Queen Guinevere - Arthurian Legend Arthurian Legend The legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table A comprehensive guide into Arthurian Legends. The life of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, Merlin & The Knights Of The Round Table. Queen Guinevere Queen Guinevere Story; Arthurian Legend Queen Guinevere, King Arthur (her husband), and Sir Lancelot (her lover), form the most celebrated love-triangle in European literature. From her origins – probably Welsh – Guinevere’s presence (and non-presence by abduction) runs strong throughout mainstream Arthurian legend: in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Brittaniae, in the works of the French poets Chrétien de Troyes and Robert de Boron, in the Vulgate Cycle, and most famously in Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth Guinevere is descended from a noble family of Romans and is “the loveliest woman in all the island”. In later romances she is the daughter of Leodegrance, previous owner of the Round Table, which she brings, together with one hundred knights, as her dowry when she marries Arthur.

By the time of Chrétien de Troyes her affair with Lancelot is well established – it is he, not Arthur, who rescues Guinevere from her abductor Méléagant. She is an accomplice to Mordred’s treachery against Arthur in the Vulgate cycle, a theme continued by Malory in Le Morte d’Arthur, where Queen Guinevere’s character comes to full fruition. Here, her lifelong relationship with Lancelot, who rescues her from being burnt at the stake for adultery, eventually brings about the downfall of Camelot. Le Morte d’Arthur: how King Arthur met and married Guinevere Chapter 18, Book 1 of Le Morte d’Arthur is titled ‘How King Arthur, King Ban, and King Bors rescued King Leodegrance, and other incidents.’ This comes at the conclusion of King Arthur’s wars against the eleven kings.

King Arthur and his two companion kings arrived at Camelerd (Leodegrance’s castle, and incidentally a name that may echo the Cornish river Camel and the town of Camelford) with twenty thousand men, where they slew ten thousand of King Rience’s men and put him to flight, and rescued King Leodegrance. During the celebrations (paragraph 2) “… and there had Arthur the first sight of Guenever, the king’s daughter of Camelerd, and ever after he loved her. After, they were wedded, as it telleth in the book…” This mid-paragraph sentence is all that Malory has to say about the initial attraction between Arthur and Guinevere – ‘less is more’, it seems, and nothing is said about Guinevere’s feelings towards Arthur.

The first chapter of Book 3 is more expansive: ‘How King Arthur took a wife, and wedded Guinever, daughter to Leodegrance, king of the land of Camelerd, with whom he had the Round Table.’ The role of Merlin the Wizard comes into play: Arthur says to Merlin “My barons will let me have no rest, but needs I must take a wife, and I will none take but by thy counsel and by thine advice.” “Is there any that ye love more than another?” enquires Merlin, to which Arthur replies “Yea, I love Guenever the King’s daughter Leodegrance, of the land of Camelerd, the which holdeth in his house the Table Round that ye told he had of my father Uther. And this damosel is the most valiant and fairest lady that I know living, or yet that ever I could find.” At that point Merlin warns Arthur that Guinevere is not wholesome enough to be his wife, and that Lancelot would love her (and she him). But Arthur’s heart is set, and Merlin agrees to go to Camelerd to act as go-between.

Leodegrance is overjoyed and delivers his daughter, via Merlin, to London with the Round Table and “a hundred good knights”. The occasion of the marriage between King Arthur and Quinevere is interwoven with the ordination of the Knights of the Round Table by the Bishop of Canterbury. The marriage ceremony itself is a strange affair, marked by the appearance of a white hart that came running into the hall with a white brachet chasing after it, closely followed by sixty black hounds. As the hart ran around the tables the brachet bit a piece out of its buttock, and it leaped into the air, unseating a knight from his chair in the process. The knight got up, grabbed the brachet, and went out of the hall and rode away with it. Three quests immediately follow, by the knights Sir Gawain, Sir Tor, and King Pellinor.

When they return to Camelot – with the marriage celebrations seemingly still under way – each reports to the king and queen, after which “all the knights were sworn to the Round Table, and every year thereafter they would be so sworn at the high feast of Pentecost.” The abductions of Queen Guinevere Guinevere’s adbuction by men is a recurring theme throughout Arthurian legend, and when kidnapped, she must be saved – the epitome of the damsel in distress, though never is she at serious risk of harm. In The Life of Gildas by Caradoc of Llancarfan (c.1130-1150) the queen (Gwenhwyfar) was abducted to Glastonia by the wicked King Melwas of Somerset (possibly an early manifestation of Méléagant), and Arthur – then depicted as a tyrant and accompanied by a “countless multitude” on account of his wife being violated and carried off – searched for the queen throughout the course of a whole year, and at last heard that she remained there (in Glastonia).

He roused the armies of the whole of Cornubia and Dibneria, but the Abbot of Glastonia, attended by the clergy and Gildas the Wise, stepped in between the contending armies and advised King Melvas to restore the ravished lady. Accordingly, she was restored “in peace and good will”. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s version of Guinevere’s abduction casts Mordred, Arthur’s nephew, as the villain. Arthur left her his care whilst he went to Europe to campaign against the (fictitious) Procurator of Rome, Lucius Hiberius. In the King’s absence Mordred seduced Guinevere, declared himself king, and took her as his own queen, forcing Arthur to return to Britain and fight Mordred at the Battle of Camlann. Chrétien de Troyes in Le Chevalier de la Charrette has poor Guinevere abducted by the evil Méléagant (the son of King Bagdemagus) and this time it was Sir Lancelot who came to her rescue, in a cart driven by a dwarf, then crawling across a bridge whose upper edge was a sharp sword-blade.

During the ensuing combat between Lancelot and Méléagant, Guinevere, at King Bagdemagus’s pleading, was able to stop the fight but Lancelot defended her honour again later when Méléagant (mistakenly) accused her of an affair with Sir Kay – he thought that bloodstains on the love-bed were Kay’s when in fact it was Lancelot’s blood (from an injury he sustained forcing the window bars apart to climb into Guinevere’s bedroom). Guinevere’s abduction by Meliagrance in Le Morte d’Arthur In Le Morte d’Arthur (Book 19) Queen Guinevere happened to go a-Maying in the woods behind Westminster, with her usual retinue of ladies-in-waiting and page-boys, plus ten of the Queen’s Knights (arrayed in green). Sir Meliagrance (Méléagant), inspired by many long years of lust – and aware of Lancelot’s absence from the party, attacked with 160 men-at-arms.

To avoid her noble knights being killed, Guinevere surrendered herself to Meliagrance, then secretly dispatched a young messenger to bear her ring to Westminster with a plea that her lover come to her rescue. Lancelot rushed to her aid on his horse, but the animal was disabled en route by archers so he hijacked a chariot and was soon at the gates of the kidnapper’s castle, at which point Meliagrance immediately surrendered. Guinevere and the Queen’s Knights were saved and Sir Lancelot became known as ‘Le Chevalier du Chariot’. As in Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot that night climbed into Guinevere’s bedroom by forcing the window bars and injuring his hand in the process (also in the bedroom, incidentally, were the Queen’s Knights still recovering from their wounds and presumably still dressed in May-green).

