lot
King Lot , also spelled Loth or Lott (Lleu or Llew in Welsh), is a British monarch in Arthurian legend. He was introduced in Geoffrey of Monmouth's influential chronicle ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' that portrayed him as King Arthur's broth ...
who is mentioned as having a hundred knights and is later aided by
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
, followed by that of Margon in the Third Continuation of ''
Perceval, the Story of the Grail
''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'' (french: Perceval ou le Conte du Graal) is the unfinished fifth verse romance by Chrétien de Troyes, written by him in Old French in the late 12th century. Later authors added 54,000 more lines in what are kn ...
''. His first major role as the "King with the Hundred Knights" is found in the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of ''
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
'' continuations, in which he is introduced as one of the chief rebels against
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
in the
Battle of Bedegraine; however, after experiencing a prophetic dream, he decides to join Arthur to fight the invading Saxon pagans in God's name. He remains on Arthur's side during Lot's second rebellion, but then fights against Arthur in the service of
Galehaut
Galehaut (or Galaha ''l/u''t, Galeho ''l''t, Gallehau ''l''t, Galhault, Galetto, et al.) is a half-giant knight and sovereign prince in the Arthurian legend. He is most prominent within the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle where he is a noble enemy ...
in the Vulgate ''Lancelot''; afterwards, he again submits to Arthur's rule and joins the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
, later taking part in the war against Rome. (The chronology of that is different in Malory's compilation.) ''Lancelot of the Laik'', a Scots version of the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', splits his character into these of the King with a Hundred Knights and Maleginis, two different minor kings serving Galehaut.
He is described as the ruler of the land variably known as Estrangore in the ''Livre d'Artus'' alternative continuation of ''Merlin'', Malahaut (''Malehaut'', etc.) in the ''Estoire de Merlin'' and the Prose ''Lancelot'', Guzilagne in ''
La Tavola Ritonda'', Piacenza in ''I Due Tristani'', and Tumane in ''Lanzelet''. The Vulgate ''Lancelot'' gives him a sister known only as the Lady of Malahaut, a son named Maranz (''Marant'', ''Marauz'', ''Martans'', ''Martant''), and a daughter named Landoine (''Landoigne''). The Prose ''Tristan'' and ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' mention him as a lover of one of
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
's companions, the enchantress known as the Queen of North Wales. In ''I Due Tristani'', he marries Riccarda, the half-giant sister of Galehaut. In the Third Continuation of ''Perceval'', his son, named Cargril (''Cargrilo''), falls in one-sided love with
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
's cousin Sore Pucelle; Margon and Cargril besiege her castle but
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
lifts the siege and Sore Pucelle avenges the death of her lover (whom they had hanged) by launching Cargril from a catapult. In ''La Tavola Ritonda'', the King with the Hundred Knights dies fighting alongside King Amoroldo of Ireland (an Italian version of
Morholt
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in ...
) at the Battle of Lerline, in a factional conflict in which Lancelot and
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
find themselves on the opposing sides.
Lac
King Lac (French: ''Roi Lac'', literally "King Lake") is the father of
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
introduced in
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
' ''
Erec and Enide'' and its variants. His counterpart in the Welsh ''
Geraint and Enid
Geraint () is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a valiant warrior possibly related to the historical Geraint, an early 8th-century king of Dumnonia. It is also the name of a 6th-century Dumnonian saint king from Briton h ...
'' is named Erbin. His kingdom is variably known as
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
, Destrigales ("Outer Wales", possibly
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
), Carnant, Greater
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
(''Orcanie la Grant''), and Black Isles. In the Guiron le Courteous part of ''
Palamedes'', King Lac is himself a Knight of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
.
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
retained him in this role in his ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'' as the King of the Lake. He is entirely unrelated to
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
du Lac (of the Lake) and to
King Lot
King Lot , also spelled Loth or Lott (Lleu or Llew in Welsh), is a British monarch in Arthurian legend. He was introduced in Geoffrey of Monmouth's influential chronicle ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' that portrayed him as King Arthur's broth ...
whose name is written as "Lac" in some Portuguese texts.
According to ''Erec et Enide'', King Lac dies of old age and his son Erec is made ruler of Lac's kingdom by King Arthur. In his redefinition in the
Post-Vulgate Cycle, King Lac is son of Canan, a peasant-born Greek king. The Post-Vulgate ''Quest of the Holy Grail'' tells of Lac's poisoning by the sons of his brother, King Dirac, and the young Erec's exile from their kingdom of Saloliqui to Britain following Lac's murder. In this version, Lac was married to the sorceress Crisea (''Ocise''), who was the sister of Pelles, the
Fisher King
The Fisher King is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him incapable and hi ...
. Besides Erec, King Lac's children include a daughter, who appears unnamed in Chrétien's ''
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
'' and is called Jeschute in ''
Parzival
''Parzival'' is a medieval romance by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long ...
''. Lac's other sons include
Brandelis in ''Palamedes'' and in ''I Due Tristani'', and
Cligés in the First Continuation of ''Perceval'', who both become Knights of the Round Table in their respective stories.
Lohot
Lohot (''Hoot'', ''Loholt'', ''Loholz'', ''Lohoot'', ''Lohoth'', ''Lohoz'') is a character loosely based on the mysterious figure of
Llacheu, one of the sons of King Arthur in the original Welsh tradition. He appears as the king's legitimate son by
Queen Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...
in the early continental romances such as ''
Lanzelet
''Lanzelet'' is a medieval romance written by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven after 1194. It is the first treatment of the Lancelot tradition in German, and contains the earliest known account of the hero's childhood with the Lady of the Lake-like fig ...
'' and ''
Perlesvaus'' (as Ilinot and Elinot, respectively). In ''Perlesvaus,'' he is treacherously killed by
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
so that the latter can take credit for the defeat of the giant Logrin, and his murder causes Guinevere to die of sorrow.
