Sir Galahad | King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table Sir Galahad Galahad was the natural son of Launcelot. His name may be of Welsh origin or come from the place name Gilead in Palestine. His mother was Elaine, and he was placed in a nunnery as a child, being that the abbess there was his great aunt. One day a sword in a stone was seen in a river by Arthur's knights, and it was said that only the world's best knight could pull out the sword. Galahad was led into Arthur's court where he sat in the Siege Perilous and then drew the sword out. It was later on when the Grail appeared in a vision at Arthur's court that Galahad was one of the three knights chosen to undertake the Quest for the Holy Grail. He was given a white shield, made by Evelake, with a red cross which Joseph of Arimathea had drawn in blood. In the course of the Quest he joined up with Percivale, Bors, and Percivale's sister.

On board Solomon's ship, Galahad obtained the Sword of David, and after the death of Percivale's sister the trio split up for a while and Galahad traveled with his father, Launcelot. When the three rejoined forces they came to Carbonek and achieved the Grail. Galahad mended the broken sword, and therefore, He was allowed to see the Grail. After beholding the Holy Grail, Galahad requested of Joseph of Arimathea that he die, which request was granted unto him. Galahad was always known as the "Perfect Knight". He was "perfect" in courage, gentleness, courtesy, and chivalry. Grail Legends (Galahad's Tradition) The New Knight The story begins, on the eve of Pentecost, when a damsel turned up at Camelot, asking Lancelot to accompanied her into the forest. They went to the nunnery, where Lancelot met his cousins, Sir Bors and Sir Lionel. Here the nuns brought a young nameless man. The nuns asked that Lancelot should make the youth a knight. Lancelot agreed.

After they knighted the lad, Bors remarked that the new knight so resembled Lancelot, he was quite sure he was Lancelot's son by Elaine, daughter of Pellés. In the morning, Lancelot and his cousins returned to Camelot for the feast at Pentecost. Lancelot discovered new inscription upon the Siege Perilous. The inscription says that 450 years after Jesus' resurrection the true Grail knight would sit upon this seat upon this very day. Arthur and his knights discovered another new marvel. A great slab of marble had floated down the river. In the centre of the stone was a sword , with an inscription, saying that only the greatest knight could draw out the sword. Arthur thought the sword was meant for Lancelot and asked him to take the sword. Lancelot refused, because he doesn't believe the sword was destined to be wield by him. So Arthur ordered Gawain to take the sword. Reluctantly, Gawain tried to draw the sword out, but could not even budge it. Lancelot told Gawain that he was foolish to try to draw the sword. Lancelot foretold that he would be wounded by whoever wield this sword.

(See Father and Son , how Galahad wounded Gawain with this sword.) Returning to King Arthur's court, the king and his knights sat in their seats around the Round Table. An old man arrived and led a new knight, which Lancelot had knighted yesterday, to the Siege Perilous. The young knight sat without harm. The old man announced that the quest for the grail has begun, before he left. When all was seated, the Grail arrived, carried by angels. All the knights were allowed vision of the Grail; all were allowed to eat the food from the Grail. After this the Grail vanished without a trace. Arthur discovered that the new knight was named Galahad. His wife and queen, Guinevere, knew that Galahad was the son of Lancelot and Elaine, daughter of King Pelles. Galahad refused to admit any relationship with Lancelot. Before the knights set out the quest on the following morning, Galahad was without a sword or shield. Arthur recalling yesterday incidence, took Galahad to the river, and showed the youth, the sword lodged into the stone slab. Galahad easily drew the sword out of the marble.

Arthur told Galahad he had no need for a shield. Arthur was sure that God would provide Galahad with a shield during the quest. (According to the Post-Vulgate romance, Book II of the Merlin Continuation , this sword belonged to the knight Balin . Merlin had put the sword into the slab of stone, after Balin's death.) Shield After five day of journey, Galahad met with King Baudemagus and Yvain the Bastard at the abbey. He discovered that a shield with a device of a red cross, could not be taken away from the abbey, without being challenged by a White Knight. King Baudemagus wanted to test if he could take the shield. No sooner than that Baudemagus took the shield out into the forest, then the king was attacked by the White Knight. Baudemagus was seriously wounded. The White Knight rebuked Baudemagus for taking the shield. The White Knight gave the shield to Baudemagus' squire named Melias, and ordered him to give the shield to Galahad. When Baudemagus was brought back to the abbey, Melias gave the shield to Galahad.

The White Knight appeared and told the hero, why Baudemagus had sinned for taking the shield and the history of the shield. The shield had belonged to King Evalach of Sarras , which was used in the time of his war against the Egyptian king Tholomer. Evalach changed his name to Mordrain , when he accepted Christianity as his religion and was baptised with his brother-in-law, Nascien , who was formerly known as Seraphe . (See Death of Josephus and Nascien about the shield of Mordrain.) When Josephus, son of Joseph of Arimathea, was on his deathbed, he had a nosebleed. Using his blood, he painted the cross on Evalach's white shield, so that the king would always remembered him. On the death of his brother-in-law, Nascien, Evalach placed the shield where they buried Nascien. An abbey was built where Nascien was buried. No man can take the shield from the abbey without being harmed. It was prophesied that Galahad, descendant of Nascien would receive the shield, 420 years after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

It was even prophesied that Galahad would receive the shield five days after being dubbed a knight. (See Death of Josephus and Nascien in the Origin of the Grail.) As Galahad left Baudemagus at the abbey to continue on his quest, Melias wanted to accompany him and be knighted by Galahad. Galahad agreed. As Galahad and Melias travelled together, they decided to separate when they reached a fork on the road. A sign at the road says that only the greatest knight in the world should take the left road. The right road would probably lead to certain death. Melias persuaded Galahad to let him take the left road. Even though he was newly knighted, Melias already had presumption of his own prowess. As Melias travelled alone, he saw a beautiful gold crown on the thorn bush. Greed and covetedness led to his downfall. Melias took the crown and was immediately attacked by a knight. The knight impaled Melias in his flank. When Galahad went after Melias, he was distressed to find his companion seriously wounded.

Melias asked Galahad to take him to an abbey where he could repent for his sins before dying. However, two knights appeared, the one who had wounded Melias, attacked Galahad. Galahad wounded the first knight in the shoulder with his lance. The second knight lost his hand when Galahad severed it with his sword. Galahad took the wounded Melias to an abbey. After seeing to Melias' wound, the monk saw that he would live. The monk berated Melias for his pride (trusting in his own prowess and not in Jesus). The monk informed that in the quest for the Holy Grail, a knight should rely less on the temporal order (such as prowess in arms) and more on spiritual order. This was the only way to understand the secrets of the Grail. The only reason why Melias survived death was that he commended himself to God, (crossing or blessing himself) before he engaged the knight who wounded him. (Note that the red cross on the white shield, has a historical equivalent, that of the Knights Templar, a Crusader order that began in 1128, after the First Crusade, and ended in controversy in 1314.

