List of Knights
Related Articles: Other Knights.
| Sir Gawain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Perfect Knight. Gawain was the knight who appeared in works from Geoffrey of Monmouth (1137) to Sir Thomas Malory (1485). Of all the knights, Gawain appeared the most frequently in the Arthurian tales. In early Welsh tales (before Geoffrey of Monmouth), Gawain appeared as Gwalchmei or Gwalchmai, and his name means - "Hawk of May". Gwalchmei was the son of Gwyar and brother of Gwalhaved ("Hawk of Summer"), in Culhwch and Olwen, one of the independent tales of the Mabinogion, as well as that of Medraut (Mordred). Gawain or Gwalchmei was sometimes identified as the Irish sun god Lugh (Lug), because Gwalchmei appeared to be a solar god as well. Gawain was known as Gualguanus by Geoffrey and Walwein by Wace. His name was Gauvain in most French medieval romances. Family of Gawain Gawain said to have several different mothers, brothers and sisters, depending on who the authors were. We are absolutely certain that Gawain was the son of Lot, king of Lothian or Orkney (if we ignored the Welsh legends). According to Geoffrey of Monmouth and his redactors (Wace and Layamon), Gawain's mother was Anna, who was Arthur's full sister. These three authors only mentioned Gawain having only one brother, Mordred. Gawain and Mordred were the nephews of King Arthur. Other authors say that Lot was married to Arthur's half-sister named Morgawse or Norcadet. Morgawse was the mother of Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris and Gareth, but there was no Mordred (particularly in Chretien's tale about the Grail ("Le Conte du Graal"). See page 480 of the Arthurian Romances, published in Penguin Classics). However, Chretien does not mention the name of Gawain's mother, but in the First Continuation, Igraine called her daughter Norcadet not Morgawse. In L'Âtre périlleux or "The Perilous Cemetary", the woman of the cemetary said that Gawain's mother was a fairy, which implied that the fairy was none other than Morgan le Fay. Some says that Gawain's last two brothers Gaheris and Gareth were named Gaheriet (Keheriet) and Guerrehet, particular in many of the French works (eg. Vulgate Cycle). The French and English name of the last two brothers present other problems. There was some confusion if Gaheriet was Gaheris or Gareth. Normally, most medieval and modern scholars would say that Gaheriet and Gaheris was the same person, while Guerrehet was Gareth. Yet in the Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Gareth played the same role of Gaheriet in the Vulgate Mort Artu. In the Vulgate Cycle, Post-Vulgate Cycle and Morte d'Arthur, the authors wrote that Mordred was Morgawse's son by her own half-brother Arthur. So Mordred was only Gawain's half-brother. There are the same problems with Gawain's sisters. Two sisters appeared in Chretien's two works. In Cliges, Soredamors married the Greek prince, Alexander, and became mother of the hero Cliges. In Le Conte du Graal, his sister was named Clarissant, when Gawain found himself in Castle of Marvels that belonged to the hero's mother and grandmother. In another Grail story, Didot Perceval, his sister Elaine fell in love with the hero Perceval. While in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival (c. 1210), Gawain had a brother named Beacurs and three sisters: Surdamur, Curdrie and Itonje. They were children of King Lot and Sangive (Anna or Morgawse). Several sons had been attributed to him, though he seemed to have never married, except in Parzival, where his wife was Orgeluse. In Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, Gawain was the father of Florence and Lovel. The most famous of Gawain's son was named Guinglain (called Giglain or Gingalin by Malory). Guinglain was better known as the "Fair Unknown", because he did not know his own name. Guinglain was the hero of Arthurian romance called Le Bel Inconnu (c. 1185-1190). Gawain had made love to a fay named Floree. In Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, Guinglain's mother was named Blancemal, while in other romances say that it was Ragnell. The Second Grail Continuation mentioned Gawain meeting his son for the first time. In the Knight of the Sword, Gawain won the love of a lady, but abandoned her, when she betrayed him. Though, Gawain appeared to marry several times and had love affairs, in various tales, so he could not settle down with any of them. For this reason, Gawain appeared to most authors as a womaniser or the "ladies' man". There are many ladies and damsels who loved Gawain only because of his reputation as a great knight, even though, they had never met him. See genealogy of King Arthur. Though many legend say that Arthur had one or more illegitimate sons (except in the Perlesvaus, where Loholt was son of Arthur and Guinevere), it was Gawain who was heir to the king. However, when Gawain died, it was a different nephew of Arthur who succeeded him as the king – Constantine.
Gawain, the Solar God Earlier legends made him the perfect or ideal knight. Gawain was the first knight to symbolise the paragon of courage and chivalry. Chretien say that Gawain that his valour matched his courtesy. In Erec and Enide, he was the first good knight, Erec and Lancelot being second and third in prowess, when they were seated around the table. Gawain was the yardstick, which all knights measured their valour. In the Welsh legend, Gawain was known as Gwalchmei, or Gwalchmai, which means the "Hawk of May"; in the Celtic calendar, the first of May was the start of summer. His brother Gwalhaved's name means "Hawk of Summer". In every legend and myth of other cultures, the hawk symbolised the sun, which is appropriate, since the hawk is a bird of prey that only hunt during the day. So Gwalchmei also appeared to be a solar god, like that of the Irish god, Lugh. Gwalchmei appeared not only as a hero and a nephew of Arthur, he was also son of the goddess Gwyar. According to Culhwch and Olwen, Gwalchmei was both nephew and first cousin of Arthur. Gwalchmei had also being compared with the greatest Irish hero, Cu Chulainn, who was the son of the solar god Lugh. In the tale of Culhwch and Olwen, Gwalchmei was the hero who "never returned without fulfilling his quest". Gwalchmei was also the best walker and rider. This Gwalchmei was the precursor of the hero Gawain. In several scenes, Gawain seemed to know how to care for wounds and knew herbs. Such skills suggested that Gawain may have being a god of healing. In the German Grail romance, Diu Krône (mid-13th century), Gawain was the Grail hero. He won the Grail, from which he was joyfully welcomed by the goddess of the Grail Castle. Some authors always mentioned how in a duel, Gawain's strength will always revitalised at noon; he always fight refreshed when the sun reached its peak, but his strength gradually diminished as each hour past noon. The origin of Gawain's strength originated in Nordelone, a city of Orkney, where Gawain was born at noon. The seers foretold that he would be at his most dangerous, when he was fighting at noon, when his opponent would begin to feel weary. However, if his opponent managed to last until none, Gawain's level of strength would be dramatically reduced, and he would begin to tire. In some story, he was seen wielding Excalibur, though this sword was normally associated with his uncle, King Arthur. I am uncertain, whether this is the same fabled sword that belonged to King Arthur or not. His horse was named Gringalet (Gringolet), and his squire was named Yvonet. In the Welsh tradition, Gwalchmei rode a horse, called Ceingalad. Gawain wielding Excalibur indicated that he was Arthur's heir to the throne. In most tales, Gawain was always seen loyal to Arthur, and was originally the champion of Queen Guinevere. According to the Rise of Gawain, one of his foster-fathers was the Roman Emperor. Had Gawain stayed in Rome, the story implied that Gawain would have succeeded his foster father, and become emperor. Only in a very few French Arthurian romances, does he appeared as the main hero. In the Vulgate Merlin (c. 1240), Gawain was not yet member of the Round Table, having only recently become a new knight at the wedding of Arthur and Guinevere. Gawain and other young knights, including his cousin Yvain, decided to serve Guinevere, where they become known as the Queen's Knights. Guinevere accepted this honour. In the Vulgate Merlin, his character was was allowed to shine brightly. Gawain and his companions soon distinguished themselves in tournaments and battles, outperforming the established knights of the Round Table. Yet his heroism was to be eclipsed by Lancelot, in the next three Vulgate romance, Lancelot Proper, Queste del Saint Graal and Mort Artu (c. 1227-1235). Gawain was the hero of in L'Atre Péilleux (The Perilous Cemetery, c. 1250) and the Latin work De Ortu Walwanii (The Rise of Gawain, c. 1270). His greatest adventure was undoubtedly, the Gawain and the Green Knight, written by some unknown English author in the mid-14th century. Here, he was involved in a beheading game with the Green Knight. The Green Knight had challenged Arthur's knights to behead him, but the knight must offer his own head in one-year time. Only Gawain had dared to accept the challenge. Gawain escaped with his head, because the Green Knight had spared him, where the axe had only nick him. Fallen Perfect Knight But when the Grail legend became part of the Arthurian legends, Lancelot and Galahad or Perceval later