In the
Vulgate Cycle
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
, on the other hand, Lohot is Arthur's bastard son by Lady Lisanor, daughter of Earl Sevain, from the tryst magically arranged by
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
.
Lohot dies young from illness shortly after having been rescued from his captivity in the Dolorous Prison by
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
.
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
renamed him as a very minor character called Borre (''Boarte'', ''Bohart'', ''Bohort'') le Cure Hardy ("the Strong Heart"), and his mother as Lionors or Lyzianor, daughter of Earl Sanam.
Lucan
![Hb-lvcam-le-bovteillier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Hb-lvcam-le-bovteillier.jpg)
Lucan the Butler (''Lucanere de Buttelere'', ''Lucan
li Bouteillier'', ''Lucant le Boutellier'', ''Lucas the Botiller'', ''Lucanus'', etc.) is a servant of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
, the son of Duke Corneus, a brother of
Bedivere, and a cousin of
Griflet
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
. He and his relatives are among Arthur's earliest allies in the fight against the rebel kings such as
Lot,
Urien
Urien (; ), often referred to as Urien Rheged or Uriens, was a late 6th-century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom of the Hen Ogledd (today's northern England and southern Scotland) of the House of Rheged. His power and his victories, i ...
and
Caradoc
Caradoc Vreichvras (; Modern cy, Caradog Freichfras, ) was a semi-legendary ancestor to the kings of Gwent. He may have lived during the 5th or 6th century. He is remembered in the Matter of Britain as a Knight of the Round Table, under the ...
, and he remained loyal to Arthur throughout his life. Lucan took on the post of royal butler, a significant position in charge of the royal household. He was supposed to have been in charge of the royal court, along with Bedivere the
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
and
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
the
Seneschal
The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
. He fought for Arthur's right to the throne at the
Battle of Bedegraine and against subsequent rebellions. He was known to always attend the royal tournaments, and was once hurt so badly by
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
that
Yvain had to escort him to
Gannes
Gannes () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is around 35 km south of Amiens and 80 km north of Paris.
It was the site of an air crash in the Second World War. In the early hours of 18 June 1944, Avro Lancaste ...
Abbey for medical assistance.
In most accounts of Arthur's death in the romance literature, from the ''
Lancelot-Grail
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
'' cycle to ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', Lucan is one of the last knights at the king's side at the
Battle of Camlann
The Battle of Camlann ( cy, Gwaith Camlan or ''Brwydr Camlan'') is the legendary final battle of King Arthur, in which Arthur either died or was fatally wounded while fighting either with or against Mordred, who also perished. The original leg ...
and is usually the last of them to die. Lucan remained loyal to King Arthur throughout the schism with
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
, and on occasion acted as a negotiator between them. Similarly, he stayed by the monarch's side during
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
's rebellion and tried to dissuade Arthur from his final attack on his son/nephew, but was unsuccessful and the king became fatally wounded. Worried about looters roaming the battlefield, Lucan and Bedivere attempt to move the dying Arthur into a nearby chapel for safety, but the strain is too much for Lucan and his old wound bursts open, spilling out his bowels; he succumbs to his own wounds just before the king returns
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
to the
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...
and sails off for
Avalon
Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...
. Though the knight whom Arthur asks to cast the sword into the lake is usually Griflet (
Vulgate ''Mort Artu'') or Bedivere (''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the
Alliterative ''Morte Arthure'', the
Stanzaic ''Morte Arthur''), the 16th-century English ballad ''King Arthur's Death'' ascribes this duty to Lucan. A character named Lucan appears in the 2004 film ''
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
''. Played by
Johnny Brennan, he is a young boy found and cared for by Arthur's warrior
Dagonet
Sir Dagonet (also known as Daguenet and other spellings) is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. His depictions and characterisations have varied from a foolish and cowardly knight, to a violently deranged madman, to the now-iconic ...
.
Mador de la Porte
![Sir Lancelot save Guinevere by Lancelot Speed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Sir_Lancelot_save_Guinevere_by_Lancelot_Speed.jpg)
Mador de la Porte (French: ''Mador'', ''Amador''; English: ''Mador'', ''Madore'', ''Madors''; Italian: ''Amadore''; Irish: ''Mado'') is a minor Knight of the Round Table in the late Arthurian prose romances. His epithet "of the Gate" (de la Porte) suggests he might have been Arthur's porter; if so, Mador might be equated with
Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr
("Brave Grey Mighty Grasp") is a hero, warrior, and porter in tradition and Arthurian mythology, in which he appears as a knight in Arthur's retinue and chief gatekeeper of his court. He is one of the earliest characters to be associated with Ar ...
("Mightygrasp") who is Arthur's porter in medieval Welsh tales. Mador's best known role is in an episode of the Vulgate ''Mort Artu (''and consequently in the Stanzaic ''Morte Arthur'' and Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'') that tells the story of his trial by combat against the incognito
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
, Queen
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
's champion for her innocence following the poisoning of Mador's brother
Gaheris de Karahau. Mador loses the duel to Lancelot (without losing his life in the process), saving Guinevere from the accusation that almost led her being burnt at the stake.
Besides the Vulgate ''Mort Artu'' and the English works based on it, Mador also appears or is referenced in several other works, including in the Prose ''Lancelot'', in the "Tournament of Sorelois" episode found in some versions of the Prose ''Tristan'' and the ''Prophecies de Mérlin'' (as well as in ''Le Morte d'Arthur''), in the Post-Vulgate Cycle, in the ''Guiron le Courtois'' part of ''Palemedes'', in ''Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight'', in the Sicilian romance ''Floriant et Florette'', and in the ''Compilation'' of Rustichello da Pisa. The Vulgate ''Mort Artu'' notes him as exceptionally tall and says there was hardly a knight in Arthur's court who was stronger. This is repeated in the Version I of the Prose ''Tristan'', in which
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
considers him second only to the half-giant
Galehault
Galehaut (or Galaha /u, Galeho , Gallehau , Galhault, Galetto, et al.) is a half-giant knight and sovereign prince in the Matter of Britain, Arthurian legend. He is most prominent within the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle where he is a nob ...
in size and strength. In ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', he is also a companion of the young
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein h ...