This order proper name was the Knights of Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The Templars wore robes and carried a white shields with the emblazon of the red cross. There is some beliefs that this order were caretaker of several religious relics and artifacts, among them the Grail and the Mandylion, which is now known as the Shroud of Turin.) Castle of Maidens Galahad left Melias, and travelled until he reached the Castle of Maidens. Seven brothers practised an evil custom at the castle. They challenged any knight-errant to combat. Any maiden who comes to the castle, became a virtual prisoner. Galahad defeated the seven brothers. When they found that they could not overcome Galahad by the sheer strength of number, they fled from the castle. Galahad freed the maidens from the evil seven brothers. The custom came about ten years ago, when the seven brothers they tried to take the Duke Lynor's daughter by force. They captured the castle through treachery. The Duke's daughter foretold that a single knight would defeat the seven brothers over a maiden.

This prediction angered the seven brothers, they were determined to capture any maiden they find, and kill any knight who came before the castle, which was why this stronghold was called Castle of Maidens. Gawain tried to find Galahad, hoping to accompany Galahad in the quest. He encountered his brother Gaheris and Yvain the Bastard. They travelled together. The seven brothers who were defeated by Galahad attacked three Round Table knights. Gawain and his companions killed the seven brothers without problem. When they lodged for the night at hermitage, the hermit rebuked Gawain for his sins. To succeed in the quest, Gawain did not need to kill the seven brothers. But the hermit's warning was ignored. Fall From Grace For the first part of his journey, Lancelot travelled with Sir Perceval. They encountered his son, Galahad, but they were not able to recognised Galahad, because he carried a white shield with a red cross. They attacked Galahad, who proceeded to unhorsed Lancelot in a joust and knock Perceval off his horse with a sword blow to the head.

Galahad who did not recognised his father and would have killed Lancelot and Perceval, but an angel warned Galahad to leave or he would commit a sin of murdering his own father. Galahad horrified at harming his father and Perceval, fled from them. Lancelot and Perceval who never met a knight, wondered who could so easily defeat two great knights; Lancelot wanted to follow the knight they didn't recognised (Galahad). But after a day of travel, Perceval began to tire, and wanted to rest. Lancelot refused to rest, so he left Perceval behind to pursue the knight. When Lancelot did finally rest for the night, he slept outside of an abandoned church. Lancelot had taken all his armour off when he slept. That morning, Lancelot was woken by the arrival of a wounded knight in a litter and his squire. Then Lancelot witnessed a vision of the Grail come before the wounded knight and healed him. Even though Lancelot was awake, he lay there mute and unable to move.

The knight and squire finding him not moving, the squire stole Lancelot's armour, weapon and horse and gave them to his lord. It was only when the two left, that Lancelot was able to move and speak. Lancelot lamented that his sins prevented him from moving or speaking when he saw the incidence with Grail and the wounded knight. His sin was his adultery with Queen Guinevere . When Lancelot came upon a priest in a small chapel, the priest told him the reason why he could not achieved this quest. Despite been the greatest knight before the arrival of his son, Sir Galahad, it was his adultery with Queen Guinevere that he would never understand the secrets of the Grail. It was the power of God that struck Lancelot dumb when the Grail appeared before him. The only way for Lancelot regain pre-eminence as a great knight and to have any success in his quest, he must repent for his sins, and promise to never commit them again. Peregrinations of Perceval While Lancelot stayed with priest, repenting for his sins and praying to Jesus for forgiveness, Perceval met his aunt.

His aunt warned him that for him to succeed in the quest, he must remain chaste and virgin. Not longer after leaving his aunt, Perceval nearly forgot her warning. Perceval went to mass at one of the chapels, and witnessed an old man wearing a crown. Perceval discovered that the old man was King Mordrain (Evalach), he had lived for over four hundred years, blinded and with a wound that never healed. When he left the chapel, he encountered some bandits who attacked him. Perceval lost his horse in the fight. Perceval was saved by the arrival of Galahad, who helped defeated the bandits before riding away. Perceval wanted to follow his rescuer, but he had no horse to pursue the unnamed knight ( Galahad ). Perceval was distressed that he would do almost anything for horse. That night, Perceval met a damsel who was willing to give her horse to him, in return for a boon. Perceval agreed. The damsel had a great black warhorse, that when he looked the horse in the eyes, Perceval was suddenly fearful of the horse. His instinct should have warned him something was not right about the horse.

Yet he mounted upon the horse, and tried to track down the knight with the white shield. However, the hero lost control of the horse. The horse galloped through the woods with wild abandon, heading towards river. Perceval was saved only when he crossed himself. The horse was actually a demon that threw him off its back, before plunging into the water. Perceval realised that he was deceived by the demon in the form of horse. Perceval would have drown had he fallen into the water, while wearing full armour. Perceval was thankful to God for protecting him, but he was distressed when he did not know which island the demon-horse had taken him to. Then Perceval thought he was saved when a ship to the island. Perceval came upon one of the most women he ever seen. Perceval enjoyed her hospitality. The woman tried to seduce Perceval into having sex with her. However when Perceval commended himself to God, by crossing himself, the woman, her servants and the ship she arrived in, had disappeared. Another ship arrived in the morning. On board was a priest.

When Perceval told the priest all that had happened to him, the priest explained why Satan had sent these demons to him. Satan hoped that Perceval would commit a mortal sin, so he would fail in the quest for Grail. After all this, Perceval allowed aboard the ship, to continue his quest. Lancelot's Slow Ascent Lancelot had stayed with priest for five days, repenting for his sins and listening to the hermit preaching and exhorting him. When it was time to leave, he received new armour, weapon and horse from the priest. Lancelot met a hermit, who was watching over his dead friend (a holy man). The hermit learned from Satan that his companion's soul was saved. The hermit asked Lancelot to put on his dead companion's hairshirt as a mark of penance. Lancelot learnt from the hermit that he would failed to gain the secrets of the Grail. This hermit also told him why he could never witness the final outcome of the quest (because of his sin - adultery). Lancelot then made a commitment, as a Christian and a knight of the Round Table, to remain chaste for the rest of his life.

When he left the hermit, he had a vision of two knights and seven kings. Lancelot was descendant of Nascien , brother-in-law of King Mordrain . From Nascien's son, there was royal line of seven kings, until King Ban . The elder knight was Lancelot, while the younger was his son Galahad. Galahad was turned into a lion, symbolising of what set him apart from all other knights. When Lancelot left the hermit, he entered the tournament that was fought between black and white knights. Though the black knights had the advantage of numbers, they were losing. Lancelot thought he should help those who were losing. In the joust, he was unhorsed and captured as prisoner. When he agreed to do what his captor (white knight) wanted, he was allowed free. The tournament had more significant meaning. When he met a woman, she explained to him, that the black knights symbolised knights who had sinned, while the white knights were true knights of God. Again, Lancelot had made bad judgement. When Lancelot left the woman, he continued on his quest, until he arrived at a river.

At this river he could find neither ford nor bridge. Lancelot for the first time since the quest began decided to remain on the bank of the river, and pray to God and Jesus for guidance. Gawain and Hector Gawain met with Hector , brother of Lancelot. They both complained that they did not have much adventure in this quest. They decided to travel together. That night they had a strange and disturbing dreams. Few days later, they encountered a knight. Neither side knew one another. They challenged each other and jousted. Gawain unhorsed and mortally wounded the other knight. When the dying knight revealed that he was Sir Yvain the Bastard , Gawain and Hector were horrified that Gawain had killed their friend and fellow-knight of the Round Table. After burying their friend, Gawain and Hector continued on their quest. When they encountered a hermit, they asked for his wisdom. They sought to interpret their strange and disturbing dreams; they found a hermit who explained the significance of the visions. The hermit warned Gawain the quest for the Grail should not be sought on the earthly planes and glories, but through spiritual enlightenment and sublimation.