Malory continues: “Sir Launcelot went unto bed with the queen, and he took no force of his hurt hand, but took his pleasance and his liking until it was in the dawning of the day … and when he saw his time that he might tarry no longer he took his leave and departed at the window, and put it together as well as he might again.” [ one imagines Malory was aware of his own joke ] In the morning Meliagrance saw the blood and claimed Queen Guinevere had been dishonoured by one of her wounded knights. Lancelot answered for the Queen, denying the charge but not admitting the blood was his. Meliagrance threw the gauntlet, Lancelot accepted, and the duel was set for eight days later at Westminster. But Meliagrance tricked Lancelot into falling ten fathoms through a trap door down into a cave, then made it look as if Launcelot had gone off adventuring.

Sir Lavaine stepped in to represent him but Lancelot was able to escape, and at the last moment appeared at the duel, and with one arm tied behind his back (and shieldless) he cut Meliagrance’s head in two. Guinevere’s final abduction, by Mordred Technically, this wasn’t an abduction. In Le Morte d’Arthur Book 21 Mordred, both son and nephew of King Arthur, was ruler of all England, having been left in charge whilst Arthur had gone to France to wage war with the now treacherous Sir Lancelot. After claiming the King had died at Lancelot’s hands he made himself king and tried to marry Queen Guinevere (his father’s wife). Guinevere beguiled Mordred into letting her go to London, ostensibly to buy “all manner of things that longed unto the wedding” but she locked herself and her entourage away in a well-stocked Tower of London. Mordred laid seige on the Queen and by fair means or foul tried to persuade her to come out, but she stayed put and eventually he departed with his army to Dover to repel a returning King Arthur.

Guinevere’s origins seem firmly Welsh. The name Guinevere may be directly from the Welsh ‘Gwynhwyfer’, or from ‘Gwenhwy’ (Gwen the Great) in contrast to ‘Gwenhwy-vach’ (Gwen the Lesser). A Celtic queen was equal in status to her husband and was able to conduct affairs unhindered. Queen Guinevere’s involvement with other men, willingly or otherwise, is a recurring theme throughout Arthurian legend. Although the early circumstances of her character may have defined her persona from the beginning, the later Medieval writers, with their Christian-based social perceptions, would have found it hard to treat Guinevere as anything other than a morally dubious, unfaithful woman. Significantly perhaps, Guinevere stays childless, and loves a man with which she can never bear children because of the circumstances of her husband. To this extent, her life is tragic, but she also represents an ideal – that of courtly romance. Obviously too, she remains both desirable and well-protected (sometimes too well) by the male of the species, and avoids execution at the stake several times.

In the end, Guinevere’s enduring love of her equally devoted Lancelot, and the resultant betrayal of King Arthur, brought about the end of the Round Table and the fall of Camelot. But as Sir Thomas Malory says, “She was a true lover and therefore she had a good end.” See also Arthurian Legend homepage. Arthurian Legend Frequently Asked Questions about the Arthurian Legends | Robbins Library Digital Projects Robbins Library Digital Projects › Camelot Project › Frequently Asked Questions about the Arthurian Legends › Frequently Asked Questions about the Arthurian Legends Frequently Asked Questions about the Arthurian Legends by: Alan Lupack (Author) [The following are questions frequently asked of librarians who provide "chat" reference service in Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester. The answers have been provided by Alan Lupack (alupack@library.rochester.edu) .] Who was King Arthur and when/where did he live? Is there historical evidence of his existence? Traditionally called King Arthur, an early chronicler called Nennius refers to him as 'dux bellorum', a term designating a military leader rather than a king.

Nennius also names Arthur as the victor in a series of twelve battles against the Saxons, which culminate in a decisive victory at Mount Badon. The early Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen depicts him as the leader of a group of semi-mythological warriors with super powers. Welsh saints's lives sometimes portray him as an enemy of the church, who commandeers its treasures to support his wars. How much, if any, historicity can be assigned to Arthur is a matter of debate. Some have suggested that a person who lived earlier than or contemporary with the time usually associated with Arthur (the late 5th or early 6th century) performed deeds that became attached to a fictional 'Arthur'. Geoffrey Ashe, for example, has called attention to a figure referred to as 'Riothamus', a title meaning 'high king', who led an army to the continent and who, Ashe speculates, may have been associated with Arthur by Geoffrey of Monmouth (the author of a "history" of the kings of Britain, a work which introduces into the tradition many fictional elements that are now seen as essential parts of the story of Arthur).

(Ashe puts forth this theory in The Discovery of King Arthur [1985].) Other scholars believe that the Arthurian legends are not based on any real person. If Arthur or someone who inspired the legends of Arthur did exist, he would have been a warrior of the late fifth and/or early sixth centuries and not the sort of person often depicted in literature, a king living in a castle with knights in shining armor serving him. Who was Guinevere? Did King Arthur have other lovers? Guinevere is Arthur's wife and queen; according to the Vulgate Cycle and Malory, she is the daughter of Leodegrance of Carmelide. Though one of the Welsh Triads (Triad 56) speaks of Arthur's three great queens (all named Gwenhwyfar), later romance generally gives him only one wife named Guinevere. Geoffrey of Monmouth introduces the notion of Guinevere's infidelity (with Modred) while Arthur is fighting on the continent. In Chrétien's Lancelot, Guinevere becomes Lancelot's lover after he rescues her from Meleagant.

Generally (though not always) in the romance tradition, Guinevere is portrayed as Lancelot's lover. In the Vulgate Cycle, the first meeting between Guinevere and Lancelot is arranged by Galehaut. She is later accused of not being the true Guinevere by the illegitimate daughter of her father Leodagan and the wife of his seneschal. When Arthur falls in love with the False Guinevere and accepts her as his queen, Guinevere is protected by Lancelot and Galehaut until the truth is revealed. Malory's Guinevere is jealous and demanding but also a true lover. Her jealousy and anger drive Lancelot mad and lead her to say she wishes he were dead. Nevertheless, she remains true to him. She is accused several times of crimes-infidelity and the murder of Mador's relative-and must be saved by Lancelot, as she is once again when their love is discovered and she is sentenced to be burned at the stake. When Mordred rebels against Arthur and attempts to marry her, she flees first to the Tower of London and then to the nunnery at Amesbury, where she becomes abbess.

Lancelot visits her there after the death of Arthur, but she asks him to leave and never to return and refuses even to give him a final kiss. She dies a holy death, of which Lancelot learns in a vision that instructs him to have her buried next to Arthur. While Malory is understanding of the true love of Guinevere, Tennyson makes her an example of an unfaithful wife. Arthur, before whom she grovels with guilt when he visits her in the nunnery, says that she has "spoilt the purpose of my life." Malory also writes that Arthur had an affair with Lyonors, the daughter of Earl Sanam. Lyonors bears him a son named Borre, who later becomes a knight of the Round Table. Who was Merlin and what is his significance to King Arthur? Merlin plays many roles in Arthurian literature, including bard, prophet, magician, advisor, and warrior. Though usually a figure who supports Arthur and his vision of Camelot, Merlin is, because of the stories in which he is said to be the son of a devil, sometimes presented as a villain.

