The Mammoth Book of King Arthur

by Mike Ashley

  Agravain. One of the sons of King Lot and Margause and brother of Gawain. Although a valiant knight and handsome he is arrogant, scheming and generally disliked. Agravain looks out for his brothers but dislikes Lancelot and plots with Mordred to expose Lancelot’s affair with Guenevere. It is his actions that lead ultimately to the downfall of the Round Table. Loomis believes his name was a corruption of Gware-van, meaning “Little Gware” and thus is the same as the knight described by Chrétien in Erec et Enide as Garravain of Estrangot. In the Welsh tales he appears as another manifestation of Gware Goldenhair, the basis of the same name who became Gawain. However, in character he may owe much to Rhufon the Radiant. In The Dream of Rhonabwy he is described as a handsome young man with yellow-red hair who dotes on Arthur and cannot bear the idea that Arthur should suffer loss of any kind. But he was also known as one of the “Three Arrogant Men” of Britain and the Stanzas of the Graves reports that he died young. Rhufon the Radiant is listed as the son of Dewrath or Dorath, a name not otherwise recorded. Curiously, a variant triad version of the “Three Arrogant Men” lists Rhun ab Einion instead of Rhufon and we find in Culhwch and Olwen that Rhufon ap Dorath is listed as Rhuawn ap Dorath, suggesting that his name may really be Rhun. Rhun ab Einion appears in Table 3.3 as a descendant of Coel and a nephew of Arthwys. Gawain, and by extension Agravain, is always identified as Arthur’s nephew. This Rhun is known as Rhun the Wealthy, which may also explain why he was both radiant and arrogant. Regardless of name derivations, it is possible that the character of Agravain was drawn from this prince of the North. His territory of Estrangot is referred to elsewhere as the Strange Isle but is not otherwise identified. Rhun’s territory was probably somewhere in the Southern Pennines around the Peak District, an isolated area in those days which may well have been regarded as Strange.

  Agwisance, see Anguish.

  Alynore. A name included on the Winchester Round Table. Many have puzzled over his identity because he does not appear in Malory or, for that matter, any other Arthurian text. It has been suggested it originally read Alymere and was changed in error when the inscriptions were repainted in 1789. Sir Alymere is still a minor knight. He is named just once in the Alliterative Morte Arthure as an “able knight” who fights alongside Arthur at the final battle. Each generation doubtless added their share of names and the likeliest candidate here is Aymer de Valence (cl270–1324), earl of Pembroke. Aymer was a nephew of Henry III and also related to the powerful de Lusignan family. His uncle, Aylmer de Lusignan, had been Bishop of Winchester from 1250 to 1260. Aymer de Valence was Commander of the English forces at Berwick in 1303 and defeated Robert the Bruce at both Methven in 1306 and Loudun Hill the following year. It is doubtless he who earned a reference in the Alliterative Morte Arthure and someone of influence must have perpetuated it in the Winchester Table.

  Ambrosius Aurelianus. The one pre-Badon person named by Gildas in a passage that might just mean that Ambrosius was the victor at Badon, in which case he would have to be the historical Arthur. Because Gildas was ambiguous he has caused 1500 years of debate. See discussion in Chapters 5 and 10.

  Amhar or Amyr. Recorded by Nennius as a son of Arthur, whom Arthur killed and buried in Ergyng and from whom the River Gamber takes its name. No explanation is given as to why Arthur killed his son. Amhar also appears in Geraint ab Erbin as one of the guardians of Arthur’s bedchamber. He remains a mystery. We do not know who his mother was. Some have tried to equate him with Emyr Llydaw in which case he would, according to at least one source, be Arthur’s brother-in-law. Arthur’s better known son was Llacheu (see entry) also called Loholt.

  Anfortas, see Fisher King.

  Anguish or Agwisance. Both names appear separately in Malory but they are almost certainly the same person, both identified as a King of Ireland. He may be the same as the King with a Hundred Knights. At the outset, Agwisance or Aguysans was one of the kings who rebelled against Arthur at the start of his reign. Later we find him demanding tribute from Mark of Cornwall. Tristram killed Anguish’s champion Marhaus, the queen’s brother, but later, when Tristram is disguised, he and Anguish become good friends. Anguish was the father of Iseult. The name is usually suggested as a corruption of Angus or Oengus, a common name amongst the Irish kings and the Scottish kings of Dál Riata, who were of Irish descent. The earliest Angus of Dál Riata ruled from 736 to 750 and was already a king of the Picts. He claimed the Pictish throne after a series of battles against the former king, Drust (the Pictish form of Tristan). There was an earlier Oengus, king of Cashel, who was a contemporary of Vortigern rather than Arthur, and who was the first Irish king to be baptised a Christian, in 448. However, it should be noted that the early French romances translated the name of the Saxon Hengist as Hanguis or Hangus, and it would be easy for him to have become sucked into the story of the rebel kings.