Through confessing and repenting for their sins, was the only chance they have of even having small success in this quest. The hermit said the best thing for them, were to give up the quest and returned to Camelot, otherwise the consequences would be very high. Gawain ignored the hermit's warnings, in his search for chivalric glories and adventure. As Gawain continued on his path for adventure, he began to destroy his friends, one by one. By the end of the quest, Gawain would have unwittingly killed eighteen knights that had also took parts on the quest. Trials of Bors Bors stayed with a hermit for a few days before he continued on his quest. As Bors travel he saw a bird flew to the nest with dead chicks. The parent bird used its beak to puncture its own chest. Bors clearly saw that the young chicks miraculously revived, when the blood touched them. However, the parent bird died from loss of blood. Bors had defended the lady from being disinherited by her older sister. The older sister had taken most of her land by war. Bors challenged and defeated the older sister's champion named Priadan the Black, in combat.

Bors again returned to the quest, but that nights he had two puzzling dreams. The next day, he saw his brother Lionel , being led away by two captors. Apparently, he had been abused and badly whipped by his enemies. Before he could rescue his brother. A maiden called out for his help. Her cousin abducted her, and was set to rape her. Bors suffered from agonising indecision. He must either help his brother from being killed or the rescue maiden from being raped. Bors decided that his knightly honour demanded that he should rescue the maiden. Bors easily defeated the would-be ravisher, and escort the girl to her family who was searching for her. Then Bors sought to save his brother. At once he came upon another hermit. He discovered too late, that his brother had been killed. When he carrying his brother to a nearby castle, for burial, he thought that Lionel's body strangely appeared almost weightless. When he came upon another hermit, he was given strange interpretations of his visions. This strange hermit told him he should have saved his own brother first; instead of rescuing the maiden. At the castle, the lady came to Bors, asking him to be her lover.

Bors was shocked by her words. Bors refused to return her love. The lady and her companions threatened that they will throw themselves over the castle wall if he don't become her lover; still Bors refused her request. When they leaped toward their deaths, Bors crossed himself. Immediately the tower, the lady and her servants all disappeared. Bors realised that the demons were trying to lure him to commit mortal sins. Even Lionel's body had vanished with the other demons. Bors realised that his brother was still alive. Bors immediately left the place. Bors found a chapel nearby. There he sought consultation with the priest, about his recent experiences and visions. The monk gave all the correct interpretation of his experiences and dreams. He also assured him that his brother was still alive, and he behaved correctly in saving the maiden from been ravished. His visions were related to the two recent experiences. The demons at the tower were hoping that the death of his brother would make him to fall to despair, and allowed himself to commit a sin by becoming the lady's lover. The next day, Bors set out and met his brother. Lionel was furious that his brother would go save the maiden and not him.

He challenged Bors to fight him, but Bors refused to fight. Lionel immediately attacked Bors, who would not defend himself. Lionel ignored all his brother's pleas that he would make amend. Lionel would have killed his brother, had the monk, who had been Bors' host, threw himself before the sword blow; and the monk was killed. Calogrenant, another knight on the quest, arrived in time to save Bors. However, he was no match for Lionel. Calogrenant was also killed. As Bors drew his sword to defend himself, a voice prevented him from striking a blow to Lionel. A ball of fire struck Lionel's shield. Lionel was unharmed but he lost conscious. The voice then told him to leave his brother, and seek out Perceval , and he would also later meet Galahad. Bors immediately left his brother behind. Bors met Perceval by the shore of the sea. Aboard the Ship Galahad journeyed throughout the kingdom of Logres (Britain). He helped one of the sides in a tournament. Gawain and Hector recognised that Galahad fought on the other side. They refused to face Galahad.

However, Galahad never recognised Gawain and Hector. Suddenly, Galahad charged before them. With a mighty blow from his red sword, Galahad unhorsed Gawain. Galahad had unwittingly given Gawain a serious wound to the head. Lancelot's prediction that Gawain would receive a terrible wound from the sword that he tried to draw from the stone before the quest began. (See the New Knight , about how Gawain failed to draw the sword from the stone.) When Galahad arrived at a hermitage, a maiden came to him, asking him to follow her. She brought Galahad to the shore where he met two knights. Perceval and Bors warmly greeted Galahad. A mysterious ship arrived, without a single crew-member aboard. There was inscription written on the side of the ship, stating that no man without strong faith in God and Jesus would be able to board the ship. The maiden told Perceval that she was her sister , the daughter of King Pellehen (Pellinore). Though, her name is not given in this story, she was generally known as Dindraine or Dindrane in some versions.

His sister told him that she feared for his life, if Perceval's faith in God was weak. But Perveval told her that his faith was strong and boarded the ship with his other companions. Within the ship they found a large beautiful bed, that was surrounded by three wooden posts. (See The Ship and the Tree for the history of the ship the bed and the three wooden posts). On the bed was a strange sword, with handbreadth of blade drawn from the scabbard. The sword had inscriptions on the scabbard, hilt and blade, which were written in the form of prophecies. The maiden knew the history of the sword, and the prophecies that had been fulfilled concerning the sword. One of the histories is how the Dolorous Stroke that King Varlan had used the sword against King Lambor, grandfather of King Pelles. Valan had found this sword aboard the ship. When Varlan killed Lambor with this sword, he had caused the kingdom of the Grail King to become the Waste Land. (According to the Suite du Merlin (Post-Vulgate) and Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, it was Balin who caused the Waste Land with Dolorous Stroke.

But Balin had used the Bleeding Lance against Pellehan or Pellam, father of Pelles, instead of the sword. See Balin in the Legend of Excalibur.) Some of the prophecies concerning the swords had already being fulfilled. Only a couple of prophecies were to be fulfilled that day. The first prophecy was that only one knight could grip the sword properly. Of the three Grail knights, only Galahad was able to encircle the hilt with his hand. The second prophecy says that a maiden of royal birth and a virgin, must replace the existing belt with a new belt, before Galahad can wear the sword at his side. Perceval's sister replaced the hemp sword-belt, with the belt that she made from the threads of fine gold, silk and her own golden hair, studded with precious stone. Galahad took the sword, unsheathed the blade and admired the fine craftsmanship, before returning the sword to the scabbard. The Grail maiden told the heroes that the sword was called the Sword of the Strange Belt or Sword of the Strange Straps, while the scabbard was called the Memory of Blood.

See The Adventures of Nascien and Celidoine about the Nascien on the ship, and Death of Josephus and Nascien about the death of King Lambor. See also Sword! Sword! And More Swords! about the prophecy and history of the sword. Death of a Maiden Galahad and his companions left the ship, and travelled until they came upon a castle, where the knights from the castle attacked them. The people of the castle practised the custom extracting a dishful of virgin blood of captured maiden. It had being foretold that only the virgin blood of a maiden of royal family could heal the lady of the castle from leprosy. Galahad and his companions easily defeated the knights by evening, defending Perceval's sister. But when Perceval's sister heard why the custom was practised, she willingly gave them the dishful of her virgin blood. However, doing so would bring about the maiden's death. Dying, Perceval's sister asked her brother and her other companions not to bury her here. She instructed them to place her body in a boat, allowing the boat to set adrift. She knew that they would later find her body in Sarras.

