197-574: Agravain ( / ˈ æ . ɡ r ə . v eɪ n / ) is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend , whose first known appearance is in the works of Chrétien de Troyes . He is the second eldest son of King Lot of Orkney with one of King Arthur 's sisters known as Anna or Morgause , thus nephew of King Arthur , and brother to Sir Gawain , Gaheris , and Gareth , as well as half-brother to Mordred . Agravain secretly makes attempts on
394-484: A "somewhat misshapen" body. As "a fine knight" but "arrogant and full of evil words [and] jealous of all other men," he "was without pity or love and had no good qualities, save for his beauty, his chivalry [knightly values], and his quick tongue." In Jean Froissart 's Méliador , Agravain courts and marries Florée, a cousin of Princess Hermondine of Scotland, after winning her tournament at Camelot . In Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur , Arthur marries him to Laurel,
591-429: A 'no smoke without fire' school of thought ... The fact of the matter is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur; we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books." Some scholars argue that Arthur was originally a fictional hero of folklore—or even a half-forgotten Celtic deity—who became credited with real deeds in the distant past. They cite parallels with figures such as
788-752: A Celtic origin, being a Latinization of a hypothetical name *Artorījos , in turn derived from an older patronym *Arto-rīg-ios , meaning "son of the bear/warrior-king". This patronym is unattested, but the root, *arto-rīg , "bear/warrior-king", is the source of the Old Irish personal name Artrí . Some scholars have suggested it is relevant to this debate that the legendary King Arthur's name only appears as Arthur or Arturus in early Latin Arthurian texts, never as Artōrius (though Classical Latin Artōrius became Arturius in some Vulgar Latin dialects). Others believe
985-650: A Christian, but soon becomes widely known as a valiant pagan knight. While visiting Rome , he saves the life of the Roman Emperor ; he later travels to Arthur's Logres at the time of Arthur's coronation, where he rescues King Pellinore as well. Esclabor eventually settles at Camelot , later adventuring with Palamedes and Galahad during the Grail Quest . In the Post-Vulgate Queste , eleven of his sons are killed during their encounter with
1182-535: A French cleric and chronicler named Hériman of Tournai about 1145, but referring to events occurring in 1113, mentions the Breton and Cornish belief that Arthur still lived. In 1191 the alleged tomb of Arthur was identified in an obviously orchestrated discovery at Glastonbury Abbey . Whereas numerous scholars have argued that this could have been due to the Abbey wanting to stand out with an illustrious tomb, or to
1379-746: A central flaw in his otherwise ideal society". Arthur's role in these works is frequently that of a wise, dignified, even-tempered, somewhat bland, and occasionally feeble monarch. So, he simply turns pale and silent when he learns of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere in the Mort Artu , whilst in Yvain, the Knight of the Lion , he is unable to stay awake after a feast and has to retire for a nap. Nonetheless, as Norris J. Lacy has observed, whatever his faults and frailties may be in these Arthurian romances, "his prestige
1576-556: A common subject in literature and art. The development of the medieval Arthurian cycle and the character of the "Arthur of romance" culminated in Le Morte d'Arthur , Thomas Malory 's retelling of the entire legend in a single work in English in the late 15th century. Malory based his book—originally titled The Whole Book of King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table —on the various previous romance versions, in particular
1773-567: A crusade and together die in battle in Jerusalem . He also appears in some tales as an opponent whom the story's hero must overcome during the course of a quest or an adventure. In the Prose Tristan , Bleoberis abducts Segwarides ' wife from King Mark 's court, and fights for her against first Segwarides and later the protagonist Tristan . In Wigalois , one of the challenges faced by the protagonist Wigalois (Gawain's son, Gingalain )
1970-881: A daughter of the German Emperor, and becomes the Greek Emperor himself. As Cligés ( Clicés , Clies , Clygés ), he also appears in some other French Arthurian romances, including in the First Continuation of Chrétien's Perceval (where his father is named King Lac ) and in Claris et Laris . In the Romanz du reis Yder , he serves Queen Guenloie ( Guinevere ) until he is expelled from her court after he criticizes her love for Yder (who later promises to reconcile them). In The Marvels of Rigomer [ fr ] , he hails from Greece and participates in
2167-501: A desire of the Plantagenet regime to put an end to a legendary rival figure who inspired tenacious Celtic opposition to their rule, it may also have been motivated by how the Arthurian expectations were highly problematic to contemporary Christianity. The longing of the return of a mighty immortal figure returning before the end of time to re-establish his perfect rule, not only ran against basic Catholic tenets but could even threaten
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#17327719860782364-749: A duel to the death, he curses the entire kingdom in his dying breath. His curse manifests itself through King Mark 's devastating invasion which destroys almost all remnants of King Arthur's rule. Bleoberis de Ganis is a Knight of the Round Table from the land of Ganis (variants Ganes , Gannes , Gaunes , Gaunnes ; meaning probably Gaul or perhaps Vannes ), who was first mentioned by Chrétien de Troyes in his Erec and Enide , named therein as Bliobleheris ( Wendelin Foerster 's choice; manuscript variants Bleob[l]eris , Bleosblieris , Blioberis , Bliobeheri , Blios Blieris ). He has since appeared by
2561-620: A figure of international interest largely through the popularity of Geoffrey of Monmouth 's fanciful and imaginative 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae ( History of the Kings of Britain ). Geoffrey depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established a vast empire. Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey's Historia , including Arthur's father Uther Pendragon ,
2758-504: A foster mother, the boy appears at Arthur's court on the eve of the Grail Quest when his arrival is miraculously prophesied at the Round Table . He is knighted by Tristan and soon proves to be superior to even Gawain and Percival , defeating both of them. However, he is publicly known only as the Unknown Knight , keeping his lineage secret as to not shame his father with the story of his mother's rape. Loyal to King Arthur (who
2955-533: A fundamentally English character and hero. The completion of the conquest was one of the factors that shifted storytellers away from the Welsh roots of the original tales. The popularity of Geoffrey's Historia and its other derivative works (such as Wace 's Roman de Brut ) gave rise to a significant numbers of new Arthurian works in continental Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly in France. It
3152-458: A good time to take vengeance, as Arthur's court believes that Dinadan is still in Cornwall . Dinadan manages to fight them off, but they return to attack him again within the sight of Camelot. Dinadan is now too weak to stand up to both of them, and so Mordred quickly knocks him from his horse, and Agravain finishes him off. Lying, they later claim the dying Dinadan was mistaken in blaming them for
3349-523: A group of knights, will keep watch on the king's wife in order to entrap Lancelot when he comes to her and so prove the accusation. This results in Agravain's death, but the details vary depending on the telling. In the English poem Stanzaic Morte Arthur and in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur , the trapped Lancelot attacks the knights who have lain in wait and kills almost all of them, including Agravain. In
3546-645: A hermitage to grieve for his final ten years. In the Vulgate Cycle , Aglovale dies accidentally at Gawain's hand during the Quest for the Holy Grail . However, the rewrite in the Post-Vulgate Queste turns it into a deliberate murder, a part of the Orkney clan's long vendetta for the death of King Lot . In Malory, he is among the knights charged by King Arthur with defending the execution of Guinevere , and
3743-410: A historical Arthur. Partly in reaction to such theories, another school of thought emerged which argued that Arthur had no historical existence at all. Morris's Age of Arthur prompted the archaeologist Nowell Myres to observe that "no figure on the borderline of history and mythology has wasted more of the historian's time". Gildas 's 6th-century polemic De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae ( On
3940-405: A knight who had mistreated one of Queen Guinevere 's servants. The two fall in love and marry, but rumours spread that Erec no longer cares for knighthood or anything else besides his domestic life. Enide cries about these rumours, causing Erec to prove his abilities, both to himself and to his wife, through a test of Enide's love for him. Erec has her accompany him on a long, tortuous trip where she
4137-1174: A large number of variations of his name and character in many subsequent works, including as split between Barant le Apres ( Berrant ) and Bleoberys ( Bleoberis , Bleoboris , Bleoheris ) in Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur ; as Bleobleheris ( Bliobliheri ) and Bleheris in respectively the First and the Second Continuation of Perceval ; as two different characters named Bleheris and Blidoblidas in Mériadeuc [ fr ] ; as split between Bleherris and Bleoberiis in Of Arthour and of Merlin ; as Bleoris in Henry Lovelich 's Merlin ; as Bleos von Bliriers in Diu Crône ; as Bleriz in Povest' o Tryshchane [ be ] ; as Bliobleherin in
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#17327719860784334-490: A largely lost Welsh tradition considered to originate in old Celtic folklore. Companions of Arthur numbering 24 also appear in the Welsh tale of Peredur son of Efrawg . Some of the more notable knights include the following: In addition, there are many less prominent knights. For instance, the "Healing of Sir Urry" episode in the Winchester Manuscript of Le Morte d'Arthur lists, in addition to many of
4531-494: A lost Dodinel romance, tells the story of his eponymous son Carduino's vengeance against the clan of Gawain for having his father fatally poisoned by the jealous lords including Mordred and Augerisse (probably Gaheris ), as well as of Carduino's other adventures. Drian ( Doryan , Driant , Durnor ) is one of King Pellinore 's sons out of wedlock. He is most prominent in the Prose Tristan which describes him as one of
4728-523: A maiden who had just been abducted, and chose the maiden over his brother. Lionel was not pleased by this, and attacked Bors the next time he saw him. A hermit tried to intervene, but was killed accidentally in the process, and Calogrenant stepped in. Bors refuses fight his brother, who slays Calogrenant before attacking Bors; however, God intervenes and renders him immobile. Thomas Malory calls him Colgrevance and recounts his death at Lionel's hands in Le Morte d'Arthur , but also includes another one later in