.
The ''Livre d'Artus'' version of the Vulgate ''Merlin Continuation'' mentions Madoc li Noirs de la Porte (Madoc the Black of the Gate) among the knights who come to the aid of
Aglovale to fight against the forces of Agrippe. He may be further identical with the knight Mado, who is twice briefly mentioned in the ''First Continuation'' of Chrétien's ''Perceval''. Mado also appears as antagonist in the 16th-century Irish Arthurian tale ''Eachtra Mhelóra agus Orlando'' (''The Adventures of Melora and Orlando''), wherein he is the villainous son of the King of the Hesperides in love with Arthur's daughter Melora, who disguises herself as a man and fights incognito as a knight to defeat Mado and his ally
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
.
Meliant
![Hb-meliandris](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Hb-meliandris.jpg)
Meliant (''Melians,'' ''Melyans'') is a Knight of the Round Table featured in several chivalric romances. In the writings by
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
and
Wolfram von Eschenbach
Wolfram von Eschenbach (; – ) was a German knight, poet and composer, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of medieval German literature. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry.
Life
Little is known of Wolfram's life. There ar ...
, Meliant de Lis is the King of Lis. Along with
Bagdemagus and
Meleagant
Maleagant (alternately ''Malagant'', ''Meleagan'', ''Meleagant'', ''Meliagant'', ''Meliagaunt'', ''Meliagant'', ''Meliaganz'', ''Meliagrance'', ''Meliagrant'', ''Mellegrans'', ''Mellyagraunce'') is a villain from Arthurian legend. In a number of ...
, he declares war on his foster-father, Tiebaut (''Lyppaut''), after being rejected by the latter's daughter Obie.
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
, fighting for Obie's sister Obilot, captures Meliant, who then reconciles with Obie in her captivity. A different version of this story, as told by
Heinrich von dem Türlin Heinrich may refer to:
People
* Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
*Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...
, names him Fiers von Arramis, whom Gawain also forces to surrender to a young lady who is a sister of his beloved Flursenesephin. In the ''
Livre de Artus'', Meliant de Lis wins over and marries Gawain's own lover, Floree.
In the
Vulgate Cycle
The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown author ...
's ''Queste'', Melians de Danemarche (Denmark, ''Dianarca'') is a squire of
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
, who knights him during the
Grail Quest. Later, Sir Melians joins
Bors
Bors (; french: link=no, Bohort) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) d ...
and
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
at Castle
Corbenic at the end of the quest. King Arthur appoints him to the Round Table, but he later sides with
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
in the civil war in the Vulgate ''Mort''. In reward for his support, including his role in the rescue of
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
, Lancelot makes him an earl ruling one of Lancelot's domains on the continent. Malory calls him Melias de Lile (''de Lisle'') in ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''. He should not be confused with
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
's father
Meliadus
Meliodas is a figure in Arthurian legend in the 12th-century Prose Tristan, Prose ''Tristan'' and subsequent accounts. In Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', he is the second king of Lyonesse, son of Felec of Cornwall and vassal of King Mark. M ...
, who is sometimes known as Melias.
There are also multiple other Arthurian characters by this name. For instance, one Meliant (named Brano in the Italian compilation ''
La Tavola Ritonda'') is a relative of King Faramon's daughter Belide when she falsely accuses Tristan of rape in the
Prose ''Tristan''. In ''
Perlesvaus'', an explicitly villainous Meliant is an enemy lord of Arthur, allied with the traitorous
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
; he is eventually killed by Lancelot who had previously also slain his evil father. In the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', Carados of the Dolorous Tower takes one Melyans le Gai's wife as his mistress. Another Meliant from the same cycle is an ancestor of Gawain (and himself is descended from Peter, an early Christian follower of
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several ...
) in the Vulgate ''Estoire del Saint Graal''.
Morholt
![Blason imaginaire du Morholt d'Irlande](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Blason_imaginaire_du_Morholt_d%27Irlande.svg)
Morholt of Ireland (''Marha
t'', ''Marhaus'', ''Morold'', ''Amoroldo'') is an Irish warrior who demands tribute from
King Mark
Mark of Cornwall ( la, Marcus, kw, Margh, cy, March, br, Marc'h) was a sixth-century King of Kernow (Cornwall), possibly identical with King Conomor. He is best known for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and the husb ...
of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
until he is slain by Mark's nephew
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
. In many versions, Morholt's name is prefaced with a
definite article
An article is any member of a class of dedicated words that are used with noun phrases to mark the identifiability of the referents of the noun phrases. The category of articles constitutes a part of speech.
In English, both "the" and "a(n)" ar ...
(i.e. ''The'' Morholt) as if it were a rank or a title, but scholars have found no reason for this.
[Curtis, Renée L. (translator) (1994). ''The Romance of Tristan'', Oxford. .]
![Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Fight between Tristram and Sir Marhaus stained glass](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Dante_Gabriel_Rossetti_The_Fight_between_Tristram_and_Sir_Marhaus_stained_glass.png)
He appears in almost all versions of the legend of
Tristan and Iseult
Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...
, beginning with the verse works of
Thomas of Britain and
Béroul
Béroul was a Norman or Breton poet of the 12th century. He wrote ''Tristan'', a Norman language version of the legend of Tristan and Iseult of which a certain number of fragments (approximately 3000 verses) have been preserved; it is the earliest ...
