The Mammoth Book of King Arthur

by Mike Ashley

  Lancelot leaves Corbenic. Further adventures follow in which he kills Tericam and releases the knights, but he falls into a trap laid by Morgan le Fay and is imprisoned for over a year. He passes the time telling the story of his life in pictures on the prison walls. Eventually, through sheer brute strength, he escapes. He learns more about his past, discovers the tomb of his grandfather, also called Lancelot, and learns from a knight called Sarras of the birth of his son Galahad.

  The story line finally turns full circle. Claudas is determined to declare war upon Arthur and sends various spies to Arthur’s court to learn Arthur’s strengths and weaknesses and to undermine the opposition. He incurs the wrath of Guinevere by insulting her. One of his nephews, Brumand, also believes that he can sit on the Perilous Seat at the Round Table which is reserved only for the purest knight in the world. Brumand is destroyed by fire the moment he takes the seat.

  The storyline now reverts to Geoffrey of Monmouth’s version of Arthur’s assault on Gaul and Rome, except that in the Vulgate version it is all set in context. Arthur leads his army in war against Claudas. There are many set battles and the Romans send reinforcements to Claudas under Frollo. There is a long battle between Arthur and the Romans in which Lancelot is supreme. Rather than fight to the bitter end Frollo demands single combat with Arthur. Lancelot begs to fight in his place but Arthur declines and fights and defeats Frollo himself. It is the only episode in the whole of the Vulgate Lancelot where Arthur shows his true mettle and seems anything like the true Arthur of old, suggesting that this episode is drawn from an older tradition. The Romans retreat, Claudas flees, and Arthur grants Lancelot the lands he has won, so that he effectively regains his father’s and uncle’s lands of Benoic and Gaunes. It is now that Lancelot finds his mother just before she dies.

  The story effectively ends there, but there is an epilogue that provides a link to the next novel. Guinevere learns of Lancelot’s unfaithfulness with Elaine. Although she forgives him on learning of Elaine’s trickery, Elaine, who has visited Camelot, once again succeeds in deceiving Lancelot. This time Guinevere discovers the two in bed and she banishes Lancelot from Camelot. He leaves, jumping naked through a window, and spends the next two years roaming mad through Logres, ending up as a court “fool” with King Pelles. Elaine cures his madness with the Grail and Lancelot is restored to Camelot. At the end he is introduced to his son Galahad, who spends his childhood in a nunnery.

  This volume is followed in the Vulgate Cycle by The Quest of the Holy Grail, which is covered separately on page 429. It is then followed by the next work.

  Extracts with interlinking notes are included in The Lancelot-Grail Reader edited by Norris J. Lacy (Garland, 2000).

  LA MORT LE ROI ARTU (THE DEATH OF ARTHUR), anon. (French, c1230)

  After the metaphysical imagery of the Holy Grail, The Death of Arthur brings us back down to earth. So much so that you would hardly realise that Arthur and his knights had undergone such a spiritual adventure. Bors returns to Camelot and tells the story of the end of the Grail Quest. Arthur has taken a head count and noted that thirty-two of his knights had died in the Quest, with Gawain having killed eighteen of them. Gawain recognises this as a curse he has to bear, which will ultimately cause his downfall.

  Life otherwise returns to normal. Arthur holds a tournament in Winchester to celebrate the end of the Quest. Lancelot says that he will not attend. Gawain’s brother Agravain reveals to Arthur that Lancelot is having an affair with Guenevere, sowing doubt in Arthur’s mind that this may be why he does not want to attend the tournament. In fact, Lancelot had intended to go in disguise and when Arthur spots Lancelot in Winchester he is relieved. Gawain supports his friend and argues that Lancelot would never commit adultery. Gawain also discovers that a young Maid of Astolat is in love with Lancelot and it is her colours that Lancelot wears at the tournament. The Maid of Astolat is unnamed in the Vulgate. Malory calls her Elaine, but she is best known as the Lady of Shalott in Tennyson’s Idylls of the King.

  Lancelot is wounded at the tournament by his cousin Bors, and nursed back to health by the Maid of Astolat, who reveals her love for him, though he spurns her. Gawain tells Arthur of the Maid’s love for Lancelot, believing that it is returned, and this satisfies Arthur that there can be no truth in Agravain’s rumour. Guenevere becomes jealous of the Maid of Astolat and banishes Lancelot from Camelot. It is not until later, when the girl pines away and her body reaches Camelot on a barge floating down the river, that Guenevere realizes that Lancelot had remained faithful to her.

