149-551: Galahad ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ə h æ d / ), sometimes referred to as Galeas ( / ɡ ə ˈ l iː ə s / ) or Galath ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ə θ / ), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur 's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot du Lac and Lady Elaine of Corbenic and is renowned for his gallantry and purity as
298-650: 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
447-465: A Christmas Mystery , published in 1858. Unlike Malory and Tennyson's pure hero, Morris creates a Galahad who is emotionally complex, conflicted, and palpably human. In A Christmas Mystery , written more than twenty years after Tennyson's Sir Galahad , Galahad is "fighting an internal battle between the ideal and the human", and tries to reconcile his longing for earthly delights, such as the romantic exploits of Sir Palomydes and his father Sir Lancelot, and
596-405: A child and that this little boy will grow to become the greatest knight in the world, the knight chosen by God to discover the Holy Grail . Pelles also knows that Lancelot will only lie with his one true love, Guinevere. Destiny will have to be helped along a little; therefore, a conclusion which prompts Pelles to seek out "one of the greatest enchantresses of the time," Dame Brusen, who gives Pelles
745-466: A chronicle of actual events, retells the legend of King Arthur by focusing on the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere , the religious quest for the Holy Grail , and the life of Merlin . The highly influential cycle expands on Robert de Boron 's "Little Grail Cycle" and the works of Chrétien de Troyes , previously unrelated to each other, by supplementing them with additional details and side stories, as well as lengthy continuations, while tying
894-660: A cloak of deception, similarly to the conceptions of Arthur and Merlin. Despite this, Galahad is the knight who is chosen to find the Holy Grail. Galahad, in both the Lancelot-Grail cycle and in Malory's retelling, is exalted above all the other knights: he is the one worthy enough to have the Grail revealed to him and to be taken into Heaven. In Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur , Galahad's incredible prowess and fortune in
1043-584: A conversion of Robert de Boron's poem by the same title. It can be divided into: The cycle's centerpiece part Lancelot en prose , also known the Estoire de Lancelot ( Story of Lancelot ) or Le Livre de Lancelot du Lac ( The Life of Lancelot of the Lake ), follows the adventures of the eponymous hero as well as many other Knights of the Round Table during the later years of King Arthur's reign up until
1192-567: 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 )
1341-881: 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
1490-749: 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
1639-504: 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
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#17327728040161788-607: A happy ending for him, discovering his true identity and receiving a kiss from Guinevere when he confesses his love for her. Elspeth Kennedy identified the possible non-cyclic Prose Lancelot in an early manuscript known as the BNF fr. 768 . It is about three times shorter than the later editions and notably the Grail Quest (usually taking place later) is mentioned within the text as already having been completed by Perceval alone. The Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal ( Quest for
1937-587: 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
2086-405: 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
2235-1174: 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
2384-542: 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
2533-426: A later Welsh redaction ). Map's connection has been discounted by modern scholarship, however, as he died too early to be the author and the work is distinctly continental. The cycle's actual authorship is unknown, but most scholars today believe it was written by multiple authors. There might have been either a single master-mind planner, the so-called "architect" (as first called so by Jean Frappier, who compared
2682-494: 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
2831-434: A magic ring that makes Elaine take on the appearance of Guinevere and enables her to spend a night with Lancelot. On discovering the deception, Lancelot draws his sword on Elaine, but when he finds out that they have conceived a son together, he is immediately forgiving; however, he does not marry Elaine or even wish to be with her anymore and returns to Arthur's court (albeit years later they eventually come to live together for
2980-577: 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
3129-620: 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
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#17327728040163278-532: 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
3427-591: 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,