4925-620: A major character in the later romances from the French prose cycles and their adaptations, in which he is portrayed as one of the cousins of the hero Lancelot . There he is son of Nestor de Gaunes and godson of Lancelot's father King Bors , as well as brother of his fellow Round Table companion Blamo[u]r[e] ( Blanor[e] ). In the Vulgate Merlin , the Livre d'Arthur , and Arthour and Merlin , Bleoberis fights alongside his brother Blamoure in
5122-532: A man from the woods (wilderness). However, the only possible trace of such motif can be found in the German Lanzelet , in which Dodines lives a double life: as an enchanter owning a magic horse and dwelling near the dangerous Shrieking Marsh ( Schreiende Moos ) in the summer, and as a knight in Arthur's lands in the winter. As with his other characteristics, Dodinel's family relations are variably told. In
5319-591: A member of the Round Table . During the Grail Quest , Claudin is one of the companions of Bors the Younger , Galahad and Perceval in Corbenic . Cligès is the title hero of Chrétien de Troyes ' French poem Cligès (and its foreign versions). There, he is an offspring of Arthur's niece Soredamors and Alexander, a son of the Greek ( Byzantine ) Emperor. Following his adventures, Cliges eventually marries Fenice,
5516-658: A niece of Lynette and Lyonesse . A major motif regarding Agravain's character in the prose romances is his one-sided conflict with his younger brother, Gaheris , in addition to his rivalry with Gawain. According to the Vulgate Merlin , Gawain and his two full brothers came to court together as squires and were knighted together. When Agravain brags to his brothers that he would make love to an unwilling damsel if he wanted, Gaheris responds with mockery, and Agravain attacks him, only to be knocked down by Gawain, who admonishes Agravain for his proud ways and bullying nature. In
5713-458: A poem found in the Black Book of Carmarthen , " Pa gur yv y porthaur?" ("What man is the gatekeeper?"). This takes the form of a dialogue between Arthur and the gatekeeper of a fortress he wishes to enter, in which Arthur recounts the names and deeds of himself and his men, notably Cei (Kay) and Bedwyr (Bedivere). The Welsh prose tale Culhwch and Olwen ( c. 1100 ), included in
5910-478: A prison and his lover from a pyre, the latter then also again saved by Perceval. Dodinel is prominent in Claris et Laris , portrayed there as a comical side story character, a Dinadan -like humorously anti-chivalric knight, one who avoids dangerous combat in his wanderings and once escapes from a captivity by posing as a minstrel. He and Dinadan are themselves friends in the Meliadus Compilation; in
6107-447: A quest, determined to prove that he is a better knight than Gaheris and to once and for all settle this issue by cutting his brother's head off. Yet Gaheris defeats the incognito Agravain twice (including still beating up his attacker in an ambush while unprepared and weary from an earlier fight), failing to learn his mysterious opponent's true identity in the process but nevertheless making Agravain stop trying to kill him by making clear he
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6304-636: A relatively minor character in these French prose romances; in the Vulgate itself he only figures significantly in the Estoire de Merlin and the Mort Artu . During this period, Arthur was made one of the Nine Worthies , a group of three pagan, three Jewish and three Christian exemplars of chivalry. The Worthies were first listed in Jacques de Longuyon 's Voeux du Paon in 1312, and subsequently became
6501-719: A whole, with "Arthur's Court" sometimes substituted for "The Island of Britain" in the formula "Three XXX of the Island of Britain". While it is not clear from the Historia Brittonum and the Annales Cambriae that Arthur was even considered a king, by the time Culhwch and Olwen and the Triads were written he had become Penteyrnedd yr Ynys hon , "Chief of the Lords of this Island", the overlord of Wales, Cornwall and
6698-540: Is "son of Lac ") appears as brother of Erec in Palamedes and the late Italian romance I Due Tristani . The late French romance Ysaïe le Triste features Brandalis' own son, Brandor de Gaunes (of Wales). In the Didot Perceval , Peredur 's uncle is one Brendalis of Wales who also has a brother named Brwns Brandalis. A few other Brandalis characters are clearly unrelated to the Round Table, such as that of
6895-615: Is a Knight of the Round Table and cousin to Yvain . His character has been derived from the Welsh mythological hero Cynon ap Clydno , usually the lover of Owain mab Urien 's sister Morvydd ; although in Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain , Cynon is stated to be the son of Clydno, possibly connected to Clyddno Eiddin . Roger Sherman Loomis and some other scholars speculated that Calogrenant
7092-682: Is a Knight of the Round Table found in a great many works of Arthurian romance, typically featured as a well-known knight yet merely a figurant type of a character, and without a common role. He is nevertheless important in several of such works, including the Third Continuation of Perceval , the Vulgate Lancelot , the Post-Vulgate Merlin , the Livre d'Artus , the Prose Tristan , and Claris et Laris . Dodinel
7289-473: Is also the main source of the material used in the Arthurian spoof Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). Retellings and reimaginings of the romance tradition are not the only important aspect of the modern legend of King Arthur. Attempts to portray Arthur as a genuine historical figure of c. 500 , stripping away the "romance", have also emerged. As Taylor and Brewer have noted, this return to
7486-566: Is beaten down to near death, Agravain asks Gawain to hold back, which is the only time within the cyclic prose romances when he shows compassion. When Gawain refuses to listen and beheads Palamedes anyway, Agravain says he is grieved because Palamedes was such a good knight and, more practically, because this deed will be hard to conceal. In the Prose Tristan , after the end of the Grail Quest, Agravain and Mordred, who both hate Dinadan , see him coming wounded outside Camelot and decide it as
7683-495: Is brought to Arthur's court by Bors. He then becomes known as an excellent knight and is accepted as a member to the Round Table . True to his lineage, Elyan eventually becomes Emperor of Constantinople himself. Elyan's adventures are different the Post-Vulgate Queste , as well as the expanded version of the Prose Tristan , where he takes a vacant Round Table seat that had belonged to Dragan ( Dagarius ) after
7880-479: Is called Dornar ( Durnor[e] ) by Thomas Malory in Le Morte d'Arthur , where he is also killed by Gawain. He appears alongside two knights named Darnarde and Dryaun ( Dryaunt , Tryan ), both of them also derived from the French Drian. Malory splits Drian's adventures from the Prose Tristan between the latter two: Dryaun guards a bridge with his brother Alain (one of Drian's other brothers), jousting
8077-692: Is either marginalised or even missing entirely, with Wagner 's Arthurian opera Parsifal providing a notable instance of the latter. Furthermore, the revival of interest in Arthur and the Arthurian tales did not continue unabated. By the end of the 19th century, it was confined mainly to Pre-Raphaelite imitators, and it could not avoid being affected by World War I , which damaged the reputation of chivalry and thus interest in its medieval manifestations and Arthur as chivalric role model. The romance tradition did, however, remain sufficiently powerful to persuade Thomas Hardy , Laurence Binyon and John Masefield to compose Arthurian plays, and T. S. Eliot alludes to
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8274-475: Is eventually informed about his son's identity by Morgan ), he fights in the late wars against domestic and foreign enemies, and is one of Galahad 's companions during the Grail Quest. After his father's death at Salisbury , Arthur the Less is a candidate for the heir of throne of Logres , however, he obsessively hates Lancelot 's renegade faction, blaming them for the disaster. When soon defeated by Bleoberis in
8471-623: Is forbidden to speak to him, after which they reconcile. When Erec's father Lac dies, Erec inherits his kingdom. The Norse Erex Saga gives him two sons, named Llac and Odus, who later both become kings. The story of Erec and Enide is also retold within the Prose Tristan . Enide is entirely absent from the Prose Erec part of the Post-Vulgate Merlin Continuation , in which Erec's mother's enchantment makes him immune to magic. His acts include saving Bors from
8668-928: Is found in Chrétien de Troyes ' 12th-century romance poem Perceval, the Story of the Grail in which he is one of Gawain 's brothers and is also known as the one "with the hard hands" (a us dures mains ). The poem's anonymous First Continuation describes him as very quarrelsome. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , where he is called Agravain of the Hard Hand , he is named in a list of respectable knights. This, combined with his unobjectionable depiction in Chrétien's original Perceval , suggests his reputation might not have been very negative prior to his characterisation in
8865-401: Is impossible to determine whether this passage is original or a later interpolation, but John Koch's view that the passage dates from a 7th-century or earlier version is regarded as unproven; 9th- or 10th-century dates are often proposed for it. Several poems attributed to Taliesin , a poet said to have lived in the 6th century, also refer to Arthur, although these all probably date from between
9062-494: Is in fact vastly superior to him. Years later, upon learning that Gaheris has murdered their mother, Morgause , Gawain swears to avenge her. Agravain, for though he had loved his mother, hated Gaheris more and so was glad to see that his brother had done such a deed for which he hoped to see Gaheris put to death. But when Agravain and his half-brother Mordred are at the point of beheading Gaheris, Gawain stops them as he believes that they should not shame themselves by killing one who
9259-584: Is indeed the best knight in the world. In the Post-Vulgate Grail Quest , Agravain and Gawain (the latter villainized within the Post-Vulgate Cycle compared to his usual portrayals) come upon wounded Palamedes . Palamedes protests that he is now a Knight of the Round Table like them and so they should not fight him, but Gawain cares nothing of their Pentecostal Oath and attacks, joined by Agravain. However, when their opponent
9456-606: Is introduced in Chrétien de Troyes' Erec et Enide , being named there as the ninth best of King Arthur 's knights, albeit noted as a rude one. Dodinel is also listed among the top knights of Arthur in Chrétien's Yvain as well as in Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight , while The Knight of the Two Swords describes him as a "truly exceptional ... man of many virtues." He might have been originally identical with Percival , which would explain his characteristic epiteth as meaning
