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King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Stephen Colbourn
The stories of King Arthur are more than a thousand years old. They are stories; they are not history. But, history records the name of a war leader Artorius who lived around the year 500 AD. Perhaps the name 'Artorius' became 'Arthur' in the stories of King Arthur.
The Romans ruled Britain between 43 AD and 410 AD. Then, after the Romans left, there was no longer one government in the country. For centuries, there were many small kingdoms in Britain. The
rulers of these kingdoms were warriors^1 or war leaders. These British leaders fought invaders^2 who came from the countries across the North Sea and the first stories of King Arthur date from about this time. But the most famous stories came from a later period.
The Roman Empire^3 became weak after the year 400 AD. During the next century, many different people moved across Europe from east to west. People from northern Germany and Scandinavia, invaded Britain and drove the British people into the western and northern lands of Britain. These Anglo-Saxon invaders named the country Angleland, or England. Many years later, they became the English people and their language became English.
For two hundred years after this, Vikings from Scandinavia attacked^4 the coast of Britain. They also invaded France and mixed with Celts and Bretons. In France, the Vikings were called Normans - north men. Soon, these people no longer spoke German or Scandinavian. They spoke French and in 1066 AD, the Normans invaded Britain.
Over a century later, French poets and storytellers told the stories of King Arthur. They told the stories in the French language. Then, in the 14th century, poets and storytellers
began to tell the stories in English. In these stories, a young man called Arthur became King of
Britain. Arthur called the best warriors to his court^5 at Castle Camelot. The warriors, or knights, sat at a round table in the hall of the castle.
A magician^6 named Merlin helped Arthur to rule the land. These stories are about the Knights of the Round Table and their adventures. The stories describe how a good knight must behave. A good
knight was chivalrous^7 and polite. He was a warrior and a powerful member of society. A knight
supported his king and fought for honour, truth and justice^8. He also went on quests^9. He might have to kill an enemy or a dragon. Perhaps he had to save a young woman. Or he might have to find something that was holy or valuable. When he had done these things, his quest was completed.
Stories about Arthur have been retold many times. They are the subject of books, plays, films, operas and poems. In The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Gandalf the Wizard is based on Merlin the Magician. In the Star Wars films, the Jedi Knights are based on the Knights of the Round Table.
The most important story about King Arthur is The Quest for the Holy Grail. The Grail was the cup which was used at the Last Supper in Jerusalem, before the prophet Jesus died. The modem novel, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, is also about the Holy Grail.
The Coming of Arthur
Merlin the Magician and King Uther Pendragon
It was a time of war in Britain. There was much fighting and killing. There were many small kingdoms in Britain and each kingdom had its own king. But no king was strong enough to rule all the land. There was no peace in Britain and the people suffered.
Merlin the Magician spoke to the people. 'One king will come,' he said. 'All the land will become one kingdom. And one king will rule in one land. There will be peace at last.'
But who was this king? Perhaps it was Uther Pendragon, the King of Winchester. Uther was a strong king with a large army. He ruled most of southern Britain. Only the land of Cornwall, to the far west, had a king as powerful as Uther. The King of Cornwall was named Gorlo'is.
King Uther spoke to Merlin the Magician. 'I will go to Cornwall,' said Uther. 'I will make peace with King Gorlo'is. I will marry one of his daughters and we will have a son. Then our son will be King of all Britain.'
Merlin was silent. He looked at King Uther. Uther was short but he had a strong body. His hair and
eyes were as black as the feathers of a raven^10. Uther spoke loudly and roughly. Men were afraid of him because he was always angry. Uther rode a great warhorse and he carried a heavy sword. He
could kill a man with one blow^11 of his sword.
Merlin was the opposite of Uther. Merlin was tall, but he was not strong. He did not carry a sword.
Merlin's hair was as white as the feathers of a swan^12 , but he was not an old man.
No one knew where Merlin came from. Some men said that Merlin came out of the west, from across the sea.