supplanted him, as the ideal knight. Sir Thomas Malory mentioned six knights who were better than Gawain: Lancelot, Tristram (Tristan), Bors, Perceval, Pelleas and Marhaus (Morholt). Gawain seemed to play an important role in Chretien's unfinished story of the Grail (Conte du Graal), but the author never finished his poem. However, in the First Continuation and the German romance called Diu Krône, Gawain was made hero of the Grail quest. In Conte du Graal, Gawain met the Haughty Maiden of Logres, named Orgueilleuse, who treated Gawain with contempt and scorn. Despite her attempts to humiliate Gawain or to trap the hero so he would be killed, Gawain was nevertheless, captivated by her beauty and scornful manner. Gawain was unfailing courteous to Orgueilleuse, treating her with respect, and accepting her insults with grace. Of the heroes in the Arthurian legend, Gawain appeared most frequently in the Arthurian romances, particularly in the French literature, but his role were often secondary. Gawain was only the main hero in a very few French works. However, some of these tales showed him in poor light. He seemed to play a few comical parts in satires. Also, Gawain wasn't a French knight, like Lancelot, Galahad and Tristan. Since first appearance as a Welsh Gwalchmei, and his linkage with Orkney and Norway on his father's side, the French authors tends to see Gawain as a knight with a past that back to the barbarous Vikings. By the time of the Vulgate Cycle (Prose Lancelot and the Quest of the Holy Grail and the Death of King Arthur), he was no longer seen as ideal knight. Gawain was supplanted by Lancelot and Galahad. Gawain failed to find the Grail, because of his superficial and womanising way. For this sin, Gawain, like most of the other knights of the Round Table, didn't realise that the Quest was a spiritual undertaking, not an adventure of prowess and chivalry. Of the thirty-two knights killed in the Grail quest, Gawain had unwittingly killed eighteen knights of the Round Table, including King Baudemagus and Yvain the Bastard. However, all these knights he had killed, was because he didn't recognise the other questers; his judgement was clouded by his sins. In the Post-Vulgate version of Merlin Continuation and the Quest, Gawain's reputations was even worse. Gawain had killed many other well-known knights, such as Erec and Palemedes. Here, Gawain was show as a treacherous murderer, slaughtering these knights, who he knew they belonged to Round Table. Gawain was also a coward too, because Erec and Palemedes were both wounded in previously combats with other knights, before he fought and killed them. In the La Suite du Merlin and the Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Gawain and his brothers had a blood feud with Pellinor (Pellehen) and his son Lamorak (Lamorat or Lamerocke), the father and brother of Perceval. His enmity towards Pellinor, stemmed from Pellinor having killed Gawain's father (Lot) in battle. At eleven, Gawain swore vengeance against Pellinor. Ten years later, Gawain and Gaheris murdered Pellinor. Later, Gawain and his brothers set a trap for Lamorak. Outnumbered, Lamorak was killed when Mordred stabbed him in the back. The death of his brother Gaheriet in Mort Artu (Vulgate Cycle) (or Gareth in Malory's Le Mort d'Arthur), when Lancelot had accidentally killed his brother when the hero rescued Guinevere, Lancelot earned Gawain's enmity. Gawain persuaded Arthur to fight two unsuccessful wars against Lancelot: one at Joyeuse Guard, in Britain, the other at Gaunes, in Brittany. When they realised that could not win the second war, Gawain challenged Lancelot to single combat, which would decide the guilt or innocence of Lancelot. Lancelot barely survived the duel when the sun had reached its peak. However, Gawain's strength ebbed as the sun gradually dropped to the horizon. Lancelot defeated Gawain in a duel, where Gawain received a serious head wound. Despite his enmity towards him, Lancelot still loved Gawain, that he could not bring himself to kill his former companion. Gawain refused to yield to Lancelot, so Lancelot just walked away from the fighting. In the war against the Romans, he fought against Lucius and would have killed the emperor, had the Lucius' bodyguards beat him off. Gawain's head wound reopened, which left him debilitated. Gawain was dying when he heard news of Mordred's treason. Gawain realised too late of his folly, for stubbornly pushing his uncle in a pointless and wasteful war against Lancelot. Gawain sent a letter to Lancelot asking for his forgiveness and hope that Lancelot would visit his tomb at Dover Castle. Gawain unsuccessfully tried to persuade Arthur to call for Lancelot to aid him in the war against Mordred. Not long after returning to Britain, Gawain died from the wound he received from Lancelot. He was buried in Dover Castle. Gawain reappeared as a ghost, trying to warn Arthur again, not to face Mordred in battle without Lancelot to help him. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's tradition, his brother Mordred killed Gawain, in the battle of Richborough. |
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| Sir Lancelot | ||||||||
| Lancelot of the Lake was the most famous knight of the Round Table. Part of his fame was that he became the lover of Queen Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. Without doubt, Lancelot was the noblest figure in the Arthurian legend. Lancelot was the son of King Ban of Banoic (or Benoic or Benwick) and Helen or Elaine. (Since there are so many women in Lancelot's life were named Elaine, his mother was usually referred to Elaine of Banoic or Elaine of Benwick.) His birth/baptismal name was Galahad, but was always called Lancelot, since his name was revealed in the cemetery of Dolorous Guard. According to the Grail legend, on his mother's side, Lancelot was the descendant of the noble line of King David of Israel. Lancelot was not found in Welsh sources, nor other early Arthurian authors – Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace and Laymon. Lancelot was a character first invented by Chretien de Troyes. Lancelot's name was first mentioned in Arthurian legend in the Erec and Enide, and appeared briefly when he was defeated in a tournament by the hero of the Cliges, both works of Chretien de Troyes. Both tales doesn't mention anything about the affairs between Lancelot and Arthur's wife. However, Lancelot was the hero of Chretien's third work, in the Knight of the Cart. For the first time, Lancelot became the lover of Guinevere. Lancelot had to rescue Guinevere from her abductor named Meleagant. After Chretien de Troyes, stories of Lancelot's love for Guinevere became the most popular and famous of Arthurian tales. It was heavily influenced by the romance of Tristan and Isolde. Though Chretien also wrote the first story about the Grail, Lancelot was absence in Le Conte du Graal; the two heroes were Perceval and Gawain. Lancelot first appearance in the Grail legend, was in the anonymous romance, titled Le Haut Livre du Graal, or sometimes known as Perlesvaus. In this tale, he along with Perceval and Gawain were the main characters, though it was Perceval who played the most vital role. See Perlesvaus. However, in the Vulgate Cycle, Lancelot became the father of a new grail hero, who replaced Perceval as the main hero, written almost half-century after the first Grail's story. Lancelot became the father of Galahad, by Elaine, the daughter of King Pelles. In the Vulgate Cycle, a French collection of the Arthurian tales, better known as Lancelot-Graal cycle or Prose Lancelot. Lancelot was the principal character in the first and last work. Though he played a prominent part in the Quest of the Holy Grail (middle tale), he failed to win the Grail, because of his love for Guinevere, Arthur's wife. Adultery was considered a mortal sin. This version of the story, required the knight to be free of sins, and either chaste or a virgin. Chretien, who had invented Lancelot, was the first to allude to his birth, saying that he was raised by a lady who was a fairy. However, this fairy was not given a name or title. The lady had given him a magic ring that could break other magic spells. [See Arthurian Romances, p 236, translated by William Kibler, Penguin Classics, 1991] His father, King Ban, had died of grief when he lost his kingdom to Claudas, king of the Waste Land. Lancelot's mother, Helen (or Elaine), became a nun, when her infant son (Lancelot) had vanished with Niniane, Vivien or Nimue, better known as the Lady of the Lake. The Lady of the Lake, who was a fay or faerie from the Otherworld, brought up Lancelot. The Lady of the Lake was named Niniane, Vivien or Nimue. The hero stayed with the Lady of the Lake until he was old enough to become a knight. Later in the Lancelot (Vulgate Cycle), Lancelot helped Arthur to defeat Claudas. Arthur gave Gaul (France) to Lancelot, including the kingdoms of Banoic and Gaunes, that Claudas had acquired at the death of King Ban and King Bors. When the friendship ended between himself and the two men he loved most (Arthur and Gawain), Lancelot gave the kingdoms of Banoic and Gaunes to his cousins, Bors and Lionel, while he gave the kingdom of Gaul to Arthur. His early adventure after being knighted, when Lancelot became lord of Dolorous Guard, which he had single-handedly conquered. Dolorous Guard was renamed to Joyous Guard, after he lifted the curse and enchantment from the castle. Lancelot also became involved in a war between