
Medieval Knighthood:
Knighthood as a vocation evolved sometime around the 10th to the 11th centuries in Medieval Europe with the advent of feudalism and the increased militarisation of society. Mounted soldiers (‘miles’) were often employed as bodyguards or to keep the peace much the same as the contemporary policeman does today. In this respect many knights had already excelled themselves as soldiers either during the crusades or in many of the internecine wars of Europe. Although many knights heralded from the landed nobility, a great number of mounted soldiers were also drawn largely from the peasant class in society. For the latter, knighthood represented a way out of poverty and insignificance to a world of increased status, wealth and upward mobility. It seems likely that the aristocratic noble knights (milites nobiles) would take on military apprentices who proved themselves suited to an official military career during peacetime as well as war (vassalage). They had also been solicited as mercenaries by many nobles to fight in the crusades or “Holy Wars” on their behalf. This was also a time when knights of the realm were granted fiefs by kings, lords or barons to patrol their dominions, often escorting tax collectors, priests or ministers and ladies of high estate. At first knights gained a reputation either for their brutal domination of the populace, their courage against invaders or foreigners and only much later for their chivalrous deeds or merciful actions.
Towards the end of the 11th century the noble estate of knighthood became qualified or elevated into a profession and knights were commissioned to garrisons, castles and military outposts throughout a particular region with specific rights and duties. A great number of knights were recognised for their skill in tournaments or mock battles and therefore became sporting celebrities in the absence of any real military engagement. An elite number of knights were selected by lords and barons to serve the king and were often transferred abroad to serve the monarch in some capacity. Some knights were simply foreign mercenaries who found themselves in the service of some monarch or nobleman when hostilities had ceased. By the advent of the 12th century knights were given officially described in terms of possessions, armaments and linked to duties and allegiances that were recognised by the Church. For example a knight would need to have a horse, saddle, lance, sword, shield, helmet and protective chain-mail (hauberk), he would need to belong to some sanctioned fraternity (ie: The Knight Templars) and in the service of some noble or monarch and therefore entitled to bear his insignia or colours. As the vocation of knighthood gained importance they became critical in resolving many legal disputes and the protection of goods, estates and vulnerable ladies whose husbands were away at the crusades. They would also have acted as character witnesses, in arresting or detecting criminals, as arbitrators in disputes or as bailiffs to the legislature or simply as reliable jurors. Nevertheless a good number of knights continued as free-lance mercenaries or owed allegiance to no-one except their personal ideals. Moreover a knight might have been selected to fight a duel on behalf of his liege. During the crusades knights were called upon to leave their secular duties and become soldiers of Christ which led to the official Orders of Knights such as the Hospitallers and Templars. Subsequently, not only were they required to swear an oath of allegiance to king and country but also to God and observe strict laws of celibacy. Aside from these utopian aspirations many knights were simply violent and uncompromising sexual predators, thugs and criminals. However, special ceremonies introduced through the church would redefine the status and role of the medieval knight as scholar, monk and guardian. A chivalric code of honour for official knights began to be formalised in the 12th and 13th century particularly in France so that the boundaries between powerful castellans and simple knights became fused in a universal code of honour expressing mutual respect. The literary romances of Chrétien de Troyes describe a round table of knights entrusted with a mission that is moral, political, social, and religious. Among the aristocracy knights were perceived not merely as warriors but advocates and ambassadors of courtly culture. Military schools were funded by church and state and initiations into an order were charged with heraldic symbolism, formal ritual and fervent religious mystique. However, the increased demand that the crusades made on the local populations for soldier knights that the active promotion and requests from lords to supply the battlefields of the Middle East that knighthood as a noble vocation appears to decline by the end of the 14th century. Military service became a financial burden in terms of equipment and training, an unacceptable loss of young, able men and for many an out-dated lifestyle in Renaissance Europe. Nevertheless, knighthood being drawn from a broad spectrum of individuals, ie: from nobleman to peasant, was ranked highly in social, judicial and economic terms. An ordinary knight still stood above an esquire, a gentleman, a yeoman, husbandman, freeman and serf and had equal influence with magistrates, sheriffs and bailiffs. In England during the 14th century honorary knighthoods were conferred upon members of the merchant class primarily for their civic contribution to society and because they could afford such office. There was less emphasis for a knight to have distinguished himself in battle and the criteria was extended to include literary or charitable contributions to society. The militant arm of medieval society in Europe and the Middle-East, trans-national immigrants and travelling merchants were the three main conduits for the dissemination of Arthurian tales particularly from Syria.