. In the early material, Morholt is the brother of the Queen of Ireland and the uncle of Tristan's future love (both mother and daughter are named
Iseult
Iseult (), alternatively Isolde () and other spellings, is the name of several characters in the legend of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, the wife of Mark of Cornwall and the lover of Tristan. Her mother, the queen ...
). He comes to Cornwall to collect tribute owed to his country; instead, however, Tristan challenges him to battle on the remote
Saint Samson's Isle in order to release his people from the debt. Tristan mortally wounds Morholt, leaving a piece of his sword in the Irishman's skull, but Morholt stabs him with a poisoned spear and escapes to Ireland to die. The injured Tristan eventually travels to Ireland incognito to receive healing from Iseult the Younger, but is found out when the queen discovers the piece of metal found in her brother's head fits perfectly into a chink in Tristan's blade.
The authors of later romances expanded Morholt's role. In works like the
Prose ''Tristan'', the
Post-Vulgate Cycle, and
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', he is a Knight of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
before his fateful encounter with Tristan. The prose romances add many further details to Morholt's career; the Post-Vulgate and Malory record his adventures with the young
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
,
Gaheris
Gaheris ( Old French: ''Gaheriet'', ''Gaheriés'', ''Guerrehes'') is a knight of the Round Table in the chivalric romance tradition of Arthurian legend. A nephew of King Arthur, Gaheris is the third son of Arthur's sister or half-sister Morgau ...
and
Yvain early in
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's reign. In the later versions, Tristan takes Morholt's place at the Round Table when he joins the company himself.
Nentres
In Arthurian romance, Nentres of Garlot (French: ''Nentres de Garlot'') is a British king of the land of Garlot (''Garloth'', ''Garlott''), who had served
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
's father
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon ( Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur.
A few ...
. At first, he rebels against the young King Arthur, but soon he becomes Arthur's ally after his defeat and reconciliation, even marrying one of Arthur's sisters. In the Old French Vulgate ''Merlin'', he is also named Uentres and Ventre
/ƺ'', as well as Nantes, Neutre
'' and Nextres de Garloc in the ''Estoire d'Merlin'' and Neutre in the version ''Livre d'Artus''. In the Caxton print edition of Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', he appears as Nentres, Nayntres and Nauntres, while the original Winchester manuscript calls him Nentres, Nauntres and Newtrys. His other medieval English names include Nantres or Nanter
'' in ''Arthour and Merlin'', and Newtres, Newtris, Newtrys and Newtre
'' in Lovelich's ''Merlin''. His first appearance could have been as Arthur's brother-in-law Viautre de Galerot (''Guarlerot'') in the Didot-''Perceval'' continuation of the Verse ''Merlin''.
Malory makes Nentres the husband of Arthur's sister
Elaine (''Elayne''), originally named Blasine in the Prose ''Merlin'', by whom he has the son
Galeschin
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
and a daughter also named Elaine. In other texts, his wife is one of Arthur's different sisters: either
Morgause
The Queen of Orkney, today best known as Morgause and also known as Morgawse and other spellings and names, is a character in later Arthurian traditions. In some versions of the legend, including the seminal text ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', she is ...
(''Belisent'') or
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
(''Morgain la feé''). In the ''Merlin'' continuation texts, Nentres of Garlot is one of the kings who refuse to recognise the newly proclaimed King Arthur's claim to be the true heir of Uther, and he joins the others to fight against Arthur (and his own son Galescalain) at the
Battle of Bedegraine (where he is defeated by
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
in Malory). After the rebel kings agree to join Arthur to repel the foreign (Saxon or Saracen) invasion, Nentres commands the defense of Windesan. During this time, his wife is kidnapped by the enemy but is rescued by Arthur's loyalist
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
, making Nentres firmly join Arthur's side and help him to decisively crush the foreigners at the
Battle of Clarence. He then becomes one of the original members of Arthur's Round Table and participates in Arthur's continental campaigns, slaying the Spanish Saracen king Alifatima during the war against Rome.
According to
Roger Sherman Loomis
Roger Sherman Loomis (1887–1966) was an American scholar and one of the foremost authorities on medieval and Arthurian literature. Loomis is perhaps best known for showing the roots of Arthurian legend, in particular the Holy Grail, in native Ce ...
, the name and character of King Nentres could have been derived from that of the historical British king
Urien
Urien (; ), often referred to as Urien Rheged or Uriens, was a late 6th-century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom of the Hen Ogledd (today's northern England and southern Scotland) of the House of Rheged. His power and his victories, i ...
who is most often cast as the husband of Morgan. The Huth ''Merlin'' mentions Neutre only once as the king of Sorhaut married to Morgan, while presenting Garlot as the kingdom of Urien and Morgain (''Morgue''), which further suggests the identity of Nentres with Urien. The name of his realm of Garlot may also come from ''Caer Lot'', an Old Welsh for the Fortress of
Lot, another British former rebel king often depicted in the legend as married to Arthur's sister. The lands of Nentres, Urien and Lot (
Lothian
Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Sco ...
, not Orkney) are also all commonly placed in today's southern Scotland. Nevertheless, the three rebel-turned-ally kings, each later married to Arthur's sisters, regularly appear as separate characters within the same prose romances, including in Malory.
Osenain
![Hb-osevain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Hb-osevain.jpg)
Osenain (one of many spelling variants), often appearing with the moniker translating either (depending of the French spelling) as 'Braveheart', 'the Hardhearted', 'the Bold' or 'Hard Body', is a character often appearing as one of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
's
knights errant in the works of Arthurian romance. In English, he is best known from
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'' as Ozanna le Cure Hardy (''Ozanna le Coeur Hardi'' in the Winchester Manuscript; rendered as Ozana of the hardy heart in
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
' "The Chapel in Lyonesse"). Different Middle English versions of the ''
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
Continuation'' call him Gosenain Hardy Body, Gosnayn de Strangot, Osenayn Cors Hardy and Osoman Hardi of Hert. In many works he is associated with the often similarly named nephew of King Arthur,
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
of Orkney, while being cast as Gawain's companion or opponent.