9653-533: Is killed by unknown hand during the bloody melee when Lancelot and his men rescue the queen. Aglovale appears prominently in the Dutch romance Moriaen , in which Acglavael visits Moorish lands in Africa and meets a Christian princess whom he conceives a child with. He returns home and, thirteen years later, his son Morien comes to find him after which they both return to Morien's lands. In modern works, Aglovale
9850-593: Is never—or almost never—compromised by his personal weaknesses ... his authority and glory remain intact." Arthur and his retinue appear in some of the Lais of Marie de France , but it was the work of another French poet, Chrétien de Troyes , that had the greatest influence with regard to the development of Arthur's character and legend. Chrétien wrote five Arthurian romances between c. 1170 and 1190. Erec and Enide and Cligès are tales of courtly love with Arthur's court as their backdrop, demonstrating
10047-610: Is one dissenter from this view, believing that Geoffrey's narrative is partially derived from a lost source telling of the deeds of a 5th-century British king named Riotamus , this figure being the original Arthur, although historians and Celticists have been reluctant to follow Ashe in his conclusions. Whatever his sources may have been, the immense popularity of Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae cannot be denied. Well over 200 manuscript copies of Geoffrey's Latin work are known to have survived, as well as translations into other languages. For example, 60 manuscripts are extant containing
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#173277198607810244-516: Is one of Perceval's uncles along with King Alain, whose name (and title) is shared with the father of Floree, mother of Gawain's son Guinglain in the Vulgate Cycle . In Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur , Brandiles ( Brandyles ) is brother of the mother of Gawain's sons (and later his companions at the Round Table) Gingalin, Lovel and Florence. Sir Brandeliz ( Brandalis , Brandelis , Braudaliz ) appears in multiple episodes through
10441-496: Is one of the eleven protagonists other than the eponymous duo; here he is a friend of Claris who, with the help of Merlin , rescues Laris from the prison of the Danish king Tallas among his other acts. In both narratives, he is also repeatedly freed from enemy captivity by the other heroes, including Gawain, Lancelot, and Claris. The Vulgate Lancelot story of Gaheriet 's rescue of Brandeliz and his lady might have been rewritten by Malory as an early episode of his "Tale of Sir Gareth",
10638-446: Is seeking for him to rescue her, for her father has bestowed her on a knight whom she does not want to marry. Agravain manages to win her for himself and joins the Duke of Cambenic, who gives him a castle. He then lives there with her and with his young half-brother Mordred, who at that time is still a squire. But a curse affects Agravain's left arm and the other his left leg, leaving him to greatly suffer until these limbs are anointed with
10835-460: Is supposed to have lived, and most historians who study the period do not consider him a historical figure . His name also occurs in early Welsh poetic sources such as Y Gododdin . The character developed through Welsh mythology , appearing either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of folklore, sometimes associated with the Welsh otherworld Annwn . The legendary Arthur developed as
11032-435: Is the eponymous protagonist of Clemence Housman 's 1905 novel The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis . Arthur the Less or Arthur the Little ( Arthur le Petit ) is an illegitimate son of King Arthur ("Arthur the Great") found only in the Post-Vulgate Cycle . After Arthur forces himself on a daughter of a knight named Tanas, he orders the child to be named either Guenevere or Arthur the Less. Having been abandoned and raised by
11229-413: Is the son of the Frankish King Claudas of the Wasteland ( de la Deserte ) who appears in the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle, the Prose Tristan , the Post-Vulgate Cycle , and Le Morte d'Arthur . His father, who he fights for, is a major villain during King Arthur 's early reign. However, when Claudas eventually loses the war and flees to Rome, Claudin surrenders and defects to Arthur, who makes him
11426-430: Is then buried in a very rich tomb in the church at Camelot. By and large, modern works based on Arthurian legend continue to villainize Agravain. Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table ( Welsh : Marchogion y Ford Gron , Cornish : Marghekyon an Moos Krenn , Breton : Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in
11623-464: Is to defeat Bleoberis, the fierce guardian of the Perilous Ford. He is similarly the first adversary conquered by Gawain's son Guinglan in Le Bel Inconnu . In Parzival , Orgeluse 's suitor boasts of having him either slain or defeated but spared (depending on interpretation of the text). In Tristrant , he is one of King Mark's vassals and an enemy of Tristan, who brutally kills him during his escape from Mark's court. His name may have been derived from
11820-402: The Brut y Brenhinedd , Welsh-language versions of the Historia , the earliest of which were created in the 13th century. The old notion that some of these Welsh versions actually underlie Geoffrey's Historia , advanced by antiquarians such as the 18th-century Lewis Morris, has long since been discounted in academic circles. As a result of this popularity, Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae
12017-429: The Elucidation , wherein the character named Blihos Bliheris also appears appears as knight. Brandelis ( Brandalus , Brandel , Brandeles , Brandellis , Brendalis , etc.) is the name of a number of Arthurian romance characters, including multiple Knights of the Round Table from the French prose tradition. As in the case of several other Arthurian characters, such as King Ban , they might have been derived from
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#173277198607812214-412: The Historia Brittonum ( History of the Britons ) and Annales Cambriae ( Welsh Annals ), saw Arthur as a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons some time in the late 5th to early 6th century. The Historia Brittonum , a 9th-century Latin historical compilation attributed in some late manuscripts to a Welsh cleric called Nennius , contains
12411-550: The British victory at Badon Hill, attributed to Arthur by Nennius. The monks of Glastonbury are also said to have discovered the grave of Arthur in 1180. The other text that seems to support the case for Arthur's historical existence is the 10th-century Annales Cambriae , which also link Arthur with the Battle of Badon. The Annales date this battle to 516–518, and also mention the Battle of Camlann , in which Arthur and Medraut (Mordred) were both killed, dated to 537–539. These details have often been used to bolster confidence in
12608-514: The Gothic Revival reawakened interest in Arthur and the medieval romances. A new code of ethics for 19th-century gentlemen was shaped around the chivalric ideals embodied in the "Arthur of romance". This renewed interest first made itself felt in 1816, when Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur was reprinted for the first time since 1634. Initially, the medieval Arthurian legends were of particular interest to poets, inspiring, for example, William Wordsworth to write "The Egyptian Maid" (1835), an allegory of
12805-418: The Historia ' s account and to confirm that Arthur really did fight at Badon. Problems have been identified, however, with using this source to support the Historia Brittonum ' s account. The latest research shows that the Annales Cambriae was based on a chronicle begun in the late 8th century in Wales. Additionally, the complex textual history of the Annales Cambriae precludes any certainty that
13002-462: The Historia Brittonum while rejecting the implication in the same work that they were fought against Anglo-Saxons, and that there is no textual justification for separating Badon from the other battles. Several historical figures have been proposed as the basis for Arthur, ranging from Lucius Artorius Castus , a Roman officer who served in Britain in the 2nd or 3rd century, to sub-Roman British rulers such as Riotamus , Ambrosius Aurelianus , and
13199-420: The Holy Grail . Pre-eminent among these was Alfred Tennyson , whose first Arthurian poem " The Lady of Shalott " was published in 1832. Arthur himself played a minor role in some of these works, following in the medieval romance tradition. Tennyson's Arthurian work reached its peak of popularity with Idylls of the King , however, which reworked the entire narrative of Arthur's life for the Victorian era . It
13396-601: The Kentish Hengist and Horsa , who may be totemic horse-gods that later became historicised. Bede ascribed to these legendary figures a historical role in the 5th-century Anglo-Saxon conquest of eastern Britain . It is not even certain that Arthur was considered a king in the early texts. Neither the Historia nor the Annales calls him " rex ": the former calls him instead " dux bellorum " (leader of wars) and " miles " (soldier). Details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of Welsh mythology , English folklore and literary invention, and most modern historians writing about
13593-509: The Life of Saint Gildas , written in the early 12th century by Caradoc of Llancarfan , Arthur is said to have killed Gildas's brother Hueil and to have rescued his wife Gwenhwyfar from Glastonbury. In the Life of Saint Cadoc , written around 1100 or a little before by Lifris of Llancarfan, the saint gives protection to a man who killed three of Arthur's soldiers, and Arthur demands a herd of cattle as wergeld for his men. Cadoc delivers them as demanded, but when Arthur takes possession of
13790-443: The Marvels of Rigomer , Dodinel is one of Gawain's quest companions. Thomas Malory in his Le Morte d'Arthur , following some of the Dodinel material from the Vulgate Lancelot as well as his portrayal in the Prose Tristan , has him (named as Dodinas le Savage in the Winchester Manuscript ) as a recurring companion of Sagramore and, early in his career, as one of the Guinevere 's own ten knights. His 'biography' can be found in
13987-733: The Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are an order dedicated to ensuring the peace of Arthur's kingdom following an early warring period, entrusted in later years to undergo a mystical quest for the Holy Grail . The Round Table at which they meet is a symbol of the equality of its members, who range from sovereign royals to minor nobles. The various Round Table stories present an assortment of knights from all over Great Britain and abroad, some of whom are even from outside of Europe. Their ranks often include Arthur's close and distant relatives , such as Agravain , Gaheris and Yvain , as well as his reconciled former enemies, like Galehaut , Pellinore and Lot . Several of
14184-831: The Orkney Islands . After twelve years of peace, Arthur sets out to expand his empire once more, taking control of Norway, Denmark and Gaul . Gaul is still held by the Roman Empire when it is conquered, and Arthur's victory leads to a further confrontation with Rome. Arthur and his warriors, including Kaius (Kay), Beduerus (Bedivere) and Gualguanus (Gawain), defeat the Roman emperor Lucius Tiberius in Gaul but, as he prepares to march on Rome, Arthur hears that his nephew Modredus (Mordred)—whom he had left in charge of Britain—has married his wife Guenhuuara (Guinevere) and seized