When the knights endeavour to go in search of the Holy Grail they all seem to undergo a journey into or become lost within an enchanted forest – obviously an allegorical reference to the subconscious mind where the soul of an individual can become awakened to its true purpose. In this natural labyrinth they are either guided or misled by various aspects of their feminine psyche. The numerous enchantresses of the forest often make attempts to mate with these knights in order to give birth to some supernatural aspect of themselves – sometimes good, at other times horrific (See “The Myth of Melusine”). The Questing Beast also lives in the enchanted forest, with its horrendous howls being part Lion, Goat and Serpent it terrifies everyone for miles around. The Beast is sought out by King Pellinore then much later by the Saracen Palomides who finds out that it came into being when a woman condemned a man to be torn apart by vicious dogs (Actæon). In some versions the “Questing Beast” is a symbol of incest, abnormality or evil. Perceval caught sight of it as a “gentle snow-white animal with hounds in its belly” – it sought shelter below a cross, crouched beside it and gave birth to 12 full grown dogs. The dogs immediately turned on the Beast but were unable to devour him. The wise hermit explains to Sir Perceval that the “Beast” symbolised Christ and the 12 dogs the 12 tribes of Israel who turned on him and crucified him. That the hounds were unable to “eat him” was an indirect reference to the Jews refusal to assent to the Holy Mass. In some literary extrapolations many of the knights also have what can only be termed totem beasts attached to them, they represent their shamanic guides, for example Lancelot has a lion, Gawain a mule, Mordred an eagle, Gaheris a goat and so forth. These heraldic animals are synonymous with the symbolic qualities of the 12 signs of the zodiac eg; lion (Leo), mule (Virgo), eagle (Scorpio), and goat (Capricorn).
Therefore in the mythological saga of the Grail cycle some of the Knights of the Round Table correspond to the 12 archetypal signs of the Tropical Zodiac. This form of symbolic analogue is quite common among mythographers just as for example the 12 labours of Hercules correspond again to the zodiacal signs. However, many other knights are mentioned although not all the knights have leading roles to play, the most notable being Sir Perceval, Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad.

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight: (ARIES Mars)
Sir Gawain was indirectly related to King Arthur and Mordred because he was the son of King Lot and Queen Morgawse who questioned Arthur’s right to rule over the Scottish fiefdoms. There is some obvious reference here with Lot and the Irish god Lugh, the father of the legendary white-haired hero Cuchulain. His grandmother was reputed to have been Ygerna and as he was the son of her first marriage this made him the son of Arthur‘s half-sister Morgause. The persona of the Green Knight had several transformational makeovers over his 400 year history. Initially, in some sagas he fights heroically against the Romans, he dies in the conflict with Mordred, but in later French romances he assumes the role of a silver-tongued charlatan and seducer of women, and in others as a brutal murderer. In England however he was paradoxically portrayed as a virtuous knight who would not succumb to the beguiling seductions of his hosts’ wife. The wife somewhat astonished by his celibate lifestyle in contrast to his widespread reputation in the realm as a gigolo.
The poem of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” appears only in one ancient manuscript, the anonymous author of which probably heralded from the North or West Midlands (Cheshire, Derbyshire or Staffordshire). The most likely candidate, according to Brian Stone (Penguin Classics) is Hugo de Masci, later spelt Mascy or Massey from Cheshire, (Dunham Massey?) who lived there in the time of Edward III, although Brian Stone is not the sole source for such a suggestion. References and evidence for this theory begin with Ormerod Greenwood‘s translation of the poem (Lion & Unicorn Press 1956), suggesting they may lie in an understanding of medieval numerology hidden in poetry, in particular a peculiar link between another work St. Erkenwald and the Massey family name. The style and content of “Sir Gawain & the Green Knight” is also similar to other works of the time such as “The Owl & the Nightingale”, “Cleanness”, “The Pearl” and “St. Erkenwald”. The reference to Margery (which literally means “pearl”) may be to Margaret the daughter of the Earl of Pembroke and granddaughter of the legendary King Edward III. The numerological evidence points to the names MASCI (9), HUGO DE (33) & MARGERY (42) being reiterated or alluded to throughout. Deliberate secret encryption or numerical embellishment of this type by an anonymous author, especially of aristocratic descent, was quite common at the time, although in France it was considered quite acceptable (See “The Troubadours of Europe”). Literary works tended to convey much more than philosophical, moral or cultural ideas, they often made passing references to occult or magical practices and Neo-Platonic Symbolism. Initial letters from each line in a verse for example, spelling out another identity or clue to some esoteric riddle or certain numbers being constantly repeated. The art or practice in the numerical encryption of poetry or text dates back to early Biblical times, to Sacred Texts, Psalms and Hymns and the influence of the Hebraic mystical tradition (See “Shakespeare’s Qaballah”). Each letter or name was considered to resonate a type of mystical frequency imbuing the text with power or magical incantation.
The subject of “Gawain and the Green Knight” is covered quite well by numerous other mythologies and legends where they correspond in some way to an archetypal Pan, a Celtic Herne, the Hunter – The Jack o’ the Greenwood of folklore (Anglo-Saxon Woodwose), a god of fertility, or the wild man of the woods, similar to an Amerindian “Buskus” type figure. In another example the character of Al-Chadir in Islamic legend is a type of fertility figure, the colour green being Mohammed‘s favourite and most sacred colour. All of these characters seem to embody ideas connected to birth, death and rebirth. However, like the “Greek God Dionysus” he also represents the principle of the regeneration of Great Nature and also the Law of Causality or Karma. He is therefore an ideological or ecological icon with characteristics of vulnerability, re-emergence, vitality, endurance and mortality. The Green Knight‘s significance in the epagomenal days of Christmas employed in calendar notation cannot be overlooked. He dies and is born again to fulfil his promise. In one particular romance he marries the foul hag Ragnell who magically becomes transformed into a beautiful girl, but the marriage was for convenience and was never consummated. In Medieval symbolism, (Heraldry, Fashion, Shields, Armour & Architecture) the colour green had positive and negative qualities. The Royal Order of the Garter (Edward III ) was originally green but later changed to royal blue. In essence green symbolised eternal, unchanging truth, on a mundane level earthly love, or virtue. It was one of the colours of the sacred pentagram which represented the 5 essential qualities of a medieval knight; (the others being; White-Mercy, Blue-Valour, Red-Righteousness, & Black-Peace). Each had a special attribute;
• Magnanimity (Royal Blue) – liberal mindedness in victory or defeat.
