Sir Kahedin (variantly spelled Kahadin, Kahedrin, Kaherdin, Kehenis, Kehidius; possibly the

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

character Kae Hir) is brother to Iseult of Brittany and the son of King

Hoel King Hoel ( br, Hoel I Mawr, "Hoel the Great"; la, Hoelus, Hovelus, Hœlus), also known as Sir Howel, Saint Hywel and Hywel the Great, was a late 5th- and early 6th-centuryFord, David Nashat ''Early British Kingdoms''. 2001. Retrieved 1 D ...

of Brittany in

Arthurian King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a Legend, legendary king of Great Britain, Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest tradition ...

legend. The story of his affair with

Brangaine Brangaine (variously spelled Brangaene, Brangwane, Brangien, Brangwin, etc.) is the handmaid and confidante of Iseult of Ireland in the Arthurian legend of Tristan and Iseult. She appears in most versions of the story. Narrative Brangaine plays ess ...

, the handmaiden of

Iseult of Ireland 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 ...

is significantly mentioned in the

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 ...

legend.

Narrative

Kahedin first meets Brangaine in the Hall of Images, where he was previously sent to deliver a message to Iseult of Ireland regarding the arrival of her lover, Sir

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 conveys the message and Iseult and Tristan spend the night in a wooden cabin. Meanwhile, Kahedin prepares to spend the night with Brangaine after receiving favourable advances from her. When they go to bed, however, Kahedin plunges into a deep sleep and wakes up the following morning to realise that some sorcery must have been carried out. Out of courtesy, he ignores the happenings of the previous night and the two couples spend the day together. The same trick is carried out again that night; on the third night, Iseult manages to convince her maid to surrender to Kahedin to stop his humiliation. In some versions, Camille, another of the Queen's handmaidens, is chosen by Kahedin over Brangaine. She also refuses the knight, wishing to preserve her honour. Iseult then assists by providing Kahedin with a "magic pillow" after which he falls into a deep slumber. Kahedin wakes up the next morning to be taunted by Camille and the ladies of the household; he travels with Tristan without revealing to him the incident of the previous night. The Prose ''Tristan'' modifies the story such that Kahedin falls in love with the Irish Iseult rather than Brangaine,Mula, Stefano. "Dinadan Abroad", ''Arthurian Literature'', (Bart Besamusca, Frank Brandsma, Keith Busby, eds.) Boydell & Brewer, 2007, p.54
/ref> yet remains Tristan's close companion even after his sister has been abandoned in Brittany.

References

*Renée L. Curtis (translator), ''The Romance of Tristan'', Oxford UP, 1994. . *Newstead, Helaine. ''Kaherdin and the Enchanted Pillow: An Episode in the Tristan Legend''. PMLA. 1950 *Winfrey, L. E. ''Kaherdin and Camille: The Sources of Eilhart's "Tristrant"''. Modern Philology. 1928 Arthurian characters Fictional knights Tristan and Iseult {{fantasy-char-stub

Narrative

See also

References