  Anna. Geoffrey introduces her as the younger sister of Arthur and the second child of Uther and Ygraine. Thereafter it gets a little complicated. He states that she married Lot of Lodonesia when she must have been about fourteen but soon after that he introduces her son (Arthur’s nephew), Hoel of Brittany, who he says is the son of King Budic. Anna was not old enough to have been married before and have an adult child. Other sources clarify the problem and identify Hoel as the son of Gwyar, an earlier daughter of Ygraine and Gorlois. Geoffrey then further complicates matters by saying that Anna was the sister of Ambrosius rather than Arthur. This would make more sense chronologically because Anna’s children include Gawain who is of much the same age of Arthur. However, the one consistent reference in all the tales is that Gawain is Arthur’s nephew. This can only mean that Anna was not his younger sister, as Geoffrey first implies, but an older half-sister, and possibly the same as Gwyar. The Celtic tales always refer to Gawain as the son of Gwyar and Gwyar is a female name – though it means “gore” or “blood”. The later romances gave Arthur three elder half-sisters, Morgawse (or Margause), Elaine (or Viviane) and Morgan, all of whom superseded Anna. The name Morgawse is almost certainly derived from Gwyar.

  Antor, see Ector/Hector.

  Artegall. Sir Artegall is best remembered not from any of the primary Arthurian romances but from Spenser’s Faerie Queen. Yet there are many strong connections with the Arthurian legend. Merlin reveals Artegall to Britomart, daughter of King Rience, in his magic mirror. She falls in love with him and Merlin reveals that they will marry and be the ancestors of the Kings and Queens of Britain, meaning the Tudors. Artegall has thus become a substitute for Arthur. In Book V Artegall undertakes a quest to destroy the giant Grantorto and rescue Irena. Here Artegall, like Arthur, personifies Britain’s right over Ireland. Irena represents Ireland and Grantorto the rebel uprising of 1580. Spenser had been involved with this as secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Arthur, Lord Grey of Wilton, who was believed to be the model for Artegall.

  Whether by design or fortune Spenser drew upon an interesting name. Geoffrey of Monmouth, who muddled most names, refers to Artegall twice in two different ways. During Arthur’s reign he is Artgualchar, the Earl of Guerensis (which Geoffrey says is now called Warwick), who attends Arthur’s first council at Caerleon. Geoffrey had referred to the same individual earlier under the name Archgallo. He was one of the sons of Morvidus and had succeeded his elder brother Gorbonianus. Archgallo proved a ruthless, grasping king and was deposed, his brother Elidurus becoming king in his place. Five years later Elidurus encountered Archgallo wandering in the Forest of Calaterium and took pity on him. By subterfuge he convinced the peers to accept Archgallo as king again. He was crowned at York and this time his reign was glorious. He died after ten years and was buried in Leicester.

  Although jumbled by Geoffrey, all of these names appear in Table 3.3. Gorbonianus is Germanianus, the son of Coel. Morvid is Mar (or Maeswig), Elidurus is Eliffer or Elidyr, and Archgallo is Arthwys. Folktale or garbled history, Geoffrey seems to be retelling a long-remembered story of the North which may bear a grain of truth about Arthwys. Geoffr
ey had mentioned the Forest of Calaterium earlier, placing it in Albany (Scotland), so it sounds the same as the Forest of Celidon, but J.A. Giles and others have suggested it was the Forest of Galtres, an old Royal Forest north of York, now long gone. Artegall/Archgallo may therefore be a manifestation of Arthur of the Pennines.

  Arthur’s sons. One of the tragedies of the Arthurian story is that Arthur and Guenevere had no children of their own and thus there was no line of succession. Nevertheless, Arthur is attributed with several sons, all presumably illegitimate, and each has their separate entry. See Amhar, Borre, Cydfan, Gwydre, Llacheu/ Loholt, Merbis and Mordred.