• Fellowship (Green) – love and respect of fellow man.
• Purity (White) – chastity, cleanliness of mind and spirit.
• Courtesy (Red) – good manners, loyalty & chivalry.
• Compassion (Black) – mercy or pity for suffering humanity.
The narrative continues when the Green Knight rides to the court of King Arthur on Christmas Day and challenges Arthur‘s’ knights to an unusual form of mortal combat. He tells them he will endure any blow with the axe he displays so long as he could in turn give a similar blow to his executioner. The Green Knight then held the axe out to any volunteer saying that whoever remained alive would have earned the right to carry the axe. Somewhat bemused by this offer at first no knights volunteered for this feat, then as King Arthur himself grabbed the axe, Sir Gawain interceded and offered to take the place of the King and strike the first blow on the neck of the Green Knight. Sir Gawain raised the axe and with one mighty blow severed the head of the Green Knight. Whereupon, to the astonishment of the entire gathering the headless Green Knight got up, swung onto his horse and rode away saying he would expect a visit from poor Gawain, the next year to when he would be entitled to exact his blow on him. A year passes and come the time Gawain dons his armour and astride his favourite mount Gringolet he heads off to North Wales to meet the Green Knight.
After many perilous adventures he finds hostelry at a castle where his host is a genial red-bearded lord named Sir Bertilak with a beautiful fair-haired damsel as his wife. Gawain discovers from them the location of the Green Chapel where the Green Knight lives and explains his mission to them. The next day the lord decides to go out hunting and allows Sir Gawain every comfort he may wish and that they give each other a solemn oath to exchange whatever they had gained that day. Gawain is openly propositioned by the Lady of the house and he graciously declines to acquiesce to her desires except for one kiss. So, when the lord returns he tells Gawain of his success in killing a deer and hands it to Gawain as a trophy as arranged. Gawain smiles secretly and embracing him kisses him on the cheek. The day after the lord goes hunting for boar while his wife attempts another seduction of Gawain who, on this occasion allows her only two kisses. When the lord returns much later he is greeted by Gawain only this time by two kisses. On the third day the lord went fox-hunting and his wife’s amorous advances continued until in an embrace she gives him three kisses and offers her magic girdle as a token of love to Sir Gawain, which he kindly accepts. She tells him that the wearer of the girdle becomes invulnerable and cannot be killed, so that bearing in mind the ensuing challenge from the Green Knight Gawain is extremely thankful for the gift, yet he is concerned that he cannot offer it up to Lord Bertilak when he returns as promised. Towards evening the lord of the castle returns with a fox hide and they adjourn for a merry supper.
The next day Gawain is resolved to uphold his promise and finish his mission by meeting the Green Knight, so mounting his steed he rides off in search of the Green Chapel. When he encounters the Green Knight he kneels before him as requested so that he might strike his blow with the axe. The Green Knight raises the weapon and just as he is about to strike he notices that Gawain, despite his valour makes a terrified flinch. He holds the axe a bear millimetre away from his neck and declines to finish him off saying that he is not a true knight to have an ounce of fear in his bones. Gawain challenges him to make the blow again and he will see that he is courageous enough not to flinch in anticipation. As Gawain was wearing the magic girdle the Green Knight only manages to nick him slightly on the neck, from which wound a little blood begins to flow. Now the Green Knight discovers the trickery and retrieves the girdle from Gawain and openly accuses him of falsehood as it rightly belongs to him through the vestiges of his own wife. Therefore, the “Green Girdle”, traditionally a symbol of faithlessness, but paradoxically offering protection from the Knight’s blows, gives Sir Gawain away, and consequently he wears it reluctantly, even though it is a symbol of honour. Unfortunately, his own faithlessness as a knight of the realm had been exposed. Aware that some secret plot or drama has been exacted upon him, Gawain then acknowledging this possibility discovers that this trial has all been engineered by the sorcery of the witch Morgan le Fay. In earlier romances Sir Gawain holds the sword Excalibur, not Arthur as noted in later versions, and he was also considered a healer and extremely self-sacrificing as well as chivalrous.
