Male Character Names

Agravain (Ag'-ri-vin): Gawain's youngest legitimate brother (elder to
Mordred, if Mordred was Morgause's son). He joined Mordred's camp in
exposing Lancelot and the Queen. Lancelot slew him in fleeing the
Queen's chamber

Balan/Balain (Ba'-lin): brother of Balin. The two slew one another
unknowingly while in disguise.

Balin (Bay'-lin): le Savauge, the Knight with Two Swords. Brother of
Balan. He slew the Lady of the Lake in the presence of Arthur, who
banished him for a time. He redeemed himself in the War of the Twelve
Rebels. He slew the villain Sir Garlon and was pursued through the
castle by Garlon's brother, King Pelles/Pellam. Balan accidentally
delivered the Dolorous Stroke by wounding the King in the thighs with
the Spear Hallow, causing the Waste Land. Later, Balin and his brother
Balan met in disguise and slew one another. Merlin entombed them
together and placed Balin's sword in a red stone, for Galahad to later
draw.

Bedivere/Bedwyr (Bed'-i-veer/Bed'-weer): Arthur's cup-bearer or
butler, close companion to the king and Kay. In the Welsh legends he
has one hand and is an excellent spearmen. He may once have held
Lancelot's role as the Queen's lover. Mallory has Bedivere cast
Excalibur into the lake after the Battle of Camlan.

Bors (Boarz): de Ganis. He is Lancelot's cousin and one of the best
Knights of the Round Table (KRT). With Galahad and Percival, he is one
of the Grail Winners. He dies in the battle to save the Queen from the fire.

Cai/Cei/Kai/Kay (Kay): Arthur's foster brother and earliest ally.
Arthur made him Seneschal of Britain. He is often depicted as humorless
and caustic, often as a foil to other knights. In Welsh, he has
supernatural attributes: he can breath for nine days and nights
underwater and can grow to giant proportions. Kay is important to
Gareth's story.

Dinaden (Din'-a-din): one of the only KRTs with a sense of humor. He
was a close companion to Tristain. In a tournament, he played pranks on
other knights. In the spirit of things, Lancelot wore a dress over his
armor in combat that day. When he overcame Dinaden, Lancelot carried
him off into a forest and dressed him as a woman. Dinaden was slain by
Mordred.

Galahaut/Galahalt/Galaholt (Gal'-i-hawt/Gal'-i-halt/ Gal'-i-holt):
the Haut Prince (the High or Haughty Prince). Originally an enemy of
Arthur, after his defeat at Lancelot's hands, he became a devoted
follower of that knight. At a false report of Lancelot's death,
Galahaut died of grief.

Gareth (Gair'-eth): Beaumains ("Pretty-Hands"). Gawain's younger (and
favorite) brother. In Mallory, he plays the role of Guinglain (le Bel
Inconnu). He was accidentally slain by Lancelot in rescuing the Queen
from the fire, causing enmity between him and Gawain.

Gawain/Gwalchmai (Gah'-win/Gwolch'-may). Eldest son of Morgause and
Lot of Orkney, he was Arthur's eldest nephew and heir. His strength
waxed until noon, then waned again toward sunset, marking him as a solar
hero. Two of his most famous adventures are the challenge of the Green
Knight and his marriage to Lady Ragnall.

Griflet (Grif'-let): one of the first, and youngest, knights made by
Arthur. He is also called Jaufre (see his very long Provencal romance, Jaufre'.

Guinglain (Gwing'-lin): le Bel Inconnu/le Beau Inconnu ("the Fair
Unknown"). Gawain's son by his wife Lady Ragnall (his only legitimate
offspring -- Gawain and Ragnall have been separated for years). Not
knowing his heritage and raised in ignorance of knighthood (similar to
Percival), he comes to Arthur's court and asks three favors: that he be
squired for a year, be knighted at the end of the year, and be awarded
the first adventure he requests. Arthur grants his request, putting Kay
in charge of his training. Kay puts him to work in the kitchens. At
the end of the year, he is knighted by Arthur. A maiden comes to court,
asking that a knight be sent to free her mistress. Guinglain begs and
receives the quest. Kay rebukes him, and Gawain is sent after to
observe how he fares. Guinglain defeats the sorcerer and frees the
mistress from enchantment. She turns out to be his mother, who reveals
his identity. He returns to court and is acclaimed not only as Gawain's
son, but also a great knight. Much later, he is accidentally slain by
Lancelot escaping the Queen's chamber.

Lamorack (Lam'-or-ick (or) Lam'-or-rack): de Galles. KRT who slew
King Lot of Lothian and Orkney, he became Morgause's lover. Gawain,
Gareth, and Agravain slay him to avenge their father.

Lancelot (Lan'-se-lot): du Lac. The greatest of Arthur's knights,
unbeaten by anyone but his son, Galahad. He was fostered by the Lady of
the Lake and prepared by her to support Arthur and the Round Table. His
tragic love for Queen Guenivere caused much despair at Camelot, and
because of this love he failed to achieve the Grail Quest. Though many
feel this character is personally responsible for the downfall of the
Round Table, many others wish to redeem both his character and his name
by calling themselves after him and achieving greatness in the Order.

Lavain (Lah'-vin): Brother of Elaine, the Fair Maid of Astalot. He
was knighted by Lancelot and became his most devoted follower, even
after his sister died of grief at being refused by Lancelot. He
followed Lancelot after the accusation of adultery, and returns to
Britain after Camlan. With Lancelot, he becomes a holy man for the
remainder of his days.

Mordred/Mordraut (More'-dread/More-drawt): Arthur's illegitimate
son, either by his half-sister Morgause or Morgana le Fay. Though we
know him today as the man who betrayed and slew Arthur at the Battle of
Camlan, there are a few who believe he was once a strong supporter of
the Round Table, and therefore take this name in hopes of redeeming this
tragic character.

Morgain/Morgan (More'-gin): Though Morgana le Fay is a female character, the
name Morgan is actually a man's name in Britain, both historically and
in contemporary times. Some men have recognized this and take these, our
masculine spellings.

Owain/Owein/Ywain/Yvain/Ivain (Oh'-win/Ee'-win/Eve'-vin): the
Knight with the Lion, he slew the Black Knight of the Fountain and
married his widow, becoming the new Guardian of the Fountain. He lost,
and later regained, her love. Befriended by a lion during his madness.
In the Afterlife, he plays a game of chess with Arthur. He is
associated with ravens, and is based upon an historical person.

Percival/Perlesvaus/Parzival/Peredur (Purr'-si'-vul/Purr'-le-vow/
Par'-si'-vul/Pair'-i-door): de Galles. The stories of Percival's career
are so varied it is almost impossible to give a clear history of it. He
is the original Grail Questor, and in many early stories he is the only
winner of the Grail. He was raised as a rustic by his mother.
Sheltered from the world of chivalry, he nonetheless becomes a Knight of
the Round Table (breaking his mother's heart).

Tristain/Tristan/Tristram/Durstan (Tris'-tin/Tris'-tim/Durs'-tin):
of Lyonesse. Nephew of King Mark who is best known for his love affair
with that king's wife, the Fair Isolde. When he was exiled to Brittany,
he married a woman known as Isolde of the White Hands. However, his
love for the Fair Isolde drew him back to Cornwall, where he was
murdered by an agent of Mark. The love affair of Tristain and Isolde is
often compared to that of Lancelot and Guenivere, which it pre-dates.


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