  Bagdemagus, Bademagus or Bademagu. We first meet him in Chrétien’s Lancelot as Bademagu, the King of Gorre, a rather mysterious land regarded as something of an Otherworld. Bademagu’s son Meleagaunt abducts Guenevere, but despite his rebellious son Bademagu remains courteous and keeps Guenevere safe as well as attending to the wounds of Kay and Lancelot. By the time we encounter him again in Malory, though, he has become more haughty. He storms off when Arthur makes Tor a knight of the Round Table instead of Bagdemagus. He calms down later, however, and is involved in the Grail Quest. In the original Quest of the Holy Grail Bagdemagus takes the Adventurous Shield from the White Abbey at Galahad’s encouragement, even though he knows that anyone who does so shall die or be maimed. He is later defeated by the White Knight. It is evident that Bagdemagus does not survive the Quest, as his grave is seen and Arthur mourns his loss but Malory must have forgotten, for Bagdemagus speaks in support of Lancelot during the final days.

  Chrétien placed Bademagu’s capital at Bade or Bath, and as his name contains the same word it is likely that Chrétien believed he was a King of Bath. Magu may mean “magus” as in magician, or it could be a contraction of “magis” as in magistrate, so that the name means simply “Lord of Bath”. Bagdemagus is made the nephew of Urien, who is also called King of Gorre, but was the king of Rheged. There is no name amongst his relatives or the later rulers of the Isle of Man close enough to have mutated into Bademagu.

  Balin. With friends like Balin who needs enemies? Though able and courageous Balin is also impetuous and causes many problems, usually by killing first and thinking later. Already in trouble for having killed Arthur’s cousin, and accused of killing the Lady of the Lake’s brother, Balin promptly decapitates the Lady of the Lake and is consequently banished. He works his way back into Arthur’s favour by capturing the rebellious king Ryons. He is also suspected of having killed the rebel king Lot (whose death is usually attributed to Pellinore). Balin’s main role, though, is creating the Waste Land. In avenging the death of Sir Herlews he chases the invisible Sir Garlon back to King Pellam’s castle, where he kills him. Pellam pursues Balin who grabs the Spear of Longinus in self-defence and wounds Pellam. This is the Dolorous Stroke that lays the land to waste and inaugurates the Grail Quest. Balin’s death comes about when he fights his brother Balan and, in true Arthurian tradition, both knights are in different armour so neither recognises the other, and they kill each other. Balin was known as the Knight of the Two Swords and Merlin reforged one of these swords and set it in a marble slab to await Galahad. Loomis and others suggest that Balin’s name, originally spelled Balaain, was derived from the same common source as Galahad’s, originally spelled Galaad. Whether or no, there is the obvious balance between the two, with Balin creating the Waste Land and Galahad healing it. So, although Balin is called the son of the King of Northumbria, we need not seek a real Balin any more than we’ll find a real Galahad.

  Ban. King of Benwick or Benoic, brother of Bors and father of Lancelot and Ector de Maris. He supports Arthur in his battle against the rebellious kings but later loses his own lands to King Claudas and dies of a broken heart. Loomis has suggested that Ban of Benoic is a corruption of Bran the Blessed, which may explain the name but not the character. Claudas is almost certainly a memory of Clovis, and Gregory of Tours reported that “he encompassed the death of many other kings and blood-relations of his whom he suspected of conspiring against his kingdom.” The original Ban was probably one such victim.

  Baudwin. One of the few characters to survive from the original Celtic stories right through to Malory. Malory has him as the Constable of Britain who serves as governor while Arthur is in Europe at war against Rome. He accompanies Gawain on a number of exploits where they are all tested (see Chapter 14). He becomes a physician and retires to a hermitage. We meet him in all the Welsh tales and Triads as Bedwin or Bedwini, the Bishop of Gelliwic (see Chapter 8). Unlike many Celtic holy men, Bedwin does not seem to have left his mark on history. He was believed to be a Bishop of Llandaff but exactly when we don’t know. Bedwin Sands off the coast of Gwent in the Severn are supposed to be named after him.