Like Gawain's, his character is considered to be derived from the prototype of the warrior by the name Gwrvan and its variants, found in the early Welsh Arthurian tales ''
Culhwch ac Olwen
''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whit ...
'', ''
Peredur fab Efrawg
''Peredur son of Efrawg'' is one of the Three Welsh Romances associated with the ''Mabinogion''. It tells a story roughly analogous to Chrétien de Troyes' unfinished romance ''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'', but it contains many striking dif ...
'', ''
Preiddeu Annwn'', and ''
Trioedd Ynys Prydein
The Welsh Triads ( cy, Trioedd Ynys Prydein, "Triads of the Island of Great Britain, Britain") are a group of related texts in Middle Ages, medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, Welsh mythology, mythology and traditiona ...
''. Within the chivalric romance tradition, he is first found as Garravain
d'Estrangot among Arthur's knights in some manuscripts of
Chretien de Troyes' Old French ''
Erec et Enide
, original_title_lang = fro
, translator =
, written = c. 1170
, country =
, language = Old French
, subject = Arthurian legend
, genre = Chivalric romance
, form ...
'' (Gasosin von Strangot in its German version ''
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
''). He is also listed by the name Gasouains in the First Continuation of Chrétien's ''
Perceval ou le Conte du Graal
, original_title_lang = fro
, translator =
, written = between 1182 and 1190
, country =
, language = Old French
, subject = Arthurian legend
, genre = Chivalric romance
, for ...
''. In ''Les Merveilles de Rigomer'', Garradains is named as the knight of Arthur traveling with Gawain on a quest to conquer the enchanted castle of the Irish queen Dionise.
In ''
Diu Crône
''Diu Crône'' ( en, The Crown) is a Middle High German poem of about 30,000 lines treating of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, dating from around the 1220s and attributed to the epic poet Heinrich von dem Türlin. Little is known of the ...
'', Gasozein de Dragoz arrives at King Arthur's court and claims to be the first lover and rightful husband of Queen
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
, unsuccessfully demanding her to be returned to him. Gasozein later rescues the queen from her brother Gotegrin, who wants to kill Guinevere for her infidelity, but then he kidnaps her in turn and nearly rapes her, however Gawain arrives in time, defeats Gasozein in a duel, sends him back to Arthur to revoke his claim, and even arranges Gasozein's marriage with his own sister-in-law, Sgoidamur. The plot of ''
Meraugis de Portlesguez
''Meraugis de Portlesguez'' (''Méraugis'' in some modern texts) is a late 12th-century or early 13th-century Gaston Paris, ''Romans en vers du cycle de la Table ronde'', in ''Histoire littéraire de la France'', 1888Page 222/ref> Arthurian cycle, ...
'' revolves around the protagonist Meraugis competing for the love of Queen Lidoine with his friend Gorvain Cadrut (''Gornain
', ''Gornenis''; -''Cadrus'', ''Cadruz'', ''Kadrus''), in addition to dealing with Gawain. Gorvain loses Lidoine to his rival, but ends up happily married to one of her maidens, Avice. In another text, ''Hunbaut'', Gorvain Cadrus of Castle Pantelion takes Gawain's unnamed sister hostage, seeking vengeance against him for the death of one of his relatives. He is taken captive by Gawain, then sent as a prisoner to Arthur's court at
Caerleon
Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman ...
where he eventually becomes a Knight of the Round Table.
He recurringly features as Osenain
Cuer Hardi (''Gosenain'', ''Osanain'', ''Osevain'', ''Osoain'', ''Osuain'', ''Oswain'', etc.; -''Cors Hardi
', ''Corsa Hardy'', ''Corps Hardi'', ''au Cœur-Hardi'', ''Chore Ardito'') in the
Prose ''Lancelot'', and as Ossenain Cuer Hardi (''Oselain'', ''Osenaín'', ''Ossenain'', ''Ossenam'', ''Ossenet d'Estrangot'') in the
Prose ''Tristan''. In the
Vulgate
The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible.
The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
''Estoire de Merlin'' (and the English ''
Of Arthour and of Merlin''), the young Gasoain d'Estrango
(''Gaswain'', ''Gosenain''; -''of / d'Estrangor
'') fights alongside Gawain in the battles against the invading Saxons, his great feats earning him an early seat at the Round Table. When Gawain wrongly accuses him of treason, he gives Gawain a severe face wound in a trial by combat in front of King Arthur. In the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', he is noted as "very valorous and a good speaker", and is involved in the adventures of
Kay
The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own ...
and others. He is with Gawain when they are both captured and imprisoned in the Dolorous Prison until their rescue by
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
, who also later frees him from Turquine's captivity on another occasion. He assists
Maleagant
Maleagant (alternately ''Malagant'', ''Meleagan'', ''Meleagant'', ''Meliagant'', ''Meliagaunt'', ''Meliagant'', ''Meliaganz'', ''Meliagrance'', ''Meliagrant'', ''Mellegrans'', ''Mellyagraunce'') is a villain from Arthurian legend. In a number of ...
of Gore in the abduction of Queen Guinevere and is imprisoned by King Arthur after Lancelot's rescue of her (in Malory's version, he is instead one the loyal Queen's Knights captured by Maleagant along with her). He is later forgiven and fights for Arthur against King
Rience
King Rience , also spelt Ryence, Ryons, and Rion(s), is a character from Arthurian legend, an enemy of King Arthur in the early years of his reign. His realm varies; in Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', he is king of North Wales, Ireland and ...