3576-576: A modern canon of Arthuriana that is still prevalent today. The Vulgate Cycle emphasizes Christian themes in the legend of King Arthur , in particular in the story of the Holy Grail . As in Robert de Boron 's poem Merlin ( c. 1195–1210 ), the cycle states that its first parts have been derived from the Livre du Graal ("The Book of the Grail") that is described as a text dictated by Merlin himself to his confessor Blaise [ fr ] in
3725-525: 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
3874-478: 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
4023-518: A room where he is finally allowed to see the Holy Grail. Galahad is asked to take the vessel to the holy island Sarras . After seeing the Grail, Galahad makes the request that he may die at the time of his choosing. So it is that, while making his way back to Arthur's court, Galahad is visited by the spirit of Joseph of Arimathea, and thus experiences such a glorious rapture that he makes his request to die. Galahad bids Percival and Bors farewell, after which angels appear to take him to Heaven. His ascension
4172-410: A single-minded and lonely course, sacrificing much in his determination to aspire to a higher ideal: Then move the trees, the copses nod, Wings flutter, voices hover clear “O just and faithful knight of God! Ride on! the prize is near.” Tennyson's poem follows Galahad's journey to find the Holy Grail but ends while he is still riding, still seeking, still dreaming; as if to say that the quest for
4321-490: A time, after Elaine cures him of his severe and long madness caused by both herself and Guinevere). Galahad is born and placed in the care of a great aunt, who is an abbess at a nunnery, to be raised there. According to the 13th-century Old French Prose Lancelot (part of the Vulgate Cycle), "Galahad" (actually written as Galaad , in some manuscripts also as Gaalaz or Galaaus ) was Lancelot's original name, but it
4470-540: 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
4619-615: 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
Galahad - Misplaced Pages Continue
4768-631: 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
4917-511: Is accompanied by a very old knight who immediately leads him over to the Round Table and unveils his seat at the Siege Perilous , an unused chair that has been kept vacant for the sole person who will succeed in the quest of the Holy Grail. For all others who have aspired to sit there, it has proved to be immediately fatal. Galahad survives this test, witnessed by Arthur who, upon realising the greatness of this new knight, leads him out to
5066-626: Is associated with a white shield with a vermilion cross, the very same emblem given to the Knights Templar by Pope Eugene III . The circumstances surrounding Galahad's conception derive from the earlier parts of Grail prose cycles. It takes place when King Arthur 's greatest knight, Lancelot , mistakes Princess Elaine of Corbenic (originally known as Heliabel or Amite in the Vulgate Cycle) for his secret mistress, Queen Guinevere . Lady Elaine's father, King Pelles , has already received magical foreknowledge that Lancelot will give his daughter
5215-408: Is attributed to be the editing author, as can be seen in the notes and illustrations in some manuscripts describing his discovery in an archive at Salisbury of the chronicle of Camelot , supposedly dating from the times of Arthur, and his translation of these documents from Latin to Old French as ordered by Henry II of England (the location was changed from Salisbury to the mystical Avalon in
5364-495: 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
5513-479: 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
5662-475: 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
5811-522: Is finally reunited with Bors and Percival. Together, the three blessed virgin knights come across Percival's sister , who leads them to the mystical Ship of Solomon . They use it to cross the sea to an island where Galahad finds King David 's sword. After many adventures, Galahad and his companions find themselves in the mystical castle of Corbenic at the court of King Pelles and his son Eliazarr (Galahad does not reunite with his mother, who had died meanwhile). His grandfather and uncle bring Galahad into
5960-623: 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
6109-723: 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
Galahad - Misplaced Pages Continue
6258-533: 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
6407-516: 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
6556-549: 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",
6705-407: Is sorrowful that all the knights have embarked thus, for he discerns that many will never be seen again, dying in their quest. Arthur fears that it is the beginning of the end of the Round Table. This might be seen as a theological statement that concludes that earthly endeavours must take second place to the pursuit of the holiness. Galahad, in some ways, mirrors Arthur, drawing a sword from a stone in
6854-608: 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
