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Palamedes (also called Palomides , or some other variant such as the French ''Palamède''; known as ''li Sarradins'' that is "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 Pe ...
") is a
Knight of the Round Table 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 is a Middle Eastern
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
who converts to Christianity later in his life, and his unrequited love for
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 ...
brings him into frequent conflict 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 ...
. Palamedes' father 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 ...
and brothers
Safir Safir may refer to: *SAFIR, the Single Aperture Far-Infrared Observatory *Safir (Arthurian legend), a Saracen Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend *Safir (Belgian beer), a Belgian beer now owned by InBev *Safir (cycling team), a Belgia ...
and
Segwarides 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 ...
also join 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 e ...
. The romance '' Palamedes'' was named after him.


In medieval stories

Palamedes first appears in the Prose ''Tristan'', an early 13th-century prose expansion of 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. He is introduced as a knight fighting for Princess Iseult's hand at a tournament in Ireland; he ultimately loses to 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 ...
, to the delight of the princess. Tristan spares him but forbids him to bear arms for a year or to pursue Iseult's love ever again. After Iseult's wedding to
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 ...
, Palamedes rescues Iseult's servant
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 ...
, 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 e ...
and engages in a number of duels with Tristan that are usually postponed or end without a clear winner. They eventually reconcile, but share a
love–hate relationship A love–hate relationship is an interpersonal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate—something particularly common when emotions are intense. The term is used frequently in psychology, popular writing and ...
through the rest of the narrative. Palamedes also appears in the
Post-Vulgate Cycle The ''Post-Vulgate Cycle'', also known as the Post-Vulgate Arthuriad, the Post-Vulgate ''Roman du Graal'' (''Romance of the Grail'') or the Pseudo-Robert de Boron Cycle, is one of the major Old French prose cycles of Arthurian literature from th ...
,
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' ...
'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 Rou ...
'', and even gave his name to his own prose romance, the early 13th-century '' Palamedes'' that now exists only in fragments, detailing the adventures of two generations of Arthurian heroes. Some stories reveal Palamedes' background: his father
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 ...
was an exiled king of
Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
who traveled to Britain, where he rescued and befriended
King Pellinore King Pellinore (alternatively ''Pellinor'', ''Pellynore'' and other variants) is the king of Listenoise (possibly the Lake District) or of "the Isles" (possibly Anglesey, or perhaps the medieval kingdom of the same name) in Arthurian legend. In ...
. Many tales also have Palamedes as the hunter of the
Questing Beast The Questing Beast, or the Beast Glatisant (Old French: ''beste glatisant'', Modern French: ''bête glatissante''), is a cross-animal monster appearing in many medieval texts of Arthurian legend and modern works inspired by them. In the French ...
, an abomination only the chosen can kill. The hunt is as frustrating and fruitless as the pursuit of Iseult, and in most versions remains uncompleted. However, in the Post-Vulgate Palamedes'
conversion to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Different Christian denominations may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies initiation into their community of believ ...
during the
Grail Quest 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 ...
allows him release from his worldly entanglements, 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 G ...
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 S ...
help him trap the beast in a lake, where he finally slays it. Malory has Palamedes and his brother
Safir Safir may refer to: *SAFIR, the Single Aperture Far-Infrared Observatory *Safir (Arthurian legend), a Saracen Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend *Safir (Belgian beer), a Belgian beer now owned by InBev *Safir (cycling team), a Belgia ...
joining
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' ...
after the great knight's affair with
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 ...
is exposed. The brothers eventually accompany Lancelot to France, where Palamedes is made 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 ...
. In the
Post-Vulgate Cycle The ''Post-Vulgate Cycle'', also known as the Post-Vulgate Arthuriad, the Post-Vulgate ''Roman du Graal'' (''Romance of the Grail'') or the Pseudo-Robert de Boron Cycle, is one of the major Old French prose cycles of Arthurian literature from th ...
he is eventually 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 ...
as vengeance for Palamedes' killing of King Mark, who had been incited by Mordred to kill his wife Iseult's lover, Tristan, with Palamedes' spear.


In modern culture

*In ''
The Once and Future King ''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work '' Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...
'' by
T. H. White Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...
, Palamedes (as Sir Palomides) appears in Part Two, ''
The Queen of Air and Darkness ''The Queen of Air and Darkness'' is a fantasy novel by English writer T. H. White. It is the second book in his series ''The Once and Future King''. It continues the story of the newly crowned King Arthur, his tutelage by the wise Merlyn, his ...
'', as a questing partner of
King Pellinore King Pellinore (alternatively ''Pellinor'', ''Pellynore'' and other variants) is the king of Listenoise (possibly the Lake District) or of "the Isles" (possibly Anglesey, or perhaps the medieval kingdom of the same name) in Arthurian legend. In ...
. (In the original version, '' The Witch in the Wood'', Sir Palomides was tutor to the sons 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 brother- ...
.) Sir Palomides attempts to aid Pellinore in his pursuit of the
Questing Beast The Questing Beast, or the Beast Glatisant (Old French: ''beste glatisant'', Modern French: ''bête glatissante''), is a cross-animal monster appearing in many medieval texts of Arthurian legend and modern works inspired by them. In the French ...
and then assumes the quest himself. Like White's Pellinore, Sir Palomides is a broad comic character. His death at the hands of Gawain receives mention in Part Four, ''
The Candle in the Wind ''The Candle in the Wind'' is a fantasy novel by English writer T. H. White, the fourth book in the series ''The Once and Future King''. Written in 1940, it was first published in 1958 in the collected edition. It deals with the last weeks of A ...
''. *Palamedes is a character in the book series '' The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel'' by Michael Scott. *The story is also referenced by
Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pro ...
in ''The High History of the Good Sir Palamedes'' (published in ''
The Equinox ''The Equinox'' (subtitle: ''The Review of Scientific Illuminism'') was a periodical that served as the official organ of the A∴A∴, a magical order founded by Aleister Crowley (although material is often of import to its sister organization, O ...
'', volume 1, number 4, special supplement). *
Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...
gave the name to a character in his ''
In Search of Lost Time ''In Search of Lost Time'' (french: À la recherche du temps perdu), first translated into English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'', and sometimes referred to in French as ''La Recherche'' (''The Search''), is a novel in seven volumes by French ...
'', Palamède baron de Charlus. *In '' The Black Knight'' (1954), Sir Palamedes is played by Peter Cushing as a traitorous spy in the court of King Arthur. *In '' Gideon the Ninth'' by
Tamsyn Muir Tamsyn Muir (born 14 March 1985) is a New Zealand author of fantasy, science fiction and horror. Muir won the 2020 Locus Award for her first novel, '' Gideon the Ninth'', and has been nominated for several other awards as well. Biography Muir wa ...
, Palamedes Sextus is a highly skilled necromancer who also holds the rank of Master Warden of the Library. He is often accompanied by his cavalier and sworn sword, Camilla Hect.


References


External links


Palamades
at The Camelot Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Palamedes (Arthurian Legend) Arthurian characters Legendary Arab people Fictional princes Knights of the Round Table