When a Knight Won His Spurs... #Arthurian #Legend

I thought I would share you something rather different today. My favourite hymn of all times is a children's hymn, which I learnt many moons ago, back in Sunday School. Even from a young age, this hymn appealed to me. From the first hearing of it, it took me back to the time of King Arthur, and it tells a story of magic and dragons and horses and knights. That made it for me, absolutely perfect.

I found this music video of 'When a Knight Won His Spurs' which I absolutely love, and I wanted to share it with you. That little boy was me as a child, and I know he was you as well.

'When a Knight Won His Spurs' - Gaitway Brothers (Official Music Video)

When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land.

No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
'Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.

 By Jan Struther (June 6, 1901 – July 20, 1953)

#Arthurian Legend ~ Morgan le Fay

 Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned.

Morgan le Fay ~ the sister King Arthur wished he never had.

Morgan le Fay by Frederick Sandys (1864)

Morgan goes by many names, the most popular being Morgana. As her name "Fay" suggests, she is a magical being. She is a great sorcerer, a healer, who uses her magic against her brother.

Morgan is the daughter of Igraine and her first husband Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. This makes her Arthur's half-sister. She is married to King Uriens and is the mother of Yvain. In later works, she is the mother of Mordred. 


The earliest mention of Morgan was by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his lesser known work Vita Merlini (The Life of Merlin). In this account, Morgan and her nine magical sisters reside in Avalon. They can only use their magic for good. But by the 13th Century, Morgan takes on a more sinister role.


It is in Lancelot-Grail where her character first takes a turn for the worse. Suddenly, instead of being this caring and compassionate woman who can only do good, she becomes this evil sorcerer, who is intent on bringing Artur and his kingdom down.

 

Morgan Le Fay by John R. Spencer Stanhope (1880)

Morgan believes that Arthur ruined her life. To find out why we need to look at how Arthur was conceived...

 Uther Pendragon became obsessed with Igraine, Morgan's mother. Uther is determined to have her in his bed. While Morgan's father, Glorious, is a way in battle, Uther Pendragon disguises himself - with the aid of Merlin - and tricks Igraine into thinking she is making love to her husband when in fact she is being raped by Uther. It is on this night that Arthur is conceived.

Uther Pendragon by Howard Pyle  

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. (1903)

After her father's death, Morgan is spirited away to a convent ~ she is out of sight, out of mind. It is at the convent where Morgan begins to study magic. Later, her education is continued under the watchful eye of Merlin. However, Arthur puts a stop to her learning by marrying her off to King Urien of Gore. Their marriage is not a happy one, and Morgan takes a string of lovers until the fateful day when Queen Guinevere finds out about her not so honourable behaviour and puts a stop to it.


Morgan's relationship with Merlin also rapidly breaks down, and she ends up despising him too. To make matters worse, all her attempts at bringing Arthus's reign down is hampered by Nimue ~ The Lady of the Lake.

 

 

The Enchanter Merlin, by Howard Pyle 

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903)

And then one day Lancelot comes to court. Poor Morgan, she falls head over heels in love with him, but alas he does not love her back. She tries countless times to seduce him and to trick him into loving her. Unfortunately, he is faithful to his lover, Guinevere. Morgan find's our about the affair and does everything she can to expose it.

Illustration from The Boy's King Arthur 

 Launcelot and Guinevere — "He rode his way with the Queen unto Joyous Gard."

In Post-Vulgate Queste Morgan is devoted to her magic. She even takes herself away from society, living in a forest. She becomes a shape-shifter - she can transform into any animal - and she earns the name Morgan the Goddess.


In Thomas Malory Le Morte d'Arthur, Morgan dedicates her life to bringing Arthur and Guinevere down.


In the tale of Gawain and the Green Knight, Morgan is the brains behind the plot. She wants to test the knights metal and, in an underhanded way, hopes to frighten the living daylights out of Guinevere!

 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 

(Artist unknown)

Morgan's tale is told in a thousand different ways through the ages. The most recent account of Morgan's escapades can be found in the BBC series, Merlin. Here she goes by the name Morgana. She is a sorcerer. She is also Merlin's enemy and Arthur's half-sister ( although this time, they have the same father), and she lives in a world where magic is banned.

So from Welsh myth to an Arthurian one, Morgan goes on one heck of a journey.  But the common theme throughout seems to be that she was dealt a poor hand which makes her one very bitter lady with a grudge.

Chrétien de Troyes ~ Yvain, the Knight of the Lion

As I have said many times before, Arthur is not just an English story. He belongs to Wales, Scotland, and Brittany as well.