14381-631: The Post-Vulgate Cycle retelling, Gaheris is ordered by Merlin to seek out and free Gawain from captivity. Feeling that Merlin always unfairly favoured Gaheris, Agravain is very jealous and declares that he could rescue Gawain just as good or better than he, yet it is Gawain who achieves the quest. A prophecy says that Gaheris must be knighted first and then he should knight his brothers, however Agravain still insists that he must be knighted only by King Arthur himself, relying on his age. He then follows secretly his younger brother, who set out on
14578-621: The Queen's Knights . Some of these romances retell the story of the Knights of the Old Table , led by Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon , whilst other tales focus on the members of the 'Grail Table'; these were the followers of ancient Christian Joseph of Arimathea , with his Grail Table later serving as the inspiration for Uther and Arthur's subsequent Round Tables. The number of the Knights of
14775-496: The Queste del Saint Graal and the Mort Artu , which combine to form the first coherent version of the entire Arthurian legend. The cycle continued the trend towards reducing the role played by Arthur in his own legend, partly through the introduction of the character of Galahad and an expansion of the role of Merlin. It also made Mordred the result of an incestuous relationship between Arthur and his sister Morgause , and established
14972-613: The Questing Beast . Shortly after finally agreeing to convert to Christianity, an act necessary for the full admission into the brotherhood of Round Table , and which also allows his participation in the Grail Quest, Esclabor commits suicide from grief upon learning of his favorite son Palamedes' death at the hands of Gawain . Gaheris de Karaheu ( Gaharis , Gaheran , Gahetis , Gaherys , Gaheus , Gains , Gareis , Ghaheris ; - d'Escareu , - de Carahan / Car[a/e]heu , - de Gaheran / Gahereu , - de Karahau / Karehan ), also known as
15169-645: The Round Table . According to the Post Vulgate Cycle , and Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur , Aglovale is the one who brings his long lost brother Percival to Camelot to be knighted after meeting him by chance in Perceval's woods. In an alternate account in the Livre d'Artus version of the Vulgate Merlin , the young Agloval has all of his fourteen brothers killed during the Saxon wars by
15366-399: The 12th-century Welsh storyteller known in French as Bledhericus, Bleheris or Blihis (Blihos) Bliheris (possibly Bledri ap Cydifor ), who is mentioned in several texts, including being credited by both Thomas of Britain and Wauchier de Denain as the original source of their early Arthurian poems. References to the narrative authority of one Master Blihis ( Maistre Blihis ) repeat throughout
15563-460: The 21st century, the legend continues to have prominence, not only in literature but also in adaptations for theatre, film, television, comics and other media. Traditionally, it was generally accepted that Arthur was an historic person, originally an ancient British war commander, and, at least, from the early twelfth century, a king. There was, however, much discussion regarding his various deeds, and contemporary scholars and clerics generally refuted
15760-646: The 8th and 12th centuries. They include "Kadeir Teyrnon" ("The Chair of the Prince"), which refers to "Arthur the Blessed"; " Preiddeu Annwn " ("The Spoils of Annwn"), which recounts an expedition of Arthur to the Otherworld; and "Marwnat vthyr pen[dragon]" ("The Elegy of Uther Pen[dragon]"), which refers to Arthur's valour and is suggestive of a father-son relationship for Arthur and Uther that pre-dates Geoffrey of Monmouth. Other early Welsh Arthurian texts include
15957-608: The Arthur myth (but not Arthur) in his poem The Waste Land , which mentions the Fisher King . In the latter half of the 20th century, the influence of the romance tradition of Arthur continued, through novels such as T. H. White 's The Once and Future King (1958), Mary Stewart 's The Crystal Cave (1970) and its four sequels, Thomas Berger 's tragicomic Arthur Rex and Marion Zimmer Bradley 's The Mists of Avalon (1982), in addition to comic strips such as Prince Valiant (from 1937 onward). Tennyson had reworked
16154-444: The Arthurian annals were added to it even that early. They were more likely added at some point in the 10th century and may never have existed in any earlier set of annals. The Badon entry probably derived from the Historia Brittonum . This lack of convincing early evidence is the reason many recent historians exclude Arthur from their accounts of sub-Roman Britain . In the view of historian Thomas Charles-Edwards , "at this stage of
16351-490: The Arthurian legend were not entirely abandoned, but until the early 19th century the material was taken less seriously and was often used simply as a vehicle for allegories of 17th- and 18th-century politics. Thus Richard Blackmore 's epics Prince Arthur (1695) and King Arthur (1697) feature Arthur as an allegory for the struggles of William III against James II . Similarly, the most popular Arthurian tale throughout this period seems to have been that of Tom Thumb , which
16548-606: The Battle of Salisbury Plain ( Camlann ). In Italy, he is called Dondinello and its variants, usually with no epithet (except in the case of Oddinello le Salvaggio in the Tristano Riccardiano ). In his unusual characterization in Chantari di Lancelotto , Dodinel ( Dudinello ) is a villain who joins up with Mordred to conspire against Lancelot. Cantari di Carduino , a Fair Unknown type epic poem possibly based on
16745-509: The Didot Perceval and 60 in the count by Jean d'Outremeuse in his Ly Myreur des Histors . Others yet give higher numbers, as with 250 in the Prose Merlin , and 366 in both Li Chevaliers as Deus Espees and Perlesvaus (where this is their peak number that nevertheless had dwindled to only about 25 at the time when the story begins ). Chrétien de Troyes suggested around 500 knights in his early romance Erec and Enide . In
16942-746: The French Herec le Fils Lac ) participates in Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere from the stake. King Esclabor the Unknown ( Astlabor , Esclabort , Scalabrone ; - le Mescogneu , - li Mesconneü , - li Mesconneuz ) is a wandering Saracen lord from a vaguely Middle Eastern land, usually either Babylon (in today's Iraq) or Galilee (in today's Israel). He is the father of Palamedes , Safir , and Segwarides , among others. During his long stay in Britain, Esclabor initially hides his faith, trying to pass as
17139-478: The French prose cycles. In the Vulgate Merlin and the Livre d'Artus , the young teenage Dodinel defects to Arthur early in the king's reign, opposing his own family. In the Livre , he kills the Saxon king Mathmas at the Battle of Clarence ( Badon ). Having been knighted by Arthur, he joins the Queen's Knights and eventually the Round Table. The Vulgate Lancelot , besides telling the stories of Lancelot 's rescues of
17336-943: The German Erec ; as Bliobleeris in La Vengeance Raguidel ; as Bliobleris de Gannes ( Biblioberis , Bla[h]aris , Bleob[l]eris , Bleobleheris , Bleosblieris , Bliaires , Blihoble[h]eris , Bliobeheri , Blioberis , Blyob[l]eris ; - de Ga[u]n[n]es ) in the 13th-century French prose cycles; as Blioblieris in both Le Bel Inconnu and Wigalois ; as Bréri in Tristan by Thomas of Britain ; as Briobris in La Tavola Ritonda ; as Pleherin in Tristrant ; and as Plihopliherî ( Plihophiheri , Plihopliheri ) in Parzival . Bleoberis features as
17533-570: The Germanic invaders. This trend towards placing Arthur in a historical setting is also apparent in historical and fantasy novels published during this period. Arthur has also been used as a model for modern-day behaviour. In the 1930s, the Order of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table was formed in Britain to promote Christian ideals and Arthurian notions of medieval chivalry. In
17730-583: The Huth- Merlin , he is son of Balin 's brother Balan ( Balaan le Sauvage ). In the Didot- Perceval , he is son of the Lady of Malehaut ( Dame de Malohaut ). In Parzival , he has a brother called Taurian the Wild ( der Wilde ). In the Third Continuation of Chrétien's Perceval , one of the six episodes of Gawain 's adventures relate his rescue of the "handsome and valiant" Dodinel ( Dodinal ) from
17927-569: The King of Sorelois. Galehodin is introduced in the Prose Lancelot as the young grandson of the King of Norgales ( North Wales ). There he is the lord of the town and castle of Pennin ( Peningue ), and desires to follow the great hero Lancelot so he can learn from him. He is described as one of the tallest knights in the world, using a plain white shield with no identification symbols. Together with Mordred and Mador , he easily triumphs over
18124-501: The Kings of Britain ), written in the 1130s. The textual sources for Arthur are usually divided into those written before Geoffrey's Historia (known as pre-Galfridian texts, from the Latin form of Geoffrey, Galfridus ) and those written afterwards, which could not avoid his influence (Galfridian, or post-Galfridian, texts). The earliest literary references to Arthur come from Welsh and Breton sources. There have been few attempts to define
18321-442: The Knight of the Lion , telling a story to a group of knights and Queen Guinevere . He describes an adventure he had in the forest of Brocéliande , in which there was a magic spring that could summon a large storm. Calogrenant reached the spring and summoned the storm, after which a knight named Esclados attacked and defeated him. Yvain is upset that Calogrenant never told him of this defeat, and sets out to avenge him, embarking on
18518-468: The Less (himself a member of the Round Table as the Unknown Knight), whom he kills in self-defence. Finding Lancelot at a hermitage with the former Archbishop of Canterbury , he joins them; after Lancelot's death, Bleoberis buries his body at Joyous Gard . In Malory, Bleoberis and his brother first live as monks together with Lancelot and the rest of his kinsmen at Glastonbury Tor , then leave on
18715-477: The North. In addition to these pre-Galfridian Welsh poems and tales, Arthur appears in some other early Latin texts besides the Historia Brittonum and the Annales Cambriae . In particular, Arthur features in a number of well-known vitae (" Lives ") of post-Roman saints , none of which are now generally considered to be reliable historical sources (the earliest probably dates from the 11th century). According to
18912-433: The Round Table (including King Arthur ) and their names vary greatly between the versions published by different writers. The figure may range from a dozen to as many as potentially (the number of seats at the table) 1,600, the latter claimed by Layamon in his Brut . Most commonly, however, there are between about 100 and 300 seats at the table, often with one seat usually permanently empty . The number of three hundred