Sir Hector: (TAURUS Venus)
Sir Hector and his wife were entrusted with the fostering and care of the young child Arthur by Merlin and was also the father of Sir Kay. It is written that when Merlin left Tintagel Castle with the infant Arthur to roam through the Forest Sauvage he arrived at the castle of Sir Hector, a brave old knight who had served under Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon. When requested by Merlin, Sir Hector agreed to bring up the young child away from common view and taught him to fight and hunt in the forest groves and played with Kay, Hector’s young son. However, Merlin would call to visit and taught Arthur astrology, rhetoric, religion and all about the secret powers in the known universe. After the death of Uther it was Merlin who asked Sir Hector to attend a tournament where the young Arthur would inevitably discover the “Sword in the Stone”. Many contenders throughout the land attended Merlin’s tournament not realising that Merlin had invested in the contest to bring Arthur’s skill and training to public knowledge and attention, leading the way for his inevitable kingship. It was also intended that Kay should receive his knighthood there and fight for the first own sword he commanded Arthur to find a replacement sword so Arthur searched the campsite and pavilions and he inadvertently came across the sword embedded in the stone. Not realising that it was a sword with magical powers he grabbed hold of the hilt and pulled it immediately and effortlessly out of the stone. When he delivered it up to Kay as a replacement Kay immediately recognised it as the sword which was destined for the major event of the tournament. Now at first Kay turned to his father Sir Hector and said “Am I the next King of Britain?”, but Hector insisted that he replace the sword in the stone and then attempt to remove it. So Kay placed the sword back in the stone but try as he might the sword would not budge an inch. Then Hector asked Arthur if he could pull the sword from the stone again and as soon as Arthur pulled on the hilt, the sword slid easily from it. Seeing this take place the gathered assembly of knights all cheered and roared “Long Live, King Arthur!”. Seeing the dismay on Kay’s face Arthur took him to one side and told him he would be a knight of the realm and serve him as the seneschal of England.
Sir Galahad: (GEMINI Mercury)

Sir Galahad was the unsolicited progeny of Sir Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic the daughter of King Pelles – himself the cousin of Joseph de Arimathea. Sir Lancelot was drugged and then tricked into believing that Elaine was in actual fact Queen Guinevere whom the knight held in high esteem. King Pelles and his sorceress Dame Brisen contrived to match him with Elaine knowing that his seed would give rise to the most valiant knight in the realm (Sir Galahad). When Queen Guinevere discovered that he had in fact given himself to another woman she banished him from the court of King Arthur. He removed his armour and went naked into the forest to perform his penance for two whole years. In his wild wanderings he chanced upon the well of the castle of King Pelles where he was found by Elaine of Corbenic. She asked her father to renew his spirit with a drink from the Holy Grail. Sir Galahad replaced Sir Perceval as a valiant knight worthy of the secret vision of the Grail. In one adventure he is responsible for healing the Maimed King Pelles with the blood from the spear that wounded Jesus Christ. Soon after this incident he travels with Sir Bors and Sir Perceval to Sarras bearing the Grail where they were imprisoned by a barbaric king for an entire year. However this king fell ill and when cured by the Grail is converted and releases the knights.
Sir Tristram: (CANCER Moon)
The secret lover of Queen Isolde of Cornwall, who later married the sister of Sir Caherdin, Isolde with the white hands. The son of Queen Elisabeth & King Melodas of Lyonesse and nephew of King Mark of Cornwall. His name means literally sorrow from the French “triste” because his mother and father died soon after he was born and for the remainder of his life he is subject to deception and betrayal. Major versions of Tristram are found in works by Beroul, Thomas and Gottfried von Strassburg. These classic tales are not unlike Shakespeare’s theme of two ‘star-crossed lovers’ as in “Romeo & Juliet” or the separation of two young lovers in the vignette “Pyramus & Thisbe” performed in his “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. According to the legend Tristram is an accomplished harpist and skilled hunter but is beguiled to drink a love potion and ends up being banished for his neglect of duty and bohemian excesses. Following the death of King Gorlois of Cornwall and the succession of King Mark Tristram rejects the custom of giving tribute to Ireland of twelve youths and decides to take on the King’s champion Marhaus. They fought for a whole day on the island of St. Sampson and Tristran finally dispatched the Irish warrior but not before the warrior had wounded him in the thigh. It was subsequently discovered that Marhaus’s sword was poisoned and Tristran was set afloat in a rudderless coracle because of the wound that would not heal on dry land. In a delirious state he floated alone and forlorn until he was washed ashore and discovered by a group of fishermen who sent for Isolde as a nurse for Tristran. However, Isolde was unaware that Tristran was being punished for killing her uncle. Their initial meeting seemed predestined and their friendship gradually grew into a passionate love affair. However, the Queen of Ireland suspected Tristran of the murder of her brother and he was banished. When he returns to Cornwall his uncle decides to send him as an emissary to secure the hand of an Irish princess and Tristran is chosen by King Mark for this task. Tristram agrees but soon realises that the princess that Mark desires is none other than his own ladylove, Isolde. Despite this ironic set of circumstances Tristran agrees to undertake the journey to Ireland on behalf of his uncle. (See “Tristan & Isolde”)
Sir Lancelot (LEO Sun)