  Arthur finds his way to the castle of his sister Morgan le Fay. Years before, when she held Lancelot here, he had painted the story of his life, including his love for Guenevere, on the walls of his cell. Arthur sees this and realizes Guenevere has been unfaithful.

  In the meantime, Guenevere finds herself accused of murder. At dinner she would often hand a fruit to Gawain. Avarlan, a knight who hates Gawain, gives Guenevere a poisoned fruit knowing she will pass this to him. However, she gives it to Gaheris de Karaheu, who immediately dies. Gaheris’s brother Mador accuses the Queen of murder and challenges her champion to combat, otherwise she must be burned at the stake. Because all of the knights have witnessed Gaheris’s death, none of them will stand as her champion. Only Bors, who had admonished the Queen for sending Lancelot away, agrees to fight on her behalf unless a better champion appears. Lancelot does not know of the situation because he has been badly wounded by a hunter in the forest. He only learns of it once he has healed and then promptly returns to Camelot in disguise. He defeats Mador but refuses to kill him as Mador had once been his friend. Mador surrenders and the charges against the Queen are dropped.

  Lancelot and Guenevere are reconciled and their love for each other becomes more open. Even Gawain has to accept it but neither he nor his brother Gaheriet will tell Arthur. However, his other brothers Agravain and Mordred have no such qualms. Arthur agrees to Agravain trying to trap Lancelot and Guenevere together. Arthur goes on a hunting trip but leaves Lancelot behind. Lancelot goes to Guenevere’s apartment, but locks the door. Agravain tries to break in but cannot. Though unarmed, Lancelot opens the door, kills the first knight he sees, takes his sword and armour and fights his way out of the castle.

  When Arthur returns Guenevere is imprisoned and condemned to be burned at the stake without trial. Lancelot rescues her, but in the fray he kills Agravain and accidentally kills Gaheriet. This incurs Gawain’s wrath.

  Lancelot takes Guenevere to Joyous Garde where he is besieged by Arthur. Lancelot refuses to bear arms against Arthur and will not defend himself when Arthur unhorses him. Hector comes to Lancelot’s help. Arthur is unhorsed, but Lancelot refuses to allow the king’s death and escorts him from the field.

  The war continues for two months until the Pope intervenes, threatening to excommunicate Arthur. The Pope declares that the Queen should first be tried. Arthur still loves Guenevere and agrees to take her back provided Lancelot returns home to Gaul. Gawain, however, incites Arthur to continue the war. Arthur therefore leaves Mordred in charge of his court while he goes to Gaul.

  Lancelot retains the upper hand and Arthur has no desire to continue. It is Gawain who insists on fighting and who challenges Lancelot to single combat. Reluctantly Lancelot accepts. It is a battle that lasts all day. Lancelot has the advantage in the morning but Gawain regains his strength at midday and only eventually tires by late afternoon. Gawain receives a violent head wound which brings him to his knees. He will not submit but Lancelot refuses to kill him.

  Somewhat surprisingly at this stage, the author inserts the ages of the main characters. Gawain, he reveals, is 76, Lancelot is about 55, whilst Arthur is a remarkable 92.

  There is no time to rest, as the Romans invade Gaul. The fighting is short. Kay is killed, and Gawain’s head wound reopens. Arthur kills Lucius Hiberius and the Romans retreat.

  Arthur receives news that Mordred has usurped the throne and attempted to marry Guenevere, having told her th
at Arthur was mortally wounded. She has escaped, though, and taken refuge in the Tower of London. Arthur returns to Britain, but Gawain is mortally ill. He sends a letter to Lancelot asking for forgiveness and telling him of events in Britain. On arrival in Britain Gawain dies and is buried at Dover.

  On hearing of Arthur’s arrival Mordred, who had been besieging the Queen at the Tower of London, retreats into the West Country. Guenevere flees to a nunnery. Arthur and Mordred meet in battle on Salisbury Plain in what proves a totally destructive battle. Arthur kills Mordred but Mordred also delivers a fatal blow. Although Arthur, Girflet and Lucan survive the battle, both Arthur and Lucan are severely wounded. Lucan dies when Arthur embraces him too vigorously.