King Arthur and Galehaut (Galehot). Lancelot befriended Galehaut, the son of a giantess, Lord of the Sorelois and the Distant Isles (Remote Isles). Galehaut's love for his new friend resulted in his willingness to surrender to Arthur, at the moment of victory. For this service, Lancelot was offered a place on the Round Table. It was Galehaut who persuaded Queen Guinevere to return Lancelot's love, and helped his friend to receive his first kiss from the queen. Even though, Galehaut wanted Lancelot to come back with him to his kingdom, Lancelot's love for Guinevere takes precedence over his friendship with Galehaut. When Galehaut heard false news of Lancelot's death, he fell ill and died. Galehaut was buried in Joyous Guard (formerly Dolorous Guard). The next episode of the Vulgate Cycle was similar to the romance told by Chretien de Troyes' Le Chevalier à la charrette ("Knight of the Cart" or "Lancelot"). The knight named Meleagant, son of Baudemagus, abducted the queen; Lancelot sought to rescue the queen, by winning one duel against Meleagant, but spare his life. Lancelot was tricked into becoming Meleagant's prisoner. Secretly imprisoned in remote tower for months, Lancelot was rescued by Meleagant's sister. Lancelot turned up to face Meleagant in a second single combat. This time, Lancelot killed Meleagant by severing off his enemy's head. Elaine, the daughter of King Pelles of Listenois, the Fisher King, tricked Lancelot into sleeping with her. Lancelot thought he was sleeping with Guinevere. The union resulted in the birth of Galahad, the future hero of the Grail quest. At this stage, Lancelot became the greatest knight in the world. However, during the search for the Holy Grail, Lancelot failed, due to his adulterous love for Guinevere, the queen and wife of Arthur. It was his son Galahad who rose to ascendancy and would completed the quest for the grail. (See the Quest of the Holy Grail.) His affair with Guinevere became one of the most popular romances in Arthurian literature. After the Grail quest, their love set in motion in the destruction of Arthur's kingdom and the dissolution of the fellowship of the Round Table. (See The Death of King Arthur). Through their adultery, it resulted in the death of Gawain's three brothers, where Lancelot earned Gawain's enmity, the man whom Lancelot's love above all other. Two disastrous battles, between Arthur and Lancelot, would reach its climax, with Gawain becoming mortally wounded by his former friend. Their war had let Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son and half-brother of Gawain, to commit treason; Mordred had crowned himself king of Logres. When news reached Lancelot of Arthur's death in battle, Lancelot exchanged his armour for the habits, and became a monk. When he died, he was buried beside his friend Galehaut at Joyous Guard. In many of the adventure, more than any other knights, Lancelot preferred to win these adventures, through various disguises. He was known as the White Knight, the Black Knight and the Red Knight. Other names he was known by are Injured Knight, Knight of the Cart, Knight of the Litter, Winner. He used these disguised by changing his armour. Sometimes changing to different shields, would achieve the same result; allowing him to go from one adventure to another, without anyone recognising him. At one time, Lancelot let himself be captured by Daguenet, Arthur's Fool, so he was known as Daguenet's Prisoner. None of his horse, shield or armour had any name attached to them, though his sword was called Secace. Unlike Gawain who has one famous horse, all his life, Lancelot often used other people's warhorses. He doesn't show the same care for horses as Gawain does; if warranted he would ride to them to death, as he did in Chretien's Chevalier de la Charrete. The symbol or motif that is most associated with Lancelot is the leopard. I don't recall any heraldic symbol that has a leopard on it (like the emblazon on his surcoat or shield), but there are some visions which indicate that he was the leopard. In the Quest of the Holy Grail (chapter 6) from the Vulgate Cycle, Merlin had apparently foretold Lancelot's son, Galahad, would surpass his father, as lion (Galahad) would surpass the leopard (Lancelot). This comparison between father and son, leopard and lion, can also be found in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (Book 11, chapter 1; Book 14, chapter 2). Though, Arthur and Round Table gained fame, honour and prestige through the prowess and adventure of Lancelot, Lancelot did in the name of love. Lancelot's great feat of arms at Dolorous Guard, killing two giants, and making Galehaut surrendered to Arthur - was all done for Guinevere. These early adventures before the quest of Grail, earned him the reputation of the greatest knight in the world. |
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| Sir Perceval | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The original Grail Knight. The legend of Perceval began with Chretien de Troyes' medieval romance, titled Conte du Graal ("Story of the Grail"), which is also sometimes titled Perceval, written around 1180. People were fascinated of both the hero Perceval and the mysterious object known as the Grail. Since Chretien had died before ever completing this work, some contemporary and later authors tried to complete his tale or rewrite their own versions of Perceval. Since Chretien's death, many offshoots about Perceval and the Grail were written about it. The problem was that the whole tale is so vague, such as the location of the Grail, the identity of the Grail and Perceval's family. Family of Perceval Since Chretien's Perceval had left no names to his family, other writers had tried to place name behind each of his family member. According to Chretien, we know that his father and two brothers had died in battle. His mother tried to make Perceval ignorant of the ways of the knight and the court life, by living in the isolated forest, known as the Wasteland. Perceval would later meet a female cousin, who had lived with him and his mother when Perceval was very young. He also meet two uncles, one is the Fisher King, who dwelled in the Grail Castle, and the other was a hermit. Both uncles, including his female cousin come from his mother's side of the family. One continuation on Chretien's work says that Perceval has a sister. His father name was Alain li Gros, in Robert de Boron's trilogy about the Grail (c. 1200), the Didot Perceval (c. 1205) and Le Haut Livre du Graal, which is more popularly known as Perlesvaus (c. 1210). His mother was named Yglais, but this name was only given in Perlesvaus; the Perlesvaus says that he also has a sister named Dindraine (or Dandrane). No brother was given to the three different tales. Unlike most Grail romances, Boron's Joseph d'Arimathie and the Didot Perceval say that the Grail King (eg. Fisher King or Maimed King) comes from the his father's side of the family. In the other Grail romances, the Fisher King usually appeared on his mother's side of the family, (eg. Conte du Graal, Parzival, Perlesvaus). Unlike Chretien's Perceval, the Didot Perceval says that his grandfather was the incapacitated Fisher King, whose name was Bron (or Hebron). But in Perlesvaus, the Fisher King was his maternal uncle, like that of romance of Chretien and Wolfram. According to the German poem, titled Parzival (c. 1205), which was written by Wolfram von Eschenbach, Gahmuret and Herzeloyde were Parzival's parents. He has one half-brother, named Feirefiz, who was the son of Gahmuret and Belacane. The Fisher King was his maternal uncle, Anfortas. According to one of the Welsh romances in the Mabinogion, titled Peredur Son of Evrawg (mid-13th century), where the hero was named Peredur. Here we have the identity of his father, named Evrawg, and who was an earl. This time, he has 6 brothers, who died in battle. His mother is still not named. He has two uncles. One of them, the hoary-haried man, who taught Peredur to fight, took over the role of Lord Gornemant of Gohort in Chretien's Conte du Graal. The other uncle was like Chretien's Fisher King. In the Queste del Saint Graal (Vulgate romance, c. 1230), Perceval's role in the Grail adventure was supplanted by a new named Galahad, son of Lancelot. Perceval's father was revealed to be King Pellehen, and he has a sister, sometimes unnamed, but sometimes known as Dindraine. His brothers were Agloval and Drian. He was no longer related to the Grail family, eg. Fisher King. However, in the Post-Vulgate version, Perceval's father was King Pellinor, hunter of the Questing Beast, while another brother was included to the Vulgate tale, Lamorat or Melodiam, and a half-brother, named Tor. In the Vulgate Cycle, Gawain's family and Perceval's family were friendly, but in the Post-Vulgate Suite du Graal (c. 1250), in Prose Tristan (c. 1245) and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1469), there was feud between the two clans. Because Pellinor had killed Gawain's father, King Lot, in battle, Gawain and his brother took revenge upon Pellinor and his sons, except Perceval. If you are little confused with what I have written so far, then maybe the table below would clear up. The problems lie with that each source may given different name to the character. I have only included Perceval's parents and siblings in the table below, leaving out his cousins, aunts and uncles. For more detail about Perceval's family, I would suggest that you look at family trees of Grail Family.