The son of King Ban of Benwick, champion of King Arthur‘s court and secret lover of Queen Guinevere. Apart from his involvement in fathering Sir Galahad (see above), Sir Lancelot was also involved in the tale when Sir Meleagant abducted Queen Guinevere. The character of Sir Lancelot may have been derived from one named Llwch Leminiawg from the Mabinogion and Preiddeu Annwyn, he is also synonymous as the elder version or father of Sir Galahad in some versions. Furthermore, there is little to distinguish him from the exploits and valour of Sir Tristan. Both of them are raised away from home, are valorous fighters and are considered exemplary in matters of chivalry and courtly love. Sir Lancelot achieved many great deeds having saved Arthur on several occasions, defended the honour of his Queen and killed many a usurper in his service to the Round Table. He rescues Queen Guinevere from the clutches of Sir Melgeant and successfully defeats the Black Knight (Sir Turquine) who is terrorising and humiliating the Knights of the Round Table. Some knights have been killed and hung from a tree in disgrace while others have been imprisoned and facing torture including Sir Gaheris, Sir Lionel and many others. In a previous adventure Sir Lancelot has slain the brother of this knight – Sir Carados which makes the encounter even more tense and thrilling. The faithful relationship between Guinevere and Sir Lancelot begins to wane after the Quest for the Grail because of her jealousy for Elaine of Astolat, a secret admirer and nurse to Sir Lancelot. When Queen Guinevere is wrongfully accused of the murder of Sir Patrise she can no longer count on Sir Lancelot‘s defence of her name and honour having banished him out of jealousy and spite. Sir Bors offers to take Sir Lancelot‘s place and on the day that they are scheduled to meet Sir Lancelot arrives disguised to do battle with Sir Mador the knight who has accused the Queen of murder. Although Lancelot is badly wounded in the thigh he manages to slay the dishonourable knight. Sir Lancelot then reveals his identity to the whole assembly. Meanwhile Elaine, the Fair Maid of Astolot hearing that Sir Lancelot has renewed his troth to Queen Guinevere being sick at heart for the love of the knight commits suicide and her body is lodged in a barge carrying a letter which reputedly explains the reason for her demise. The barge drifts down the river Thames and finally arrives at the court of King Arthur where later she is buried with full honours. The letter absolves Sir Lancelot from any impropriety and the Queen renews her respect for him. In another incident Sir Mordred and Sir Agravain together with ten other knights plot to catch Sir Lancelot in bed with the Queen while the King is out hunting. However, the plot is discovered and Sir Lancelot challenges the assembly kills Sir Agravain and wounds Sir Mordred who goes immediately to King Arthur accusing Sir Lancelot of the treacherous murder of the King’s knights and adultery with his wife. On this occasion again Queen Guinevere again has to undergo an ordeal by fire. This represents the fundamental break in allegiance between Sir Lancelot and King Arthur. Both men gather their loyal supporters and although a battle is arranged where Sir Bors has the opportunity to slay King Arthur Sir Lancelot cannot bring himself to raise his sword against the King. Instead a truce is agreed and after many harsh words the age old recriminations are finally laid to rest. Sir Gawain is not convinced of Sir Lancelot‘s innocence and accusing him of treason assembles an army of supporters in order to kill him and his men. Sir Gawain falls wounded by Sir Lancelot in the ensuing conflict. While this is taking place Sir Mordred plots to secure the throne and Queen Guinevere for himself saying that King Arthur and Gawain have all been slain at the hands of the traitor Sir Lancelot.
The Abduction of Queen Guinevere:

Throughout the tales of the Holy Grail it seems that Queen Guinevere is somewhat prone to being abducted, kidnapped or wrongly accused of infidelity and then undergoing some perilous ordeal to prove her innocence. In this sense therefore the events of her life parallel those of Helen of Troy who was also kidnapped or abducted by a secret admirer from the clutches of Agamemnon. Anyway, one day while King Arthur was holding court at Camelot a certain knight named Melegeant arrived there saying that he had some of his knights and ladies imprisoned in his castle and would relinquish them if there was a knight among his band who could defeat him in contest. Sir Kay volunteers to go with Queen Guinivere despite Arthur‘s remonstrations about the safety of this mission. None of the knights had any great faith in Sir Kays’ abilities either to protect the Queen or for that matter to deal with the insolent knight. Sir Lancelot Sir Gawain then decided that they would venture forth after Sir Kay and Queen Guinivere to ensure their safety in such a perilous task. Approaching the vicinity of the knights castle they saw a knight approaching all weary from riding and battle scarred. The knight requested a fresh horse which Sir Lancelot granted and set off again. When Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain continued they saw the horse lying dead and feared the worst, but a little further on they espied the same knight now seated in the back of a cart driven by a monstrous dwarf. In those days riding in a cart was reserved for those condemned to execution, public humiliation or punishment. Sir Lancelot followed the cart until he came to the outskirts of the castle of the insolent knight where they soon saw Queen Guinevere held prisoner by Melegeant with Sir Kay trussed up beside them. They were told there were only two ways into the castle – by an underwater tunnel or by a metal bridge as thin as a swords edge and just as treacherous. At this point Sir Lancelot left Sir Gawain to attempt the underground tunnel while he decided to cross the “Sword Bridge” and though badly scarred in the process made it safely to the other side where he secretly beheld Sir Meleagant and his father King Bagdemagus of Gorre. The next day he challenged Sir Meleagant to mortal combat without delay and while weary with his trial over the bridge he thought only of rescuing his fair Queen. In fact the very sight of her spurred him on and, despite his poor condition, he gained more ground in combat over Sir Meleagant and was on the point of offering him no mercy. Seeing his son so close to the brink of defeat and possible