  Arthur and Girflet head towards the sea. Arthur commands Girflet to cast Excalibur back into a lake. Girflet disobeys twice. On the third time Girflet obeys and sees a hand rise from the lake, catch the sword, brandish it and withdraw it into the lake. Arthur commands Girflet to leave him. He looks back and sees a boat full of women, including Arthur’s sister Morgan, take Arthur away. Girflet wanders in grief for three days till he returns to the Black Chapel to see if Lucan has been properly buried. He sees not only Lucan’s tomb but Arthur’s, and learns that the ladies had brought Arthur there. Girflet remains at the Black Chapel as a hermit, but dies eighteen days later.

  Only now does Lancelot receive the news of Mordred’s revolt and of the battle with Arthur. He hurries to Britain with Hector and his cousins. He learns that Guenevere had retired to a nunnery, but has died. Mordred’s two sons have seized the kingdom. The elder, Melehan, kills Lancelot’s cousin Lionel, and Bors kills Melehan, whilst Lancelot kills the younger son. Constantine becomes king of Logres.

  Lancelot retires to a monastery with his cousin Bleoberis and becomes a priest. Bors returns to his kingdom in Gaul. Hector searches for Lancelot and, finding him, remains with him for four years until he dies. Soon after, Lancelot falls ill. Knowing he is about to die, Lancelot commands that he be taken to Joyous Garde and buried next to Galahaut, whom he had so loved. Bors arrives at the castle just in time for the funeral. Bors agrees to take Lancelot’s place at the monastery and so he and Bleoberis spend their final years in the church, the last of the Knights of the Round Table.

  → The Middle English narrative poem called the Alliterative Morte Arthure (c1400; 4,346 lines) tells the story of Arthur’s fate from the time he receives the summons from Emperor Lucius until his burial at Glastonbury. It adds a few original passages, such as Gawayn’s single combat with the Greek knight Priamus, but otherwise follows the standard story. At about the same time, another poet developed the Vulgate version into a verse romance known as the Stanzaic Le Morte Arthur (c1400; 3,969 lines). Although shorter, it follows Arthur’s decline from the tournament after the Grail Quest to Arthur’s burial at Glastonbury. It includes most of the main episodes but excludes Arthur discovering Guenevere’s affair via Lancelot’s paintings, and the death of Mordred’s sons after Arthur’s death. In this version Bedwere is with Arthur at the end. This version was Malory’s main source for the conclusion of Morte Darthur.

  A translation by James Cable is The Death of King Arthur (Penguin, 1971). Both the Alliterative and Stanzaic poems are available in King Arthur’s Death by Larry D. Benson (Bobbs-Merrill, 1974) and King Arthur’s Death by Brian Stone (Penguin, 1988).

  18

  THE FORGOTTEN ADVENTURERS

  The following includes all the remaining Arthurian romances that have not featured in the previous chapters. Most of the main heroes, especially Gawain, do appear but in lesser roles. The stories usually depict new heroes in one-off adventures which may depict or satirise people or events in their countries or origin. I have not included the many translations and adaptations of the main Arthurian stories that appeared throughout Europe at this time.

  LAI DU COR (The Lay of the Horn), Robert Biket (French, c1160s) 580 lines.

  An amusing short lai in which a fairy drinking horn will spill its contents on any drinker who has been cuckolded. This happens to Arthur and Guenevere admits she once gave a ring to another. Arthur is only reassured when the horn spills its drink on every other man save one, Garadue (better known as Caradog Vreichfras), who is awarded the lordship of Cirencester.

  The original text is in The Anglo-Norman Text of Le Lai du Cor edited by C.T. Erickson (Oxford: Blackwell, 1973). A prose version is in Arthur King of Britain edited by Richard L. Brengle (Appleton, 1964) and King Arthur in Legend and History edited by Richard White (Dent, 1997).

  LANVAL, Marie de France (French, c1170) 646 lines.

  Lanval is one of the poorer of Arthur’s knights who believes he is ignored by the king, though Guenevere has a passion for him. One day in the meadows Lanval sees two beautiful maidens who take him to their lady. He falls instantly in love with her and believes her the most beautiful woman in the world. She agrees to honour his love provided he never reveals anything about her. He does not know her name. Back at Carduel, Guenevere approaches Lanval but he rebuffs her saying that he loves another who is more beautiful. Guenevere tells Arthur that Lanval had attempted to seduce her. Lanval is arrested and, because he cannot reveal anything about his Lady, has no defence. Gawain believes him and tries to help. Just before his trial Carduel is visited by a series of damsels each more beautiful than the last, and the last is Lanval’s Lady. She tells of Lanval’s innocence and then leaves. Lanval goes with her and is never seen again. Lanval may have been based on an earlier story because another Breton lai, the anonymous Graelent (c1230s), though non-Arthurian, tells essentially the same story.