She asked them to bury her body in Sarras, because she knew that this was the city that Galahad and her brother will be buried beside her. Perceval's sister soon died. The lady of the castle was bathed in the virgin blood, and was miraculously healed. Galahad and his companions immediately set about doing her instruction. They placed her body in a boat and set it adrift. This was the same custom practice, earlier in Balin's adventure. Balin's companion did not die, but her maiden blood failed to cure the lady of leprosy. See Dolorous Stroke in the Knight with Two Swords . Father and Son After setting the boat adrift, Galahad and his companions set out in different directions for their next journey. They would meet again at the Grail Castle (Corbenic). Lancelot, who had waited by the river for weeks, was told by a voice, to board the first boat that he encountered. When Lancelot the boat, he found the body of maiden. Lancelot found the note that Perceval had left his sister's body. Lancelot learned of their adventure and how Perceval's sister had died.

Lancelot spends most of his time in praying in the boat, until Galahad found the boat. Surprised to meet his father. They spend the time together, talking of their lives and their adventures. After half a year passed, a white knight arrived with a spare mount for Galahad. He informed them that it was time to separate. Lancelot stayed in the boat, until it landed at Corbenic (Grail) Castle. There, Lancelot had a partial vision of the Grail. When Lancelot desired to see more, the Holy Spirit struck him down. He was left in a daze for twenty-four days, without being able to speak or move. When Lancelot recovered his senses, King Pelles discovered who his patient was, invited Lancelot to his court. Lancelot spent five days as a guest with Pelles. Then Lancelot returned to the kingdom of Logres. On his journey to Camelot, Lancelot happened to stay at the abbey, where he found his friend, King Baudemagus of Gorre was buried. The elegy says that Gawain had killed Baudemagus, because neither knight recognise the other.

Galahad travelled far and wide throughout Britain. Galahad performed many miracles on his journey. He banished demons, and healed the sicks. Galahad then came upon an abbey that Perceval had once attended mass, earlier in his adventure (see Peregrinations of Perceval ). There, Galahad met the ancient blind king. He comforted King Mordrain , healing his blindness, before the ancient king died in his arms. Galahad also came to an abbey in Gorre, where he came upon the tombs of King Galahad of Hosselice (Wales), and Simeon. Through a miracle he quench the fire that surround the tomb of Simeon, simply by walking towards the tomb. It had been five years since he was separated from his two companions, Perceval and Bors; they met again. They then headed towards Corbenic, the Grail Castle. Holy Grail Galahad and his companions were welcomed to Corbenic, by his grandfather King Pelles and his family and retinues.

There they met Pelles' son, Elyezer, his niece (unnamed), and his father the Maimed King , named Parlan (Pellam). Parlan was wounded for drawing the Sword with Strange Belt. (According to Malory, the knight Balin had wounded King Pellam (Parlan) with the spear known as Dolorous Stroke, while his son, King Pelles, also known as the Maimed King, wounded himself with Sword with Strange Belt). Elyezer brought the Broken Sword, to the three companions, only Galahad was able to restore the sword, by joining the two pieces together. They gave the sword to Bors. ( Gawain had previously failed to mend this sword when he met Elyezer. See Gawain at Corbenic in the Lancelot page.) Nine other knights arrived from Gaul, Ireland and Denmark. They joined Galahad and his friends at the Grail table. Josephus , son of Joseph of Arimathea, magically appeared in the bishop outfits before the seated knights. Josephus brought the Grail and the Bleeding Lance with him. Josephus informed the knights they were rewarded for their piety and faith, before the saint vanished.

Jesus then arrived and came before them. He allowed the twelve knights to partake the food from the platter that was used in the Last Supper to serve the paschal lamb. Jesus instructed Galahad that he was to return to the ship where he received the Sword with Strange Belt, and take the Grail out of Logres (Britain), to the spiritual palace in the city of Sarras. Sarras was the spiritual capital of King Mordrain (Evalach). It was formerly a Saracen city, but Joseph and his Josephus converted the king, his family and the whole city. It had reverted to paganism when the king didn't return home from Britain. See Vulgate History of the Grail . Jesus allowed Galahad to take Perceval and Bors on this journey. By withdrawing the Grail from Britain, he was removing the grace of God from the Britons who had not kept faith. (This action would lead to destruction of Logres and the death of Arthur, in the next section: The Death of King Arthur also called Mort le Roi Artu in the Vulgate Cycle.) Before Jesus left, he further instructed Galahad to heal the Maimed King (Parlan).

Taking some of the blood from the lance, Galahad anointed the Maimed King's leg. Immediately, the old wound that the king had received was finally healed. Jesus gave one final blessing to the company before vanishing. Sarras the Spiritual Palace Galahad and companions said farewell to King Pelles and his family, and the nine knights. Galahad then set out for the sea. They found the miraculous ship waiting for them. Aboard the ship, they found the Grail on the table that was used in Corbenic. Before the ship, Galahad spent a great deal of his time, praying. He was asking that his death would be soon. Jesus grated his wish. Perceval hearing Galahad's prayer was a little upset, until Galahad explained to his friend of the wonder he had saw in the Grail. Upon arriving Sarras, a voice told them to take the Grail to the spiritual palace, they saw that the boat that had bore the body of Perceval's sister had arrived. They carried the table into the city. Galahad was finding the table very heavy to carry, so he asked a cripple to help him carry the table to the palace.

The cripple miraculous got up at help Galahad. The crowds were amazed of the miracle and followed them to the palace. After placing the Grail within the palace, the three companions immediately went back to the bark (boat), and brought the body of Perceval's sister to the palace, burying the girl in the tomb. King Escorant hearing of their arrival summoned the Grail knights before them, asking the nature of their visit. Though, they told them the truth, but the king didn't believe them. As they disarmed, Escorant's men immediately seized and imprisoned them. They spent a year in prison, until Escorant fell seriously ill and realised his errors of arresting the three knights. Escorant had the knights freed and summoned before him. The king asked for their forgiveness, which they readily gave. Escorant then died. The people of Sarras was without a king, so they appointed Galahad as their king, because they saw the miracle he performed by healing a cripple. Reluctantly, Galahad accepted kingship of Sarras. So Galahad inherited the kingdom that Mordrain had once ruled.

After a year of ruling, Galahad prayed daily for release of his mortal life. Josephus came before him, asked Galahad to look deeply into the Grail, and witnessed the final secret of the Grail. His prayers were answered. Galahad then said farewell to Perceval and Bors, asking the latter, to greet his father for him. Moment later as he prostrated before the altar, Galahad fell dead. His friends could actually see that his soul was taken to heaven. They also saw two hands appearing before them, taking the Holy Grail and the Bleeding Spear to heaven; never to be seen again in this world. After burying Galahad with Perceval's sister, Perceval decided to become hermit, living just outside of the city, devoting the rest of his life to God. Bors stayed with him, still wearing his secular outfit. A year after Galahad's death, Perceval died. Bors buried Perceval with Perceval's sister and Galahad. Seeing that the quest had finally come to an end, he returned to his secular life, and returned to the kingdom of Logres.