Celtic tradition contains a number of related figures-the Welsh Myrddin, the Scottish Lailoken, and the Irish Suibhne-who have characteristics similar to those of Merlin. These characters all go mad and become wild men of the woods. Myrddin, who appears in the Welsh poems 'Yr Afallennau' ('The Apple Tree Stanzas') and 'Yr Oianau' ('The Little Pig Stanzas'), is driven mad because of the death of his lord Gwenddolau at the hands of Rhydderch in the Battle of Arfderydd (c. 575). After the battle, Merlin lives in exile in the forest, where he utters prophecies. Geoffrey of Monmouth combines this historical figure, who lived at a time later than that in which a historical Arthur might have lived, with the figure of the youth Ambrosius Aurelianus from Nennius (Geoffrey says that Merlin's second name was Ambrosius); in so doing, he virtually creates the now-traditional Merlin.

Geoffrey's Merlin, who is fathered by an incubus, explains why Vortigern's tower will not stand and utters a long series of prophecies. He then serves both Aurelius and Uther. After transporting the Giant's Dance from Ireland to Britain and setting it up as Stonehenge, he assists Uther in satisfying his lust for Ygerna. In Geoffrey's account, Merlin does not serve as an advisor to Arthur; but later writers expand his role to include helping Arthur become king and establish his authority. In the works of Robert de Boron and in the Vulgate Cycle, Merlin's birth is engineered by the devils in hell. They hope to bring into the world an anti-Christ who will undo the good (or, as they see it, the harm) done by Christ in redeeming mankind. Merlin's mother is impregnated by an incubus; but with the advice of her confessor Blaise she baptizes her son; and he becomes a force for good, not evil. Since he is the son of a devil, he is endowed with the knowledge of all things past, and God bestows on him the gift of knowing the future.

He is also instrumental in establishing Arthur's realm and the Round Table, and he serves as an adviser to Athur. Merlin's service to Arthur ends when he is infatuated with Niniane (also called Vivien and Nyneve) and allows her to seal him up with a charm that he himself has taught her. Perhaps the most influential modern recasting of Merlin is in T. H. White's The Once and Future King (1958). White's Merlin, who is both a comic and a philosophic figure, is a tutor who encourages Arthur to think for himself and who is gratified when Arthur arrives at the notion that might should be used for right. White's Merlin knows the future because he lives backwards in time. Who are Bedivere? Gawain? Mordred? What is their relationship to King Arthur? Bedivere: Bedivere and Kay (Bedwyr and Cai in Welsh sources) are among the warriors earliest associated with Arthur. The author of Culhwch and Olwen (ca. 1100) says of Bedwyr that he never shrank from any enterprise on which Cai was bound.

Wace says that Bedivere and Kay are Arthur's two most loyal subjects. In the late fourteenth-century Alliterative Morte Arthure and other works that tell the story of the Giant of St. Michael's Mount, Kay and Bedivere accompany Arthur as he sets out to confront the giant. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Arthur gives Bedevere the province of Normandy for his service in the war in Gaul; later, Bedevere is slain in Arthur's continental war against Lucius. In Malory's Morte d'Arthur, Bedivere survives the continental wars and is with Arthur at the end of his final battle. Arthur orders him to return Excalibur to the lake. Tennyson adds to Malory's account a depiction of Bedivere watching the barge bearing Arthur as it grows smaller and smaller and finally disappears. In Rosemary Sutcliff's Sword at Sunset and in Mary Stewart's The Wicked Day, Bedwyr takes on the role, usually assigned to Lancelot, of lover of Arthur's queen. Gawain: Gawain is Arthur's nephew, and in much Arthurian literature he is presented as the best of Arthur's knights.

In a number of sources, his strength is said to increase until noon, at which point it begins to wane. According to the French Mort Artu (Death of Arthur), his strength increases around noon because the priest who baptized him prayed that his strength would increase at noon, the hour he was baptized. Malory says that a holy man gave Gawain the gift of increasing strength from undern (9 a. m.) until noon every day of the year. In Geoffrey of Monmouth's history, Gawain is one of Arthur's most valorous knights in his continental wars, and he dies in the struggle against Modred when Arthur returns to Britain. The author of The Rise of Gawain (twelfth century) tells of Gawain's being brought to Rome by Viamundus, the fisherman who stole the boy from the merchants to whom Anna, his mother, had entrusted him because he was born before she was married to Loth (Lot). There, he is knighted by and serves the Emperor. Gawain is said by Chrétien in his Perceval (1180s) to be the most courteous knight in the world.

In this work, and in numerous others by various authors, Gawain is contrasted to Kay, whose boorishness is a foil to Gawain's courtliness. In several Dutch romances, Gawain is called the Father of Adventure, and he has great skill in healing as well as in fighting and diplomacy. In many of the French romances of the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries, Gawain is the most important hero; but Lancelot eventually replaces him in this role. In the thirteenth-century Vulgate Cycle, Gawain is presented as the second-best worldly knight after Lancelot. He refuses to join in Agravain's accusation against Lancelot and Guinevere; later, out of grief for his brothers-particularly his favorite Gaheriet (Gareth)-who are slain in the rescue of the queen, he insists on pursuing and fighting with Lancelot. Although Lancelot refuses to slay him when he has the opportunity, Gawain ultimately dies from a head wound received in their fight. Nevertheless, before his death Gawain realizes that Lancelot was the best and most generous knight, wishes he could ask his forgiveness before his death, and advises Arthur to ask him for help.

In Malory's Morte d'Arthur, Gawain is at times brave and noble and at times vengeful and treacherous. He keeps alive the feud between the house of Lot and the house of Pellinore by treacherously killing Pellinore and then Lamorak. He is also unforgiving when Lancelot accidentally kills Gareth, and he refuses to allow Arthur to make peace with him. He does, however, try to dissuade Mordred and Agravain from accusing Lancelot; and he finally realizes that Lancelot is noble and Mordred wicked. Mordred: The Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals) mentions Medraut as a participant in the battle of Camlann but does not make clear whether he is an enemy or an ally of Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth introduces the notion of Mordred's usurpation of the throne and his adulterous relationship with Guinevere while Arthur is fighting his continental wars. Geoffrey names Mordred as one of two sons of Lot and Anna (the other being Gawain). Mordred in turn has two sons who survive him but are killed by Constantine, Arthur's successor.