The Fool or a Hero? Perceval was the original Grail hero (see Chretien de Troyes' Le Conte du Graal). Tales, like Parzival (written by Wolfram von Eschenbach, c. 1205), followed the beginning of Conte du Graal, more or less. By the time of the Vulgate Cycle (c. 1230), Galahad replaced him as the hero of the Grail legends, although, he still played a vital role. Perceval was often portrayed as a simple young man with uncouth innocence. As a knight, Perceval has great strength and natural skills in jousting and swordsmanship. His ignorance stemmed from the fact that his mother had kept him ignorant about his father and brothers, who were knights. His mother didn't want to lose her son too, so she avoid mentioning life of the nobles and knights. Perceval wanted to become a knight and left home after seeing a few knights passing the forest which he and his mother lived. Since his mother couldn't persuade him to stay with her, she helped him to dress in buckskin cloak and mismatching shirt and breeches, so that he looked like a peasant or a fool, and he rode a nag as he search for King Arthur to knight him. She hope that by making him looked like a fool so that maybe her son would fail to become a knight and return home. But she died in sorrow when her son abandoned her. Some of the advice she gave to her son, did make him to sound simple and crude. Such as kissing a maiden, taking her ring and eating the food. Basically, he had assaulted the maiden like a lecher and stole her ring and brooch like a thief. When he did reached Arthur's court, Perceval was rude to the king, while Kay the Seneschal took him for a fool, became sarcastic, before sending Perceval to confront the Red Knight as a way of becoming a knight. According to Peredur Son of Evrawg (mid-13th century), his two uncle taught him the skill of swordsmanship. One of the uncle played the role of Chretien's Lord Gornemant of Gohort, while the second uncle was like the Fisher King. The second uncle asked Peredur to take up a sword and strike at the iron column. Both column and sword broke in two. He was instructed to put the pieces together and join them. When he did so, both sword and column was restored. He was instructed to repeat it again: breaking the sword and column, and then rejoining them. The third time that he broke the sword and column, he could not restore them back in its former state. His uncle declared that he was the best swordsman in the kingdom, but Peredur has only acquired two-third of his strength. Peredur had also spent three weeks learning to ride horse and train in fighting from the nine hags of Gloucester. It was Lord Gornemant of Gohort (in Conte du Graal) and Peredur's first hoary-haired uncle (in Peredur), who advised the hero not to ask too many questions, that brought about the Fisher King was maimed and languishing in pain. So Perceval was not entirely blame for his reticence when he witness the Grail procession. But Perceval should have used his judgement when to ask question and when to refrain. His reticence had caused many suffering and devastation of the kingdoms in Britain. In Queste del Saint Graal (Vulgate Cycle), he was simple to the point of being stupid. Perceval also seemed to have childish temperament, particularly when something does not go his way. Perceval was one of Knights of the Round Table. As a knight, he was usually known as the Red Knight, because he won his horse, armour and weapon by killing the Red Knight of Quinqueroy (known as Ither of Gaheviez in Wolfram's Parzival) at Arthur's court. In Conte du Graal, he played the role of the Fair Unknown. This is where the hero doesn't even know his own name. The hero was usually brought up not knowing his own name, and sometimes not even the name of his true parents. The hero only know his name when he overcome his enemy in his first adventure. Many heroes had played the role of the Fair Unknown, including in Lancelot in the Vulgate Cycle and Gawain in the Rise of Gawain. The most famous Fair Unknown, was Guinglain, the son of Gawain. See Fair Unknown in the Tales of the Knights. So he usually seen as the Red Knight. In Didot Perceval, Gawain's sister, Elaine was in love with him. It was she who gave Perceval the vermilion armour and shield. In Perlesvaus, at first, he bore the red shield with the emblazon of the white stag. He later fought in disguise as the White Knight at the tournament of Crimson Heath. He went to King Arthur's court to fetch the Shield of Joseph of Arimathea. In Conte du Graal, he bore the sword given to him, by the Fisher King. Perceval was invited by the Fisher King to lodge at the Grail Castle. He was blamed for his failure to ask questions about the Grail or the Bleeding Lance. Had he asked the required questions, the Fisher King's wounds would have healed and the barren land around the Grail Castle would have been restored. Perceval set out from Arthur's court, in a quest to find the Grail Castle, to set thing right. However, Chretien never finished his tale. Many other writers tried to complete the mysterious legend. In the Vulgate version (Queste del Saint Graal), Galahad was the hero, but Perceval and Sir Bors were Galahad's companions in the Quest. His sister appeared in several later stories. The most notable version was told in the Vulgate Cycle. Though she called herself the daughter of Pellehen, she never gave her name. Her name was probably Heliabel or Dindraine. It was Perceval's sister who guided Galahad to magic ship, and knew the history of the Sword with the Strange Belt. She sacrificed her life to heal a woman from leprosy (See Death of the Maiden). Her body was placed in a small bark (boat) that drifted until it arrived in the city of Sarras, the last resting place of the Grail. After finding the Grail, and following Galahad to Sarra, they found his sister's boat had arrived, just as she had foretold. They buried her in Sarra. Perceval and Bors stayed with Galahad until he died. They buried Galahad with Perceval's sister. Perceval retired to a hermitage, where he died a year later. Perceval was buried with his sister and Galahad. (See the Quest of the Holy Grail (Queste del Saint Graal), for the full story.) In Robert de Boron's Perceval and the Didot Perceval, Perceval's father was Alain le Gros (the Fisher King), while his grandfather was Bron, the Rich Fisher. According to these two works, Perceval won not the grail, but was heir to the Grail Keeper's throne. When Bron died, Perceval became the new Grail Keeper and king. Perceval was the last Grail Keeper. When Perceval died, the grail and the lance vanished, most likely taken to heaven. In the Mabinogion, where Perceval was known as Peredur, the story was different to those of the Chretien de Troyes. Peredur was the son of Evrawg and that he had six brothers. When his father and brothers were killed in battle, his mother tried to raised her youngest son in the wild forest, ignorance of life outside his home. (See Peredur, in the Grail Legend.) Some of his adventures paralleled to those of Conte du Graal and the Second Continuation. In the Welsh story, we have crippled king and the procession of the bleeding spear. The next object that followed the procession, we have severed head on the platter, full of blood, instead of the Grail. The head belonged to Peredur's cousin, who was killed and beheaded by the nine hags of Gloucester. In the end, Peredur avenged his cousin by killing the nine hags. In Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival (c. 1200), the hero was called Parzival or Parzifal, and was the son of Gahmuret and Hereloyde, and he had a half-brother of Feiefiz. Parzival had married Condwiramurs, and was the father of Loheranrin and Kardeiz II. |
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| Sir Galahad | ||||||||
| A Grail knight. He was the son of Lancelot and Elaine. According to the Grail legend, Galahad was was the descendant of King David of Israel, through his father Lancelot. While Galahad, through his mother's line, was a descendant of Nascien. Galahad had being compared symbolically to the lion, whereas his father to a leopard. The father and son were compared to one another where the son (lion) would surpass the father (leopard). As a knight of Round Table, he was the only knight who could safely sit on the Siege Perilous, being the hero who gained the Grail. He drew the magical sword out of marble that floated to Camelot. Galahad also received the shield of King Mordrain. Later writers made Galahad the hero of the Grail, instead of Perceval. Galahad succeeded where other failed in the quest, because his chivalry was inspired with spiritual love than worldly love which his father was a champion. Galahad was the pure knight, and was often called simply as the Good Knight. After winning the Grail and healing the Maimed King, he and his companions, Perceval and Bors brought the Grail out of Britain at the command of Jesus, to the city of Sarras. Galahad spent a year in prison and a year as king of Sarras. Galahad was allowed to see the last secrets of the Grail been revealed before he died, and was taken to heaven. With his death the grail and the lance vanished from the world. See the Quest of the Holy Grail (Queste del Saint Graal), for the full story. See also Elaine, in the Arthurian Women and Lancelot and Elaine about his conception and birth. Note that the name Galahad applied to several different people. The first Galahad was the son of Joseph of Arimathea, and the king of Hosselice (Wales). Lancelot and later his son had found the tomb of King Galahad, in an abbey at Gorre. The second Galahad was the baptismal name of Lancelot, but he was more famously known as Lancelot. The third Galahad was the son of Lancelot and Elaine, the hero of the Quest. |