Bors returned to Camelot and told Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, of their adventure. Bors also greeted Lancelot for Galahad, and told his cousin of his son's final days. So ended the Queste del Saint Graal. After this, the next Vulgate romance to read, is the Death of King Arthur . EBK: Arthurian Literature: Sir Galahad Sir Galahad Arthurian Literary Character Sir Galahad was the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot by Lady Elaine of Corbenic. He was placed under the care his paternal great aunt and grew up at the nunnery where she was abbess. Upon reaching adulthood, his father knighted him and took him to Camelot . At the Royal Court, Galahad sat in the ï¿½Siege Perilousï¿½ - the seat reserved by God for the purest of knights - yet no calamity befell him. Like Arthur had done so many years before, he then drew a sword from a stone which bore a message declaring him to be the Worldï¿½s best knight!

He was immediately welcomed to the Order of the Round Table and was present at the vision of the Grail , when he was chosen as one of those to seek this holiest of relics. Galahad left on his quest with a shield made by King Evelake and painted with a red cross of blood by St. Joseph of Arimathea . This was joined by King Davidï¿½s sword when he met up with Sirs Bors , Percivale and the latterï¿½s sister. Upon the ladyï¿½s death, the trio split up and, for a while, Galahad traveled with his father, visiting King Evelake together. Back with Bors and Percivale, the three arrived at Castle Corbenic and together they found the Holy Grail. Galahad cured the Maimed King there of his ailment by anointing him with blood from the Dolorous Spear and the spirit of St. Joseph of Arimathea appeared and celebrated mass with the three. A vision of Christ then told Galahad how he would have more time with the Grail in the country of Sarras.

So the knights left Corbenic and sailed for Sarras; and the Grail appeared to them once more onboard ship. Upon arrival, the pagan King Estorause threw them in prison; but the Grail sustained them and, when the King died, Galahad was able to take control of the country. A year later St. Joseph of Arimathea appeared to him with the Grail once more. Galahad celebrated mass and, having reached his lifelong goal, asked that he should be allowed to die. This he did in peace. The origins of Galahadï¿½s character are uncertain. The name may be taken from the Palestinian location, Gilead, or he may be connected with Welsh characters, such as Gwalhafed or St. Illtud .

Lancelot | legendary knight | Britannica.com legendary knight Alternative Titles: Lancelot du Lac, Lancelot of the Lake, Launcelot Related Topics Camelot Lancelot, also spelled Launcelot, also called Lancelot of the Lake, French Lancelot du Lac , one of the greatest knights in Arthurian romance ; he was the lover of Arthur’s queen, Guinevere , and was the father of the pure knight Sir Galahad . Lancelot and Guinevere, illustration by N.C. Wyeth, for The Boy’s King Arthur: … The Boy’s King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory’s History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922. Illustration by N.C. Wyeth Lancelot’s name first appeared as one of Arthur’s knights in Chrétien de Troyes’s 12th-century romance of Erec, and the same author later made him the hero of Lancelot; ou, le chevalier de la charrette , which retold an existing legend about Guinevere’s abduction, making Lancelot her rescuer and lover.

It also mentioned Lancelot’s upbringing by a fairy in a lake, a story that received fuller treatment in the German poem Lanzelet. These two themes were developed further in the great 13th-century Vulgate cycle , or “Prose Lancelot.” According to this, after the death of his father, King Ban of Benoic, Lancelot was carried off by the enchantress Vivien, the Lady of the Lake, who in time sent him to Arthur’s court. Her careful education of Lancelot, combined with the inspiring force of his love for Guinevere, produced a knight who was the very model of chivalry . In later branches of the cycle, in which worldly chivalry was set against chivalry inspired by spiritual love, Lancelot’s son, Sir Galahad, whom he fathered by Elaine, daughter of the Grail keeper King Pelleas, displaced him as the perfect knight. Lancelot’s adulterous love for the queen, moreover, caused him to fail in the quest for the Holy Grail and set in motion the fatal chain of events that brought about the destruction of the knightly fellowship of the Round Table .

In medieval English romance, Lancelot played a leading role in the late 14th-century Le Morte Arthur, which told of a fatal passion for Lancelot conceived by Elaine the Fair of Astolat and which described the tragic end of Lancelot’s love for Guinevere. He also played a central role in Malory’s 15th-century prose work Le Morte Darthur , in which it was essentially the conflict between Lancelot’s love for Guinevere and his loyalty to his lord that led to Arthur’s “dolorous death and departing out of this world.” Learn More in these related articles: Galahad | Robbins Library Digital Projects Characters Name Variants: GalaadBackground Essay Author: Kara L. McShane Sir Galahad, the son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic, is best known as the knight who achieves the Holy Grail . When Galahad appears, he is the chief Grail knight; in the French and English traditions, he replaces Perceval in this role. Galahad first appears in the thirteenth-century Vulgate Cycle.

The opening part of the Cycle, the Estoire del saint Graal, first mentions Galahad; it predicts his birth and his eventual achievement of the Grail. According to this section of the text, Galahad is ninth in the line of Nascien, who was baptized by Josephus, son of Joseph of Arimathea. This lineage connects Galahad to those who are said to have brought Christianity (and the Grail itself) to Britain. A later section, La Queste del saint Graal, recounts his adventures on the quest, which leads from Arthur's court to the city of Sarras, the earthly home of the Grail, and the place where Galahad dies while contemplating the Grail. Stories of Galahad's adventures are exceptionally consistent; the account of Galahad's quest from Malory’s Morte d'Arthur, "The Noble Tale of the Sankgreal," draws on the major events from the Vulgate Cycle. Malory preserves the prophesy and foretelling that surround Galahad; within the Grail Quest, hermits and other religious figures continually appear to interpret dreams and anticipate upcoming events.

Galahad’s birth and achievements are foretold in both the Vulgate Cycle and in Malory; this gives the entire Grail Quest a sense of inevitability. In both Malory and La Queste del saint Graal, Galahad is knighted by Lancelot at a convent in the woods. At the feast of Pentecost, he arrives in Camelot, where... Read Less Sir Galahad, the son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic, is best known as the knight who achieves the Holy Grail . When Galahad appears, he is the chief Grail knight; in the French and English traditions, he replaces Perceval in this role. Galahad first appears in the thirteenth-century Vulgate Cycle. The opening part of the Cycle, the Estoire del saint Graal, first mentions Galahad; it predicts his birth and his eventual achievement of the Grail. According to this section of the text, Galahad is ninth in the line of Nascien, who was baptized by Josephus, son of Joseph of Arimathea. This lineage connects Galahad to those who are said to have brought Christianity (and the Grail itself) to Britain.

