Knights of the Round Table

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For the film, see Knights of the Round Table (film).

Knights of the Round Table were those men awarded the highest order of Chivalry at the Court of King Arthur in the literary cycle the Matter of Britain. The table at which they met was created to have no head or foot, representing the equality of all the members. Different stories had different numbers of knights, ranging from only 12 to 150 or more. The Winchester Round Table, which dates from the 1270s, lists 25 names of knights.

Sir Thomas Malory describes the Knights' code of chivalry as:

  • To never do outrage nor murder
  • Always to flee treason
  • To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy
  • To always do ladies, gentlewomen and widows succor
  • To never force ladies, gentlewomen or widows
  • Not to take up battles in wrongful quarrels for love or worldly goods

[edit] Origins of the Round Table

The first writer to describe the Round Table was Wace, whose Roman de Brut was an elaboration of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. The company was used by many subsequent authors. However, even the earliest writers ascribe to Arthur a following of extraordinary warriors; in Geoffrey, Arthur's court attracts the greatest heroes from all of Europe. In the Welsh Arthurian material, much of which is included in the Mabinogion, Arthur's men are attributed with superhuman abilities. Some of the characters from the Welsh material even appear under altered names as Knights of the Round Table in the continental romances, the most notable of which are Cai (Sir Kay), Bedwyr (Sir Bedivere), and Gwalchmai (Sir Gawain).

[edit] List of Knights of the Round Table

In addition, Malory's account includes many obscure knights during the episode containing Sir Urry:

King Clariance of Northumberland, Sir Barrant le Apres (King with a Hundred Knights), King Angwish of Ireland, King Nentres of Garlot, King Carados of Scotland, Sir Galahalt (a duke known as the Haut Prince), Duke Chalance of Clarence, Earl Ulbawes, Earl Lambaile, Earl Aristance, Sir Florence and Sir Lovell (sons of Gawain by Sir Brandiles's sister), Sir Blamor de Ganis, Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, Sir Gahalantine, Sir Galihodin, Sir Menaduke, Sir Villiars the Valiant, Sir Hebes le Renowne, Sir Dodinas le Savage, Sir Kay l'Estrange (not Kay, Arthur's seneschal), Sir Meliot de Logris, Sir Petipace of Winchelsea, Sir Galleron of Galway, Sir Melion of the Mountain, Sir Cardok, Sir Uwain le Avoutres, Sir Ozanna le Coeur Hardi, Sir Ascamore, Sir Grummor Grummorson, Sir Crosslem, Sir Severause le Breuse (known for rejecting battles with men in favor of giants, dragons, and wild beasts), Sir Dornar, Sir Lucan the Butler, Sir Brandiles, Sir Clegis, Sir Sadok, Sir Dinas le Seneschal de Cornwall, Sir Fergus, Sir Driant, Sir Lambegus, Sir Clarus of Cleremont, Sir Clodrus, Sir Hectimere, Sir Edward of Caernarvon, Sir Dinas, Sir Priamus, Sir Helian le Blanc, Sir Brian de Listinoise, Sir Gauter, Sir Reynold, Sir Gillimer, Sir Gumret le Petit, Sir Bellenger le Beau, Sir Hebes (not Hebes le Renowne), Sir Morganor, Sir Sentrail, Sir Suppinabiles, Sir Belliance le Orgulous, Sir Neroveus, Sir Plenorius, Sir Damas, Sir Harry le Fils Lake, Sir Herminde, Sir Selises of the Dolorous Tower, Sir Edward of Orkney, Sir Ironside (Knight of the Red Launds), Sir Arrok, Sir Degrevant, Sir Degrave sans Villainy (fought with the giant of the Black Lowe), Sir Epinogris (son of King Clariance of Northumberland), Sir Lamiel of Cardiff, Sir Plaine de Fors, Sir Melias de l'Isle, Sir Borre le Coeur Hardi (King Arthur's son), Sir Mador de la Porte, Sir Colgrevance, Sir Hervis de la Forest Savage, Sir Marrok (whose wife turned him into a werewolf for seven years), Sir Persant, Sir Pertolepe, Sir Perimones (brother to Persant and Pertolepe. Called the Red Knight), Sir Lavain, and Sir Urry.

Sir Urry was a Hungarian knight who comes to Camelot, seeking Arthur's help in healing his wounds. In the end, 110 knights, in addition to Arthur, are unable to heal Sir Urry. When Sir Lancelot arrives in Camelot, his touch heals the wounded knight. This scene depicts all the knights together at the same time, with the exception of those deceased, on quest, or otherwise ascended (as with Galahad).

[edit] References

  • Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur, the Winchester Manuscript. Edited and abridged by Helen Cooper, this book was published by Oxford University Press in 1998.
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