In the thirteenth-century Vulgate Cycle, Mordred is the son of Arthur by his half-sister, who is Lot's wife. Although, in the Vulgate Mort Artu, it is Agravain who accuses Lancelot and Guinevere of adultery and leads the knights who trap them in the queen's chamber, Mordred betrays Arthur's trust when he is left in charge of the kingdom and the queen by forging a letter said to be from a dying Arthur declaring Mordred king and urging him to marry Guinevere. In the final battle of Salisbury Plain, Arthur kills Mordred but is fatally wounded by him. Mordred leaves behind two sons, the elder called Melehan and the younger unnamed. Bors kills Melehan, who has slain Lionel; and Lancelot kills the younger son. In Malory's Morte d'Arthur, Mordred is the illegitimate son of Arthur and Morgause. When Arthur, who is unaware that she is related to him when they sleep together, learns that he has had a child by his half-sister, he attempts to kill Mordred by condemning all the children born on May Day to be set adrift on the sea.

But his son survives when the ship he is in breaks up and he is cast up on the shore and found by a good man, who raises him until he is fourteen. Even before Mordred accuses Lancelot and Guinevere and plans to trap them, his villainy is clear. When Gawain and his brothers treacherously attack and slay Lamorak, it is Mordred who gives him a fatal wound in the back. While Arthur is besieging Lancelot's castle in France, Mordred forges letters saying that Arthur is dead, claims the throne, and intends to marry Guinevere. In the final battle, Arthur gives Mordred a fatal wound; but Mordred thrusts himself up the length of Arthur's spear so he can strike his father. What is the Round Table? The twelfth-century chronicler Wace first introduces the notion of the Round Table, which he says Arthur had made so that all of the noble barons whom he attracted to his court would be equally placed and served and none could boast that he had a higher position at the table than the others. Layamon expands on this notion, describing a riot at which many nobles vie for place and precedence at Arthur's table.

A skilled craftsman then offers to make Arthur a table that will seat more than sixteen hundred and at which high and low will be on an equal footing because the table is round. According to the prose rendition of Robert de Boron's Merlin and the thirteenth-century Vulgate Cycle, Uther Pendragon, instructed by Merlin, established the Round Table to symbolize the table of the Last Supper and the Grail Table established by Joseph of Arimathea at the command of the Holy Spirit. Uther gives the Round Table to Guinevere's father Leodegan, who in turn gives it to Arthur when he weds Guinevere. The number of seats at the Round Table varies in different sources, sometimes being said to seat twelve knights and the king, sometimes as many as 150. The Round Table has come to stand not only for the physical object at which Arthur and his knights sat but also for the order of knighthood and the code to which the knights committed themselves. The symbolic nature of the Round Table survives even into the youth groups of the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century.

The founders of one of those clubs, the Knights of King Arthur, saw the roundness of Arthur's table and the equality it implied as representing 'democracy under leadership' and thus an ideal structure for a club for boys. What do we know about the sword Excalibur? Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, and Layamon all observe that Arthur's sword Caliburn was forged on the Isle of Avalon. In Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, Excalibur is the name given to the sword Arthur receives from the Lady of the Lake and entrusts to Bedivere to return to the water after his final battle. Malory, following his French source, explains the name Excalibur as meaning 'Kutte [Cut] Steele'. (There is only one place in the Morte where the sword drawn from the stone is referred to as Excalibur: in his battle with the kings who will not accept him, Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, on Merlin's advice, only when he is losing the battle.

When he draws 'his swerd Excalibur', it gives the light of thirty torches and helps him to put his enemies to flight.) When this sword from the stone breaks in two as Arthur fights Pellinore, Merlin saves Arthur by casting an enchantment over Pellinore and then takes the king to receive another sword, Excalibur, from the Lady of the Lake. Merlin tells Arthur that Excalibur's scabbard is even more valuable than the sword itself because while he wears it he will not lose any blood or be severely wounded. Morgan le Fay, to whom Arthur has entrusted the care of Excalibur, gives the sword to her lover Accolon to use against Arthur. Provided with a counterfeit Excalibur, Arthur is saved by Nyneve (a character sometimes called Vivien, Niniane, or Nimue). Morgan then steals the scabbard and throws it into a lake so it can no longer protect Arthur. Excalibur must be returned to the water at the end of Arthur's life, a task assigned to Bedivere in Malory's account-but to others in different medieval versions of Arthur's story. What was the Holy Grail?

The Holy Grail is generally considered to be the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper and the vessel used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch his blood as he hung on the cross. This significance, however, was introduced into the Arthurian legends by Robert de Boron in his verse romance Joseph d'Arimathie (sometimes also called Le Roman de l'Estoire dou Graal), which was probably written in the last decade of the twelfth century or the first few years of the thirteenth. In earlier sources as well as in some later ones, the Grail is sometimes something quite different. The term 'grail' comes from the Latin gradale, which means a dish brought to the table during various stages (Latin 'gradus') or courses of a meal. In Chrétien de Troyes and other early writers, the term 'grail' suggests such a plate. Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival (first decade of the thirteenth century) presents the Grail as a stone which provides sustenance and prevents anyone who beholds it from dying within that week.

In medieval romance, the Grail was said to have been brought to Glastonbury in Britain by Joseph of Arimathea and his followers. In the time of Arthur, the quest for the Grail was the highest spiritual pursuit. For Chrétien, author of Perceval, and his continuators, Perceval is the knight who must achieve the Grail. For some other French authors, as for Malory, Galahad is the chief Grail knight, though others (Perceval and Bors in Malory's Morte d'Arthur) also achieve the quest. Where was Camelot? Camelot is an imaginary place and thus it is perhaps pointless to speak of its location. In literary sources, it is usually situated in the south of England. Some have speculated that if Arthur actually existed he would have needed a base of operations. John Leland identified Camelot with Cadbury Castle, a hill fort in Somerset.

Excavations carried out at the site in 1966-1970 confirmed that this large hill fort (with 1200 yards of perimeter surrounding an eighteen-acre enclosure and rising about 250 feet above the surrounding countryside) was refortified in the Arthurian era and was occupied by a powerful leader and his followers. In many medieval texts Arthur holds court at Caerleon or some other city. Camelot is first mentioned in the twelfth century in Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot. In the thirteenth-century Vulgate Cycle, Camelot is said to have been converted by the son of Joseph of Arimathea, Josephus, who had built there the Church of St. Stephen, in which some texts say Arthur and Guinevere were married. Camelot becomes the principal city of Arthur's realm and remains so in many, though not all, later texts. In his Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory identifies Camelot as Winchester. What modern allusions are there to Camelot?