A later section, La Queste del saint Graal, recounts his adventures on the quest, which leads from Arthur's court to the city of Sarras, the earthly home of the Grail, and the place where Galahad dies while contemplating the Grail. Stories of Galahad's adventures are exceptionally consistent; the account of Galahad's quest from Malory’s Morte d'Arthur, "The Noble Tale of the Sankgreal," draws on the major events from the Vulgate Cycle. Malory preserves the prophesy and foretelling that surround Galahad; within the Grail Quest, hermits and other religious figures continually appear to interpret dreams and anticipate upcoming events. Galahad’s birth and achievements are foretold in both the Vulgate Cycle and in Malory; this gives the entire Grail Quest a sense of inevitability. In both Malory and La Queste del saint Graal, Galahad is knighted by Lancelot at a convent in the woods. At the feast of Pentecost, he arrives in Camelot, where he is able to sit in the Siege Perilous , an act which demonstrates that he is the knight who will achieve the Grail.

After the Grail appears at the Pentecost feast, the knights vow to spend a year and a day seeking the Grail. Galahad sets out on the quest without a shield. Accompanied by King Bademagu, he stops at an abbey, and they learn that the abbey houses a white shield marked with the blood of Galahad’s ancestor, Josephus. When Bademagu takes the shield from the abbey, a mysterious white knight appears and knocks him from his horse; the white knight’s squire then brings the shield to Galahad. The shield is meant exclusively for Galahad and will protect only him. On his travels, he reaches the Castle of Maidens, where seven cruel knights hold a duke’s daughter and all who pass through the region captive; he restores order by defeating the evil knights in combat and making the knights native to the country swear fealty to the duke’s daughter. However, Galahad does not kill the seven cruel knights. (The seven knights are killed the next day when several other Round Table knights encounter them.) After leaving the Castle, Galahad travels through the Waste Forest until he reaches the sea.

There, he is reunited with fellow Grail knights Perceval and Bors. The three knights travel together to Logres, where they and nine foreign knights experience a mass and have a vision of the Grail. At this mass, Christ himself appears to Galahad and tells him that the Grail is not sufficiently respected in the land and that Galahad will see the Grail more openly when he reaches Sarras. Galahad, Percival, and Bors then journey to Sarras with the Grail on a mysterious ship. After some time in Sarras, Galahad prays for death and dies while contemplating the Grail. Both texts explain Galahad’s birth out of wedlock; Lancelot is magically tricked into sleeping with Elaine (who is called Amite or “the rich Fisher King’s daughter” in the Vulgate Cycle), and Galahad is the result of that union. In spite of the circumstances of his birth, the texts emphasize Galahad’s inherent virtue. The narrator in the Estoire del saint Graal acknowledges Galahad's problematic conception (without explicitly identifying him as a bastard child), but praises him on the grounds of his worthy lineage, good life, and good purpose.

In the Vulgate Cycle, he is often referred to simply as the "Good Knight" (Lancelot-Grail 4:6, 4:20) or the "worthy man" (L-G 4:5). Malory seems even more comfortable with Galahad’s bastard status; in the Queste, Galahad demonstrates embarrassment at his paternity in a conversation with Guinevere, but Malory leaves this conversation out of his version (Watson 58-59). Instead, when Guinevere is asked by one of her ladies if Galahad should rightly be such a good knight, she claims that "he ys of all partyes comyn of the beste knyghtes of the world, and of the highest lynage" (Malory 502). In Malory’s text, Galahad’s status as a bastard child does not detract from his prestigious lineage in the slightest; rather, the quality of his parents and his own inherent virtue outweigh the circumstances of his birth. Descriptions of Galahad inevitably remark on his youth and beauty as defining characteristics, and he is often immediately recognizable as Lancelot's son.

In the Queste when Lancelot first encounters Galahad, Lancelot observes that Galahad "was endowed with exceptional beauty" (L-G 4:3). Similarly, upon Galahad’s arrival at Arthur’s court, a young man describes Galahad to Guinevere as "one of the world’s most handsome knights" (L-G 4:6). Galahad's virginity is the key to his perfection and therefore the key to his success in the Grail Quest. Galahad’s quest has certain parallels with hagiographic literature, notably stories of St. John the Evangelist; these similarities appear in the healings and “miracles” Galahad performs, as well as in his virginity (O’Malley 40). Galahad’s saintliness makes him the knight who most fully achieves the Grail, and this status distinguishes Galahad from his Round Table peers in potentially problematic ways. Galahad’s successes simultaneously confer honor on the Round Table and demonstrate the weakness of his fellow knights, who often fail where Galahad succeeds (Armstrong 32).

Galahad's perfection, especially his virginity, makes him both admirable and irksome to modern adaptors of the Grail story. Malory’s version inspired many retellings of Galahad’s adventures, the best known of which is by Tennyson. The Idylls of the King preserves Galahad as the chief Grail Knight. As a result, he is a figure of mythic status even to Perceval, a fellow Grail Knight. Galahad’s visions of the Grail separate him from the rest of his Round Table companions, such as Lancelot, who declares upon his return to Camelot that "’this Quest was not for me’" (849). Similarly, Tennyson's "Sir Galahad" depicts a heavenly, peerless knight who famously claims that "My strength is as the strength of ten, / Because my heart is pure" (ll. 3-4). Tennyson presents purity as a source of strength, an image of Galahad that was exceptionally popular with Victorian audiences (Mancoff, Return, 123). Boldly persistent in his quest, Galahad consistently moves forward toward his goal.

Perhaps due to this image of the tireless, virtuous knight, Tennyson’s poems are sometimes used in texts which associate Galahad with war, and Galahad was invoked as a symbol of patriotic Englishness during World War I (Mancoff, Return, 126). James Burns’s Sir Galahad: A Call to the Heroic promotes Galahad as the righteous Christian soldier whose behavior the young men of Britain should emulate. This use of Galahad appears not only in literature, but also in art. Stained glass windows depicting Galahad were often created (from roughly 1900 through 1930) to memorialize the deaths of young men, especially young men killed during the war. Stained glass depictions of Galahad were also common in public schools, reinforcing Galahad as an idealized role model for young men. Such depictions often incorporate lines from Tennyson or Malory and thus connect the image to a specific text (Poulson 112-114). One such window, in St.

Paul’s Church, Fairlie, was commissioned by Sir James and Lady Dobbie in 1919 to commemorate the death of their son Alexander. Along the bottom, the window quotes Tennyson’s “The Holy Grail”: arthurianlegend - Sir Galahad Sir Galahad Export (PDF) One day, long long ago, sir Lancelot sat around the magnificent round table. He met a young women their by the name of Elaine. He and Elaine had many great times together and eventually had a child. The child's name was Galahad. When Galahad was only a young man he showed many signs of becoming a great knight. He was determined to work as hard as he could till he was good enough to join the knights of the round table. Surely enough when he grew older he was taken to King Arthur. Once King Arthur knighted him he was given his own seat at the round table. On his way back home he saw a sword daggered deep into the middle of a stone. As soon as he saw it, he took it appon himself pull out the sword from stone.

