Arthurian Legend, part II

Hey There! your fella JC here again! this time with the expected part II of the Arthurian Legend blog series! Lets go straight to this fantastical characters! Guinevere Overview: High Queen of England/Queen of Camelot, spouse to King Arthur, famous for the love triangle between Arthut and Lancelot that indirectly cause the downfall of Arthur and the Kingdom. Legend: Has a very vary background and motif along earliest and later text and reinterpretations, going from a more villanous and traitoress character to a pure virtous and noble lady. Her family origin also vary, most commonly portraits her as daughter of King Leodegrance who served for Uther Pendragon, and gave the round table as a wedding gift, she also had a sister, knows as "False Guinevere" a evil step-sister that bewitched Arthur and usurped the throne for a while. Usually she did not had childrens, and her barrenness was a theme of some earlier texts, in some few version she had a son with Arthur named Loholt. Many of the stories involving her had the theme abduction and rescue, in wich Arthur rescue her, and in later texts more commonly Sir Lancelot rescue her, and some other round table knights, most notably Sir Gawain rescuing her a couple of times. Her adultery romantic relation with Sir Lancelot was added in the later french romantic literature, in general she is viewed in positive way by the other knights and kings, except for Morgan Le Fay who has a rivality/hate towards her, and she is sometimes directly or indirectly involved in the expose of Guinevere and Lancelot adultery relation, also commonly involving Morgan's nephew Mordred as witness along with some other round table knights. That revelation divided the kingdom, and Arthur ordered to burnt Guinevere at the stake, but Lancelot lead an army and saved her. This division of the kingdom, gave a good opportunity to Morgan and Mordred's schemes to usurp and dethrone Arthur, and his later death. Powers, skills and abilities: apparently nothing supernatural or out of the norm besides being a key figure in the arthurian cycle. Her step-sister has some supernatural witchy abilities, and in earlier welsh mythologic traditions, she came from a breed of giants or a noble fairy descendant. Althought most classic texts depics her as human, having the skills of a queen, charisma, diplomacy and political intellect, in some legends being her part of the reasons of Camelot's good wealth, rich and peace. Fate: Most extended version tell after the death of Arthur, she went to a cloister and spend the rest of her life as a nun, other versions she dies of grief after his wife death, almost in all version Lancelot came to a final visit and bury her next to Arthur's tomb. Sir Lancelot Overview: Also known as Lancelot of the lake, alongside Arthur, the most famous and tragic knight, depicted as the greatest swordman and jousting champion of the kingdom, his romance with Queen Guinevere will lead the tragic end of the Round Table Legend: In the Arthurian cycle, Lancelot is one of the posterior character added to the legend, despite of that he is one of the most relevance, specially in later french romance prose. His usual and most complete background depicted him as a orphan child, raised by The Lady of the Lake, his fathers where King Ban and Elaine of Benoic, monarchs of a french realm named Benoic, whose kingdom was attacked and defeated by King Claudas, dying King Ban and Elaine fleed carrying an infant Lancelot, wich a water fairy (Lady of the Lake) took to raise the child in her magical realm, in where times pass different, in three human-world years, Lancelot already was an almost grow up adult. Lady of the Lake introduces him to Arthur's court to be named knight, and he meets a young Queen Guinevere, both felt in love. Many of his adventures and quest, involves Guinevere, from rescue her from a evil knight, defend her in combat trial a plenty of times, a recurrent theme is also Lancelot being captured or trapped by a sorceress wich wants to advances sexually on him but he refuses, keeping faithful his love for Guinevere, with the only exception of the princess Elaine of Corbenic whom with the help of magic she tricks him making believe she was Guinivere, from this relation by deception, Elaine of Corbenic gaves birth to Galahad. Other recurrent theme is him getting mad for the despair of protecting Guinevere, rescue her, or receive false information of her missing. Usually the Lady of the Lake had to interfere to cure his madness in more than an ocassion. Powers, skills and abilities: the greatest swordmanship skills of the realm, alongside Arthur, he also possess magical items and weapons, his sword Arondight, forged by the Lady of the Lake magic, can match Excalibur, his other magical item is a ring, also forged by the Lady of the Lake, wich protects from enchantments and dispels illusions. Other notably feature is his endurance, he can battle for hours, famous his final duel with Sir Gawain. Fate: one of the few surviving knights after Arthur's death, similar to Guinevere final days, he also became a hermit monk. Maleagant Overview : A wicked and rebel knight of the Round Table, notorious for kidnap Queen Guinevere and then finally slain by Lancelot in a epic rescue. Legend : Son of the King Bagdemagus of the otherwordly realm of Gorre, he is a rebellious knight of the Round Table, he fell a unrequited love for Queen Guinevere, he orchastrated abduct her and trap her in Gorre realm, in wich Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain go on the mission to rescue the queen. Powers, skills and abilities : a formidable knight, but he cant match the skill and power of the most prominents knights of the round table. He also possess good tactical skills, skilled on trickery, deception and traps. The castle where he traps Guinevere, has some otherwordly features, being impenetrable with complex trapdoors. Fate : He result slain, in some version by Lancelot, in other versions he survives and continues his villany and ultimately slain by Gawain. The Red Knight Overview : A popular title or alias worn by different formidable antagonist and heroes, most notably Sir Ironside and a unnamed knight in a Sir Perceval story. Legend : -Sir ironside: a deadly and powerful warrior, of cruel and sadistic nature, who had siege a castle and trapped a princess, motivated to avenge a brother, he is defeated by Sir Gareth who wanted to rescue the princess, ultimately he is brought to Arthur's court and join the Round Table. -Unnamed Knight: he stole a cup from Arthur's court, in a defiant actitude, spills wine on Guinivenere dress, he is killed by a inexpert Perceval. In other tradition, a Red Knight challenges Arthur to a duel due some lands dispute, and is also killed by a young Perceval, this time by mistake, in both versions Perceval took the armor and use temporally the Red Knight moniker. Powers, skills and abilities : The red knight under Sir Ironside identity, is particulary strong, who strenght magically increases until noon, reaching the power of seven men. Fate : As previous mention, Sir Ironside's red knight end up joining Arthur Round Table, meanwhile the other red knight versions, mostly all end up slain in a duel or single combat by a round table knight. The Black Knight Overview : Similar to the Red Knight, the Black Knight is a frequently nickname or outfit for a evil antagonist, or a hero. Legend : Usually a magical guardian or guardian of a magical fountain or item. In some short period it was an alias for Sir Lancelot when he used a black color armor. Powers, skills and abilities : a very competent warrior, sometimes with supernatural qualities, specially the black knight that fought Sir Yvain. Fate : Usually defeated by a Round Table Knight. END !