19109-736: The Ruin and Conquest of Britain ), written within living memory of Badon, mentions the battle but does not mention Arthur. Arthur is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or named in any surviving manuscript written between 400 and 820. He is absent from Bede 's early-8th-century Ecclesiastical History of the English People , another major early source for post-Roman history that mentions Badon. The historian David Dumville wrote: "I think we can dispose of him [Arthur] quite briefly. He owes his place in our history books to
19306-558: The Saxons found in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum , along with the battle of Camlann from the Annales Cambriae and the idea that Arthur was still alive . Arthur's status as the king of all Britain seems to be borrowed from pre-Galfridian tradition, being found in Culhwch and Olwen , the Welsh Triads, and the saints' lives. Finally, Geoffrey borrowed many of the names for Arthur's possessions, close family , and companions from
19503-400: The Saxons he fights in the Historia Brittonum , but the majority are supernatural, including giant cat-monsters , destructive divine boars , dragons, dogheads , giants, and witches. The second is that the pre-Galfridian Arthur was a figure of folklore (particularly topographic or onomastic folklore) and localised magical wonder-tales, the leader of a band of superhuman heroes who live in
19700-545: The United States, hundreds of thousands of boys and girls joined Arthurian youth groups, such as the Knights of King Arthur, in which Arthur and his legends were promoted as wholesome exemplars. However, Arthur's diffusion within modern culture goes beyond such obviously Arthurian endeavours, with Arthurian names being regularly attached to objects, buildings, and places. As Norris J. Lacy has observed, "The popular notion of Arthur appears to be limited, not surprisingly, to
19897-605: The United States, with such books as Sidney Lanier's The Boy's King Arthur (1880) reaching wide audiences and providing inspiration for Mark Twain 's satire A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889). Although the 'Arthur of romance' was sometimes central to these new Arthurian works (as he was in Burne-Jones's "The Sleep of Arthur in Avalon", 1881–1898), on other occasions he reverted to his medieval status and
20094-666: The Vulgate Merlin Continuation, he is portrayed as an illegitimate son of either King Brandegorre or King Bélinant ( Balinant , Belinans , Belynans ; possibly based on the Celtic god Belinus ) de Sorgales ("of South Wales "; Norgales / North Wales in the Vulgate Lancelot ) and Eglatine ( Eglantine , Eglante , Eglente ), and cousin of Galeschin . In the Lancelot en prose , he is son of King Nantres and Queen Blasine (Arthur's sister), and brother of Galescin. In
20291-623: The Vulgate Mort Artu , he dies from eating a poisoned apple, which was made by the knight Avarlan and was meant to kill Gawain. The apple is offered to Gaheris unknowingly by Guinevere ; the queen is accused of his murder, until she is cleared of the charge in the trial by combat between Mador and Lancelot. This story is retold in the Stanzaic Morte Arthur and in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur , where
20488-445: The Vulgate Mort Artu , however, Lancelot only kills one knight (Tanaguins) and the rest, in fear, refuse to attack Lancelot. Agravain is then among the nobles who sentence Guinevere to be burnt at the stake, and Arthur tells Agravain to pick knights to serve as a guard during the burning. Agravain agrees but insists that Arthur order Gaheris to accompany him as one of the party. When Lancelot and his party attack, Lancelot, riding ahead of
20685-583: The Vulgate Cycle (some of which are included in Le Morte d'Arthur ), participating in the quests (including the quest for the Grail) and in the wars against Claudas and Galahaut . In the prose cycles, he dies while fighting either against Lancelot during the latter's rescue of the condemned Guinevere or against Mordred in the final battle. In the standalone romance Claris et Laris , Brandaliz
20882-570: The Vulgate Cycle, and appears to have aimed at creating a comprehensive and authoritative collection of Arthurian stories. Perhaps as a result of this, and the fact that Le Morte D'Arthur was one of the earliest printed books in England, published by William Caxton in 1485, most later Arthurian works are derivative of Malory's. The end of the Middle Ages brought with it a waning of interest in King Arthur. Although Malory's English version of
21079-677: The Vulgate and the works based on it, Lancelot eventually makes him the Duke of Poitiers for his part in saving Guinevere , after which Bleoberis becomes an important leader in Lancelot's war against Arthur and Gawain. In the Post-Vulgate Mort , he returns to Britain and arrives at Salisbury after the battle to destroy the corpse of Mordred and build the Tower of the Dead. While searching for Lancelot, he meets Arthur's vengeful son Arthur
21276-745: The Vulgate's Saxon king Brandalis ( Braundalis , Maundalis ). However, some scholars have connected Bran de Lis with the villains Brian des Isles (Brian of the Isles) from Perlesvaus and Brandin ( Branduz ) des Isles from the Vulgate Lancelot , as well as to King Brandelidelin from an early German Arthurian romance Parzival , as possibly identical in origin. Calogrenant , sometimes known in English as Colgrevance and in German ( Diu Crône ) as Kalogrenant , among many other variants (including Calogrenan[s/z] , Calogrevant , Calogrinant , Colgrevaunce , Galogrinans , Kalebrant , Kalocreant , Qualogrenans ),
21473-460: The Vulgate, he and his brothers are told of that by their aunt, Morgan ). His envy and hatred of Lancelot lead him to believe that they should tell King Arthur about this. When Arthur happens to wander into the argument, he demands to know what it is that he should not be told about. Agravain tells Arthur about Lancelot and Guinevere; a plot is hatched according to which Arthur will go hunting all night without taking Lancelot. Agravain, with Mordred and
21670-523: The Welsh Geraint and Enid , Erec and Geraint are often conflated or confused. Erec's name itself may be derived from Guerec , the Breton version of Gweir, the name of several of Arthur's warriors and relatives in the different early Welsh tales (possibly the prototype of Gaheris and consequently also Gareth ). In Chrétien's story, Erec meets his future wife Enide while on a quest to defeat
21867-628: The Welsh Medraut into the villainous Modredus, but there is no trace of such a negative character for this figure in Welsh sources until the 16th century. There have been relatively few modern attempts to challenge the notion that the Historia Regum Britanniae is primarily Geoffrey's own work, with scholarly opinion often echoing William of Newburgh 's late-12th-century comment that Geoffrey "made up" his narrative, perhaps through an "inordinate love of lying". Geoffrey Ashe
22064-491: The Welsh kings Owain Ddantgwyn , Enniaun Girt, and Athrwys ap Meurig . However, no convincing evidence for these identifications has emerged. The origin of the Welsh name "Arthur" remains a matter of debate. The most widely accepted etymology derives it from the Roman nomen gentile (family name) Artorius . Artorius itself is of obscure and contested etymology. Linguist Stephan Zimmer suggests Artorius possibly had
22261-640: The Welsh mythology's figure of Brân . The best known of these was originally known as Bran de Lis ( Brans , Bras , - de Lys ), a character related to one of the mothers of the illegitimate sons of Gawain . Bran first appears in the First Continuation of Chrétien's Perceval as one of the brothers of Guilorete ( Gloriete ) of the Castle Lis, the mother of Gawain's son Lionel ( Lioniaus ). After Gawain had slain Bran's father Norroiz ( Norrois , also Yder de Lis ) and two of his brothers (Meliant and Guilorete) in
22458-452: The White ( li Blans ), is one of the minor Knights of the Round Table and brother of Mador de la Porte in the Vulgate Cycle and the derived works. He should not be confused with Gaheris of Orkney , one of King Arthur 's nephews and another Knight of the Round Table. His most prominent role, including the manner of his death, might have been inspired by the purportedly historical account of
22655-478: The White was portrayed by Nigerian actor Adetomiwa Edun as Guinevere's brother in the 2008 television series Merlin . Erec (French Erech , Eric , Herec , Heret ; German Eres ; Italian Arecco ; Norse Erex ), the son of King Lac , is most famous as the protagonist in Chrétien de Troyes ' first romance, Erec and Enide , later retold in Erec and other versions. Because of Erec and Enide ‘s connection to
22852-487: The Younger in the prose romance tradition of Lancelot-Grail (Vulgate Cycle). His mother, Claire, has tricked Bors into sleeping with her using a magic ring (the only time Bors broke his vow of chastity). Claire is daughter of British king Brandegore ( Brandegorre , Brandegoris ) and also half-sister of Sagramore , and their shared mother is daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor . At the age of 15, Elyan
23049-714: The above, the following: Conversely, the Winchester Round Table features only the knights Sirs Alynore (Alymere), Bedwere (Bedivere), Blubtlrys (Bleoberis), Bors De Ganys (Bors de Ganis), Brumear (Brunor le Noir), Dagonet, Degore, Ectorde Marys (Ector de Maris), Galahallt (Galahault or Galahad), Garethe (Gareth), Gauen (Gawain), Kay, Lamorak, Launcelot Deulake (Lancelot du Lac), Lacotemale Tayle (La Cote Male Taile), Lucane (Lucan), Lybyus Dysconyus (Le Bel Desconneu), Lyonell (Lionel), Mordrede (Mordred), Plomyde (Palomedes), Pelleus (Pelleas), Percyvale (Percival), Safer (Safir), and Trystram Delyens (Tristram de Lyones) for
23246-472: The adventure that sets up the remainder of events in the romance. Calogrenant appears later in the Lancelot-Grail cycle, though his kinship to Yvain is not as clear as in Chrétien. He dies during the Grail Quest while trying to keep Lionel from killing his own brother, Bors . Bors had faced a dilemma over whom to rescue between Lionel, who was getting beaten with thorns by two rogue knights, and
23443-489: The animals, they turn into bundles of ferns. Similar incidents are described in the medieval biographies of Carannog , Padarn , and Eufflam, probably written around the 12th century. A less obviously legendary account of Arthur appears in the Legenda Sancti Goeznovii , which is often claimed to date from the early 11th century (although the earliest manuscript of this text dates from the 15th century and
23640-466: The attack, and it must have been some other knights who murdered him. In Malory's telling, Agravain also insists on fighting Tristan together with Gaheris. In this combat, Tristan severely wounds Agravain and calls the Orkney brothers (sans Gareth) the most notorious murderers of good knights in Arthur's realm. In the Vulgate Cycle and in works based on it, Agravain is one of the knights who realises that Lancelot and Queen Guinevere are secret lovers (in
23837-448: The blood of the best knight alive as well as of the second-best. They decide to send for Gawain but also to seek out the mysterious Black Knight (the incognito Lancelot) that saved Arthur's throne from Galehaut . A messenger brings Gawain, who agrees to give blood that heals Agravain's leg, showing that Gawain is the second-best knight alive. Gawain then finds and persuades Lancelot to give his blood, which does its job, proving that Lancelot