Later, Queen Guinevere discovers Galahad pulled the sword out of the stone and sends him on a mission to find the Invincible Shield. During his long quest he discover many obstacles but eventually retrieves the shield from a monk in an abbey. With his quest finished he made his way back home. On his way home he was stopped at the Castle of Maidens by a man who wanted company.He knew that the Castle of Maidens had a curse to make you stay for ever so he neglected the offer. He continued on his journey for many days and faced many knights in battle but never lost a fight. Once he returned home from his quest he praised by all the men and women of the town. To show gratitude to Galahad they rewarded him with a precious golden horn. It was said that It could be heard up to 2 miles away and whenever they heard the horn they promised Galahad that they would answer his call and help him in battle. Then finally he returned home with his long journey completed. Once upon a time, there was a feast at the Round Table that was very tasty, but a damsel called Sir Lancelot away. She wanted him to make a man named Galahad a knight.

Sir Lancelot bestowed knighthood upon him. On his way home, Sir Lancelot saw a stone with a sword in it. It tells him that Galahad is a rightful knight of the Round Table. Galahad, upon seeing the sword, immediately pulled it from the stone. Then, Queen Guinevere discovered that Galahad is Lancelot's son. However, Sir Galahad does not have a shield. Sir Galahad decided to go on a quest to find a shield. He travels to a small chamber and finds King Bagdemagus and Sir Uwaine. They find an invincible shield hung behind a monk. King Bagdemagus is told he should take it, but on his way home he is attacked by a knight. The knight takes the shield and gives it to Sir Galahad, and Galahad, with his quest completed, headed home. On his way home, Galahad was stopped at the Castle of Maidens by a very old man, who wanted him to stay. Sir Galahad, knowing there was a curse on the Castle of Maidens to keep him there forever, so he politely declined the offer. However, seven knights attacked him on his way out.

They struck and struck him, but everything that hit the shield would bounce back with extremely hard speed. When he got out, the villagers rewarded him with a golden horn that they could hear from two miles away. If they heard this horn, they promised they would come with help as soon as possible. Sir Galahad went home in disguise, and on his way home he encountered Sir Lancelot and Sir Percival and they, who did not it was Sir Galahad, attacked. They fought and fought, but everything that hit the shield was hit back, and Galahad, with a mighty sweep of his spear, knocked them off their horses. Then, Galahad went home with his quest completed. By Colin Senegeto Galahad | Quondam et Futurus | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit The circumstances surrounding the conception of the boy Galahad are explained by Malory and derive from the Lancelot-Grail cycle: Elaine , the daughter of King Pelles, the Grail King , uses magic to trick Sir Lancelot into thinking that she is Queen Guinevere , whom Lancelot loves.

Sir Lancelot and Elaine sleep together, but on discovering the deception, Lancelot at first tries to kill Elaine for her complicity, 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 King Arthur's court. The young 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 Vulgate Cycle, "Galahad" was Lancelot's original name, but it 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 valour and be successful in his search for the Holy Grail.

Quest for the Holy Grail George Reeves in The Adventures of Sir Galahad Upon reaching adulthood, Galahad is reunited with his father Sir Lancelot, who knights him at King Arthur 's court at Camelot during Pentecost, where he 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 accomplish the quest of the Holy Grail. Sir Galahad is promptly invited to become a Knight of the Round Table, and soon afterwards, King Arthur's court witnesses an ethereal vision of the Holy Grail . The quest to seek out this holy object is begun at once. Galahad for the most part travels alone, smiting his enemies, rescuing Sir Perceval from twenty knights and saving maidens in distress, until he is finally reunited with Sir Bors and Sir Perceval . These three knights then come across Sir Perceval’s sister who leads them to the grail ship. After many adventures, Sir Galahad and Sir Perceval find themselves at the court of King Pelles and Eliazar, his son.

These men are very holy and they bring Galahad into a room where he is finally allowed to see the Holy Grail. Galahad is asked to take the vessel to the holy city of Sarras. After seeing the grail, Galahad makes request that he may die at the time of his choosing. So it is, while making his way back to Arthur’s court, Sir Galahad is visited by Joseph of Arimathea , and thus experiences such glorious rapture that he makes his request to die. After bidding Perceval and Bors farewell, Galahad is taken up to heaven by angels. Frequently Asked Questions - The Legend of King Arthur Frequently Asked Questions Who was King Arthur? King Arthur is the name of a mythological king who supposedly ruled Britain during the medieval period. There are many varying legends about him. Some legends say that he was the greatest warrior ever to live. The oldest and most common tales about him say that he was a ruler who united Britain and drove invaders from the shores in the fifth or sixth centuries. Some legends tell that he will return one day to defend Britain, when Britain has need of him again. What is the legend of King Arthur? There are many legends associated with King Arthur.

The first tales of him were told in the fifth and sixth centuries. In the eleventh century, his popularity exploded, and tales of him have continued to develop ever since. Many of them became intertwined with local folklore. As such, there is no standard, official version of the Arthurian Legend. Some tales depict Arthur as a brilliant warlord who saves his people from invasion, and others focus on his knights while depicting Arthur himself as nothing more than a kindly, old king. Who wrote the legend of King Arthur? The Arthurian Legend has been developed over the course of more than a thousand years. As such, there is no one author who can take credit for the work. Some of the most influential writers who helped shape the legend were Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chrétien de Troyes, and Sir Thomas Malory, in the medieval period. In the modern period, notable authors are T.H. White, Mary Stewart, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Writers of the earliest tales of Arthur also mentioned him and apparently believed him to be a real person. Most notable among them was the ninth–century monk Nennius. In addition, numerous tales of Arthur have been written by authors whose names have been lost in history.

How old is the legend of King Arthur? The earliest tales of Arthur tell that he was a war commander of the late fifth or early sixth centuries. The earliest texts historians have which mention him are not originals, but copies that were transcribed by medieval monks centuries later. Some scholars believe these monks may have added stories about Arthur to the texts they were transcribing, so it is impossible to know for certain how old his legend is. The earliest text we do have which mentions him has been dated to the ninth century. However, these early tales of Arthur were very different from the modern legend as it has come to be known today. Many elements of the legend were gradually added over time, and some, such as the depiction of Arthur as a scrawny boy who grows into a great military leader, are no older than a century. Was King Arthur a real person? Historians still debate whether Arthur was based on a real, historical figure. While no direct evidence exists to prove that he was, there is some circumstantial evidence which seems to indicate that there was a great leader of that time by the name of Arthur, Artur, Arturo, Artos, or another similar name.

However, even if Arthur was based on a historical figure, that figure was almost nothing like the Arthur of modern legend. The earliest legends of Arthur do not refer to him as a king, but rather, as a war chief who led several successful battles in defence of Britain. The real Arthur would never have jousted, or held court with his ladies, or have had a code of chivalry among his knights. If Arthur did exist, he would have been much more of a barbaric warlord or bard than the chivalrous king we have come to envision today. Where did the legend of King Arthur come from? The legend of King Arthur developed over the course of more than one thousand years. As such, many different factors contributed to shaping it into what it has become today. These factors include, among other things, political motivations, cultural influences, and socioeconomic changes. For a more detailed discussion of how the legend developed, please see our Literature section . Who were King Arthur's parents? According to the legend, King Arthur's father was Uther Pendragon, the king of Britain. His mother was Ygraine, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Uther fell madly in love with her despite the fact that she was already married, and pursued her relentlessly, eventually leading to a war between himself and her husband. Eventually, Uther persuaded Merlin to use magic to help him attain her, and Uther later married her after her husband was killed in battle. Did King Arthur have a wife? Yes. In the earliest versions of the legend, he had two or three wives all named Gwenhwyfar. Later, this became one wife named Guinevere, and according to the legend, she betrayed him by having an adulterous affair with his finest knight, Sir Lancelot. This eventually led to the downfall of Arthur's kingdom. Who was Merlin? Merlin was King Arthur's wizard, who arranged his birth and tutored him since he was a child. When Arthur grew older, Merlin served as his advisor before being trapped in a tomb for all eternity by the Lady of the Lake. Who was Guinevere? Guinevere was Arthur's wife. In some early versions of the legend, her name is spelled Gwenhwyfar, and in some very early versions, he has two or three wives of this name throughout his lifetime.