  Bedivere or Bedwyr. In the Celtic tales Bedwyr was Arthur’s constant companion, counted second only to Cei for valour. He was particularly noted for his skill with a spear. According to the poem Pa Gur, he fought at the battle of Tribruit. In Culhwch and Olwen, where he is involved in the quest for the Cauldron of Dwrnach, there is a reference to him being “one-handed”. Geoffrey of Monmouth calls him Bedivere and makes him Arthur’s Cup-bearer. He accompanies Arthur when he fights the giant at Mont-St-Michel. Arthur grants him the territory of Neustria (Normandy). He is killed at the battle of Saussy and buried at Bayeux. Surprisingly, despite his profile in the Welsh tales, Bedivere did not translate to the French romances, where most of his key tasks are assigned to others. Lucan becomes Arthur’s cup-bearer and it is Griflet whom Arthur charges with returning Excalibur to the lake. However, the Stanzaic Morte Arthur grants that to Bedyvere, as does Malory, and as a consequence Bedivere remains one of the best known of Arthur’s knights. Although he features so prominently in the Welsh tales, little else is said of him. He has no pedigree, though his father is sometimes noted as Bedrawt or Pedrawc. The best known Pedrawc was the son of Glywys, who became St. Petroc, so famous in his day that if Bedwyr were his son it would have been noted. There was, of course, Peder, the father of Artúir of Dyfed. This would make Arthur and Bedwyr brothers, which might account for why they were constant companions, but it is unusual that such a relationship is not mentioned when so many others seem to be Arthur’s cousins. This very paucity of data seems to underline Bedwyr’s historicity, in that he was remembered for what he was and did not mutate into legend. He was purportedly buried at Tryfan Hill in Gwynedd, near Bethesda. Bedwyr’s Well or Spring, Ffynnon Fedwyr, is near Pontarddulais in Glamorgan, where there is also a Craig-y-Bedw.

  Bertilak or Bercilak. The real name of the Green Knight in the story Gawain and the Green Knight, who was in league with Morgan le Fay. Something of a “jolly green giant”, he’s clearly a trickster, and a similar name, Bertilay, is given to the old knight who accompanies the False Guenevere in the Prose Lancelot. Loomis believes the name was derived from the Irish bachlach, meaning “churl” or “herdsman”, which may be true for the name but it doesn’t explain the trickster or challenger motif. Malory reinvents him as Pertolepe, one of four brothers (each associated with a different colour), who challenges Gareth after learning that Gareth had killed his brother Percard (the Black Knight). Gareth defeats him and Pertolepe pledges himself to Gareth thereafter, later becoming a Knight of the Round Table. He is killed during Lancelot’s rescue of Guenevere.

  Blaise. Confessor to Merlin’s mother and Merlin’s own mentor. He settled in Northumberland and there records Arthur’s adventures as told him by Merlin. He was probably derived from the storyteller Bleheris.

  Blamore, see Bleoberis.

  Blanchefleur. The name used for both Tristan’s mother and for Perceval’s true love. Apparently the name “White Flower” was common in early French romances, presumably to signify purity. Tristan’s mother died in childbirth. Perceval vows his love for Blanchefleur but has to leave her because of his concern for his mother. In Gerbert’s Fourth Continuation, he does return to her and they marry. In Wolfram’s Parzival her name becomes Condwiramur
s.

  Bleoberis or Blubrys. Brother of Blamore and cousin of Lancelot. Blamore is the more chivalric of the two. Bleoberis appears something of a rogue, demanding Sir Segwarides’ wife as a boon, but he is defeated by Tristram. In the Vulgate Mort Artu, Bleoberis survives all perils and retires to a monastery with Bors, last of the Round Table knights. In Malory, both Blamore and Bleoberis end their days on Crusade. It has been suggested that the name Bleoberis (and that of Brandelis) is derived from the storyteller Bleheris, whose name was also rendered as Bledericus and who appears in Geoffrey’s History as the Duke of Cornwall who defeated Athelfrith after the Battle of Chester.

  Bohort, see Bors.

  Borre, also known as Bohart le Cure Hardy (“the Strong Heart”). Arthur’s illegitimate son by Lisanor or Lionors, and probably identical to Loholt (see entry). The name is so similar to Bohort that clearly at some stage it and Loholt became merged.

  Bors or Bohort. Son of the Elder Bors, king of Gannes (or Ganis), brother of Lionel and cousin of Lancelot. Bors is one of the great knights and features heavily in the Prose Lancelot (see Chapter 17). He is also one of only three knights who succeed in the Grail Quest. The name is spelled as Bohors in some of the early texts and Loomis has deduced that it mutated, via Gohors, from the same original Celtic hero, Gwri Goldenhair, who inspired Gawain (see Chapter 14). Indeed, as the Grail romance developed Bors supplants Gawain, who might otherwise have become one of the Grail knights.

  Brandelis. A popular name that crops up several times in the romances, also as Brandiles, Brandles, Brandilias, Brandis, Branduz and, via the last, as Brandin of the Isles. They are not necessarily always the same character, but they may have come together from two separate sources. He is probably best remembered from the First Perceval Continuation, in which he proves a match for Gawain. Malory serves him less well and has him trounced by Tristram and other knights in various jousts. He later declares himself hostile to Arthur and is killed in the fracas when Lancelot rescues Guenevere. The name is suggested as deriving from the Celtic deity Bran mac Lyr which became Bran de Lis >