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| Sir Bors | ||||||||
| A Grail knight. Bors was the son of King Bors of Gaunes and Evainne. Bors was also the brother of Lionel and cousin of Lancelot and Hector. Bors had once slept with a maiden, and became a father of a son named Helin le Blank. After this, Bors remained chaste for the rest of his life. His chastity and his piety were the reason why Bors was one of the three Grail knights, who succeeded in the quest. Galahad restored the Broken Sword that was used to wound Joseph of Arimathea. King Pelles gave this restored sword to Bors. After bringing the Grail to the city of Sarras. Bors remained in Sarras with Galahad and Perceval until they both died. Bors returned to Camelot with news of the completion of the quest. (See the Quest of the Holy Grail for full story) When his Lancelot came into conflict with Arthur and Gawain, Bors aided his cousin in the rescue of Queen Guinevere, the battle of Joyous Guard, and later in Gaunes, in Gaul (France) when Lancelot was exiled. After the death of Arthur and the destruction of the Round Table, in the war against Mordred, Mordred's two sons seized powers in the kingdom of Logres (Britain). Under the leadership of Lancelot, Bors returned to Logres to defeat Mordred's sons. In the battle Lionel was killed. Lancelot was missing. After defeating Mordred's sons, his cousin Hector set out to find his brother while Bors returned home to Gaunes. Bors only returned to Britain, when he had a vision to come to Joyous Guard. In Joyous Guard, Bors learned from the Archbishop of Canterbury, how Lancelot had died and taken to heaven by angels. Instead of returning to his kingdom (Gaunes), Bors stayed with the Archbishop, and gave up secular life for a life at the monastery. See the La Mort le Roi Artu, for the full story. |
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| Sir Kay | |||||||
| Foster-brother of Arthur. Kay was the son of Ector, or according to Robert de Boron's Merlin, the son of Sir Anton. When Arthur became king, Arthur made him his seneschal. In early Welsh tale called Culhwch and Olwen, Kei (Welsh for Kay) was the son of Kynyr. Kei was the companion of Bedwyr (Bedivere), and one of the warriors of Arthur. Kei was said to have a son named Garanwyn. Kei was killed by Gwyddawy son of Menestyr. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace and Layamon, Kay was one of champions of Arthur, and became duke of Anjou after the war against France. Here, Kay was portrayed as a noble and heroic figure, in these early works. In the war against Rome, Kay and Bedivere distinguished themselves in battles. However, in the battle of Saussy, when Kay saw his companion, Bedivere, fall to Boccus, king of Medes, he managed to drive away the Medes, but Boccus mortally wounded Kay. Kay died when he returned to Britain. According Malory's version (Book V), Kay did not died in the war against Rome. Later authors (particularly romance writers) depicted Kay as a braggart and a fool. He had a surly manner and had a tendency to insult and offend people who were better than him. Kay seemed to have overwhelming confidence in his own skills as a knight. In the Chretien de Troyes' tale, the Knight of the Cart, Kay thought to escort and protect the queen by himself. Kay was beaten and imprisoned by Meleagant. Guinevere was captured and later rescued by Lancelot. In his Grail's story, Kay slapped a lady companion of Guinevere and kicked the court jester. Perceval avenged the lady, by unhorsing him in a joust, breaking arm and shoulder-blade. In Le Mort d'Arthur, Kay was attending a tournament, but forgot to bring a sword with him. He sent Arthur to fetch a sword. Arthur pulled Excalibur from the rock. Arthur became king and made Kay, his seneschal. Kay was one of Arthur's best champions in Arthur's early wars (Book I) and his role in war against Rome was minor compared to the other heroes (Book V), but was degenerated into quarrelsome braggart in the rest of le Mort d'Arthur. |
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| Sir Bedivere | ||||||||
| Bedivere was called Bedevere by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Bedivere was the butler or the cup-bearer and the constable of King Arthur. Bedivere was the brother of Lucan the Butler. In the Welsh myths, he was Bedwyr, the son of Pedrawd and the constant companion of Kai (Kay) and Arthur, in the story of Olwen and Culhwch. Bedwyr had a son named Amren. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, after the war against France, Bedivere was given the duchy of Neustia (Normandy). Boccus, king of Medes, ally of Lucius Hiberius, killed Bedivere in the war against the Romans. Kay rescued his body, and Bedivere was buried in Bayeux. In the Vulgate Merlin, he had fainted from a wound by Boclus (Boccus). His nephew thinking that Bedivere was dead, split Boclus' head down the middle with his sword. According Malory's version (Book V), Bedivere did not died in the war against Rome. In fact, according to stanzaic Le Morte Arthur (c. 1350) and Malory's le Morte d'Arthur, Bedivere was one of the survivors in the war against Mordred, in the battle of Camlann and attended Arthur, who was mortally wounded. His dying king (Arthur) ordered him to throw Excalibur into the lake. Bedivere witness Arthur taken on a boat, where the king was taken to Avalon. Bedivere then took holy vow and became a hermit. Originally, it was Girflet in la Mort le Roi Artu (Vulgate Cycle), who attended Arthur and threw Excalibur into the lake, before Arthur was taken to Avalon. |
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| Lucan the Butler | |||||||
| Lucan was better known as Lucan the Butler (other says that Bedivere was the butler). Lucan was the wine-steward in Chretien de Troyes' Erec and Enide. Lucan was the brother of Bedivere the Cupbearer. Lucan was cousin to Girflet, son of Do (Doon) of Carduel. In La Mort le Roi Artu (Vulgate Cycle), Lucan was one of the two surviving knights of King Arthur in the war against Mordred. However, Lucan died, when the mortally wounded king crushed him in an embrace. |
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| Sir Girflet | |||||||
| Girflet was the son of Do (Doon) of Carduel. Girflet was mentioned as one of the knights who sought Grail (by Chretien de Troyes in Perceval). Girflet was the cousin of Lucan the Wine Steward. According to Suite du Merlin (Merlin's Continuation, Post-Vulgate), Girflet was the same age as Arthur, and was knighted with the young king. Girflet's first adventure was to fight King Pellinor in single combat, which Girflet had lost. In La Mort le Roi Artu ("Death of King Arthur", from the Vulgate Cycle), Girflet survived the battle against Mordred and attended his dying king (Arthur). It was Girflet, not Bedivere (in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur), who had originally threw Excalibur into lake, and witness a hand catching the sword, brandishing it several times, before disappearing in the water. |
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| Sir Yvain (Owain) | |||||||
| Yvain (Ywain or Owain) was the son of King Urien. Yvain was known in Welsh legend as Owain. Most of the early legend, does not give Yvain's mother's name, but some later legends say that Yvain's mother was Morgan le Fay, the half-sister of King Arthur and wife of Urien (such as in the Suite du Merlin (Post-Vulgate) and in Le Morte d'Arthur). According to Vulgate Merlin, Yvain's mother is Brimesent. According to the Welsh Triads, Urien Rheged was married to the goddess Modron, the daughter of the god Avallach. The legend has it that Modron was the mother of Owain (Yvain). Owain also had a sister, named Morvudd. In the Lady of the Fountain (Mabinogion), his father was Urien, but his mother wasn't mentioned. His grandfather was Kynverchin or Kynvarch, and he was first cousin of Gwalchmei (Gawain). He was known as Yvain the Valiant or Yvain the Great. There were several characters that were named Yvain. Yvain also had a brother of the same name, but this Yvain was usually known as Yvain the Bastard. In the Vulgate Lancelot, there are other Yvains, including Yvain of Lionel, Yvain of the White Hands, Yvain of Cenel (or of Rivel), and Yvain the Deer. Yvain was the hero of the same story told by the Welsh, French and English authors. The Welsh title was called the Lady of the Fountain, where the hero was Owain or Owein, the son of Uryen Rhegd (Urien). Chretien de Troyes wrote the French version, called Knight of the Lion or Yvain (c. 1170). While the English version was called Ywain and Gawain (c. 1350). Yvain killed the knight of the fountain (known as Esclados the Red in Knight of the Lion and as the Black Knight in Mabinogion), but was trapped in his opponent's castle. Lunete (Luned), a companion to the Lady of the Fountain (Laudine?), helped Yvain to escape, as well as helping the hero to woo and marry the countess. See Yvain and the Lady of the Fountain for the full story. When he attended tournament, he overstayed at King Arthur's court, causing a separation between he and his wife. A separation that caused Yvain to lose his wits, until he was cured of the madness by a lady. Yvain won a strange companion when he rescued a lion, and killed a dragon. Yvain went on a series of adventure when he helped one lady after another. With the help of the lion, Yvain killed the giant Harpin of the Mountain (Harpin de la Montagne). One of the women he rescued was Lunete. Lunete had lost favour with the Lady of the Fountain, and the lady's jealous seneschal plotted to have her executed. Yvain