7003-506: Is the longest part, making up fully half of the entire cycle. It is inspired by and in part based on Chrétien's poem Lancelot, le Chevalier de la Charrette ( Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart ). It primarily deals with a series of episodes of Lancelot 's early life and with the courtly love between him and Queen Guinevere , as well as his deep friendship with Galehaut , interlaced with
7152-604: 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
7301-590: 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
7450-405: Is witnessed by Bors and Percival. Depending on the telling, Galahad is either physically taken to paradise as he completely vanishes in a bright light or his mortal body is left behind and later buried. In the latter scenario, Galahad is usually laid to rest alongside the body of Percival's sister and later joined in their grave by Percival himself. Galahad's success in the search for the Holy Grail
7599-487: 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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#17327728040167748-773: The Enfances Lancelot ("Lancelot's youth") or Galehaut (sometimes Galeaut ), further split between the Charrette and its follow-up the Suite de la Charette ( Continuation of the Charrette ); the Agravain (named after Gawain's brother Agravain ); and the Preparation for the Quest linking the previous ones. It was perhaps originally an independent romance that would begin with Lancelot's birth and finish with
7897-759: The Historia di Merlino (1379) was loosely adapted from the Vulgate Merlin . The cycle's elements and characters have been also incorporated into various other works in France, such as Les Prophecies de Mérlin (or the Prophéties de Merlin ) and Palamedes , and elsewhere. Some episodes from the Vulgate Cycle have been adapted into the Third and Fourth Continuations of Chrétien's unfinished Perceval,
8046-465: The Holy Grail is a relatively late addition to the Arthurian legend. Galahad does not feature in any romance by Chrétien de Troyes , or in Robert de Boron 's Grail stories, or in any of the continuations of Chrétien's story of the mysterious castle of the Fisher King . He first appears in a 13th-century Old French Arthurian epic, the interconnected set of romances of unknown authorship, known as
8195-486: The Lancelot Proper , and consequently most of Lancelot and Guinevere's content, instead focusing on the Grail Quest. It also borrows characters and episodes from the first version of the Prose Tristan (1220), making Tristan one of the main characters. The second version of the Prose Tristan (1240) itself partially incorporated the Vulgate Cycle by copying parts of it. Along with the Prose Tristan , both
8344-429: The Lancelot-Grail (Vulgate) Cycle . His name could have been derived from the Welsh name Gwalchaved, meaning "Falcon of Summer". The original conception of Galahad, whose adult exploits are first recounted in the fourth book of the Vulgate Cycle (Vulgate Lancelot ), may have come from the mystical Cistercian Order . According to some interpreters, the philosophical inspiration of the celibate, otherworldly character of
8493-443: 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
8642-404: 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
8791-550: 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
8940-406: 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
9089-465: The Vulgate Mort Artu / La Mort Artu , a tragic account of further wars culminating in the king and his illegitimate son Mordred killing each other in a near-complete rewrite of the Arthurian chronicle tradition from the works of Geoffrey of Monmouth and his redactors. It is also connected with the so-called "Mort Artu" epilogue section of the Didot Perceval [ fr ] , a text uncertainly attributed to Robert de Boron, and which itself
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#17327728040169238-413: The Vulgate Cycle (from the Latin editio vulgata , "common version", a modern title invented by H. Oskar Sommer ) or the Pseudo-Map Cycle (named so after Walter Map , its pseudo-author ), is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance originally written in Old French . The work of unknown authorship, presenting itself as
9387-471: The "Mörlin" part of Ulrich Fuetrer 's Buch von Abenteuer (1471). Jacob van Maerlant 's Dutch translation of the Merlin added some original content in his Merlijns Boek also known as Historie von Merlijn (1261), as did the Italian writer Paolino Pieri in the Storia di Merlino (1320). The Dutch Lancelot Compilation (1320) added an original romance to a translation of the Prose Lancelot . The Italian Vita de Merlino con le suo Prophetie also known as
9536-547: The "more austere spiritual goal to which he has been called". In the companion piece The Chapel in Lyoness , a knight lies dying in winter "in a bizarre realization of Galahad's nightmare vision of his own fate". Galahad then "saves" the knight with a kiss before he finally expires. It is here that Galahad progresses from "a somewhat self-centered figure" to "a savior capable of imparting grace". Morris' poems place this emotional conflict at centre stage, rather than concentrating upon Galahad's prowess for defeating external enemies, and