The image most modern readers have of Camelot coincides with Tennyson's description of it in "The Lady of Shalott" as "many-tower'd Camelot." More recently, largely through the influence of T. H. White, Camelot has come to be associated with the values that Arthur and his realm are believed to have represented (White's 'Might for Right'). Because of John F. Kennedy's fondness for the play Camelot and an interest in the legends that originated with his childhood reading of a version of Malory, John F. Kennedy's his presidency has been referred to as 'Camelot'. Actually, the identification between Kennedy and Camelot first occurred soon after Kennedy's death, when Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy urged her friend, reporter and historian Theodore H. White, to label her late husband's historical myth in specifically Arthurian terms. Other historians also associated Kennedy's presidency, particularly some of its more idealistic programs, with the legend of Arthur. The moral overtones of Camelot are reflected in other areas as well, but sometimes 'Camelot' is used only to represent an ideal place.

share this page Arthurian Women Guinevere (Guenevere) According to earlier legend, Arthur met Guinevere or Guenevere (she was called Guanhumara (Guenhuuara) by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Historia regnum Britanniae) in the court of Duke Cador of Cornwall. Guinevere was the ward of Cador. Guinevere came from a noble Roman family; according to both Wace and Layamon, it was on her mother's side that she was Roman. Later legends say that Guinevere (Guenevere) was the daughter of Leodegan (Leodegraunce), king of Camelide (Camelerd). After Arthur helped Leodegan, Arthur became betrothed to Guinevere. One of Guinevere's companion, after she married Arthur, was her cousin and lady-in-waiting, Elibel. They married but had no children (except in the Perlesvaus, where their son was named Lohot (Loholt)).

In the Welsh Mabinogion called Culhwch and Olwen (before 1100), Guinevere was called Gwenhwyfar (Gwenhwyvar), which possibly means the "White Phantom". This was Guinevere's (Gwenhwyfar) first appearance. Gwenhwyfar was the daughter of Gogrfan (Gogrvan or Ocvran). She was the wife of Arthur. The tale also mentioned that Gwenhwyfar had a sister, named Gwenhwyfach or Gwenhwyach. This sister of Gwenhwyfar, Gwenhwyfach, also appeared in the Welsh Triads 54, in the 2nd line of the Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain: The second Gwenhwyfach struck upon Gwenhwyfar: and for that cause there took place afterwards the Action of the Battle of Camlan.... This is the only Welsh reference that we have found in Guinevere's connection to the Battle of Camlann, which is markedly different from that of Mordred seizing her and the throne of Arthur.

According to Diu Krône, Heinrich von dem Turlin says that her sister was Queen Lenomie of Alexandria. The Mabinogion had mentioned several times that Arthur had several sons: Gwydre, who was killed by the boar Twrch Trwyth (in Culhwch and Olwen ), Llacheu, who was later identified as Lohot or Loholt (in the Dream of Rhonabwy ), and Amhar (in "Gereint and Enid"). But there was nothing to indicate that they were her sons, though as wife of Arthur, we could possibly assume they probably were her sons. In most tales, they were married but had no children, except in the Grail romance, titled Perlesvaus, where their son was named Lohot (Loholt). According to this tale, when Sir Kay murdered Lohot, Guinevere was grief-stricken and she died from broken heart. In the poem known as the Welsh Triad, Arthur had three queens. All three wives were named Gwenhwyfar (Gwenhwyvar).

They were called Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwent (Cywryd), and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr son of Greidiawl, and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gogfran (Gogrvan) the Giant. This reminded me of the Celtic love for the number three, like the triple personifications of Ireland, the triple war-goddesses Morrigan , the triple Sovereignty of Ireland ( Eriu and her sisters Banba and Fodla) or triple mother-goddesses Danu in Irish myths. Here, the Welsh myths are identical to the Irish, with the three wives of Arthur (Gwenhwyfars) being the personifications of Britain or the Sovereignty of Britain. Gwenhwyfar represents the land of the kingdom, and was more than than just a queen, but a powerful goddess. And in order for Arthur to become king of Britain, he must wed and mate with the three goddesses in order to ensure the prosperity and fertility of the land (Britain). See Wedded to the Land in the Celtic World & Cultures page for more explanation of the Sacred Marriage.

In the Latin romance, titled The Rise of Sir Gawain, Gwendolena (Guinevere) was not only Arthur's wife, she was a powerful sorceress, who had the ability of foretelling. It was she who predicted a champion (Gawain) would come to Arthur's court, bearing gifts on two horses. The horses had belonged to Arthur and Sir Kay, when these two challenge Gawain, but were unhorsed. Guinevere was said to be a wise queen as well as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her great beauty also caused trouble for her. She had being abducted a few times, where she had to be rescued. According to The Life of Gildas, Caradoc of Llangarfan wrote that Melvas, king of the Summer Country, had abducted and raped Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere). War erupted between Arthur and Melvas. Melvas retreated to Glastonbury. St Gildas doesn't like Arthur, since the king had killed his rebellious brothers, but he intervene. St Gildas talked the two warring kings to make peace, and Melvas returned Gwenhwyfar back to Arthur.

This event was most likely the source for the romance of Chretien de Troyes, titled Le Chevalier à la charrette, which translated to Knight of the Cart , though sometimes it was "Lancelot". This Melvas became Meleagant , the son of King Baudemagus of Gorre . Meleagant had abducted Guinevere and later challenged the hero Lancelot to a duel, which he lost. Lancelot fought him again, in the second duel, and killed Meleagant. Though, Lancelot appeared in earlier works of Chretien, but his role was minor. The Knight of the Cart is actually Lancelot's first appearance as a hero, and it was the first time that he appeared as Guinevere's lover. In the early tradition (in Geoffrey's work and the Welsh texts), when Mordred acting as a regent during Arthur's absence in the war against the Romans, his nephew seized power in Britain. To add salt to Arthur's wound, Mordred had married Guinevere. Mordred may have forced Guinevere into marrying him, but most say that she was accomplice in the treason, and may have seduced Mordred.

According to the alliterative Morte Arthure, Guinevere had two sons by Mordred. Again, like the Irish myth, king can only rule the land if he marry a goddess of the land. And since the Welsh see Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) as a goddess, it was she who could choose a king, and she had seduced Mordred, therefore Mordred was in effect, a legitimate king. There is one interesting short story, which a poetess named Marie de France had written in the late 12th century, titled Lanval . Marie had written that she had translated from a Breton song, known as the lai. The story tell of how the hero Lanval was loved by a fairy woman, where he must not reveal of her presence to anyone. When Guinevere, his liege lord's wife, had unsuccessful tried to seduce him, he boast of the fairy woman's beauty surpassing the Queen. Guinevere then falsely accused him of making unwanted advances upon her and bragging of loving a woman more beautiful than her.

Arthur would have punished him if Lanval could prove his boast, had it not being the timely arrival of the fairy woman saved from execution with her appearance. Lanval and the fairy woman then left the mortal world, to dwell in Avalon. Here, Guinevere was clearly portrayed as the adulteress, who tried to seduce the young knight. The tale is similar to the another later Breton lai, titled Graelent , written in the mid-13 century, by an anonymous writer. However, Guinevere was best known for her long love affair with Lancelot, the best knight in the world. This first appeared in Chretien de Troyes' romance titled Knight of the Cart (or Lancelot). In the Vulgate Cycle and after, Guinevere had definitely betrayed Arthur by committing adultery. However, it was not Mordred who was her lover, but the greatest knight of them all – Lancelot of the Lake . All Lancelot's heroic deeds were performed because of his love with her. Lancelot was inspired by her love. Lancelot was her lover and her champion. Lancelot would often rescue her from one danger to another.