defeated the seneschal and his brother through trial by combat. Lunete, in the end, helped Yvain to reconciled with his wife Laudine. Yvain was said to be the father of Idrus, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. According to Geoffrey, Yvain became king of Albany (Scotland), when his uncle Auguselus was killed fighting Mordred's army at the landing of Richborough. Geoffrey does not mention if Yvain died in the battle of Camlann or not. According to the Vulgate Cycle, Yvain led the first battalion in the battle of Salisbury Plain (Camlann), and killed many Saxons. Yvain rescued Arthur from the King of Northumbria, whom he killed. Yvain helped Arthur to remount, only to be struck down by Mordred. When Yvain found out about his mother's plot to murder his father, he rescued his sleeping father, before Morgan could strike a blow with her father's sword. Instead of having his mother arrested or killed, Yvain allowed her to escape, provided Morgan never attempt to murder her husband. When Arthur revealed to the court of his sister's plots against him, he also suspected his nephew (Yvain). Since he could not trust Yvain, Arthur banished him from attending his court. Through Gawain's love for his cousin, he left Arthur's court, and accompanied Yvain in their adventure, where they met Marhaus (Morholt), brother-in-law of the King of Ireland. Apart from the Welsh Lady of the Fountain, Owain (Yvain) appeared frequently in medieval Welsh literature. Owain appeared in the Dream of Rhonabwy, playing a board game (gwyddbwyll) against Arthur, while battles were fought between Arthur's squires and Owain's ravens. Here, ravens were Owain's symbols. In Peredur, Owain was the first knight that the young hero Peredur (Perceval) met. Owain's name also appeared several times in the Welsh Triads, where names were grouped into three. Owain was listed as one of the "Three Fair Princes (Blessed Kings) of the Island of Britain" (the other names being Rhun son of Maelgwn and Rhufawn befr the son of Deorath Wledig) and one of the "Three Knights Of Battle Were In The Court Of Arthur" (the others were Lancelot du Lac and Cadwr (Cador), the Earl of Cornwall). And his horse was called, Cloven-Hoof, one of the "Three Plundered Horses of the Island of Britain". Owain and his father Urien Rhegd appeared to be real historical figures living in the late sixth century AD, a generation or two after time of Arthur. Rhegd (Rheged) was a Welsh kingdom in Old North (Scottish Lowlands). Urien and Owain led the resistance against the invading Angles. In the Book of Taliesin, there was a poem or eulogy to praise and commemorate Urien and Owain, and those who died in battle. Owain died in battle, killed by Flamdwyn. |
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| Sir Erec (Geraint) | ||||||||
| Erec was the hero of the Arthurian romance Erec et Enide, written by Chretien de Troyes. The Welsh poem found in the Mabinogion, called Gereint and Enid, was parallel to the French version written by Chretien. Erec was the son of King Lac of Ester-Gales. Erec was the French name of his more commonly known Geraint or Gereint in the English and Welsh versions. In the Welsh legend, he was a son of Erbin, and brother of Ermid and Dywel; they are listed in Culhwch and Olwen (Mabinogion). According to Chretien's Erec and Enide, Erec was only second to Gawain, as the best knight of the Round Table, ahead of Lancelot. Erec fell in love with Enide, a maiden and niece of the Count of Laluth, when he fought against Yder, the son of Nut, known as the Knight of the Kestrel. Erec later married Enide at Arthur's court, before he brought her to his father's kingdom. The amount of time Erec spent with his wife sparked talks about his lack of participation in the tournament and adventure. When Enide heard of the talks she was distressed, since they were blaming her for bewitching their lord. When she revealed to Erec of what they have been saying, Erec assumed that his own wife had low esteem for his prowess and skills. Erec proved to her that he had lost none of his prowess that he had displayed when he defeated Yder and won Enide's hand in marriage, as they journey through the forest beset with bandits, giants and treacherous counts. Enide also proved to Erec of her love and loyalty to him, as she goes through all the ordeals in their adventure. Erec's greatest heroic deeds when he arrived at the town of Brandigan, when he ended the evil custom known as the Joy of the Court. The enchantment only ended when he defeated the knight and blew the horn. Erec gained greater glory as one of the greatest knights from the Round Table, after this adventure. See Erec and Enide for the full story of Erec's adventure with Enide. According to the Post-Vulgate version of the Grail Quest, Erec took part in the adventure. Like the other knights he performed poorly, which ended in tragedy and disgrace. Erec made a promise to one evil maiden without realising the price he must pay. When Erec met his sister, the evil maiden asked for his sister's head. Aghast of this boon, he tried to persuade the maiden to ask anything else, because Erec loved his sister. The damsel refused to listen to any plea. So Erec killed his sister, giving her head to the evil maiden. The maiden did not leave the place alive. Lightning struck the evil damsel dead. Later, Erec encountered another knight, where neither one could recognise the other, because they both wore different armour. Erec mortally wounded the knight, and discovered that was Yvain of the White Hands, a fellow-knight in this sorrowful quest (not to be confused with Yvain the Valiant, son of King Lac. Erec grieved that he had killed his friend. Yvain had also badly wounded Erec in the combat. When Gawain arrived and found that Erec had killed Yvain, Gawain challenged the wounded Erec to combat. Erec was astonished that Gawain would attack him, while he was injured. Gawain killed Erec's horse, who rebuked him for such cowardly act. Gawain then mortally wounded Erec where he lay. Thinking that he was dead, Gawain departed. Hector and Meraugis arrived and found the unconscious Erec. When Erec regained his sense, he related how Gawain had shamefully and treacherously fought him. When Erec died, the two knights brought his body to Camelot. They had not brought news of Erec's death to Arthur, but King Baudemagus. |
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| King Pellinor (Pellinore) | |||||||
| According to the Vulgate Merlin, Pellinor of the High Wild Forest was brother of King Pelles of Listenois and King Alan of Listenois. Pellinor had thirteen sons. Both Pellinor and his brother Alan were suffering from some illness and won't be healed until the Grail is achieved. But in the Suite du Merlin (Post-Vulgate, c. 1240) and Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur (1469), the Maimed King was Parlan or Parlam, not Pellinor. According to the Suite du Merlin and Morte d'Arthur, it was a different story, and Pellinor was a different person. Pellinor was the Hunter of the Questing Beast (Bizzare Beast). Pellinor (Pellinore or Pellehen) was the father of Lamorak (Lamerocke), Agloval and Perceval. In the Suite du Merlin (Post-Vulgate), it mentioned that Melodiam was the eldest son. Melodiam could be Lamorak. He was also the father of Tor, who was his illegitimate son. Pellinor had seduced the wife of Aries the cowherd. In Chretien's story of the grail, none of Perceval's relatives were given any name, including his father and mother and brothers. Malory called him Pellinore of Listinoise. Pellinor was known as the "Knight of the Strange Beast" (or Questing Beast). The knight who hunted the Questing Beast. At his death, the Saracen knight named Palemedes (Palomides) would take over his role as the Knight of the Questing Beast. According to the La Suite du Merlin and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Pellinor hunted the Questing Beast, before meeting Arthur. Arthur and Pellinor fought in single combat, where Pellinor broke Arthur's sword; the sword of the stone that won Arthur, his kingdom. Pellinor would have killed Arthur, had Merlin not saved Arthur's life by putting Pellinor to sleep with his spell. Merlin brought Arthur to the Lady of the Lake, who gave Arthur a new sword, Excalibur. (See The Life of King Arthur, the Legend of Excalibur) Later, Pellinor would killed King Lot of Orkney, when King Rience and elven other kings warred upon Arthur. Pellinor became one of knight Round Table during the marriage of Arthur and Guinevere. Merlin sent Pellinor joined Gawain and Tor in the quest of the White Hart, brachet (bitch-hound) and the lady. Pellinor was given the responsibility to rescue the lady. On his quest to find the lady, Pellinor failed to help a damsel in distress, over the wounded knight. When he succeeded in the quest, he returned to where he had found the damsel with the wounded knight. The wounded knight had died and the grief-stricken damsel cursed him, before taking her own life. Pellinor was distressed that he could not help the damsel. When he returned to Camelot, Merlin told them that the damsel who died was his own daughter Elaine, whose mother was the Lady of the Rule. The lady Pellinor brought back on his quest was named Niniane, the Lady of the Lake. Ten years later, Gawain received knighthood, he killed Pellinor. |
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| Sir Tristan | ||||||||