In later versions of the legend, she came to be known as an adulterous woman who betrayed Arthur by carrying on an affair with his best friend, Sir Lancelot. In the Medieval Ages, she was depicted as a scornful, adulterous woman, while in modern times, she has come to be thought of as a tormented soul, torn between her loyalty to her husband and her feelings for his best friend. Who was Lancelot? Lancelot is a completely fictional character who was added to the Arthurian Legend in the twelfth century. According to the legend, he was Arthur's finest knight and best friend, but he betrayed him by pursuing an adulterous relationship with his wife, Guinevere, which ultimately led to the downfall of Camelot. Who was Galahad? Sir Galahad was Lancelot's son by Lady Elaine. Unlike his father, Galahad was pure and virtuous, and because of this, he was ultimately allowed to win the Holy Grail. Shortly after, he gave up this life to join God in Heaven. Who was Mordred? In the legend, Mordred was Arthur's nephew–son by incest.

Mordred was devious and sought to take over Arthur's kingdom. He took advantage of Lancelot's love affair with the Queen in order to drive the kingdom apart, and claim it and Guinevere for himself. He and Arthur both killed each other in battle, but Arthur was taken to the magical island of Avalon to be cured of his wounds. Who was the Lady of the Lake? Nimue, Viviane, Viviana, Vivienne, Elaine, Ninianne, Nivian, Nyneve, and Nimueh are the names most frequently given to her throughout the legends. She was a magical creature who lived in a kingdom beneath her lake. She knew magic and frequently helped Arthur on his quests. She gave him his sword, Excalibur, as well as sending Lancelot to his kingdom to serve him. However, she ultimately trapped Merlin forever in his cave because she was afraid of him. What was Camelot? Camelot was the name of King Arthur's kingdom in legend. It has come to be thought of as a kingdom of justice and chivalry. Its location is never specifically given, although some historians believe that Cadbury Hill in Somerset, England, may form the basis for a historical Camelot.

Many other locations have also been suggested, such as Camelon, Colchester, and Caerwent. What was the Holy Grail? The image of a sacred bowl or chalice has been connected to Arthur since his very early legends. Some historians believe that this may come from ancient Sarmatian folklore, which had tales of a hero similar to Arthur, who had a magic chalice. The Grail's powers are never clearly explained, but it possesses many varying mystical powers in various versions of the legend. In modern times, the Grail has come to be thought of either as the cup from which Jesus Christ drank during the Last Supper, or the cup which caught his blood when he was crucified. As a result, it is believed to be sacred, and to possess great powers of healing. Many later legends depict King Arthur's knights going on various quests in search of it. Usually, all but one knight – either Galahad or Percival – are denied it because they are impure. What was the Round Table? According to legend, the Round Table was the table where King Arthur sat and met with his knights to discuss matters of the kingdom.

The purpose of its being round was to illustrate that there was no head of the table; all men sitting there, including Arthur, were treated as equals, and could voice their opinions freely. What was Excalibur? Excalibur was the name of King Arthur's sword in legend. It was forged on the mystical isle of Avalon, and was made of the finest steel. However, the real magic came from the scabbard. Whoever held the scabbard could never die of his wounds. Excalibur is not the same sword which Arthur pulled from the stone when he was crowned king. This sword was later broken in battle, and Arthur needed to replace it. Merlin took him to the Lady of the Lake, and she gave him the sword Excalibur. Who were Arthur's Knights? Many different knights are mentioned in the various legends about King Arthur. However, the most common ones are Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Percival, Sir Bors, Sir Gawain, Sir Gareth, Sir Kay, Sir Bedivere, Sir Lamorak, Sir Tristan, Sir Yvain, Sir Balin, and Sir Balan. What is the purpose of this website?

This website exists to promote interest in the Arthurian Legend. We do this mainly by offering a series of articles designed to introduce the newcomer to the legend in a way that is interesting and easy to understand. Once the newcomer has the basics, we provide a number of resources to help guide them in continuing their studies, if that is their wish. Do you provide any further information or resources to assist in the study of King Arthur? Yes. Once the student has read the Introduction , Legend , Literature , and History sections, he should have a good understanding of the basic topics of the legend, good enough to discuss the matter intelligently with academics in the field. At this point, if the student is interested in reading some of the original texts that contributed to the legend, we host a number of modern, English translations which you may read for free in both our Historic Documents section, and our Arthurian Romances section. We also urge you to check our Links page for a number of useful Arthurian resources. Can I copy one of your articles to share with someone else? All of our articles are copyrighted material.

If you want to make a point or show someone something you find interesting, then you may copy a reasonable amount of text from our site (no more than two paragraphs). If you want to show them any more than that, please instead link them to the page you want to show them. Teachers may print out a reasonable number of our articles to share with their students in class. Please also indicate the source so that your students may read more of the pages on our website if they find them interesting. Under no circumstances is it permitted for anyone to copy entire articles onto another website. Can I share one of your translations with someone else? Each of the documents in our Historic Documents and Arthurian Romances sections has its source and its terms of use displayed either in the document itself, or directly above the document, on our webpage. Please refer to each document's specific permissions for information on whether you may share it with someone else. For the documents we have compiled ourselves, all of these are free for you to share, and most, but not all, are in the public domain. Why can't I find the text from quotations on your website when I do a Search in your documents?

When selecting quotations for use in our articles, we have tried to use the sources most widely–accepted by scholars. Many of these are still under copyright, and so we are not able to provide these editions to you through our website. In order that you can have access to the rich body of the works that influenced the Arthurian Legend, we have relied mostly on making available to our readers translations which are in the public domain, usually because their copyright has expired. Can you provide me with further resources to continue my study of the Arthurian Legend? Yes! In addition to the texts located in our Historic Documents and Arthurian Romances sections, we also advise you to check out The CAMELOT Project for other useful texts. We invite any person who is interested in learning more about the Arthurian Legend to post questions in our Forums for help. Our Links page also contains numerous resources for continuing your study, and for connecting with fellow Arthurian enthusiasts. Can you answer individual e–mail inquiries about King Arthur? If you have a question about the Legend of King Arthur or this website, the best place to ask it is probably in our Forums .

If you have a specific question or concern that you feel only the creators of this website can answer, then you are more than welcome to contact us using our convenient Contact Form . Please make sure to check our forums and read this F.A.Q. first to see if your question has already been answered. Although we do not have the resources to respond to every e–mail we receive, we do welcome your comments, and we will try to respond when appropriate.

Question: In Arthurian legend, who was Sir Galahad's father?
Answer: SIR LANCELOT