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.
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 ...
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
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