death, King Bagdemagus then implored Queen Guinevere to call off the assaults from Sir Lancelot. The Queen consented and calling to Lancelot to desist he respectfully obeyed his lady and laid down his sword thereby sparing Sir Meleagant. However the King arranged for them to meet in a years time and then to renew the conflict to the death thereby settling the matter of honour, meanwhile all the prisoners would be released but Queen Guinevere would remain at his court. When Sir Lancelot was brought before the Queen in a dishevelled state, she shunned him with great disdain and paid him no respect for his ardour. The King somewhat puzzled asked her why she had treated him thus. She replied that she no longer had any respect for the poor knight, although she was grateful for his daring and courage in attempting to save her. Somewhat disturbed by the Queen‘s attitude, Sir Lancelot inquired after the well being of Sir Kay and was forthwith taken to his dungeon cell where he lay still wounded. The next day they all embarked and made way to join Sir Gawain who was awaiting them on the other side of the Sword Bridge but on the way they were all ambushed and taken prisoner yet again by King Bagdemagus‘ men. On their return as prisoners once again Sir Lancelot hears a rumour among the locals that Queen Guinevere is now almost dead with grief now realising her folly and presumptions and after one of her abortive suicide attempts he is brought back to the court of King Bagdemagus‘ castle. He then asks the Queen why she had previously rebuked him in front the King – she answered because he had ridden without shame in the dwarf’s cart – a great disgrace in those days for a knight of the realm. Queen Guinevere forgives his indiscretion and that night they arrange to meet each other. Sir Lancelot scales the tower and gains entry to Guinevere‘s apartment and that night they lie together in amorous contentment. Early the next day Sir Lancelot leaves by the window and as King Bagdemagus enters the Queen‘s bedroom he notices the bed sheets all spattered with blood and not realising they are the result of Lancelot‘s’ wounds accuses the Queen of some impropriety while she is a guest at his castle. However the Queen quickly assures him that the blood stains are the result of a nose bleed she had during the night. Sir Meleagant accuses the Queen of having slept with Sir Kay and Guinevere has no option but to call her Champion Sir Lancelot to answer the accusation in combat yet again with Sir Meleagant. But once again Sir Lancelot gained victory over Sir Meleagant and was called off by the Queen just as he was about to deal the fatal stroke. As Sir Lancelot together with a band of soldiers goes off in search of Gawain he encounters the dwarf in his cart once again and strangely disappears without trace. Meanwhile the search party discovers Sir Gawain still struggling for his life in the underwater torrent and promptly rescues him from his fate. Time passes until the moment for Sir Lancelot and Sir Meleagant to do battle once again for the honour of Queen Guinevere. However as Sir Lancelot is absent Sir Gawain offers to take his place. In actual fact Sir Lancelot has been imprisoned by King Bagdemagus in a remote castle, but due to the intervention of a fair damsel he escapes and arrives at the tournament to face Sir Meleagant. In the ensuing contest Sir Lancelot slices off Sir Meleagants’ right arm, smashes his helmet off and beheads him. Everyone finally rejoiced that the wicked traitor and kidnapper had eventually been defeated.
Sir Kay: (VIRGO Mercury)
Sir Kay was a foster brother of King Arthur and steward of his court (See Sir Hector). But his irascible cruelty and bad temper earned him an unsympathetic reputation although he was nevertheless much loved by Arthur because he was brought up by Kay’s father, Sir Hector. Sir Kay with his companion Gawain and Bishop Baldwin were one day hunting when they came across the Carl of Carlisle who offered to give them hostelry for the night. But when they were hosted by the Carl, a rough, rude but civil individual, he presumed that Kay had developed an attraction to his beautiful wife. Towards the end of the evening however when Gawain went to his chamber he found Carl’s beautiful wife waiting for him. Carl told Gawain that he was allowed to kiss his wife but to do nothing more, then Carl called upon his daughter who had previously entertained the knights with her proficiency of singing with a harp and told Gawain that she was his to do as he wished for one night. Gawain was so enamoured of the girl that he immediately picked her up and carried her to his bed.
Sir Bedivere: (LIBRA Venus)
A loyal supporter of King Arthur who was slain in the battle of Camlann. He was the knight who was entrusted to return the sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. In this penultimate mission he attempted at first to deceive the wounded and dying King Arthur that the sword had been safely returned. It seemed such a shame to throw such a fine sword into the lake that he hid it and went back saying he had done the deed. When asked what he saw he prevaricated somewhat declaring that he saw the water ripple, the clouds pass over and so forth, but did not mention the appearance of Nimue – the Lady of the Lake. As a result Arthur saw through the deception and reprimanded him. When he complied with Arthur‘s wishes he perceived the Lady rise and take hold of the sword and with this tale returned to the dying Arthur. Satisfied that all was now complete he requested Sir Bedivere to place him in his funeral barge and allow him to sail off accompanied by a host of mourning ladies to the Isle of Avalon where all the dead heroes go after dying in battle. The magical island of Avalon or Island of Apples is inhabited by the nine muses and it is they who receive the souls of dead heroes. Today Glastonbury is purported to be the place but this is probably an erroneous conclusion. Glastonbury means “Island of Glass” and is probably where Merlin was imprisoned by Morgana‘s enchantment. Many speculative theories have been advanced with respect to this island including the Orkneys, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles and Brittany. The legend of a lost paradise which resides in the west supports the notion that “Apple Island” might even be in America.