| Lover of Isolde the Fair. Tristan was the son of Rivalen, lord of Armenye (Mediadus of Leonois in the Prose Tristan, while Malory called Tristan's father, Meliodas of Liones or Lyonesse), and Blancheflor (Blanchefleur; Malory called Tristan's mother Elizabeth, and Elyabel in the Prose Tristan), sister of King Mark of Cornwall. The English writers knew him as Tristram; his name means "sad man". Roald le Foytenant (Rual), Rivalen's marshal, was also Tristan's foster father. His faithful tutor and companion was named Governal (Gorvenal), had trained him in art, music and fighting. Originally, the medieval romances of Tristan and Isolde came from Celtic myths in Brittany. The popularity of the romance was that it soon spread over other countries, such as France, Germany, Britain and Ireland. Later tales have all the characters assimilated into the Arthurian legend. The best known story about Tristan, was the love triangle between his uncle, Isolde and himself. (Four, if you add Isolde of the White Hands in the equation.) Tristan and Isolde fell in love with one another, because they accidentally drank the love potion, meant for Mark and Isolde. Tristan's horse was called Passe-Brewel or Bel Joeor. His dog was Husdant, comforted him in a brief banishment from Cornwall. When he went into exile in Brittany, Tristan gave Husdant to Isolde. His bow was called Fail-not. When he left Cornwall in exile, Tristan returned to Brittany, where he married another woman named Isolde. The Breton Isolde was known as Isolde of the White Hands. The marriage was not happy one, since Tristan was still in love with Isolde the Fair (Mark's wife). The Breton Isolde remained a virgin throughout their marriage. Since the Breton Isolde knew of the Irish Isolde, Tristan's wife was jealous. In the end, she lied to her husband that Isolde the Blonde would not come to save him from poison. |
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| Sir Morholt (Marhaus) | ||||||||
| Morholt was considered to be best knight in Ireland. Morholt was a powerful and rich count in Ireland. His sister, Isolde the Elder, was married to the King of Ireland, whom Thomas called Gorman (Anguin in the Prose Tristan, while Malory had called the king, Agwisance). Morholt was therefore the uncle of Isolde the Younger, better known as Isolde the Fair. Originally, Morholt did not belong in the Arthurian legend, but was associated with Tristan and Isolde romances. In all the tales of Tristan and Isolde, Tristan killed Morholt in single combat. It was Isolde the Fair who recognised Tristan (Tristan was disguised as Tantris), as her uncle's killer. She threatened to kill while Tristan was in the bath, but relented, because she would have otherwise married to the cowardly seneschal of her father, whom she despised. Eventually Gorman and Isolde the Elder pardoned Tristan for Morholt's death and allowed Tristan to escort their daughter to Cornwall, to marry King Mark, Tristan's uncle. See Tristan and Isolde. In Le Morte d'Arthur (written by Sir Thomas Malory), Morholt was called Marhaus. Marhaus was listed as one of the six knights who were better than Gawain. Marhaus was companions of Gawain and Yvain (or Uwain), and undertook one of the adventures of the Three Damosels of the Fountain. He chose to follow damosel, who was 30 years old with gold circlet on her head. Marhaus killed a Duke of the South March and his six sons. Marhaus also killed the giant, rescuing 24 maidens and 12 knights from imprisonment at the giant's castle. Marhaus later became one of the knights of the Round Table. His death was similar to the original tale, where Tristan killed him in a duel. |
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| Palemedes | |||||||
| The Saracen Knight and Slayer of the Questing Beast. Palemedes was the son of Esclabor. After the death of King Pellinor, Palemedes inherited the king's role as the "Knight of the Strange Beast" (or Questing Beast). Palemedes was a rival of Tristan for Isolde's love. Palemedes was in love with Isolde and was jealous of Tristan. Though Isolde pitied Palemedes, she was not in love with the Saracen hero. Palemedes hated Tristan, yet he could not help admiring the rival's superior prowess as a knight. Palemedes was as noble as any Knight of the Round Table. In fact, Palemedes was even more Christian than some of the established heroes from the Round Table. However, he was a Saracen trapped in a Christian world and Christian ideal. The knights of the Round Table admired Palemedes' prowess and skills as a brave knight, yet some of them envied Palemedes, so he became victim of their prejudices and enmity. In the Post-Vulgate, Palemedes took part in the Grail quest. Palemedes encountered Galahad, the Grail hero, who had defeated him. From Galahad, Palemedes accepted Christianity, and was baptised. Palemedes also became the newest member of the Round Table. (In other version about Palemedes, he never was baptised.) Palemedes had also taken over the Quest of the Questing Beast, after the death of King Pellinor. It was with the help of Galahad, that Palemedes was able to track down the monster. Palemedes had finally killed the Questing Beast. Gawain killed Palemedes when the Saracen was already weakened from his wounds. The only regret he had as he was dying, that he had never became Christian. |
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| Sir Dinadan | |||||||
| Companion of Tristan. Dinadan was a knight of the Round Table, often accompanying Tristan in his adventure in the kingdom of Logres (Britain). In the time of chivalry, where Arthurian knights sought out dangers, regardless of risk, it was rather refreshing to see knight who would preferred to avoid them. Dinadan often grumbled to his companion, why it was needless to charge headlong into one danger after another, and risking life and limbs for lady or damsel when they are heavily outnumbered. Dinadan could not see the benefits of always fighting battles. Don't mistake this that Dinadan was a coward or a weak knight, for as Tristan's companion and sidekick, Dinadan was better than the average warrior was. |
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| Cador | |||||||
| Cador was the duke of Cornwall. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cador was the son of Duke Gorlois of Cornwall and Igraine. In the Welsh legend, he was called Cadwr, the Earl of Cornwall. Though he was actually half-brother of Arthur, Geoffrey says that he was Arthur's cousin. Cador was one of the earliest followers of Arthur. Cador took part in the war against the Saxons, France and Rome. According to Geoffrey, Wace and Layamon, Guinevere was Cador's ward when Arthur met and fell in love with her. They were soon married. Cador took part in the war against the Romans, but was not mention in the war against Mordred. There were no mentions of his death. After Arthur's death at the battle of Camlann, Cador's son (Constantine) became king of Logres (Britain). |
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| Hoel | |||||||
| Hoel was the duke of Brittany, also known as Hoel the Great. In some other tales, Hoel was seen as a king of Brittany. Hoel was the son King Boudicius and Anna. There is some confusion by Geoffrey of Monmouth, of whether Hoel was Arthur's cousin or nephew. If Anna was Arthur's sister, then Hoel was his nephew, but most say that Anna was the wife of Lot and mother of Gawain. However, if Anna was the sister of Aurelius and Uther, then Hoel was Arthur's first cousin. Or else there are two women with the name of Anna. Hoel took part in the war against Frollo, and later against the Roman Emperor, Lucius. In the second war, a giant of Mont-Saint Michel abducted Hoel's niece, named Helena (by Geoffrey, Eleine by Wace, Elaine by Layamon). She died when the giant raped her. Arthur avenged her death, by killing the giant. When Arthur returned to Logres (Britain) to quell a rebellion by his nephew Mordred, Hoel was left in charge of Gaul (France). See Life of King Arthur. In Lancelot, a romance in the Vulgate Cycle, Hoel was also known by another name – Aramont. Aramont was the overlord of two brothers: King Ban of Banoic and King Bors of Gaunes. However, since there are a couple of Hoel in Brittany, I am not sure they ate the same. Later legend has it that Hoel was the father of Kaherdin and Isolde la Blanche Mains ("Isolde of the White Hands"), who was the unloved wife of Tristan. See Tristan and Isolde. |
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| Other Knights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kinsmen of Arthur Sir Agravain was the son of King Lot of Orkney and Morgawse or Anna. Agravain was also the brother of Gawain. Chretien de Troyes knew him as Agravain the Proud Knight. It was Agravain who tried to prove to his uncle, King Arthur, that Queen Guinevere was committing adultery with Lancelot. When Agravain tried to catch the adulterous lovers in bed. According to the Vulgate text, Agravain was killed by Lancelot, when he was escorting the queen to the stake, while Malory say that Lancelot killed him earlier, just outside of Guinevere's bedchamber. See the Death of King Arthur. According to the tale of his brother Sir Gareth in Book VII of Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, Agravain married Lady Lyonesse's niece, Dame Laurel. Sir Gaheris (called Gaheriet in the Vulgate Cycle, or Keheriet) was the son of King Lot of Orkney and Morgawse or Anna. Gaheris was also the brother of Gawain. According to Malory [le Morte d'Arthur, Vol. 2, Book X Chapter 24], he killed his own mother, Morgawse, when he found her bed with Sir Lamorak. Gaheriet had opposed of Agravain's plan to exposed the Queen and Lancelot of treachery to the king, because he and Gawain were good friend of Lancelot. By the order of Arthur, Gaheriet (Gaheris) and his brother Guerrehet (Gareth) were reluctant escorts of Guinevere to be executed. The queen was to be burnt