In later versions, Lancelot is the son of King Ban, driven from his kingdom of Benwick while Lancelot was an infant. Wounded while fleeing, Ban is being tended to by his wife when Niniane, the Lady of the Lake, absconds with the baby Lancelot. She raises the child, earning him the surname du lac, meaning “of the lake.” But Niniane keeps his true family – and name – secret. Grown to adulthood, Lancelot is sent by the Lady of the Lake to Camelot, where he is a paragon of courtly behavior, compelling all who cross paths with him to remark on his perfection.
His reputation as the White Knight is built in early adventures, one of which pits him against the Dolorous Garde, a formidable castle ruled by demons and an evil Copper Knight. In the surrounding villages, the people were under its spell, suffering day and night, and unable to escape. Carrying a shield enchanted by the Lady of the Lake, the White Knight defeated twenty knights and expelled the Copper Knight from the castle, which he made his new home, the Joyous Garde. He is later led by the townspeople to a small cemetery in the castle courtyard, where he is shown an ornate tomb made of silver and gold, with a large metal slab blocking the entrance. The inscription on the slab states that it can be lifted by only one knight and that knight’s name will be found beneath it. Summoning all of his strength, he lifts it over his head and sees his name: Lancelot.
Once he arrives at King Arthur’s court, Lancelot falls in love with Guinevere and strives so hard to be worthy of her that she finally grants him a chaperoned assignation - and a kiss. Later, when Guinevere is kidnapped by another admirer, Lancelot crosses a bridge made from a sword, fights two lions, and defeats her abductor. Incredibly, his reward on that occasion is not thanks but scorn, because he had hesitated briefly in one small test of devotion. The lovers soon reconcile, however, and resume the relationship that eventually brings about the ruin of the Round Table.
The romance between Lancelot and Guinevere was probably inspired by another Celtic legend, told in popular twelfth-century French medieval poetry, about Tristan and Iseult. The tale is best known today through Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde, first produced in 1865.
Tristan was the nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, as well as the king’s favorite knight. After avenging the death of his father, Tristan learns that his uncle’s kingdom is being terrorized by a powerful Irish duke named Morholt. Tristan fatally injures Morholt in combat but is wounded by his enemy’s poison-smeared blade. The dying Morholt tells Tristan that only his sister, Queen Isolde, can heal the wound. Disguising himself as a harpist, Tristan plays so beautifully for the queen that she heals him so he can teach her to play the instrument. While recovering at her castle, Tristan takes notice of the Queen’s daughter, the fair-skinned, golden-haired Iseult.
Returning to Cornwall, Tristan describes her beauty to his uncle, the king. A bird flying past, carrying in its beak a single strand of golden hair, causes King Mark to remark that he would only marry a woman whose hair matched it. Though their kingdoms are rivals, Tristan determines to win Iseult’s hand for his uncle and returns to Ireland, which is at odds with a dragon. Iseult’s father offers her as a prize to whichever knight can slay the dragon. The dragon slain, Tristan reveals both his true identity and his intentions, to broker a marriage between Iseult and King Mark, whose children would reign over all of Ireland and Cornwall. Before Iseult leaves with Tristan, her mother gives her a love potion, which she is to drink with her new husband. But during the journey, Iseult instead shares it with Tristan, causing the two to fall instantly in love. Though the princess marries King Mark, Iseult and Tristan cannot control their passion for one another. Their adultery is eventually discovered by the king, who sets a trap for the lovers. In one version of the story, Tristan is killed by a poisoned lance while playing the harp for Iseult; swooning over his body, she dies from grief.
In later versions of the Lancelot and Guinevere romance, the two are manipulated into the affair, usually by the sorceress Morgan le Fay or the Lady of the Lake. But in most, there is no love potion; the two enter willingly into their relationship. This raises a problem with Lancelot’s image as perfect and saintly. Yet, like Tristan and Iseult, Lancelot and Guinevere are acquitted of their misdeeds on the basis of courtly love – a passion discovered outside of marriage that emphasizes chivalry and nobility. Even so, the legends often infer that it was his affair with Guinevere that relegated Lancelot as a footnote in the greatest of all quests undertaken by Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table.
* * *
The quest for Arthur of Britain can never destroy the beauty of the works his legend has inspired or the fascination of the legend itself. Since Arthur’s nobility and valor first inspired the hearts of his followers, his story has dignified the human spirit. The search for the man has become a continuing quest for what lies hidden in the hearts of all men, and it may lead us one day to the truth about the Once and Future King.
Tintagel Castle where Arthur is said to have been conceived.
One of the most impressive sites named for Arthur is the hill known as Arthur’s Seat, whose bulk dominates the city of Edinburgh. From its summit, tradition goes, King Arthur watched his army defeat the Picts.
This pillar stands atop Arthur’s Seat at an elevation of 823 feet.
The medieval passion for jousting led to many encounters inspired by the Arthurian legend.
This oak round table in the Great Hall of Winchester Castle may have been made as early as the thirteenth century. It probably was painted like this during the reign of Henry VII.
Images of Arthur and his knights are carved above the door of this cathedral in Modena, Italy.
Some believed that Arthur lived in the depths of Mt. Etna.
Built in the second century to protect Britain against attack from the Picts, Hadrian’s Wall still sprawls across a countryside of cliffs and moors.
Roman London was an impressive walled city and thriving port.
The Roman fondness for bathing resulted in a British spa, built over the hot springs at Bath.
King Arthur inspired to creation of the Order of the Garter.
At one point, Guinevere fled to the Tower of London.
Here at Glastonbury Abbey a shrine to Arthur once stood.
Many people believe the Holy Grail is at this cathedral in Valencia, Spain.
Glastonbury today is crowned by a fourteenth-century tower, the last relic of a medieval monastic community.
Avalon Castle is the resting place of King Arthur.
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Published by New Word City LLC, 2014
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King Arthur Page 9