  The story was rendered into several early English versions, the first of which is believed lost but which influenced in turn the anonymous Sir Landeval (c1230s) and Sir Launfal by Thomas Chestre (c1350).

  The text of both Marie de France’s Lanval and Chestre’s poem are in Sir Launfal edited by A.J. Bliss (Nelson, 1960). Recent versions include The Lais of Marie de France translated by Glyn S. Burgess and Keith Busby (Penguin, 1986) and The Lais of Marie de France translated by Robert Hanning and Joan Ferrante (Dutton, 1978). A prose version is in The Unknown Arthur (Blandford, 1995) and The Book of Arthur (Vega, 2002), both by John Matthews.

  EREC ET ENIDE, Chrétien de Troyes (French, late 1160s) 6,958 lines.

  Erec proves himself second only to Gawain as the most renowned knight at Arthur’s court, but after he marries Enide he settles down to a routine life of marital bliss. His wife believes he may be losing his reputation, so to prove himself Erec takes her on a series of adventures. Despite proving his valour he is decidedly unchivalrous to his wife, not allowing her to talk and rebuking her whenever she does, even when warning him of danger.

  The name of the hero is believed to be derived from the Breton chieftain Waroch. He was the son of Macliau who (as I mentioned in Chapter 13) had taken refuge with the equally infamous Conmor. After 577AD Waroch usurped territory across Armorica. Vannes fell to him in 578 and he renamed it Bro Waroch, “the Land of Waroch”. His name was recorded by later chroniclers as Guerec and eventually Erec. Waroch is clearly not the character of Erec, though. For that we turn again to the relationship between Henry II and Eleanor. Henry had grown tired of the disorder in Brittany, which was supposed to be under the control of his vassal Conan IV. In July 1166 Henry deposed Conan, betrothed his son Geoffrey, duke of Brittany, to Conan’s daughter Constance, and through her took control of the territory. Henry was thus symbolic of Waroch/Erec, and through Erec Chrétien could be satirical of Henry and Eleanor.

  →Gereint, Son of Erbin (c1250s). The Welsh version is similar, except that Gereint misunderstands Enide and believes she has been unfaithful, which is why he takes her on his adventures until she proves herself. This would explain why Gereint is so vile towards her, and suggests that Chrétien drew his story from an earlier common source.

  →Erek, by Hartmann von Aue (German, late 1180s). Hartmann’s version follows Chrétien’s closely but is more intense. Erek loves his wife with a
passion and for a while is more interested in lovemaking than in questing. When he realizes that he is losing the respect of his fellow knights he goes to the other extreme, keeping Enite at a distance while undertaking adventures. It is a while before he realizes her loyalty to him and they have a deeper, more spiritual love.

  The standard translations of Erec et Enide are by D.D.R. Owen in Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes (Dent, 1987) and by Carleton W. Carroll in Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes (Penguin, 1991).

  CLIGÉS, Chrétien de Troyes (French, c1176) 6,784 lines.

  The first third recounts the adventures of Cligés’ father Alexander, son of the king of Greece and Constantinople, who proves his courage in Britain, helping Arthur quell a rebellion. He is knighted and marries Gawain’s sister Soredamors. Cligés is their only child. When Alexander’s father is drowned his younger brother Alis usurps the throne.

  Cligés grows to manhood and proves his valour fighting the Saxons. He falls in love with Fenice, daughter of the King of Germany, who is, however, given to Alis in marriage. She arranges for Alis to take a potion which makes him think he is enjoying his conjugal rights whilst Fenice remains a virgin. Cligés, in the meantime, travels to Britain where, in disguise, he defeats Arthur’s champions, including Lancelot, though he draws with Gawain. He spends a year at Arthur’s court and enjoys many adventures. Returning to Greece he meets up again with Fenice. She takes a potion which makes her feign death, and is thus able to escape from Alis and love Cligés. Alis dies soon after, and Cligés becomes King of Greece and marries Fenice.

  Patrick Sims-Williams, in a talk given to the International Arthurian Society, suggested that the name Cligés may be derived from Glywys, the king of Glywysing. The character, though, is more contemporary. The Emperor of Byzantium at this time, who governed Greece and Constantinople, was Manuel Comnenus. The Comneni were a powerful family. Manuel’s grandfather Alexius may well be both the Alexander and Alis of this story, as he started his reign a popular emperor but was despised by the end.