(See Knight of the Cart from Lancelot du Lac .) There was probably some justification of the adultery of Lancelot and Guinevere, since Arthur was not entirely blameless or guiltless. In the Vulgate text (Lancelot), on the night Lancelot first made love to Guinevere, Arthur was in the arms of Saxon sorceress and enemy. (See Lancelot .) And, their love would cause Lancelot to fail in the Quest of the Grail, and would bring about the circumstance, which would cause death of Arthur and the destruction of the Round Table. The kingdom and the Round Table became identically associate with Guinevere. When Arthur married Guinevere, he was given the Round Table and a hundred knights, as part of dowry. When Arthur tried to execute Guinevere, then a war broke out between Lancelot and Arthur, the Round Table in a sense had been broken. Before the Grail quest, Guinevere's love for Lancelot had in fact made Arthur's kingdom and the Round Table – strong. The big difference between Mordred and Lancelot was that Lancelot didn't seek to rule in Arthur's place.

Lancelot loved Arthur as his king, and was willing to carry this secret relation to his grave. This strange loyalty to Arthur had actually made Arthur's claim to kingship, even more stronger. But this triangle could not last, since adultery is seen as crime and a sin. It was only when Arthur arrested Guinevere for adultery and treason, that the power of the Round Table broke. The Round Table was not broken in the physical sense, but symbolically when the two strongest supporters of Arthur became two factions between the House of Ban (Lancelot) and the House of Orkney (Gawain), came into conflict. Though the war ended without either side winning and Guinevere was returned to Arthur, the strength of Round Table was seriously weakened without the support of Lancelot and his kinsmen, when Mordred betrayed Arthur and seized the kingdom. In the Vulgate Cycle and later authors, Guinevere had managed to prevent Mordred from marrying her by gathering loyal men hide behind the walls of Tower of London. As Arthur fought Mordred, Guinevere had fled to abbey at Caerleon or the City of Legion (or outside of London, according to Mort Artu ).

Guinevere took the vow to become a nun, even before the battle was decided. Before I finish the article on Guinevere, I think I should mention that there were two Guineveres, according to the Vulgate Cycle . In the Vulgate Merlin, the second Guinevere was the daughter of King Leodegan and his seneschal's wife. His seneschal was named Cleodalis, who married the maid of Leodegan's wife. The maid became a lady in Leodegan's court. Leodegan lusted after the seneschal's new wife. Leodegan had send Cleodalis with an army against the Irish. Shortly after Leodegan had made love to his wife, the Queen being a devout Christian, went to the church. So in his wife's absence, Leodegan took advantage of the situation and ravished his wife's former maid. The two Guineveres were actually half-sisters. As it can be seen, they were conceived on the same night and were later born on the same day aand with the same name, and they looked exactly alike. Leodegan and his wife's daughter became Arthur's wife and the mistress of Lancelot.

This second Guinevere was frequently known as the False Guinevere or Second Guinevere. The only mean of identifying the real Guinevere from the false was that she had a birthmark of a king's crown on her back, while the Second Guinevere had none. In Lancelot Proper , the False Guinevere would later cause the separation of Arthur and his wife. She posed as the false queen and wife of Arthur; trying to get Arthur to execute the real Guinevere. This plan was foiled when Lancelot challenged three of her knights in a trial by combat. Even though, Lancelot won the contest, Arthur was still in love with the imposter, because she had given love potion to the king. The False Guinevere and her accomplice Bertholai confessed to their crime when they were both was struck down by mysterious illness. I not certain, if the imposter died from her illness or she was executed on Arthur's order.

(See False Guinevere in the page called Lancelot du Lac.) Arthurian legend | Britannica.com Arthurian legend Alternative Titles: Arthurian romance, matière de Bretagne, matter of Britain Related Topics Grail Arthurian legend, the body of stories and medieval romances, known as the matter of Britain, centring on the legendary king Arthur . Medieval writers, especially the French, variously treated stories of Arthur’s birth, the adventures of his knights, and the adulterous love between his knight Sir Lancelot and his queen, Guinevere . This last situation and the quest for the Holy Grail (the vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper and given to Joseph of Arimathea) brought about the dissolution of the knightly fellowship, the death of Arthur, and the destruction of his kingdom. Stories about Arthur and his court had been popular in Wales before the 11th century; European fame came through Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia regum Britanniae (1135–38), celebrating a glorious and triumphant king who defeated a Roman army in eastern France but was mortally wounded in battle during a rebellion at home led by his nephew Mordred.

Some features of Geoffrey’s story were marvelous fabrications, and certain features of the Celtic stories were adapted to suit feudal times. The concept of Arthur as a world conqueror was clearly inspired by legends surrounding great leaders such as Alexander the Great and Charlemagne. Later writers, notably Wace of Jersey and Lawamon , filled out certain details, especially in connection with Arthur’s knightly fellowship (the Knights of the Round Table). epic: Arthurian romance Using Celtic sources, Chrétien de Troyes in the late 12th century made Arthur the ruler of a realm of marvels in five romances of adventure. He also introduced the themes of the Grail and the love of Lancelot and Guinevere into Arthurian legend . Prose romances of the 13th century explored these major themes further. An early prose romance centring on Lancelot seems to have become the kernel of a cyclic work known as the Prose Lancelot, or Vulgate cycle (c. 1225).

The Lancelot theme was connected with the Grail story through Lancelot’s son, the pure knight Sir Galahad , who achieved the vision of God through the Grail as fully as is possible in this life, whereas Sir Lancelot was impeded in his progress along the mystic way because of his adultery with Guinevere. Another branch of the Vulgate cycle was based on a very early 13th-century verse romance, the Merlin , by Robert de Boron , that had told of Arthur’s birth and childhood and his winning of the crown by drawing a magic sword (see Excalibur ) from a stone. The writer of the Vulgate cycle turned this into prose, adding a pseudo-historical narrative dealing with Arthur’s military exploits. A final branch of the Vulgate cycle contained an account of Arthur’s Roman campaign and war with Mordred, to which was added a story of Lancelot’s renewed adultery with Guinevere and the disastrous war between Lancelot and Sir Gawain that ensued. A later prose romance, known as the post-Vulgate Grail romance (c. 1240), combined Arthurian legend with material from the Tristan romance.