9685-399: 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
9834-427: 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
9983-444: The Cistercian Saint Aelred of Rievaulx 's idea of "spiritual friendship" seen in the interactions between the Grail knights ( Galahad , Percival , and Bors ). Others doubt this, however, and a compromise theory postulates a more secular writer who had spent some time in a Cistercian monastery. Richard Barber described the Cistercian theology of the Queste as unconventional and complex but subtle, noting its success in appealing to
10132-449: 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
10281-519: 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
10430-426: 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
10579-583: 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
10728-457: The Grail by Joseph. Upon reaching adulthood (in medieval definition) of 15 years old, Galahad is finally united with his father Lancelot, who had never met him before that (not even during the years of living with Elaine). Lancelot knights Galahad after having been bested by him in a duel, the first and only time that Lancelot ever lost in a fair fight to anyone. Galahad is then brought to King Arthur's court at Camelot during Pentecost , where he
10877-570: The Holy Grail ), also known as Les Aventures ou La Queste del Saint Graal ( The Adventures or The Quest for the Holy Grail ) or just the Vulgate Queste , is, like the Estoire del Saint Graal , another highly religious part of the cycle. It relates how the Grail Quest is undertaken by various knights including Perceval and Bors, and achieved by Lancelot's son Galahad, the perfect holy knight who here replaces both Lancelot and Perceval as
11026-492: The Holy Grail is an ongoing task. Unlike many other portrayals of the legend of Sir Galahad, Tennyson has Sir Galahad speak in the first person, giving the reader his thoughts and feelings as he rides on his quest, rather than just the details of his battles, as in Malory. Sir Galahad's thoughts and aspirations have been explored as well by William Morris in his poems The Chapel in Lyoness , published in 1856, and Sir Galahad,
11175-583: 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
11324-531: The IRHT's Initiale project. The earliest copies are of French origin and date from 1220 to 1230. Numerous copies were produced in French throughout the remainder of the 13th, 14th and well into the 15th centuries in France, England and Italy, as well as translations into other European languages. Some of the manuscripts are richly illuminated: British Library Royal MS 14 E III, produced in Northern France in
11473-569: 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
11622-493: 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
11771-468: 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
11920-584: The Post-Vulgate and the Vulgate original were among the most important sources for Thomas Malory 's seminal English compilation of Arthurian legend, Le Morte d'Arthur (1470), which has become a template for many modern works. The 14th-century English poem Stanzaic Morte Arthur is a compressed verse translation of the Vulgate Mort Artu . In the 15th-century Scotland, the first part of
12069-592: 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 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
12218-433: 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
12367-429: The Round Table . The chief of them is the famed Lancelot, whose chivalric tale is centered around his illicit romance with Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere. However, the cycle also tells of adventures of a more spiritual type. Most prominently, they involve the Holy Grail, the vessel that contained the blood of Christ, which is searched for by many members of the Round Table until Lancelot's son Galahad ultimately emerges as
12516-594: The Story of the Grail . Other legacy can be found in the many so-called "pseudo-Arthurian" works in Spain and Portugal. H. Oskar Sommer published the entire original French text of the Vulgate Cycle in seven volumes in the years 1908–1916. Sommer's has been the only complete cycle published as of 2004. The base text used was the British Library Add MS 10292–10294. It is however not a critical edition, but
12665-687: The Vulgate Lancelot was turned into verse in Lancelot of the Laik , a romance love poem with political messages. In the 15th-century England, Henry Lovelich 's poem Merlin and the verse romance Of Arthour and of Merlin were based on the Vulgate Merlin and the Merlin Continuation . Outside Britain, the Vulgate Merlin was retold in Germany by Albrecht von Scharfenberg in his lost Der Theure Mörlin , preserved over 100 years later in
12814-611: 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
12963-555: 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
13112-520: 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