24034-621: The boar there named Troy(n)t. Finally, Arthur is mentioned numerous times in the Welsh Triads , a collection of short summaries of Welsh tradition and legend which are classified into groups of three linked characters or episodes to assist recall. The later manuscripts of the Triads are partly derivative from Geoffrey of Monmouth and later continental traditions, but the earliest ones show no such influence and are usually agreed to refer to pre-existing Welsh traditions. Even in these, however, Arthur's court has started to embody legendary Britain as
24231-630: The captive Dodinel on multiple occasions, has him as one of the only five knights who cross the perilous bridge into Sorelois alive (besides Gawain, Meliant , Yder and Arthur). In the Vulgate Queste , he is one of the Grail knights in Galahad 's company. In the Post-Vulgate, Lamorak is slain by Gawain and his brothers when he is injured following an earlier fight with Dodinel. In the end, Dodinel dies fighting against Mordred 's forces at
24428-459: The classic motifs of the Arthurian legend, although the Lancelot of the prose Lancelot ( c. 1225 ) and later texts was a combination of Chrétien's character and that of Ulrich von Zatzikhoven 's Lanzelet . Chrétien's work even appears to feed back into Welsh Arthurian literature, with the result that the romance Arthur began to replace the heroic, active Arthur in Welsh literary tradition. Particularly significant in this development were
24625-631: The enchanter Mabon ; he also has a cousin named Driadam, whose death begins Erec's feud with the young Mordred . In the Post-Vulgate Quest of the Holy Grail , Erec is slain by Gawain in revenge for the death of Yvain of the White Hands , and does not regain his father's kingdom; his seat at the Round Table is taken by his friend Meraugis, who had buried him. In the Alliterative Morte Arthure , Erec dies during
24822-472: The end of the novel is, "in the tradition of magical hibernation when the king or mage leaves his people for some island or cave to return either at a more propitious or more dangerous time", (see King Arthur's messianic return ). Powys's earlier novel, A Glastonbury Romance (1932) is concerned with both the Holy Grail and the legend that Arthur is buried at Glastonbury . The romance Arthur has become popular in film and theatre as well. T. H. White's novel
25019-474: The enquiry, one can only say that there may well have been an historical Arthur [but ...] the historian can as yet say nothing of value about him". These modern admissions of ignorance are a relatively recent trend; earlier generations of historians were less sceptical. The historian John Morris made the putative reign of Arthur the organising principle of his history of sub-Roman Britain and Ireland, The Age of Arthur (1973). Even so, he found little to say about
25216-540: The fatal poisoning of Walwen (that is, Gawain ) from the chronicle Gesta Regum Anglorum . In the Vulgate Lancelot , Gaheris of Karaheu appears in minor roles, mostly as a prisoner, prior to his accidental death. Gawain saves him from Galehaut , while the mysterious White Knight ( Lancelot incognito) rescues him from the Dolorous Prison near Dolorous Gard and then again from the Vale of No Return . Later, in
25413-519: The final battle between the forces of Arthur and Mordred. In Lanzelet , Erec and Gawain agree to be delivered as prisoners to the great wizard Malduc (whose father was killed by Erec), so that Guinevere can be rescued from King Valerin's castle; they are then tortured and almost starved to death in Malduc's dungeon, until they are eventually themselves rescued. In Le Morte d'Arthur , Harry le Fyse Lake (or Garry le Fitz Lake , Malory's corruption of
25610-611: The first datable mention of King Arthur, listing twelve battles that Arthur fought. These culminate in the Battle of Badon , where he is said to have single-handedly killed 960 men. Recent studies question the reliability of the Historia Brittonum . Archaeological evidence in the Low Countries and what was to become England shows early Anglo-Saxon migration to Great Britain reversed between 500 and 550, which concurs with Frankish chronicles. John Davies notes this as consistent with
25807-448: The first modernisation of Malory's great compilation of Arthur's tales was published in 1862, shortly after Idylls appeared, and there were six further editions and five competitors before the century ended. This interest in the "Arthur of romance" and his associated stories continued through the 19th century and into the 20th, and influenced poets such as William Morris and Pre-Raphaelite artists including Edward Burne-Jones . Even
26004-527: The first narrative account of Arthur's life. This work is an imaginative and fanciful account of British kings from the legendary Trojan exile Brutus to the 7th-century Welsh king Cadwallader . Geoffrey places Arthur in the same post-Roman period as do Historia Brittonum and Annales Cambriae . According to Geoffrey's tale, Arthur was a descendant of Constantine the Great . He incorporates Arthur's father Uther Pendragon , his magician advisor Merlin , and
26201-531: The forces of King Rions ' relative King Agrippa in their attack on his mother's domain. In the Livre d'Artus , Agloval then accompanies Gawain and Sagramore in leading an army that defeats the invaders, personally slaying Agrippa but suffering severe wounds. In the Third (Manessier's) Continuation of Perceval , Agloval dies seven years after Percival became the Grail King, causing Percival's retirement to
26398-422: The fourth book of Le Morte d'Arthur . In the Prose Tristan , Brandeliz is a Knight of the Round Table from Cornwall, not Wales. The Vulgate Cycle also features a different Knight of the Round Table other than Sir Brandeliz, a minor character of Duke Brandelis de Taningues ( Brandeban, Brandeharz , Brandelz , -de Tranurgor ). Yet another Knight of the Round Table named Brandelis ( Brandelis le fils Lac , that
26595-416: The great French romances was popular, there were increasing attacks upon the truthfulness of the historical framework of the Arthurian romances – established since Geoffrey of Monmouth's time – and thus the legitimacy of the whole Matter of Britain . So, for example, the 16th-century humanist scholar Polydore Vergil famously rejected the claim that Arthur was the ruler of a post-Roman empire, found throughout
26792-450: The humorous tale of Tom Thumb , which had been the primary manifestation of Arthur's legend in the 18th century, was rewritten after the publication of Idylls . While Tom maintained his small stature and remained a figure of comic relief, his story now included more elements from the medieval Arthurian romances and Arthur is treated more seriously and historically in these new versions. The revived Arthurian romance also proved influential in
26989-430: The latter knight's death by Tristan . He later helps his cousin Lancelot rescue Guinevere after their affair is exposed, and then joins him in exile during their war with Arthur. Elyan should not be confused with Elians ( Eliant , Elianz ), a Knight of the Round Table from Ireland who occupied Lancelot's vacant seat in both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the Mort Artu . A modern character inspired by Elyan
27186-455: The life of his hated brother Gaheris starting in the Vulgate Cycle , participates in the slayings of Lamorak and Palamedes in the Post-Vulgate Cycle , and murders Dinadan in the Prose Tristan . In the French prose cycle tradition included in Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur , together with Mordred, he then plays a leading role by exposing his aunt Guinevere 's affair with Lancelot , which leads to his death at Lancelot's hand. In
27383-417: The locations of his battles as well as the place and date of his death (in the context of the extreme weather events of 535–536 ), but his conclusions are disputed. Other scholars have questioned his findings, which they consider are based on coincidental resemblances between place-names. Nicholas Higham comments that it is difficult to justify identifying Arthur as the leader in northern battles listed in
27580-470: The magician Merlin , Arthur's wife Guinevere , the sword Excalibur , Arthur's conception at Tintagel , his final battle against Mordred at Camlann , and final rest in Avalon . The 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes , who added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story, began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature . In these French stories,
27777-430: The main Grail Knight in the later stories, and Arthur's traitorous son and nemesis Mordred . By the end of Arthurian prose cycles (including the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur ), the Round Table splits up into groups of warring factions following the revelation of Lancelot's adultery with King Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere . In the same tradition, Guinevere is featured with her own personal order of young knights, known as
27974-560: The medieval "chronicle tradition" of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Historia Brittonum is a recent trend which became dominant in Arthurian literature in the years following the outbreak of the Second World War , when Arthur's legendary resistance to Germanic enemies struck a chord in Britain. Clemence Dane 's series of radio plays, The Saviours (1942), used a historical Arthur to embody the spirit of heroic resistance against desperate odds, and Robert Sherriff's play The Long Sunset (1955) saw Arthur rallying Romano-British resistance against
28171-598: The men of Gorre in a tournament against King Bagdemagus . In the Italian Tavola Ritonda , Galehaut's heir is his son named Abastunagio , a character corresponding with that of Galehodin as he appears in the Prose Tristan . Both appear in their respective texts in the role of the host of the great tournament in Sorelois. The Hebrew King Artus includes one Galaodin de Gaulis (of Gaul ) among Lancelot's followers. King Arthur King Arthur ( Welsh : Brenin Arthur , Cornish : Arthur Gernow , Breton : Roue Arzhur , French : Roi Arthur ), according to legends ,
28368-463: The modern Mabinogion collection, has a much longer list of more than 200 of Arthur's men, though Cei and Bedwyr again take a central place. The story as a whole tells of Arthur helping his kinsman Culhwch win the hand of Olwen , daughter of Ysbaddaden Chief-Giant, by completing a series of apparently impossible tasks, including the hunt for the great semi-divine boar Twrch Trwyth . The 9th-century Historia Brittonum also refers to this tale, with
28565-423: The most famous Welsh poetic references to Arthur comes in the collection of heroic death-songs known as Y Gododdin ( The Gododdin ), attributed to the 6th-century poet Aneirin . One stanza praises the bravery of a warrior who slew 300 enemies, but says that despite this, "he was no Arthur" – that is, his feats cannot compare to the valour of Arthur. Y Gododdin is known only from a 13th-century manuscript, so it