at the stake. According to the Mort Artu (Vulgate Cycle), Bors killed Gaheriet (Gaheris), while Lancelot had unknowingly killed Gaheriet (Gaheris). In Mort Artu, it was Gaheriet's death that caused Gawain's enmity towards Lancelot, and prolonged the war war between Lancelot and Arthur. While in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur say that he and Garth were killed by Lancelot. See the Death of King Arthur. According to the tale of his brother Sir Gareth in Book VII of Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, Gaheris married Lady Lyonesse's sister, Dame Lynet (Lynette). Sir Gareth (Guerrehet) was the son of King Lot of Orkney and Morgawse or Anna. Gareth was also the brother of Gawain. In the final episode of the First Grail Continuation, as Guerrehet avenged the dead knight in the swan-drawn boat. Before he was knighted, Sir Kay had called him Beaumains and placed him in the kitchen, because he did not reveal his identity in Arthur's court. A whole book [Book VII] of le Morte d'Arthur, was devoted to Gareth's adventures, where he defeated the Red Knight of the Red Launds, thereby winning the hands of Dame Lyonesse. See Sir Gareth in the Tales of the Knights. When Guinevere was to be burn at the stake for committing adultery with Lancelot, Gareth and his brother Gaheris were the reluctant escorts of the queen. According to Mort Artu (Vulgate Cycle), Bors killed Guerrehet (Gareth) during the rescue attempt to save the queen, but in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Gareth was killed by Lancelot. Gawain's grief over Gareth's death prolonged the war against Lancelot, which would cause the destruction of the Round Table and Arthur's kingdom. See the Death of King Arthur. Mordred (Modred) was the son of King Lot of Orkney and Anna (according to Geoffrey of Monmouth), but of Morgawse and Lot or her brother Arthur in the Post-Vulgate Cycle. (See Mordred, under Minor Characters for full detail.) Galeshin (Galescalain). Galeshin was the son of King Neutres (Nentres) of Garlot and Blasine (Elaine), the half-sister of King Arthur. This make Galeshin nephew of Arthur, and cousin to Gawain and Yvain. Galeshin was commonly known as the Duke of Clarence. Galeshin was the cousin of Dodinel the Wildman. Galeshin was one of the three knights who tried to rescue Gawain (the other knights being Lancelot and Yvain), when his cousin was abducted by Caradoc of Dolorous Tower. In the end, Galeshin and Yvain was also captured, but was eventually rescued by Lancelot. Galeshin was frequently mentioned, but in most Arthurian tales, he had minor or no role in the legend. Sir Yvain the Bastard (Ywain, Owain, Owein, Uwain. Malory called him Uwain les Avoutres). Yvain was the illegitimated son of Urien, so he was not really related to Arthur. In the Vulgate Merlin, Yvain's mother was the wife of Urien's seneschal. Which was why he was named Yvain the Bastard, and he should not to be confused with his more famous half-brother, Yvain, known as the Knight of the Lion, who married the Lady of Fountain. In the Grail quest (Vulgate Cycle), Yvain was one of the knights killed by Gawain. Guinglain (Giglain or Gingalin) was famously known as the Fair Unknown. Guinglain was the son of Sir Gawain and a fay named Floree (Wolfram von Eschenbach called her Blancemal which is Blanchemains in French; while in English romance, her name was Ragnell). Guinglain was the hero of 12th century romance called Le Bel Inconnu, where the hero did not know his name, until he rescued Blonde Esmerée (Fair Esmerée), a princess, who had been turned into a dragon by two evil sorcerers. Though, in the end, Guinglain married Blonde Esmerée, he was loved by another woman named La Pucelle, who was known as the Fée aux Blanches Mains (Fay of the White Hands). His mother only called him Fair Son. See the Fair Unknown article in the Tales of the Knights for the full story. Guinglain often appeared in the Grail stories. In the Second Grail Continuation (Wauchier de Denain Continuation or Perceval Continuation), where Guinglain fought the Grail hero to a draw, and later meets his father, during a long episode of Gawain's adventure. Kinsmen of King Ban Sir Hector (Hestor, Ector de Maris or Mares or Hector of the Marsh) was the illegitimate son of King Ban and the daughter of li Sires des Mares (or Maris). Hector was the half-brother of Lancelot, who appeared in the Vulgate Cycle and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Hector took part of the Grail quest, mostly in the company of Gawain. They had no success in the Quest, and Hector return to Arthur's court after Gawain was badly wounded. Hector supported his brother, when Lancelot came into conflict with Arthur and Gawain. Hector took part in the rescue of Guinevere and two battles against Arthur. Hector took part in the war against Mordred's sons after Arthur's death. At the end of the Vulgate Cycle, he found Lancelot had taken the monk's habit and Hector died before his brother. Sir Lionel was the son of King Bors of Gaunes and Evainne. Lionel was also the brother of Bors de Ganis (Grail hero). He was the cousin of Lancelot in the Vulgate Cycle, but nephew of Lancelot according to Malory. He was named Lionel at birth, because his mother Evainne saw a strange birth mark his chest, in the shape of lion and the baby strangled it. Lionel became Lancelot's squire during Arthur's war against Galehaut. Lionel was knighted after Arthur's war against the Saxons at La Roche (the "Rock"). Lionel, like the other knights of the Round Table, he took part in the Grail quest. Lionel was captured by two knights where he was badly beaten. His brother Bors had to choose either to save him or a damsel who was about to rape. Because his honour as a knight demand that save a woman before a fellow-knight, even if that the knight in trouble was his own brother. Bors rescued the damsel. Bors discovered later that his brother had managed to escape from his tormentors. Lionel selfishly accused his brother of saving the damsel but not him. Lionel challenged Bors into a duel, who refused to his own brother. A hermit, who tried to intervene and save Bors, was killed. Calogrenant, a fellow-knight had also tried to intervene on behalf of Bors, but he was no match for Lionel, and he too died in combat. Only God saved Bors from Lionel's vengeance by hurling a lightning between the two brothers. Only then did Lionel realised his error. Lionel buried Calogrenant and the hermit, while Bors continued on his quest, meeting Perceval and Galahad. Lionel sided with his cousin Lancelot, when there was conflict between his kinsman and Arthur. Lionel took part in the rescue of Guinevere, the war at Joyeuse Guard and the war in Gaune, France. After the battle of Camlann (or Salisbury Plain), Melehan, the son of Mordred, had killed Lionel in the Battle of Winchester according to Mort Artu (Vulgate Cycle). Other Sons of Pellinor Sir Lamorak de Gales (Lamerocke) was the son of Pellehen (Pellinor) and brother of Agloval and Perceval (according to Malory). Lamorak was one of six knights listed as better than Gawain. Gawain and his brethren blamed Lamorak's father for the death of their father (Lot). Gawain and his brothers continued their feud with Lamorak. Gawain and his brothers killed Lamorak. (In Chretien's story of the grail, none of Perceval's brothers or other relatives was given any name, including his father and mother.) Agloval was the son of Pellehen (Pellinor) and brother of Lamorak and Perceval. Agloval and Perceval were two of the knights who found Lancelot and Elaine living on Pelles' island castle. During the Quest, Agloval was another victim of Gawain. Other Knights King Baudemagus (Bademagu, Bagdemagus) was the king of Gorre, and father of Meleagant (Meliagaunt), who had kidnapped Queen Guinevere, but was killed by Lancelot in single combat (this episode is told by Chretien de Troyes' Knight of the Cart, and Vulgate Cycle called Lancelot). Baudemagus opposed his son about the abduction of Guinevere. Baudemagus was a nephew of King Urien of Gorre. Baudemagus became king of Gorre, after he surrendered Gorre to King Uther, when Uther had captured Urien. Uther rewarded Baudemagus for his loyalty by crowning Baudemagus as king of Gorre. Urien retire to a hermitage. In the early part of the Prose Lancelot (Vulgate Cycle), Baudemagus was one of the allies of Galehaut, when Galehaut was at war against Arthur. Baudemagus became Galehaut's deputy. Later, some time after Meleagant's death (after the Vulgate version of the Charrette), Baudemagus became a member of the Round Table, when a knight named Sir Ganor of Scotland died from his wounds he had received from Lancelot at the tournament at Camelot. See Lancelot's adventure in the Tericam. Gawain killed Baudemagus during the Grail quest (Vulgate Cycle). According to Malory, however, Baudemagus did not died at the quest, and was one of knights, who opposed Arthur when Arthur warred against Lancelot. Sir Sagremor played a number of minor roles throughout the later Arthurian tradition. Sagremor was the son of Duke Nabur the Unruly. According to the Suite du Merlin, Sagremor became the foster-brother of Mordred, when a fisherman found Mordred in a cradle on the seashore. The fisherman gave the infant to Nabur. (See Morgawse and the Questing Beast.) He was known as "Sagremor the Unruly", by Chretien de Troyes; in the Vulgate Cycle, he was known as "Sagremor the Foolish"; he was killed by Mordred in the battle of Salisbury Plain (Camlann). While Malory called him "Sagremor le Desirous". Source: http://www.timelessmyths.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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