13261-733: 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
13410-800: 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 ),
13559-523: 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
13708-640: 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
13857-452: 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
14006-533: 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
14155-487: 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
14304-714: 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
14453-410: 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
14602-438: The adventures of Gawain and other knights such as Yvain , Hector , Lionel , and Bors . The Lancelot Proper is regarded as having been written first in the cycle. The actual [ Conte de la ] Charrette ("[Tale of the] Cart"), an incorporation of a prose rendition of Chrétien's poem, spans only a small part of the Vulgate text. Due to its length, modern scholars often divide the Lancelot into various sub-sections, including
14751-483: The appearance of Galahad and the start of the Grail Quest. The separate parts of the Lancelot – Queste – Mort Artu trilogy differ greatly in tone, the first (composed c. 1215–1220 ) can be characterized as colorful, the second ( c. 1220–1225 ) as pious, and the third ( c. 1225–1230 ) as sober: The Vulgate Lancelot propre ( Lancelot Proper ), also known as Le Roman de Lancelot ( The Novel of Lancelot ) or just Lancelot du Lac ,
14900-569: 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
15049-407: The casques of men, My tough lance thrusteth sure, My strength is as the strength of ten, Because my heart is pure. Galahad is able to conquer all of his enemies because he is pure. In the next verse of this poem, Tennyson continues to glorify Galahad for remaining pure at heart, by putting these words into his mouth: I never felt the kiss of love, Nor maiden's hand in mine. Galahad pursues
15198-445: The chosen hero. Their interlacing adventures are purported to be narrated by Bors, the witness of these events after the deaths of Galahad and Perceval. It is the most innovative part of the cycle as it was not derived from any known earlier stories, including the creation of the character of Galahad as a major new Arthurian hero. The Vulgate Mort le roi Artu ( Death of King Arthur ), also known as La Mort le Roy Artus or just
15347-429: The cold and the frost of a Christmas period serve to reinforce his "chilly isolation". The poem opens on midwinter's night; Sir Galahad has been sitting for six hours in a chapel, staring at the floor. He muses to himself: Night after night your horse treads down alone The sere damp fern, night after night you sit Holding the bridle like a man of stone, Dismal, unfriended: what thing comes of it? Knights of
15496-553: The courtly audience accustomed to more secular romances. The Lancelot-Grail Cycle may be divided into three main branches, although more usually into five, with the romances Queste and Mort regarded as separate from the Vulgate Lancelot (the latter possibly initially standalone in the original so-called "short version"). In particular, the Lancelot , the Queste and the Morte are 'so divergent as to leave no doubt that they are
15645-477: The early 14th century and once owned by King Charles V of France , contains over 100 miniatures with gilding throughout and decorated borders at the beginning of each section. Other manuscripts were made for less wealthy owners and contain very little or no decoration, for example British Library MS Royal 19 B VII, produced in England, also in the early 14th century, with initials in red and blue marking sections in
15794-441: The early years of Arthur's reign. Next, following the demise of Merlin, there are more supposed original (fictitious) authors of the later parts of the cycle, the following list using one of their multiple spelling variants: Arodiens de Cologne (Arodian of Cologne ), Tantalides de Vergeaus (Tantalides of Vercelli ), Thumas de Toulete (Thomas of Toledo ), and Sapiens de Baudas (Sapient of Baghdad ). These characters are described as
15943-631: 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
16092-415: The entire narrative together into a coherent single tale. Its alternate titles include Philippe Walter's 21st-century edition Le Livre du Graal ("The Book of the Grail"). There is no unity of place within the narrative, but most of the episodes take place in Arthur's kingdom of Logres . One of the main characters is Arthur himself, around whom gravitates a host of other heroes, many of whom are Knights of
16241-540: 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
16390-519: 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
16539-479: 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
16688-422: 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
16837-467: The greatest knight ever. Galahad is promptly invited to become a Knight of the Round Table, and soon afterwards, Arthur's court witnesses an ethereal vision of the Grail. The quest to seek out this holy object is begun at once. All of the Knights of the Round Table set out to find the Grail. It is Galahad who takes the initiative to begin the search for the Grail; the rest of the knights follow him. Arthur