The French poet, Chrétien de Troyes, tells a very fascinating story in his epic poem, Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. If you would like to read a translation of this poem then you can do so here.

The poem starts in Wales and travels to Brittany. It follows the fortunes, and misfortunes, of Yvain – as per normal, he is a noble knight. There's a beautiful lady who he instantly falls in love with. 

He forgets his promise to the said lady while he goes and seeks his glory. He is then driven mad by remorse when she want's nothing more to do with him. 

"The king might take his body with him but there was no way he could have the heart, because it clung so tightly to the heart of her who remained behind that he had no power to take it with him. Once the body is without the heart, it cannot possibly stay alive, and no man had ever before seen a body live on without its heart.”

And then there's that whole business with the lion.

 

Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, has all the usual magic and adventure associated with Arthurian tales. It is full of noble deeds and wise words. This is one of my favourite quotes…

“The dungheap will always smell, wasps will always sting and hornets buzz, and a cad will always slander and vex others…”

Can you hazard a guess as to which Knight of the Round Table, Calogrenant, Yvain’s cousin, is referring too?

Yes, you guessed it. Sir Kay! The poor Knight, he really takes a hammering in de Troyes work! He is a thoroughly unpleasant chap, but Yvain does not respond with his fist... 

"…Indeed, my lady, I don’t pay any heed to his insults. My lord Kay is so clever and able and worthy in all courts that he will never be deaf or dumb. He knows how to answer insults with wisdom and courtesy, and has never done otherwise. But I have no wish to quarrel or start something foolish; because it isn’t the man who delivers the first blow who starts the fight, but he who strikes back..."

But, in a world where honour is everything, Yvain's words seem a little bit well - what's the word - philosophical?

“ ...A man who insults his friend would gladly quarrel with a stranger. I don’t want to behave like the mastiff who bristles and snarls when another dog shows its teeth…”

 But Yvain's bravery in unquestionable. He did  rescue a lion from the mouth of a dragon, after all. The Lion shows his gratitude to Yvain by.. 

“...it stood up upon its hind paws, bowed its head, joined its forepaws and extended them towards Yvain, in an act of total submission.  Then it knelt down and its whole face was bathed in tears of humility...”

Yvain and the Lion come to each others aid several times. The Lion is used as a metaphor - if you look after nature then nature will look after you. Isn't it amazing to think that there were people, all those years ago, who were interested in protecting the environment ~ being "green" is not such a new thing as we first thought.

“(the lion) is mine, and I am his…”

It sounds like a scene from Outlander!

De Troye certainly has a lot to say. He goes on to describe the injustice of the world.

…We stay awake much of the night and all day long to earn his profit, for he has threatened us with torture if we rest…” 

He goes on to talk about the 'rights' of women. Rights might be to strong a word, but they are certainly very influential.

I do find this all rather fascinating. Maybe the past , as L. P. Hartley once said, isn't such a foreign  place after all.

Do check out the story, I think it will surprise you!

Annowre the Sorceress and the Legends of King Arthur

“Now shall ye hear what was the cause that King Arthur came into the Forest Perilous, that was in North Wales, by the means of a lady.”

Sir ThomasMalory knew that in order for there to be a protagonist there must also be an antagonist. And so it is true with Arthur, but it was not just Mordred, that Arthur had to watch out for!

Arthur has many enemies, but when it comes to women, he really knows how to attract trouble. Annowre falls in love with the young King and entices him into her home, which is set deep in the heart of the Perilous Forest. She is intent on seducing him, but Arthur, being virtuous, refuses her advances. 

But a woman scorned is a dangerous woman, especially when she is a sorceress. Annowre plots Arthur’s death in the way only a sorceress can ~ with skill and cunning.

Annowre once again enchants Arthur. He feels compelled to ride into her perilous forest every day, and every day he is forced to fight for his life. Arthur’s future is looking bleak.

“Then the Lady of the Lake that was always friendly to King Arthur, she understood by her subtle crafts that King Arthur was like to be destroyed.”

Thankfully, The Lady of the Lake hears of Arthur’s desperate situation and is moved to pity. With the help of Sir Tristan, they race to Arthur’s aid, arriving just in time to stop Arthur from becoming a head shorter.

Arthur pursers Annowre ~ finds her ~ and puts an end to this nonsense once and for all. Without a head on her shoulders, Annowre is a no longer a threat.

Knights of Camelot ~ Sir Ector

What if I were to tell you that everything you thought you knew was a lie? I am not your father.