Sir Bedivere returning Excalibur, Arthur’s sword, to the lake from which it came, illustration by … Photos.com/Jupiterimages Merlin taking away the infant Arthur, illustration by N.C. Wyeth in The Boy’s … Illustration by N.C. Wyeth Hellenistic romance The legend told in the Vulgate cycle and post-Vulgate romance was transmitted to English-speaking readers in Thomas Malory’s late 15th-century prose Le Morte Darthur . At the same time, there was renewed interest in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia, and the fictitious kings of Britain became more or less incorporated with official national mythology. The legend remained alive during the 17th century, though interest in it was by then confined to England. Of merely antiquarian interest during the 18th century, it again figured in literature during Victorian times, notably in Alfred Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. In the 20th century an American poet, Edwin Arlington Robinson , wrote an Arthurian trilogy, and the American novelist Thomas Berger wrote Arthur Rex (1978). In England T.H. White retold the stories in a series of novels collected as The Once and Future King (1958).

His work was the basis for Camelot (1960), a musical by Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe; a film, also called Camelot (1967), was derived from the musical. Numerous other films have been based on the Arthurian legend, notably John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and the satirical Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). The death of Arthur and Mordred, illustration by N.C. Wyeth in The Boy’s King … Illustration by N.C. Wyeth Arthurian legend - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The virtues of knighthood were more completely embodied in King Arthur, the legendary prince of the ancient Britons, than in any other figure in literature. According to legend, Arthur was the son of King Uther Pendragon. Immediately after his birth, Arthur was given into the keeping of Merlin, the magician. Merlin took him to Sir Hector, who brought the child up as his own son. After Uther’s death Arthur proved his right to the throne by pulling out a sword that had been fixed in a great stone and which no one else had been able to move.

This was the first of Arthur’s two magic swords, both called Excalibur. The other was given to him by the Lady of the Lake. According to the story, her arm appeared above the surface of the lake with the sword in hand. When Arthur took it, her arm disappeared. King Arthur married Guinevere and held his court at Camelot, which is also sometimes identified as Caerleon, on the River Usk in England, near the Welsh border. Around him he gathered many strong and brave knights. They all sat as equals about a great round table, and thus they ultimately came to be known as the Order of the Round Table. King Arthur extended his conquests far and wide. Then dissension appeared, and his traitorous nephew, Mordred, rose in rebellion. In a great battle Mordred was defeated and slain, but Arthur himself was mortally wounded. His body was mysteriously carried to the Island of Avalon to be healed. He was expected to return at some future time and resume his rule.

Article History Guinevere, Lancelot & Avalon: Names from Arthurian Legend - Appellation Mountain Appellation Mountain Guinevere, Lancelot & Avalon: Names from Arthurian Legend November 29, 2013 By appellationmountain 14 Comments Tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have captivated us for generations. And I don’t just mean your grandparents and parents, either. The stories of King Arthur’s rise to power, the forbidden love between Lancelot and Guinevere , and the rest have been well-told tales since at least the 1100s, and probably earlier. Names from Arthurian legend have long histories. They’ve evolved across languages and time. Some of the names on this list come right from the text. Others are more of a stretch. Twenty-first century parents probably think of the movies or the musical. Go back farther, though, and there are countless re-tellings, like the ninth century History of the Britons or the the medieval Le Morte d’Arthur. The closer to our time, the greater the odds that the name will appear in a wearable form.

If you’re after something just a little bit off the mainstream, but still rich with history, consider a name borrowed from Arthurian legend. Fair Maidens: Names from Arthurian Legend for Girls Angharad – Looking for a Welsh heritage choice? It translates to “more love” and in a collection of Welsh tales, including Arthurian lore, Angharad features in a love story. Avalon – In Arthurian legends, Avalon was a place, not a person. In 2013, Avalon reads like a mash-up of Ava and Allison, and thoroughly wearable. Blanchefleur – Too much for a modern girl? Maybe in the middle spot … Bragnae – She’s Isolde’s maid in the ages-old tragic romance. Early days, it was probably unrelated to the Arthurian tales, but over time, the story was expanded to make her beloved, Tristan , a Knight of the Round Table. Guinevere – She needs no introduction, and if Genevieve can catch on, why not Guinevere? Elaine – Tennyson’s Lady of Shallott, a romantic name that appears in more than one story, and was worn by more than one character.

Eluned – A handmaiden to the Lady of the Lake, and a love interest for Gareth, she is renamed many times over the years, often as Lynette. Enid – She’s also Enide in some versions, a spelling that intrigues me. Evaine – Aunt to Lancelot, and bearer of a name that seems exactly on trend for 2013. Isolde – She was Juliet before Shakespeare. Also spelled Iseult, she seems accessible in our Age of Isabella. Lunette – Another sometimes-seen update for Eluned, and a nod to the ever-so-popular Luna. Morgan – Morgan was a sorceress, usually considered a half-sister to the King, and sometimes at odds with her half-brother. She’s also called Morgaine and Morgana, but most accounts list her as Morgan – making this one of the few true unisex names with a long history of use for girls. Vivian – From the Latin vivus – alive and she’s often the name connected with the Lady of the Lake. She’s a benevolent figure. She rescued the orphaned Lancelot and helped Arthur claim the sword Excalibur.

She’s also called Viviane, Niniane, Nimue, occasionally Elaine and – my favorite – Evienne. Yvaine – Okay, Yvain is a knight, so I’m gender-bending here. But I’m not the first. Neil Gaiman gave this name to a girl in Stardust. It became a movie in 2007, with Claire Danes cast as the fallen star-turned-girl. And if Evaine is a feminine name in some Arthurian tales, why not Yvaine? Brave Knights: Names from Arthurian Legend for Boys Arthur – The king himself, and a classic name newly fashionable. Selma Blair named her son Arthur in 2011. Balan, Balin – Not alternate spellings of the same name, but brothers, at least according to medieval tellings. They wore the surname le Savage. They seem reasonably wearable in 2013, but you’ll have to pick your favorite. Caradoc – One of my favorites, from a twelfth century French version. Probably originally Caradog in the Welsh, and sometimes also Carados.

Constantine – More than one figure answered to this name, and unlike many of the names on this list, there’s historical evidence for the existence of Constantine. Corbin – Originally a surname for a dark-haired person, from the French corbeau – raven, Corbin or Corbenic is a place name in Arthurian legend. The castle at Corbenic is home to the Fisher King, the birthplace of Sir Galahad. There are lots of theories as to the place name’s origins, but if you’re after a subtle tie to Arthurian tales, this is it. Eric – The name is almost always spelled Erec. And there may be no connection between the Round Table Knight and the Old Norse name. But Chretien de Troyes told of the knight’s adventures and his romance with fair Enide, so he definitely merits a seat at the Round Table. Fergus – Sir Thomas Malory mentions a knight named Fergus in Le Morte d’Arthur. Like Constantine, there was a real person by the name – Fergus of Galloway was a powerful Scottish leader in the 1100s.