16986-486: 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
17135-491: 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
17284-528: The main story, it is derived from Robert de Boron's poem Joseph d'Arimathie [ fr ] with new characters and episodes added. The Vulgate Estoire de Merlin ( Story of Merlin ), or just the Vulgate Merlin , concerns Merlin 's complicated conception and childhood and the early life of Arthur , which Merlin has influence over. It is a redaction of the Prose Merlin , itself
17433-671: 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. Prose Lancelot The Lancelot-Grail Cycle (a modern title invented by Ferdinand Lot ), also known as
17582-518: The monastic knight Galahad came from this monastic order set up by St. Bernard of Clairvaux . The Cistercian-Bernardine concept of Catholic warrior asceticism that so distinguishes the character of Galahad also informs St. Bernard's projection of ideal chivalry in his work on the Knights Templar , the Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae . Significantly, in the narratives, Galahad
17731-446: 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
17880-463: The most perfect of all knights. Emerging quite late in the medieval Arthurian tradition, Sir Galahad first appears in the Lancelot–Grail cycle, and his story is taken up in later works, such as the Post-Vulgate Cycle , and Sir Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur . In Arthurian literature, he replaced Percival as the hero in the quest for the Holy Grail . The story of Galahad and his quest for
18029-402: The most widespread form of Arthurian literature of the late medieval period, during which they were both translated into multiple European languages and rewritten into alternative variants, including having been partially turned into verse. They also inspired various later works of Arthurian romance, eventually contributing the most to the compilation Le Morte d'Arthur that formed the basis for
18178-439: 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 )
18327-452: 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
18476-726: 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)
18625-429: The process to building a cathedral ), who may have written the main section ( Lancelot Proper ), and then overseen the work of multiple other anonymous scribes. One theory identified the initiator as French queen Eleanor of Aquitaine , who would have set up the project already in 1194. Alternately, each part may have been composed separately, arranged gradually, and rewritten for consistency and cohesiveness. Regarding
18774-508: The quest for the Holy Grail are traced back to his piety. According to the legend, only pure knights may achieve the Grail. While in a specific sense, this "purity" refers to chastity, Galahad appears to have lived a generally sinless life and as a result, he lives and thinks on a level entirely apart from the other knights around him. This quality is reflected in Alfred, Lord Tennyson 's poem "Sir Galahad" : My good blade carves
18923-541: 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
19072-629: The question of the author of the Lancelot , Ferdinand Lot suggested an anonymous clerical court clerk of aristocratic background. Today it is believed by some (such as editors of the Encyclopædia Britannica ) that a group of anonymous French Catholic monks wrote the cycle – or at least the Queste part (where, according to Fanni Bogdanow, the text's main purpose is to convince sinners to repent ). The evidence of this would be its very Cistercian spirit of Christian mysticism (with Augustinian intrusions ), including
19221-470: The river where a magic sword lies in a stone with an inscription reading "Never shall man take me hence but only he by whose side I ought to hang; and he shall be the best knight of the world." (The embedding of a sword in a stone is also an element of the legends of Arthur's original sword, the sword in the stone . In Malory's version, this is the sword that had belonged to Balin .) Galahad accomplishes this test with ease, and Arthur swiftly proclaims him to be
19370-454: 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
19519-730: The scans of many of them) close to 150 manuscripts in French, some fragmentary, others, such as British Library Add MS 10292–10294, containing the entire cycle. Besides the British Library, scans of various manuscripts can be seen online through digital library websites of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France 's Gallica (including these from the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal ) and the University of Oxford 's Digital Bodleian; many illustrations can also be found at
19668-544: The scribes in service of Arthur who recorded the deeds of the Knights of the Round Table , including the grand Grail Quest, as relayed to them by the eyewitnesses of the events beings told in the story. It is uncertain whether the medieval readers actually believed in the truthfulness of the centuries-old "chronicle" characterisation or if they recognised it as a contemporary work of creative fiction. Welsh writer Gautier (Walter) Map ( c. 1140 – c. 1209 )