Sir Ector (Hector) has been associated with Arthurian Legend since he was introduced by Robert de Boron, in his great works, the Lancelot-Grail Cycle. As with all things Arthurian the tale was soon picked up by other poets until Disney finally got their hands on it in 1963 (Yes, it really was that long ago). Surprisingly, very little has changed with regards to Sir Ector’s story and the account that Disney portrayed was very similar to the original.

Although maybe this scene didn't happen in the original telling!

                                                The Sword in the Stone - Attack of the Dishes

Sir Ector is entrusted with King Uther’s newborn son, Arthur. He is told to look after him and will be rewarded greatly by the King ~ all he needs to do is care for the child and do exactly what Merlin tells him to do.

 Howard Pyle  The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. (1903)

Arthur grows up under the illusion that Sir Ector is his father. He also believes that Sir Ector’s son, Kay, is his brother. Years pass and Kay is knighted and Arthur acts as Kay's squire. They travel to a special tournament in London, for Kay is keen to compete for a kingdom is up for the taking. There is a sword in a stone and whoever can pull the said sword out of the stone is the rightful king of Britain.

And I think we all know what happens next…

Arthur pulls the sword from the stone and he learns that Sir Ector is not his father after all and that is the end of the story for Sir Ector. For such an important figure in Arthur’s upbringing, he disappear into the shadows for the rest of Arthur's story.

The Land of King Arthur - Dozmary Pool

A slender arm that gripped a sword

rose slowly from the water.

"I'll save her" cried young Arthur.

"She must be some knight's daugter..."

"Be still," hissed Merlin. "There you see

the Lady of the Lake.

She's like a kind of mermaid.

That sword is yours to take."  

Excalibur the Magic Sword- Crazy Camelot Capers  Tony Mitton and Arthur Robins

My children loved the stories from Crazy Camelot when they were little. There is nothing like children stories in rhyme and the illustrations that are inside the book are fabulous. If you have young children and you want to introduce them to King Arthur and his knights then this is a fun way to do it.

Before I take the rest of this post to praise Crazy Camelot, I actually wanted to talk about a very famous lake in Arthurian legend.
 
There are two stories as to how Arthur came by his magical sword. Both will be familiar I am sure. The first one claims that Arthur pulled a sword from a stone. The other states that the sword was gifted to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake.

But where is the Lake?

Could Dozmary Pool be the lake in question??!

Dozmary Pool can be found in Cornwall, in the parish of Altarnun on Bodmin Moor. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - I can understand why. And from the picture above, it is easy to imagine a sword rising from the water.

Now, Excalibur came with instructions - not quite a 'how to use' manual - I am sure Arthur knew how to handle a sword. The instructions were simple. I shall quote from Crazy Camelot again, so prepare yourself for some more rhyme...

I am Excalibur, your sword,

and I will never break.

But when your reign is over,

return me to the lake.

The general consensuses is that Arthur was mortally wounded at the Battle of Camlann. Arthur recalled the instructions about the sword. He had to get back to the lake. Sir Bedivere, the only surviving knight of The Round Table - took Arthur back to the lake, but Arthur was too weak to throw the sword back into the lake, so he instructs Sir Bedivere to do it for him. But Sir Bedivere could not bring himself to throw such a beautiful sword into the water, so he hid it and returned to Arthur. Arthur asked him if he had thrown the sword back in the lake. Sir Bedivere lied and said he had. Arthur could see through the lies and told Sir Bedivere to do as he instructed. But Sir Bedivere just could not do it. He lied to Arthur for the second time. Once again, Arthur could see through the lies and for the last time told Sir Bedivere to do as he was instructed. Against his better instincts, Sir Bedivere threw the sword into the lake. To his very great surprise, a hand reached up from the water and grabbed the sword, drawing it back down into the watery depths, out of sight forever more. Sir Bedivere returned to Arthur and told him what he had seen. This time, Arthur believed him.

Dozmary Pool is bottomless and has a secret tunnel that leads directly to the ocean - a perfect home for the Lady of the Lake.  

 

Back to the question is Dozmary Pool - that lake?

It is certainly atmospheric enough, but...

It isn't bottomless - in 1869 the pool dried up and apart from finding some amazing Neolithic arrowheads, there was no tunnel - so there goes that theory.

It is also argued that Dozmary Pool is too far away from the proposed site of the Battle of Camlann.

 So the bottom line is that it is very unlikely that Dozmary Pool is that lake - but it is stunning.