Malory wrote three centuries later, but he based his stories of Fergus on the Roman de Fergus from the 1200s. Fisher – The wounded guardian of the Holy Grail, The Fisher King is sometimes given a name. But Fisher might make an interesting choice, an allusion to the legend, as well as the many artistic works that have been inspired by the story. Gareth – Centuries before Ricky Gervais brought The Office to the small screen, Gareth was a brave knight, and the beloved of Eluned. Gavin – Undeniably a knightly name, Sir Gawain’s encounters with the Green Knight is among the best known of Arthurian stories. Hector – Also known as Ector, he’s Arthur’s foster-father. Kai – Yes, he feels like a modern invention. But Sir Kay was Cai in Welsh, and Caius in Latin – one of the first Knights of the Round Table. Lancelot – He’s Arthur’s best friend, a trusted companion. But then he falls for Guinevere, and well … that’s the end of Camelot. But it isn’t the last of the knight’s adventures, as he goes on the quest for the Holy Grail.

Lionel – A cousin to Lancelot, and the hero of a folk ballad. Lucan – The son of a Duke, and an early ally to Arthur. Lucan is nearly a lost name in 2013 – despite many Luc- names in use, he was given to just eleven boys born in the US last year. Percival – Sometimes spelled Perceval, today this name sounds elaborate, even fussy. But Percival was no joke – one of the few knights to survive Arthur’s death, and sometimes considered a commoner who rose through the ranks. In other versions, he’s of noble birth but raised in seclusion by a widowed mother. Either way, Percival earns his knighthood. Tristan – His tragic love story with Isolde wasn’t originally part of the Arthurian canon, but over the years they were patched together, and Tristan was promoted to Knight of the Round Table. He’s a very on-trend name for 2013 – less daring than Romeo , as wearable as Aiden. Are there any wearable Arthurian names I’m missing? Would you use any of these names for a child?

Guinevere - definition of Guinevere by The Free Dictionary Guinevere - definition of Guinevere by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Guin·e·vere (gwĭn′ə-vîr′) also Guen·e·vere (gwĕn′-) n. The wife of King Arthur and lover of Lancelot according to Arthurian legend. Guinevere (European Myth & Legend) (in Arthurian legend) the wife of King Arthur and paramour of Lancelot Guin•e•vere the wife of King Arthur and mistress of Lancelot. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1. Guinevere - (Arthurian legend) wife of King Arthur; in some versions of the legend she became Lancelot's lover and that led to the end of the Knights of the Round Table Arthurian legend - the legend of King Arthur and his court at Camelot Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Sir Lancelot References in classic literature ?

Well, then, in the time of this good king that famous order of chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table was instituted, and the amour of Don Lancelot of the Lake with the Queen Guinevere occurred, precisely as is there related, the go-between and confidante therein being the highly honourable dame Quintanona, whence came that ballad so well known and widely spread in our Spain- View in context Of other modern poets I have read some things of William Morris, like the "Life and Death of Jason," the "Story of Gudrun," and the "Trial of Guinevere," with a pleasure little less than passionate, and I have equally liked certain pieces of Dante Rossetti. View in context They had analyzed and parsed it and torn it to pieces in general until it was a wonder there was any meaning at all left in it for them, but at least the fair lily maid and Lancelot and Guinevere and King Arthur had become very real people to them, and Anne was devoured by secret regret that she had not been born in Camelot. Ruby, you must be King Arthur and Jane will be Guinevere and Diana must be Lancelot.

Diana and Jane and Ruby only waited long enough to see it caught in the current and headed for the bridge before scampering up through the woods, across the road, and down to the lower headland where, as Lancelot and Guinevere and the King, they were to be in readiness to receive the lily maid. Lancelot - The Legend of King Arthur Lancelot Chapter VI: Lancelot As tales of Arthur and his knights gained popularity, they quickly spread across Europe. In the twelfth century, the French writer Chrétien de Troyes takes up the Arthurian Legend. Unlike writers before him, Chrétien's literature is deeply sensitive, and it is from him that we get much of the romance associated with King Arthur, as well as the character of Lancelot. With Merlin gone, the Lady of the Lake took on the role of Arthur's advisor. Though she had despised Merlin, she liked Arthur, and she held him in great regard for the work he had done to unite Britain. One day, Nimue came to him and asked for a boon. “Take him into your castle and train him in the art of knighthood,” she asked, referring to the handsome, young man beside her.

“Knight him whenever he asks for it.” The young man with her was Lancelot du Lac, and Arthur could see he had the promise of a great fighter. He agreed, and the lady took her leave. Lancelot asked to be knighted that very evening. Arthur was surprised he wanted to be knighted so soon, but Lancelot was sure he was ready. Arthur agreed, and the following morning, the ceremony took place. There was great celebration, and all in the palace cheered. After he was knighted, Lancelot asked to be the Queen's Champion. This would make it his royal duty to protect the Queen, and defend her honor. Guinevere was flattered, and accepted. In the battles that followed, Lancelot proved to be an excellent knight. His skill with the sword was unparalleled by any in Camelot, and he quickly rose the ranks to become Arthur's finest knight. But more than that, he and Arthur became good friends, and for a time, he, Arthur, and the Queen were inseparable. Then one day, Lancelot was gone. The King and Queen tried very hard to search for him, but no one in the kingdom knew his whereabouts.

Many years passed, but Arthur and Guinevere never stopped thinking of their friend, or wondering what had become of him. Then one day, Lancelot returned. He had become pale and ragged, but it was unmistakably him. When Arthur asked what had happened, he had a long tale for him. While he had been gone, Lancelot told Arthur, he had come to the city of Corbenic. Corbenic was ruled by a king named Pellés, the Fisher King. While he was there, the city came under attack by a ferocious dragon. The people had fled in terror, but Lancelot stayed and fought the monster to its death. He used his shield to protect himself from its fire, and stabbed it with his sword until it was dead. When he emerged victorious, the people cheered him. As a reward, King Pellés held a feast in his honor. At the feast, King Pellés said to him, “Now you will see something no other knight has ever seen.” With that, three servants entered the room. The one in the middle was holding the Holy Grail, the sacred cup from which Jesus Christ had drunk during the Last Supper.

King Pellés told him, “The cup was passed down to me by my forebear, Joseph of Arimathea.” Arthur dismissed this as trickery, but Lancelot swore he had really seen the Grail. But there was more, Lancelot told him. He had seen the Grail, but he was denied it because of his impure love for another man's wife: Arthur's queen, Guinevere. Arthur could not bear to hear this, but Lancelot begged him to listen. All those years ago, it was Guinevere whom he truly loved. His jealousy had driven him insane, and after leaving Camelot, he had lived in the woods as a madman. After he came to Corbenic and defeated the dragon, King Pellés gave him his daughter, Elaine. Elaine was very beautiful and she loved him very much, but his heart belonged to Guinevere. Desperate for him, she pursued him relentlessly and used magic to snare him. Together they had had a son, whom they christened Galahad. When Lancelot found out what she had done, he ran away, disgusted with the deception.

As the two men were speaking, they were quickly summoned to the river, where a large barge had washed ashore, carrying a dead woman's body. When they arrived, Lancelot looked at the woman and then turned away quickly. It was Elaine. She had committed suicide.

Question: According to Arthurian Legend, who as well as Arthur, loved Guinevere?
Answer: LANCELOT