Sir Mordred: (SCORPIO Pluto)

The illegitimate son of King Arthur and direct result of his incestuous affair with his half-sister Queen Morgeuse, the wife of King Lot of Orkney. Mordred became an arch rival of the King but he was finally killed in a prolonged blood-thirsty conflict by Arthur at the Battle of Camlann. In a 14th century alliterative tale Sir Mordred takes the role of a noble character who plays an unwilling part in an inescapable tragedy just as Judas had unwittingly betrayed Jesus Christ. He first appears as a villain in the Annales Cambriae (537 AD) and assumes the role of nephew to the King, while in other versions he is his illegitimate son. In Celtic traditions the sister’s son should always assume the right to rule so Mordred became a symbol for Arthur‘s nemesis because he was denied sovereignty over Britain when the time came. Arthur ordered the Head of Bran to be dug up from White Mount in London so that he would be recognised as the true defender of the Nation. An act that sealed Arthur‘s doom. In the Mabinogion a story relates the exchange of power and authority between the Lord of Winter Arawn and Agwan – the Lord of Summer who would then fight for the hand of the Bright Goddess of Spring or the Flower Bride. In a similar account Lord Melwas of the Summer Country carries off Guinevere and Arthur then has to rescue her from his clutches. Mordred was also involved in an attempt to abduct Queen Guinevere and make her his wife while Arthur is abroad fighting in the crusades. This parallels the circumstances of the tales of Robin Hood, King Richard the Lion Heart and his brotherly usurper John. More importantly however it is synonymous with the calendar cycle of the Hyperborean Celts which is referred to albeit somewhat obliquely by a game of chess played between Lugh and Owein to gain sovereignty over time. While the game continues it is matched by similar events in the fortunes of Owein’s Ravens and Lugh‘s warriors. When Lugh somewhat frustrated by the play of events smashes the table – the entire battle is discontinued. A similar story of sympathetic magic and the rule of time is found within Egyptian myth between Thoth and Isis who play a game of draughts to establish the irreconcilable discrepancy between the solar and lunar calendar. See Minoan Board Game.
King Arthur: (SAGITTARIUS Jupiter)
After the quest of the Holy Grail has been fulfilled, the health of the King restored there is a great celebration in the Kingdom of Logres (Britain). However, this is short lived and marred when Arthur begins to encounter numerous personal and political difficulties. Sir Lancelot becomes more enamoured of the Queen and their affair is no longer a secret at the court. Queen Guinevere is betrayed by Sir Lancelot who presumably takes another lover – The Fair Elaine. There is however some uncertainty as to the honour of Lancelot in this affair and when wounded in a battle he never fully recovers. Elaine meanwhile is actually rejected by Sir Lancelot. Apart from his role as King in the Arthurian Saga, Arthur also makes an appearance in an obscure Welsh folktale called “Arthur & Gorgalon” about a dog named Gellert. We also know that his dog was actually called Cabal, although the name is derived from the Latin ‘caballus’ meaning horse. In this story a man is turned into a werewolf by his faithless wife. The wolf-man wanders off and is then later befriended by a King. One day Arthur goes to visit a neighbouring Duke leaving the dog alone with his wife Guinevere. Unbeknown to Arthur the Queen has arranged to see her secret paramour, but when the adulterous knight arrives he is mercilessly savaged by the dog. In an attempt to explain the remnants of a bloody corpse the Queen conspires to convince the King that the dog attempted to savage her and his own son and to substantiate her claims she hides one of their sons in a distant room of the castle. Arthur being conscious of the beast’s loyalty is not at all convinced by the Queen‘s accusations and when the dog leads him to the room in which the child had been hidden he discovers his wife’s infidelity. The same theme is echoed in the Welsh story of Pryderi and his wife who had supposedly eaten her children in his absence. Similar tales have been recorded by the tales of the seven wise masters in the “Calumnia Novercalis” a work translated from Greek and Hebrew sources (“The Kylile & Dimne” by Simeon Seth and the “Kalilah & Dimnah” by Rabbi Joel). Evidence of an earlier version originates in Persia and India, although the animals involved differ from the western versions. In the Sanskrit Panchatantra a story relates a wife who leaves a Brahmin husband in charge of their son, but while she is absent drawing water from the well he goes out begging, leaving the child alone with a mongoose. In their absence a poisonous snake enters the house and the mongoose attacks it and successfully kills it. When the wife returns and sees the mongoose’s mouth all covered in blood she automatically assumes it has devoured the child. In the Arabic version a weasel takes the place of the mongoose, in the Persian a cat and in the Tibetan version a pole-cat. The same story appears in Aesop, “Elian and Apthonius” where a peasant liberates a snake from the clutches of an eagle. The snake squirts poison into the goblet from which the peasant is about to drink, while the eagle flaps its wings and upsets the goblet. The peasant naturally curses the eagle. The moral implications of this tale appear to be that unlikely alliances may end in misunderstandings if the nature of the facts is not correctly determined, or that we may be inclined to blame those who are in actual fact innocent of a crime. The repercussions of which is that some individuals or society at large may seek scapegoats among those who really seek to uphold and defend the very safety and well being of virtuous individuals. Was not Jesus Christ the scapegoat for the sins of the Pharisees? All of these instructive stories including the Welsh have their roots in the Aryan tradition.