Friday Knights - The Fisher King and Arthurian Legend

  "[he]....was wounded in a battle and completely crippled, so that he's helpless now, for he was struck by a javelin through both his thighs; and he still suffers from it so much that he can't mount a horse. But when he wants to engage in some pleasure and sport he has himself placed in a boat and goes fishing with a hook" 

Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval

Ouch! I am not surprised The Fisher King could not mount a horse with this injury. However, there is more to The Fisher King than a fishing boat and an awful war wound.

The 12^th Century, French poet, Chrétien de Troyes, was the first to introduce The Fisher King to the Arthurian Legend, in his great work Percival. It is suggested that de Troyes was influenced by an earlier Celtic story about Brân the Blessed. There are similarities between the two characters. Bran is injured in the foot - The Fisher King is injured in the leg. Bran has a magic cauldron that can restore life - The Fisher King is the keeper of the Holy Grail, a magical cup that can sustain life. 

Back to the story...unfortunately, The Fisher King, thanks to his injury, can not sire a child - his kingdom reflects his injury, it becomes a waste land....barren.

But, there is hope for the Fisher King - he is not destined to spend the rest of his days fishing. One day a knight will heal him - it has been foretold.

Percival stumbles upon an old man fishing and, being a nice sort of chap, he strikes up a conversation with the elderly man. The fisherman directs Percival to a beautiful castle. To his surprise, Percival is welcomes by the fisherman - The Fisher King.  The Fisher King is the most hospitable host. He presents Percival with a sword and he announces that a huge feast is to be held in Percival’s honour.

Now, Percival has spent his entire life in the woods - his mother having shunned the world after the death of Percival’s father. Percival has never been to a feast before and he is on his best behaviour. His mother has installed in him good manners, so when he is shown a candelabrum, a bleeding lance and a grail, he bites his tongue to stop asking any questions about these mysterious set of objects.

Of course, in a bitter twist of irony, the Fisher King’s only hope of being healed was for Percival to ask him questions about these objects. One can only imagine what The Fisher King must have been thinking!

The feast comes to an end and Percival toddles off to bed. But where he awakes in the morning, he finds the castle in ruins and he is alone.

Unfortunately for us, Chrétien de Troyes died before he could complete his great work.

Some forty years later, Wolfram von Eschenbach takes up the story in his work, Parzival. This story keeps to the original, with a few subtle differences. Firstly, he gives The Fisher King a name - Anfortas. We learn how The Fisher King received his wound - he is a Grail Keeper and therefore is not allowed a wife, but he marries her anyway and this is his punishment - intolerable pain. Percival rights the wrong and later cures The Fisher King.

Around the end of the 13th Century, Robert de Boron, continued The Fisher Kings story. The Fisher King - who now goes by the name of Bron -  is the brother-in-law of Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph entrusts the sacred Grail to Bron. Bron becomes the first Grail Keeper - eventually the title of keeper of the Grail is passed on to Percival.

And then things really become complicated...!

In Lancelot-Grail, there are two Fisher kings  - or should I say one wounded king called Pellam and a Fisher King called Pelles. It is Pelles who tricks Lancelot into begetting a child with Elaine - there is a prophesy that states Galahad will retrieve the Grail and heal the land.

Not to be outdone, Malory, has four possible Fisher Kings in his famous story, Le Morte d'Arthur.

1. King Pellam

2. King Pelles

3. King Pescheour - Lord of the Grail Castle

4. A bed ridden nameless king who Galahad heals.

Of course with the passage of time the story has been retold until, it became just another part of the story...a part of the legend.

Meeting the King - Merlin

So there we have it, a brief outline of The Fisher King.

 

A most unusual interview - Mary Anne Yarde @Its_CCHogan

 Just a quick post today.

I was kindly invited to appear on author, C.C. Hogan's, blog.  But, there was a catch.  You see, C.C Hogan does things a little bit differently on his blog and he gives a whole new meaning to what an author interview is!

This was the mandate he set before me.

"Stripped Bare is an occasional column where authors and other creatives are given the chance to expose themselves to the world in unusual and creative ways."

It had to be creative. So, after staring vacantly at a wall for over an hour, I suddenly had a light bulb moment.

I would transport myself into the pages of The Du Lac Chronicles and have an audience with Alden du Lac - the hero of my story. 

Click on the link below and check out this very, tongue-in-cheek, short-story!

C.C Hogan's Author Blog 

Friday Knights - Sir Agravain

 "Finally, you will get all that you deserve, old friend."

 Merlin

There is always one bad apple in every family - unfortunate for Arthur, the rot seems to run rather deep in his.