, eventually participating in the
Grail Quest. The Guiron le Courtois section of ''
Palamedes'' describes him as son of King Quinados.
In the Italian ''
Tavola Ritonda ''La Tavola Ritonda'' (''The Round Table'') is a 15th-century Italian Arthurian romance written in the medieval Tuscan language. It is preserved in a 1446 manuscript at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Florence (''Codex Palatinus 556''). It wa ...
'', Suziano of the Valiant Heart (''Cuoe Ardito'') is a young son of Lady Largina and uncertainly either King
Esclabor
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
the Unknown or King Amorotto (that is,
Lamorak) of Listenois, as his promiscuous and power-hungry mother was a lover of both of them at the same time. He comes into service of the evil Lady Losanna of the Ancient Tower (''Losanna dela Torre Antica'') after falling in love with her, and is slain by
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
protecting Losanna's enemy Tessina from his attempt on her life. He also appears under the name Guengasoain
'' (''Gasouains'', ''Guengasouain'', ''Guingasoain'') as the antagonist of ''
La Vengeance Raguidel
''La Vengeance Raguidel'' is a 13th-century La vengeance Raguidel', ''Dictionnaire Étymologique de l'Ancien Français''. Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities poem written in Old French. It is widely, although not universally, attributed ...
'', in which Gawain and
Yder attempt to avenge his murder of the knight Raguidel. Here he is a nephew of King Aguissant (meaning Angusel, a brother of
King Lot
King Lot , also spelled Loth or Lott (Lleu or Llew in Welsh), is a British monarch in Arthurian legend. He was introduced in Geoffrey of Monmouth's influential chronicle ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' that portrayed him as King Arthur's broth ...
in the ''
Historia Regum Britanniae
''Historia regum Britanniae'' (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called ''De gestis Britonum'' (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. I ...
'') and a knight of the fay enchantress Lingrenote, the lady of the Nameless Castle (''Castiel sans Non''), who has armed him with powerful enchanted weapons that made him near invincible. He is nevertheless defeated by Gawain with the help of Yder, the latter of whom then marries Guengasoain's orphaned daughter, Trevilonete.
Priamus
Priamus (''Pryamus'') is a Roman ally of
Emperor Lucius in Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', following the Alliterative ''Morte Arthure''. He claims to be descended from
Alexander of Africa and
Judas Maccabeus
Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabæus, Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, ''Yehudah HaMakabi'') was a Jewish priest (''kohen'') and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleuci ...
. Upon meeting Gawain in "The Tale of King Arthur and Emperor Lucius", he defects from Lucius to join forces with
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
. In return, Arthur appoints him as the Duke of
Lorraine
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...
. He later dies at the fight for Guinevere. In Malory's version, two of Priamus' brothers also become Knights of the Round Table: Edward of
Carnarvon and Hectymere.
Safir
![Blason Saphar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Blason_Saphar.svg)
Safir (''Safire'', ''Safere'', ''Saphar'') is the youngest son of the
Saracen
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...
king
Esclabor
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
in the
Arthurian legend
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...
. He appeared in several works of Arthurian literature, including the
Prose ''Tristan'' and ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''; his name was also included on the
Winchester Round Table. Two of his brothers,
Segwarides and
Palamedes, also belong to the Round Table.
Safir usually appears alongside his brother Palamedes. In one story, Safir disguises himself as
Ector de Maris
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
, fights with Helior le Preuse, defeats him, and wins Espinogres' lady. Vowing to defend the lady's honor, Palamedes arrives and locks swords with Safir, not realizing it is his brother. After fighting for an hour to a standstill, both are impressed with each other's prowess and skill, and decide to ask the other's identity. Safir is devastated to find that he was fighting with his own brother and asks Palamedes for forgiveness; together, they return the lady to Espinogres. Later, after the affair between
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
and
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
is exposed, Safir and Palamedes join Lancelot's side in the ensuing civil war between Lancelot and
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
. When they are banished to Lancelot's homeland in
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
, Safir is made Duke of
Landok while Palamedes becomes Duke of
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
.
Segwarides
![Hb-securades](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Hb-securades.jpg)
Segwarides (''Seguarades'', ''Seguradés'', ''Seguradez'', etc.) is a son of the
Saracen
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...
king
Esclabor
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
who becomes a
liegeman
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
of
King Mark
Mark of Cornwall ( la, Marcus, kw, Margh, cy, March, br, Marc'h) was a sixth-century King of Kernow (Cornwall), possibly identical with King Conomor. He is best known for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and the husb ...
. His other brothers include the fellow
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
knights
Palamedes and
Safir. It is possible there have been originally two characters of this name, but the stories in which they appear fail to differentiate between them.
![Sir Segwarides rides ater Sir Tristram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Sir_Segwarides_rides_ater_Sir_Tristram.png)
He is cuckolded by
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
in the
Prose ''Tristan'' and Thomas Malory's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
''. Tristan has a brief affair with Segwarides' wife, and wounds the knight after being found out. Tristan encounters Segwarides again on the Isle of Servage; Segwarides forgives him, saying he "will never hate a noble knight for a light lady," and the two team up to avoid the dangers of the isle. Soon afterwards, Tristan makes Segwarides the Lord of Servage. In Malory, Segwarides is eventually killed trying to repel
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
's rescue of
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
from the stake.
Tor
![Blason Tor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Blason_Tor.svg)
Tor appears frequently in Arthurian literature, albeit always in minor roles. In earlier mentions Tor's father is King Ars (''Aries''), but in
Post-Vulgate Cycle and
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', Aries is his adoptive father while his natural father is
King Pellinore. His namesake, Le Tor of Scotland, is also featured in the story of
Sebile
Sebile, alternatively written as Sedile, Sebille, Sibilla, Sibyl, Sybilla, and other similar names, is a mythical medieval queen or princess who is frequently portrayed as a fairy or an enchantress in the Arthurian legends and Italian folklore. ...
in the Arthurian prequel romance ''
Perceforest
''Perceforest'' or ''Le Roman de Perceforest'' is an anonymous prose chivalric romance, written in French around 1340, with lyrical interludes of poetry, that describes a fictional origin of Great Britain and provides an original genesis of the Art ...