Sir Gaheris or Sir Ballin (CAPRICORN Saturn)
The younger brother of Sir Gawain, the son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, when he discovers his mother in bed with Lamorack he cuts off her head. Sir Gareth or Gaheris was involved in the episode of the Red Knight, when he was in the court of King Arthur he asked a boon from him to be fed freely for a year – he was given a job as a pastry cook because of his unusually large hands. He then volunteered for the mission initiated by Lynette to rescue her sister Lyonore from Sir Ironside – the Red Knight of the Red Launds. The damsel Lynette pours scorn on his ability to succeed yet despite this he proves his worth and becomes a member of the Round Table. The Lady Lyonore falls in love with him and they are later married. In another episode he wears a magical ring which allows him to change the colour and insignia of his armour, fights several of the Knights of the Round Table and then disappears. He was himself later killed by Sir Lancelot in a civil war partly engineered by Sir Gawain over the abduction and ordeal of Queen Guinevere.
Sir Percival: (AQUARIUS Uranus)

The original hero of the Grail Quest, the son of King Pellinore according to Malory but relegated to second best in the “Queste del Sant Graal” by the spotless Sir Galahad. He first appeared in Chretien de Troye’s unfinished masterpiece “Le Conte de Graal”. By various accounts he is something of a simpleton and “mummy’s boy”. Although his mother attempts to protect him from the rough warring tendencies of the male line of the family – all of whom have since met horrific deaths in the service of knighthood. One day five dazzling young knights ride by Perceval‘s home, astonished by their elegant and noble presence and thinking they are angels he enquires after their names and origin. They tell him about their mission as knights of the Round Table, the court of King Arthur and so forth. In admiration of these men Perceval then resolves to become a knight himself and ceases his employment at the family country home, deserts his distraught mother and volunteers as an apprentice in the King‘s army. Despite his obvious inexperience and sycophantic airs he is eager, willing, enthusiastic and fearless. However, he develops a psychological conflict with the remarks of his tutor Gornemanz and some of the advice given him by his mother. As a result he commits a series of blunders and quite by chance nevertheless finds himself at the Grail Castle, at the home of the Maimed King. In the foreboding procession he is shown the sacred objects, the bleeding lance, the silver chalice, and the candelabra. Yet in the ensuing awe of the situation when given the opportunity to ask the crucial question, the answer to which would have healed the King he neglectfully refrains. The reason given is that Gornemanz had cautioned him on being too talkative.
After yet another disappointing adventure Perceval continues his errant wanderings and then finally completes his knighthood education. He then goes out until he meets a girl called Blanchefleur and falls in love with her. He meets Sir Gawain and befriends him, then hears from a local hermit the real reason why he failed in his quest to the Maimed King‘s castle. He tells him that because he’d left his mother to die that he must now atone for this sin before he can return to the King’s Castle and make another final attempt. At this point of Chretien‘s narrative the story breaks off and four other writers have subsequently made attempts to finish it. Wolfram de Essenbach‘s version is truer to its symbolic and metaphorical significance than that of Chretiens’. He emphasises the transcendent quality of Perceval to choose between family, state and his own personal salvation thereby enabling him to continue the quest. Mea Culpa! – Perceval had just one chance to heal the “Maimed King” – an archetypal King Lear, just as we have only one life. His philosophy seems to be “nobody lives for ever and we are learning by our own mistakes”. His second attempt is more successful and he is told the meaning of the mysteries surrounding the sacred objects. The spear is that which pierced Christ’s side, and that The Grail was indeed the sacred cup into which the blood and water of Christ had been collected. He is told that the Fisher King is a direct descendant of Joseph de Arimathea and therefore his own uncle. He discovers that King Pelles has been wounded when attempting to mend a sword that had been broken by a knight named Pertinax and that only the death of this knight could secure the King‘s well being again. So Perceval seeks out the knight and kills him. Towards the end of the tale he discovers that there is no higher calling than to serve the Grail and that the Grail serves all humanity. This version seems to parallel an earlier Celtic tale about Pheredur found in the Red Book of Hergest begun around 1318 and completed by 1454, but Perdur is also mentioned in the “Annales Cambriae”(440-1066). In this blood-thirsty version Pheredur enters the Magic Castle “Caer Sidi” having taken an oath of silence with his uncle and beholds two young men carrying a bloody spear, wailing and moaning in despair, then three maidens appear with the head of a man on a chalice. Much of the pagan gore and barbaric events of this tale are naturally omitted from the later chivalric romances. Also the name Pherdur and Perceval have some obvious similarities “per” meaning basin and “keval” or “kedur” meaning companion. Caer Sidi is the Silver or Spiral Castle in Welsh legend where there was no sickness or old age – literally translated it means the revolving or perhaps “Psychic Castle” but essentially it represents the underground labyrinth or web of initiatory trials which Perdur has to circumnavigate, just as Theseus had to follow the thread of his own subconscious through the labyrinth in order to kill the Minotaur. Robert Graves asserts it means a round barrow fortress or dome so therefore it symbolically represents the Cerebral cortex and the human brain.
Sir Bors: PISCES (Neptune)
The son of King Bors and the only knight to survive the Quest for the Grail and then return to King Arthur’s court. When Sir Lancelot is banished from court by the Queen Sir Bors offers to fight for her honour but Sir Lancelot reappears in the nick of time to undertake the task.
Related articles include: “King Arthur & the Holy Grail”, “Merlin the Magician”, and “The Sword in the Stone”.