Sir Agravain, is yet another son of King Lot of Orkeny and Morgause (Arthur's sister), which makes him the brother of Sir Gawain, Sir Gaheris and Sir Gareth as well as being a half-brother to Mordred. He is, therefore, Arthur's nephew.

Sir Agravain is a complicated character, in the early works he is described as a handsome, tall man, who was a reasonable fighter and sometimes, when the mood took him, partook in heroic deeds. He is generally considered a respectable knight from a noble family.

However...

His portrayal isn't always very flattering. In the Vulgate Cycle he is portrayed in a darker light. He has a "somewhat misshapen" body - which always reminds me of the portrayal of Ricahrd III in Shakespeare's play of the same name.  Sir Agaravin may be "...a fine knight..." but he is "...arrogant and full of evil words..." It is not surprising then, that he and Mordred get on so well.

Despite his brother, Sir Gawain's, warning - Agravain, along with Mordred, is responsible for exposing Guinevere's affair with Lancelot. Which kind of implies that Gawain probably had a good idea about what was going on, but he chose to turn a blind eye to what was, High Treason. Why? Maybe it was because he and Lancelot were such good friends.

In some versions of the story, Lancelot kills Agravain when he rescues Guinevere from the pyre at her execution. Strangely, Gawain does not seem to be to aggrieved by Agravain's death - it is only because Lancelot kills Gaheris and Gareth that Gawain seeks revenge.

In T.H.White's The once and Future King (1938), as well as the Pre-Raphaelite poem, The Defence of Guinevere, Agravain is portrayed as a murderer - he killed his own mother.

In the BBC drama, Merlin (2008 -2012) , Agravaine (a variant spelling of Agravain) is portrayed as Arthur's uncle who is secretly working with Morgana to overthrow the Pendragon's. He is manipulative, sly and cruel.

Merlin - Final confrontation with Agravaine

What hope did Arthur have, when those to closest to him were determined to see him and his kingdom...fall?

The Idylls of the King - A Victorian Camelot Part 2

 "...To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yeild..."

The Idylls of the King.

Last time we started to looked at Alfred, Lord Tennyson's, The Idylls of the King -- if you missed the post you can read it here!

I am going to start where I left off...in this post I am going to explore the poem a little more.

Guinevere

"O Lancelot, if thou love me get thee hence."
And then they were agreed upon a night
(When the good King should not be there) to meet
And part for ever."

Guinevere by Henry Justice Ford c.1910

For the good of Camelot and to save her own reputation, Guinevere decides to end her affair with the noblest of knights. But there are many spies at court and their farewell is witnessed by Mordred. 

Guinevere seeks sanctuary at the convent in Almesbury - she refuses to reveal her identity, but she does befriend a young novice.

But even the sanctuary of a convent can not protect Guinevere from who she is or what she has done. She learns that Arthur and Lancelot are at war, then later she hears of Mordred's usurpation. 

Her friend, the novice, innocently describes about the glorious kingdom in her father's day....

"..before the coming of the sinful Queen..."

Arthur comes to her. She falls to his feet in grief. Arthur forgives her. Guinevere remains in the abbey, later becoming an Abbess. 

And finally, lets take a look at...

The Passing of Arthur

"...To war against my people and my knights,

The King who fights his people fights himself..."

Arthur kills the usurper, Mordred, but in turn, he receives a mortal wound.

The Death of Arthur, by John Garrick 1862

Scattered on the battlefield are the bodies of his knights. Only Sir Bedivere has made it through the fray.  Sir Bedivere carries Arthur to Avalon. Arthur commands Bediever to throw Excalibur back into the lake. Bedivere is reluctant to throw such a great sword into a lake, but eventually he obeys this last order from his king. He watches with astonishment as the Lady of the Lake, takes back the sword.  Arthur dies.

The Idylls of the King - A Victorian Camelot?

Gustave Doré's illustration of Camelot for Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King 1868

There was a great deal of interest in the notion of courtly-love back in the Middle Ages - this 'idea' was once again embraced in the Victorian era.

Arthur is portrayed as the "ideal man" with Victorian values. His Camelot is a Victorian one.

I have never felt truly comfortable with Arthur cast in this roll.  He is the '...blameless..." one. He could do not wrong.

It is Guinevere's immorality that brings down the kingdom - it had nothing whatsoever to do with Arthur - because he was just so...perfect?!

Likewise, at the final battle, everyone, apart from Sir Bedivere dies...? I have never really bought that ending and I don't think I ever will - which is partly why I wrote The Du Lac Chronicles in the first place. Still, its a good poem...isn't it??!