''.
In the Post-Vulgate and Malory, Tor's many siblings include
Aglovale,
Drian,
Lamorak,
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
, and
Dindrane
Percival's sister is a role of two similar but distinct characters in the Holy Grail stories within the Arthurian legend featuring the Grail hero Percival (Perceval). The first of them is named Dindrane, the second is usually unnamed and is known t ...
. He is born when Pellinore sleeps with his mother "half by force", and she marries Aries shortly afterward; here Aries is not a king, but a shepherd. The young Tor is also raised as a shepherd but dreams of becoming a knight. His parents take him to the teenage
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
, who makes the boy one of his first knights in recognition of his qualities. Later
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
reveals Tor's true parentage, and Pellinore embraces his son; neither Aries nor his wife seem offended. Tor distinguishes himself at the wedding feast of Arthur and
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...
when he takes up a quest to retrieve a mysterious white
brachet hound that had come into the court. According to Malory, Tor and his brother Aglovale are present among the knights charged by Arthur with guarding the execution of Guinevere and they both die when
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
and his followers rescue the queen.
Yvain the Bastard
![Hb-yvain-avoultres](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Hb-yvain-avoultres.jpg)
Yvain the Bastard (''Yvain
/ Yvonet / Uwains li/le
Avou
res'', -''l'Avo
tre'', -''li Batarz'') is a son of
King Urien of Gore, often confused with his half-brother
Yvain, after whom he was named. While the older Yvain is Urien's legitimate child from his wife
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
, Yvain the Bastard was sired by Urien on the wife of his
seneschal
The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
. He is encountered frequently in Arthurian romance as a hearty and usually sensible knight, fighting in Arthur's wars and questing for the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
with
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
and
Gareth
Sir Gareth (; Old French: ''Guerehet'', ''Guerrehet'') is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother ...
. He was killed by his cousin
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
late during the Grail Quest when the two, disguised by their armour, randomly meet and decide to joust. It is not until Gawain takes him to a hermitage for his last rites that he realizes he has fought, and killed, his own cousin.
Thomas Malory in ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'' split him into two characters: Uwaine les Avoutres, the son of Urien, and Uwaine les Adventurous, an unrelated knight. Malory further splits Morganor, the name of Urien's "good knight" bastard son in ''
Of Arthour and of Merlin'', into a separate character he calls Sir Morganor
(first appearing as a senschal of the
King of the Hundred Knights, then as a king himself). Yvain the Bastard and Yvain les Avoutres are also separate characters in the Scottish ''Lancelot of the Laik''. In ''
Perlesvaus'', Yvain the Bastard's own son named Cahus dies while serving as Arthur's own squire on a strange adventure, killed by a giant in a deadly dream.
Yvain of the White Hands
![Hb-yvain-blanches-mains](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Hb-yvain-blanches-mains.jpg)
Yvain of the White Hands (''Yvain/Yvonet aux Blanches Mains'') is another different Knight of the Round Table named Yvain in the Old French romances. There, and in the English ''Arthour and Merlin'', he is unrelated to
Iseult
Iseult (), alternatively Isolde () and other spellings, is the name of several characters in the legend of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, the wife of Mark of Cornwall and the lover of Tristan. Her mother, the queen ...
of the White Hands and to the "main"
Yvain (son of
Urien
Urien (; ), often referred to as Urien Rheged or Uriens, was a late 6th-century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom of the Hen Ogledd (today's northern England and southern Scotland) of the House of Rheged. His power and his victories, i ...
), although Thomas Malory later merged him with the latter. He serves Arthur in the Saxon wars, later participating in the quests to learn the fate of
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
and to find the missing
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
. In ''Palamedes'', he is son of a knight named Darie. In the Prose ''Tristan'', he is injured by
King Mark
Mark of Cornwall ( la, Marcus, kw, Margh, cy, March, br, Marc'h) was a sixth-century King of Kernow (Cornwall), possibly identical with King Conomor. He is best known for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and the husb ...
and healed in a Cornish abbey. In the Post-Vulgate ''Queste'', he is mistakenly slain by
Erec
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
, for which in turn Erec is killed by
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
, and his seat at the Round Table is then taken by the Unknown Knight (
Arthur the Less).
Other Arthurian fellowships
Queen's Knights
![John Collier Queen Guinevre's Maying - Ausschnitt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/John_Collier_Queen_Guinevre%27s_Maying_-_Ausschnitt.jpg)
The Queen's Knights (''Chevaliers de la Roine'') are the knights who serve
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
's wife
Queen Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...
in the Old French prose cycles. They are also known in French texts as the "Knights of Queen Guinevere" (''Chevaliers de la Roine Guenievre,'' the form used in the ''
Livre d'Artus'') and the more elaborate "Valiant Knights of Queen Guinevere" (''Chevalier vaillant de la Roine Gueneure''). Members of this group carry only plain white shields, often accompanying the queen and engaging in rivalry against the more experienced Knights of the Round Table. Heroes
Gawain
Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
and
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
are among those who first serve as the Queen's Knights in their youth after being knighted by Arthur, before winning enough honour to be promoted to fill the Round Table when a vacancy occurs. Others include the young
Sagramore
Sir Sagramore (also known as Sagremor and many other variations) is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He appears in standalone and cyclical chivalric romances and other works, including some where he is the titular protagonis ...
when he mortally wounds the Knight of the Round Table named Agravadain (unrelated to
Agravain
Sir Agravain () is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, whose first known appearance is in the works of Chrétien de Troyes. He is the second eldest son of King Lot of Orkney with one of King Arthur's sisters known as Anna or Morgau ...