19817-483: The sections which deal with the Grail and religious themes, omitting the middle section, which relates Lancelot's chivalric exploits. The Vulgate Cycle was soon afterwards subject to a major revision during the 1230s, in which much was left out and much added. In the resulting far-shorter Post-Vulgate Cycle , also known as the Roman du Graal , Lancelot is no longer the central character. The Post-Vulgate omits almost all of
19966-496: The stories of the cycle were immensely popular in medieval France and neighboring countries between the beginning of the 13th and the beginning of the 16th century, they survived in some two hundred manuscripts in various forms (not counting printed books since the late 15th century, starting with Jean le Bourgeois and Jean Dupré's edition of the Lancelot printed in Paris in 1488). The Lancelot-Graal Project website lists (and links to
20115-495: The technique known as interlace (French: entrelacement ). Narrative interlacing is most prominent in the Queste , a literary technique used by modern authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien . The Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal ( Story of the Holy Grail ) is the religious tale of early Christian Joseph of Arimathea and how his son Josephus brought the Holy Grail to Britain from the Holy Land . Set several centuries prior to
20264-525: The text and larger decorated initials at chapter-breaks. One notable manuscript is known as the Rochefoucauld Grail . However, very few copies of the entire Lancelot-Grail Cycle survive. Perhaps because it was so vast, copies were made of parts of the legend which may have suited the tastes of certain patrons, with popular combinations containing only the tales of either Merlin or Lancelot. For instance, British Library Royal 14 E III contains
20413-540: 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"),
20562-476: 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
20711-437: 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
20860-406: 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
21009-623: 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
21158-402: The way that Arthur did. In this manner, Galahad is declared to be the chosen one. Further uniquely among the Round Table, Galahad is capable of performing miracles such as banishing demons and healing the sick. For the most part, he travels alone during the Grail Quest, smiting (and often sparing) his enemies, rescuing fellow knights including Percival and saving maidens in distress until he
21307-420: The winner of this sacred journey. Other major plotlines include the accounts of the life of Merlin and of the rise and fall of Arthur. After its completion around 1230–1235, the Lancelot–Grail was soon followed by its major reworking known as the Post-Vulgate Cycle . Together, the two prose cycles with their abundance of characters and stories represent a major source of the legend of Arthur as they constituted
21456-474: The work of different authors'. The story of Lancelot was actually the first to be written (beginning c. 1210–1215 ). The stories of Joseph and Merlin joined the cycle late (before c. 1235 ), serving as "prequels" to the main story. The cycle has a narrative structure close to that of a modern novel in which multiple overlapping events featuring different characters may simultaneously develop in parallel and intertwine with each other through
21605-432: 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
21754-462: Was based on Wace 's Roman de Brut . In a new motif, the ruin of Arthur's kingdom is presented as the disastrous direct consequence of the sin of Lancelot's and Guinevere's adulterous affair. Lancelot eventually dies too, as do the other protagonists who did not die in the Queste , leaving only Bors as a survivor of the Round Table. The mortally wounded Arthur is put on a barge commanded by his sister, Morgan , and taken to an uncertain destiny. As
21903-408: Was changed when he was a child. At his birth, therefore, Galahad is given his father's own original name. Merlin prophesies that Galahad will surpass his father in valor and be successful in his search for the Holy Grail. Pelles, Galahad's maternal grandfather, is portrayed as a descendant of Joseph of Arimathea 's brother-in-law Bron, also known as Galahad (Galaad), whose line had been entrusted with
22052-414: Was predicted before his birth, not only by Pelles but also by Merlin, who once had told Arthur's father Uther Pendragon that there was one who would fill the place at the "table of Joseph", but that he was not yet born. At first this knight was believed to be Percival, however it is later discovered to be Galahad. Galahad was conceived for the divine purpose of seeking the Holy Grail, but this happened under
22201-464: 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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