28762-446: The most notable Knights of the Round Table, among them Bedivere , Gawain and Kay , are based on older characters from a host of great warriors associated with Arthur in the early Welsh tales. Some, such as Lancelot , Perceval and Tristan , feature in the roles of a protagonist or eponymous hero in various works of chivalric romance . Other well-known members of the Round Table include the holy knight Galahad , replacing Perceval as
28959-435: The most significant effect of this great outpouring of new Arthurian story was on the role of the king himself: much of this 12th-century and later Arthurian literature centres less on Arthur himself than on characters such as Lancelot and Guinevere , Percival , Galahad , Gawain , Ywain , and Tristan and Iseult . Whereas Arthur is very much at the centre of the pre-Galfridian material and Geoffrey's Historia itself, in
29156-450: The name Arthur from Arcturus , the brightest star in the constellation Boötes , near Ursa Major or the Great Bear. Classical Latin Arcturus would also have become Art(h)ur when borrowed into Welsh, and its brightness and position in the sky led people to regard it as the "guardian of the bear" (which is the meaning of the name in Ancient Greek) and the "leader" of the other stars in Boötes. Many other theories exist, for example that
29353-402: The name has Messapian or Etruscan origins. That Arthur never died but is awaiting his return in some remote spot, often sleeping, is a central motif connected to the Arthurian legends. Before the twelfth century there are, as in the Englynion y Beddau , reference to the absence of a grave for Arthur suggests that he was considered not dead and immortal, but there is no indication that he
29550-412: The narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the Round Table . The themes, events and characters of the Arthurian legend vary widely from text to text, and there is no one canonical version. Arthurian literature thrived during the Middle Ages but waned in the centuries that followed, until it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century. In
29747-439: The narrative. Despite having died on the Grail quest, Colgrevance reappears as one of the twelve knights who help Agravaine and Mordred trap Lancelot and Guinevere together in the queen's chambers. Lancelot has neither armour nor weapons, but manages to pull Colgrevance into the room and kills him; he then uses Colgrevance's sword to defeat the rest of Mordred's companions. Prince Claudin ( Claudine , Claudyne , Claudino )
29944-462: The narratives of Arthur found in medieval materials. American authors often rework the story of Arthur to be more consistent with values such as equality and democracy. In John Cowper Powys 's Porius: A Romance of the Dark Ages (1951), set in Wales in 499, just prior to the Saxon invasion, Arthur, the Emperor of Britain, is only a minor character, whereas Myrddin (Merlin) and Nineue , Tennyson's Vivien, are major figures. Myrddin's disappearance at
30141-443: The nature and character of Arthur in the pre-Galfridian tradition as a whole, rather than in a single text or text/story-type. A 2007 academic survey led by Caitlin Green has identified three key strands to the portrayal of Arthur in this earliest material. The first is that he was a peerless warrior who functioned as the monster-hunting protector of Britain from all internal and external threats. Some of these are human threats, such as
30338-448: The order in which it is supposed to have occurred rather than the textual order which includes explanations told by Agravain at the end. It tells of Agravain being cursed by two damsels on separate occasions, one for wounding a knight in his arm and then joking about it and another for trying to force himself on her and then commenting on seeing her infected leg. Later, he learns that his love, the daughter of King Tradelmant of North Wales ,
30535-424: The origin of the name Arthur , as Artōrius would regularly become Art(h)ur when borrowed into Welsh. Another commonly proposed derivation of Arthur from Welsh arth "bear" + (g)wr "man" (earlier *Arto-uiros in Brittonic) is not accepted by modern scholars for phonological and orthographic reasons. Notably, a Brittonic compound name *Arto-uiros should produce Old Welsh *Artgur (where u represents
30732-453: The others, charges deliberately at Agravain, whom he recognises, and strikes him through his body with his lance. When King Arthur finds Agravain dead, he falls to the ground in a faint, and says (in Norris J. Lacy 's modern English version of the Lancelot-Grail ): "Oh, fair nephew, how he hated you who stuck you so! Everyone must know that he who deprived my kinsmen of such a knight as you are has inflicted terrible grief on me." Agravain's body
30929-401: The passing knights; Darnarde visits King Mark 's court with Lamorak, where they defeat Mark and all of his knights but Tristan . Darnarde is eventually killed alongside his brothers, Aglovale and Tor , when Lancelot rescues Queen Guinevere from the stake. Elyan the White or Helyan le Blanc (also Elain , Elayn , Helain , Hellaine , Helin ; - le Blank , - the Pale ) is son of Bors
31126-444: The period do not think that he was a historical figure . Because historical documents for the post-Roman period are scarce, a definitive answer to the question of Arthur's historical existence is unlikely. Sites and places have been identified as "Arthurian" since the 12th century, but archaeology can confidently reveal names only through inscriptions found in secure contexts. The so-called " Arthur stone ", discovered in 1998 among
31323-415: The popular medieval belief in his extreme longevity and future return. From the eighteenth century onwards, there has been academic debate about the historicity of Arthur, the consensus today being that if there was any possible historic figure person behind the many Arthurian legends, he would have been completely different from the portrayal in any of these legends. One school of thought, citing entries in
31520-471: The portrayal of Arthur and his world built upon the foundations he had laid. Perceval , although unfinished, was particularly popular: four separate continuations of the poem appeared over the next half century, with the notion of the Grail and its quest being developed by other writers such as Robert de Boron , a fact that helped accelerate the decline of Arthur in continental romance. Similarly, Lancelot and his cuckolding of Arthur with Guinevere became one of
31717-460: The possibility of his return without overtly criticizing anyone's beliefs. After the 1191 discovery of his alleged tomb, Arthur became more of a figure of folk legends, found sleeping in various remove caves all over Britain and some other places, and at times, roaming the night as a spectre, like in the Wild Hunt . The familiar literary persona of Arthur began with Geoffrey of Monmouth 's pseudo-historical Historia Regum Britanniae ( History of
31914-422: The post-Galfridian medieval "chronicle tradition", to the horror of Welsh and English antiquarians. Social changes associated with the end of the medieval period and the Renaissance also conspired to rob the character of Arthur and his associated legend of some of their power to enthrall audiences, with the result that 1634 saw the last printing of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur for nearly 200 years. King Arthur and
32111-435: The pre-Galfridian Welsh tradition, including Kaius (Cei), Beduerus (Bedwyr), Guenhuuara (Gwenhwyfar), Uther (Uthyr) and perhaps also Caliburnus (Caledfwlch), the latter becoming Excalibur in subsequent Arthurian tales. However, while names, key events, and titles may have been borrowed, Brynley Roberts has argued that "the Arthurian section is Geoffrey's literary creation and it owes nothing to prior narrative." Geoffrey makes
32308-491: The previous duels in the long feud against him for seducing Guilorete, Bran is about to fight him as well, but they are stopped by Arthur and later become friends. This story is retold in The Jeaste of Sir Gawain , where he appears as Brandles (the name also used for one of Arthur's knights in Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle ), and in the Scottish Golagros and Gawane , where he is called Spinagros . In Perlesvaus , Brandalus ( Brun[s] Brandelis ) de Gales (of Wales)
32505-429: The prose cycles. In the Lancelot-Grail (also known as the Vulgate Cycle) prose works, Agravain is generally portrayed as a handsome man, taller than Gawain, and a skilled fighter. However, unlike his heroic brothers Gawain and Gareth , Agravain is known for malice and villainy, yet sometimes capable of heroic deeds. In the Prose Lancelot part of the Vulgate Cycle, Agravain is described as taller than Gawain and with
32702-407: The quest to conquer Rigomer Castle as one of Gawain 's many companions; he also defeats the undead knight in his own episode. As Clias the Greek ( der Grieche Clîas ), he has a role in the German Parzival . Thomas Malory 's Urry list calls him Sir Clegis (despite a similar name, Clegis is not in any way connected with the English Sir Cleges , the hero of a completely different story set in
32899-424: The quintessential focus on the longing for the return of Jesus. This was further aggravated by how the stories about Arthur sometimes invoked more emotions than biblical tales. Decades of elite critique of the popular conviction among otherwise pious Catholic Celts in Britain and Brittany had done nothing in way of suppressing these beliefs, whereas the orchestration of Arthur's physical remains effectively eliminated
33096-403: The recurring theme of Arthur as a cuckold , and Perceval, the Story of the Grail , which introduces the Holy Grail and the Fisher King and which again sees Arthur having a much reduced role. Chrétien was thus "instrumental both in the elaboration of the Arthurian legend and in the establishment of the ideal form for the diffusion of that legend", and much of what came after him in terms of
33293-421: The role of Camelot , first mentioned in passing in Chrétien's Lancelot , as Arthur's primary court. This series of texts was quickly followed by the Post-Vulgate Cycle ( c. 1230–40 ), of which the Suite du Merlin is a part, which greatly reduced the importance of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere but continued to sideline Arthur, and to focus more on the Grail quest. As such, Arthur became even more of
33490-406: The romance tales of Arthur to suit and comment upon the issues of his day, and the same is often the case with modern treatments too. Mary Stewart's first three Arthurian novels present the wizard Merlin as the central character, rather than Arthur, and The Crystal Cave is narrated by Merlin in the first person, whereas Bradley's tale takes a feminist approach to Arthur and his legend, in contrast to
33687-408: The romances he is rapidly sidelined. His character also alters significantly. In both the earliest materials and Geoffrey he is a great and ferocious warrior, who laughs as he personally slaughters witches and giants and takes a leading role in all military campaigns, whereas in the continental romances he becomes the roi fainéant , the "do-nothing king", whose "inactivity and acquiescence constituted