), grandfather of
Hector de Maris
The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...
, in defense of his comrades.
In the Middle English compilation ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'', the simple "Queen's Knights" form is used by the author
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'Ar ...
who also describes them as "''a grete felyshyp of men of arms''". In Malory's version, Lancelot later rescues a new generation of them when they are captured together with Guinevere by the villain
Maleagant
Maleagant (alternately ''Malagant'', ''Meleagan'', ''Meleagant'', ''Meliagant'', ''Meliagaunt'', ''Meliagant'', ''Meliaganz'', ''Meliagrance'', ''Meliagrant'', ''Mellegrans'', ''Mellyagraunce'') is a villain from Arthurian legend. In a number of ...
(himself sometimes depicted as a rogue member of the Round Table), after the Queen ordered her knightly companions to surrender as to not forfeit their lives.
Arthur's minor tables
The
Post-Vulgate Cycle has two other table-based orders within Arthur's court. The first of these is the Table of Errant Companions (''Tables des Compaignons Errans''), reserved for the
knights errant who are actively seeking adventures while awaiting promotion to the Round Table.
The second one is rather ingloriously called the Table of Less-Valued Knights (''Tables des Chevaliers Moins Prisiés''), the members of which (who originally included
Perceval
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gra ...
) are, as its name indicates, lower in their rank and status. This group seems to be derived from the knights of the Watch (also translated as the Guard), featured in the Vulgate Cycle's Prose ''Lancelot'' and first mentioned by Chrétien in ''Perceval''.
Round Table predecessors
Robert de Boron
Robert de Boron (also spelled in the manuscripts "Roberz", "Borron", "Bouron", "Beron") was a French poet of the late 12th and early 13th centuries, notable as the reputed author of the poems and ''Merlin''. Although little is known of him apart f ...
's ''Joseph d'Arimathie'' introduced the Grail Table as a direct precursor to the Round Table, once used by the followers of
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several ...
, one of the earliest Christians and the original
Grail
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was an American lunar science mission in NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure. The two small spacecraf ...
guardian, who had traveled from the Holy Land to Britain generations earlier. In the prose continuations of Robert's poem, their descendants include
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
and the
Fisher King
The Fisher King is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him incapable and hi ...
. The Grail Table is again briefly used by the holy knight
Galahad
Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Si ...
(offspring of the union between Lancelot and
the Fisher King's daughter) when he and his companions (
Percival
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Gr ...
and
Bors
Bors (; french: link=no, Bohort) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) d ...
) are served mass after successfully completing the Grail Quest.
Some French and Italian prose romances and poetry feature the original fifty knights of the Round Table from the times of
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon ( Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur.
A few ...
, the late father of King Arthur. It is known in Italian retellings of the
Prose ''Tristan'' as the Old Table (''Tavola Vecchia''), contrasting with those of Arthur's Round Table known as the New Table (''Tavola Nuova''). Their stories include that of
Branor the Dragon Knight, "the flower of the Old Table", still unsurpassed in his skills at the age of over 100. Following the death of Uther, the Round Table is kept in possession of King
Leondegrance
King Leodegrance , sometimes Leondegrance, Leodogran, or variations thereof, is the father of Queen Guinevere in Arthurian legend. His kingdom of Cameliard (or Carmelide) is usually identified with Cornwall but may be located in Breton Cornouaill ...
until he gives it to the young Arthur as the dowry of his daughter Guinevere.
An even earlier forerunner of the Round Table appears in ''
Perceforest
''Perceforest'' or ''Le Roman de Perceforest'' is an anonymous prose chivalric romance, written in French around 1340, with lyrical interludes of poetry, that describes a fictional origin of Great Britain and provides an original genesis of the Art ...
'', where Arthur's distant ancestor, the eponymous King Perceforest, establishes the elite Order of the Franc Palais (''Ordre du Franc Palais'') to fight against the forces of darkness; the Order ends up destroyed by the evil
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
during
his invasion of Britain. This happens even before the birth of Christ, but nevertheless is presented in the author's contemporary
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
style setting just like the other Arthurian romances; as willed by the Sovereign God (''Dieu Souverain'', here apparently the coming Christian god to whom the Roman and other pagan deities willingly submit and work for
), the Franc Palais numbers the selected 300 British knights chosen for their valor and seated in the specially constructed building by the same name.
See also
*
List of Arthurian characters
The Arthurian legend features many characters, including the Knights of the Round Table and members of King Arthur's family. Their names often differ from version to version and from language to language. The following is a list of characters wit ...
*
Paladin
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...
*
Pentecostal Oath
*
Siege Perilous
In Arthurian legend, the Siege Perilous ( cy, Gwarchae Peryglus, also known as The Perilous Seat, cy, Sedd Peryglus) is a vacant seat at the Round Table reserved by Merlin for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest for the Holy ...
References
Sources
*Chrétien de Troyes; Owen, D. D. R. (translator) (1988). ''Arthurian Romances''. New York: Everyman's Library. .
*Lacy, Norris J. (Ed.) (1 April 1995). ''Lancelot-Grail: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate in Translation'', Volume 4 of 5. New York: Garland. .
*Malory, Thomas; Bryan, Elizabeth J. (introduction) (1994). ''Le Morte d'Arthur''. New York: Modern Library. . (Pollard text.)
*Loomis, Roger Sherman (1997). ''Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance''. Academy Chicago Publishers. .
*Wilson, Robert H. ''The "Fair Unknown" in Malory''. Publications of the Modern-Language Association of America (1943).
External links
Timeless Myths: Round Table
{{Arthurian Legend
Arthurian legend
Fictional knights
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...