The Arthurian legends of medieval Europe recount the adventures of the fabled King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, from Sir Lancelot to Mordred — but these protectors of Camelot weren't always as chivalrous as they seemed.
King Arthur is arguably the most famous figure in British legend. Stories of the fabled ruler of the Kingdom of Logres have circulated for centuries and been adapted into numerous formats, from novels and films to TV shows and games. The king’s search for the Holy Grail and his wielding of the mythical sword Excalibur are well chronicled. And by his side all the while were the Knights of the Round Table.
While oral legends of King Arthur and his knights likely originated in Wales or northern Britain during the first millennium C.E., the Round Table first appeared in Roman de Brut by the medieval Norman poet Wace in 1155. The table where the knights met was round so that none of them was more important than the others.
From his castle, Camelot, King Arthur and his chivalric order of knights kept the peace in the kingdom. Various legends place the number of seats at the Round Table at anywhere from a dozen to 150, with one narrative even claiming there were some 1,600 potential knights. These legends range from early medieval poems to Geoffrey of Monmouth’s popular Historia Regum Britanniae and Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur.
While these tales followed the knights’ heroics, they also told of the internal struggles they faced. Perhaps the most famous of the knights, Sir Lancelot, had an affair with King Arthur’s wife, Queen Guinevere. Another knight, Sir Mordred, took advantage of this to pit his companions against each other, bringing about the downfall of the Knights of the Round Table.
Sir Lancelot Du Lac, King Arthur’s Most Famous Knight
Public DomainSir Lancelot was the greatest of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table.
Sir Lancelot was King Arthur’s most trusted companion and loyal friend, but the closeness of their relationship made Lancelot’s ultimate betrayal all the more painful.
He was one of the knights first mentioned in Chrétien de Troyes’ Erec and Enide in the 12th century. Although this story only made brief mention of Lancelot as a knight of Arthur’s court, Chrétien de Troyes would later expand on his history in Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart.
The son of King Ban of Benwick, Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake after his father’s death, hence the name “du Lac.” Sir Lancelot was said to be capable of defeating any opponent in single combat. As an adherent to the code of chivalry, Lancelot was particularly devoted to Queen Guinevere, King Arthur’s wife.
His devotion to Guinevere reached far beyond his knightly duties, however, and the two entered into a secret affair that left Lancelot internally tormented, torn between his personal desire and loyalty to his king and best friend. Despite his moral struggle, Lancelot was incapable of abandoning his love for Guinevere — a love that inspired many of his greatest adventures.
Throughout the Arthurian legends, Lancelot rescued Guinevere from various captors, undertook seemingly impossible tasks, and defeated countless foes. But when it came time to seek out the Holy Grail, Lancelot could not achieve his goal.
Public DomainQueen Guinevere knighting Sir Lancelot.
His affair with the queen had left him spiritually impure, and so the greatest task undertaken by the Knights of the Round Table fell to others who were pure of heart — including Lancelot’s son, Galahad, who was conceived during a brief encounter with Lady Elaine of Corbenic. And when Lancelot’s affair with Guinevere was ultimately discovered, it shattered the once unified Knights of the Round Table.
Arthur, upon learning of the affair and bound by the laws of chivalry, felt compelled to punish Guinevere with death. In some versions of the tale, he dreamed of killing her with his sword, but in others, he was less eager to see her die. Regardless, by his command, Guinevere was to be executed.
Lancelot, ever loyal, sought to intervene. As he attempted to rescue Guinevere, Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris tried to stop him. Lancelot accidentally killed his fellow knights in the confrontation, earning him the eternal hatred of their brother, Sir Gawain. This led to civil war, Arthur’s death at the Battle of Camlann, and the ultimate collapse of Camelot.
In his final years, Lancelot became a hermit, spending his remaining days in penance and prayer.