33884-431: The ruins at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall in securely dated 6th-century contexts, created a brief stir but proved irrelevant. Other inscriptional evidence for Arthur, including the Glastonbury cross , is tainted with the suggestion of forgery. Andrew Breeze argues that Arthur was a historical character who fought other Britons in the area of the future border between England and Scotland, and claims to have identified
34081-454: The same work, Chrétien catalogued many of Arthur's top knights in a series of long hierarchical lists of names. These rankings are different in each of the surviving manuscripts, none of which is believed to be the author's original version. While not mentioning the Round Table as such, one of the late Welsh Triads lists 24 extraordinary knights permanently living in Arthur's court, mixing romance characters with several Arthur's warriors from
34278-455: The shift away from the heroic world of the Welsh and Galfridian Arthur, while Yvain, the Knight of the Lion , features Yvain and Gawain in a supernatural adventure, with Arthur very much on the sidelines and weakened. However, the most significant for the development of the Arthurian legend are Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart , which introduces Lancelot and his adulterous relationship with Arthur's queen Guinevere , extending and popularising
34475-411: The short vowel /u/) and Middle/Modern Welsh *Arthwr , rather than Arthur (where u is a long vowel /ʉː/). In Welsh poetry the name is always spelled Arthur and is exclusively rhymed with words ending in -ur —never words ending in -wr —which confirms that the second element cannot be [g]wr "man". An alternative theory, which has gained only limited acceptance among professional scholars, derives
34672-501: The story of Arthur's conception, in which Uther, disguised as his enemy Gorlois by Merlin's magic, sleeps with Gorlois's wife Igerna (Igraine) at Tintagel , and she conceives Arthur. On Uther's death, the fifteen-year-old Arthur succeeds him as King of Britain and fights a series of battles, similar to those in the Historia Brittonum , culminating in the Battle of Bath. He then defeats the Picts and Scots before creating an Arthurian empire through his conquests of Ireland, Iceland and
34869-421: The tales began to be told in prose. The most significant of these 13th-century prose romances was the Vulgate Cycle (also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle), a series of five Middle French prose works written in the first half of that century. These works were the Estoire del Saint Grail , the Estoire de Merlin , the Lancelot propre (or Prose Lancelot , which made up half the entire Vulgate Cycle on its own),
35066-506: The text is now dated to the late 12th to early 13th century). Also important are the references to Arthur in William of Malmesbury 's De Gestis Regum Anglorum and Herman's De Miraculis Sanctae Mariae Laudunensis , which together provide the first certain evidence for a belief that Arthur was not actually dead and would at some point return , a theme that is often revisited in post-Galfridian folklore. Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae , completed c. 1138 , contains
35263-401: The three Welsh Arthurian romances, which are closely similar to those of Chrétien, albeit with some significant differences: Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain is related to Chrétien's Yvain ; Geraint and Enid , to Erec and Enide ; and Peredur son of Efrawg , to Perceval . Up to c. 1210 , continental Arthurian romance was expressed primarily through poetry; after this date
35460-418: The throne. Arthur returns to Britain and defeats and kills Modredus on the river Camblam in Cornwall, but he is mortally wounded. He hands the crown to his kinsman Constantine and is taken to the isle of Avalon to be healed of his wounds, never to be seen again. How much of this narrative was Geoffrey's own invention is open to debate. He seems to have made use of the list of Arthur's twelve battles against
35657-432: The times of Arthur's father Uther Pendragon ). Dodinel ( Dodinas , Dodine[i]s , Dôdînes , Dodinia[u]s , Dodin[s] , Dodynas , Dodynel , Didones , Dydonel[l] , Lionel , etc.) le Sauvage ( le Savage , le Salvage , li Sauvages , li Salvages , el Salvaje , der Wilde , etc.), variously translated to English as the Wild , the Wildman , or the Savage (sometimes also as the descriptive "impetuous" or "fierce"),
35854-410: The total of merely 24 (not counting Arthur). Aglovale de Galis ( Agglovale , Aglaval[e] , Agloval , Aglován , Aglovaus , etc.; - de Galles , - le Gallois ) is the eldest legitimate son of King Pellinore of Galis ( Wales ), introduced in the Vulgate Lancelot . Like his father and his brothers (who may include Drian , Lamorak , the original Grail hero Perceval , and Tor ), he is a Knight of
36051-414: The traditional, albeit contested, division of the massive medieval prose Lancelot portion of the Vulgate Cycle into three or four parts, the last section is named after Agravain. Despite giving his name to the section, Agravain plays only a minor part in most of its stories. The earliest known appearance of Agravain, as Engrevain the Proud ( Old French : li Orgueilleus , modern French: l'Orgueilleux ),
36248-437: The very best of the Knights, alongside Galahad , Lancelot , Palamedes , and his own brother Lamorak . There, Drian and Lamorak are hated by Gawain for being sons of Pellinore and for being superior knights to Gawain. Drian dies when he fights three of King Lot 's sons, unhorsing Agravain and Mordred before being mortally wounded and left for dead by Gawain; Lamorak dies soon afterwards while trying to avenge him. Drian
36445-406: The victim is, respectively, either an unnamed visiting Scottish knight or Sir Patrise of Ireland (the poisoner is also renamed by Malory as Sir Pionel). The Italian Tristano Panciaticchiano , in which he remains Mador's brother, calls him Giafredi . Galehodin le Gallois ( Galeh[a/o]udin , also Gal[l]ides , Gallind[r]es , etc.) is Galehaut 's nephew and godson, and his designated successor as
36642-406: The wars against the rebel kings at Bedegraine , against the Saxons at Cameliard , and against King Claudas in the Wasteland ; the latter earns him his nickname "of the Wasteland" (de la Deserte). In both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the Queste , as well as in the Prose Tristan , he participates in the Grail Quest . In Malory, he is the lord of the Castle of Gannis in Britain. In
36839-416: The wilds of the landscape. The third and final strand is that the early Welsh Arthur had a close connection with the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn . On the one hand, he launches assaults on Otherworldly fortresses in search of treasure and frees their prisoners. On the other, his warband in the earliest sources includes former pagan gods, and his wife and his possessions are clearly Otherworldly in origin. One of
37036-447: Was a king of Britain . He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain . In Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the post-Roman Britons in battles against the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. He first appears in two early medieval historical sources, the Annales Cambriae and the Historia Brittonum , but these date to 300 years after he
37233-528: Was adapted into the Lerner and Loewe stage musical Camelot (1960) and Walt Disney 's animated film The Sword in the Stone (1963); Camelot , with its focus on the love of Lancelot and Guinevere and the cuckolding of Arthur, was itself made into a film of the same name in 1967. The romance tradition of Arthur is particularly evident and in critically respected films like Robert Bresson 's Lancelot du Lac (1974), Éric Rohmer 's Perceval le Gallois (1978) and John Boorman 's Excalibur (1981); it
37430-432: Was also chosen by King Edward III of England when he decided to create his own real-life Order of the Round Table at Windsor Castle in 1344. In many chivalric romances there are over 100 members of Arthur's Round Table, as with either 140 or 150 according to Thomas Malory 's popular Le Morte d'Arthur , and about 140 according to Erec by Hartmann von Aue . Some sources offer much smaller numbers, such as 13 in
37627-458: Was enormously influential on the later medieval development of the Arthurian legend. While it was not the only creative force behind Arthurian romance, many of its elements were borrowed and developed (e.g., Merlin and the final fate of Arthur), and it provided the historical framework into which the romancers' tales of magical and wonderful adventures were inserted. During the ongoing conquest of Wales by Edward I , he attempted to make King Arthur
37824-478: Was expected to return in this poem. From the early twelfth century onwards several sources report about a popular belief in the return of King Arthur, although most often critically and mockingly presented. His future return is first mentioned by William of Malmesbury in 1125: "But Arthur's grave is nowhere seen, whence antiquity of fables still claims that he will return." In the "Miracles of St. Mary of Laon" ( De miraculis sanctae Mariae Laudunensis ), written by
38021-423: Was first published in 1859 and sold 10,000 copies within the first week. In the Idylls , Arthur became a symbol of ideal manhood who ultimately failed, through human weakness, to establish a perfect kingdom on earth. Tennyson's works prompted a large number of imitators, generated considerable public interest in the legends of Arthur and the character himself, and brought Malory's tales to a wider audience. Indeed,
38218-404: Was not, however, the only Arthurian influence on the developing " Matter of Britain ". There is clear evidence that Arthur and Arthurian tales were familiar on the Continent before Geoffrey's work became widely known (see for example, the Modena Archivolt ), and "Celtic" names and stories not found in Geoffrey's Historia appear in the Arthurian romances . From the perspective of Arthur, perhaps
38415-412: Was their brother. The four later attack Morgause's lover Lamorak , and they kill him after an unfair fight of all of them at once against one. The so-called "Agravain" section of the Vulgate Cycle's Prose Lancelot begins with some minor adventures of Agravain. In one of them, he slays the evil lord Druas the Cruel. The Prose Lancelot ascribes an important adventure of Lancelot, which is here retold in
38612-446: Was told first through chapbooks and later through the political plays of Henry Fielding ; although the action is clearly set in Arthurian Britain, the treatment is humorous and Arthur appears as a primarily comedic version of his romance character. John Dryden 's masque King Arthur is still performed, largely thanks to Henry Purcell 's music, though seldom unabridged. In the early 19th century, medievalism , Romanticism , and
38809-464: Was used specifically as a foil for Kay in some lost early version of Yvain's story. The 12th-century author Chrétien de Troyes characterized him as everything Kay is not: polite, respectful, eloquent, and well-mannered. By this theory, his name can be deconstructed to "Cai lo grenant", or "Cai the grumbler", which would represent another opposite characteristic of Kay, who was famous for his acid tongue. Calogrenant first appears in Chrétien's Yvain,
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