Merlin spoke quietly and said few words. But everyone listened to him when he spoke, because Merlin was wise and clever.
'Tell me, magician,' said Uther. 'Can you look into the future? Can you tell me - will my son be King of all Britain?'
Merlin was silent. His eyes were the colour of the clear blue sky. He did not look at the king; he looked far away. And there was sadness in Merlin's eyes when he spoke.
'Yes, Sire^13 ,' said the magician softly. 'Your son will be King of all Britain. But the unmarried daughter of King Gorlo b is very young. She is only a child.'
'I will protect^14 you,' said Merlin. 'I will use magic. I will cast a spell^15 and I will change you. For one night, I will give you the face and body of Gorloi's. But you must do one thing for me.'
'What do you want?' asked Uther Pendragon.
Uther Pentagon's promise to Merlin
'Igrayne will have a child,' said Merlin. 'You will give that child to me.'
'Yes,' said Uther. 'I will give you the child.'
So Uther gave orders to his men: 'Move away from the castle. Move back to the woods.'
The men walked away to the east, back towards Winchester. But they did not go far. Before night came, Uther's men stopped. They waited in the woods.
But Uther did not go with his men. He and Merlin hid in a circle of tall stones and waited. The king and the magician watched the gates of the castle. At last, the gates opened. King Gorloi's came out with his men and they followed Uther's army.
Merlin spoke words of magic. He cast a spell. Slowly, the shape of Uther's face and body changed until he looked like an old, grey-haired man. Uther had become Gorlo is!
Uther rode his horse to the gates ofTintagel Castle. 'Open the gates!' he ordered the guards. 'I will go to the Queen.'
Uther Pendragon went to the bedchamber of Queen Igrayne. And that night, there was a great storm. The wind blew from the sea and lightning lit the black walls of the castle. The sound of thunder was loud, but the sounds of battle were louder. The armies of Uther and Gorloi's were fighting with swords and axes. Igrayne cried out as she slept.
In the morning, Uther was gone. Igrayne went to the eastern walls of the castle and saw her husband's army returning. But King Uther's men were behind the army of Gorlo i's and they were carrying her husband's body on a shield. King Gorlois was dead. He had been killed in the battle and his body
was covered in blood from many wounds^16.
Then Uther entered Tintagel Castle as himself and Igrayne became his wife.
The birth of Arthur
Uther stayed at Tintagel until the middle of the next year. On Midsummer's Day, Igrayne gave birth^17 to a son. But she did not give her son a name.
That night, Merlin came to the castle. Uther and Igrayne were holding their newborn son. Igrayne's daughter, Morgana, was with them.
Merlin did not speak to Uther and Igrayne. He took the baby boy and looked at him. 'I name you, Arthur,' he said.
'Give me my son!' Igrayne cried. But Uther remembered his promise and did not stop the magician. Merlin took the boy and went away.
Igrayne wept all night and all day. Slowly her sadness and pain made her go mad. She ran to the western walls of the castle and threw herself into the sea.
Morgana Le Fey and the death of Uther
Uther and his men left the castle. He took Igrayne's daughter, Morgana, with him. When he reached the
town of Glastonbury he found a nunnery^18 with high walls. There, holy women — or nuns — lived and never went outside.
'Morgana will be a nun,' Uther said. 'She will stay inside the nunnery walls. No man shall see her face again.'
Then Uther returned to Winchester. He was now king in the south of Britain. There was peace in the land for a time, but Uther had many enemies.
One enemy, who lived in the north, sent a servant to work in the king's kitchen at Winchester. The servant put poison into King Uther's wine. Uther drank the wine and died at the table in the great hall of his castle.
Merlin promises a New King
For fifteen summers and winters, there was no king in the south and the people suffered because there was no order in the land. Then, one night, Merlin came secretly to Winchester. He went to Winchester
Cathedral - the great church in the town - and spoke to the archbishop^19.
'Tell all the people to come to the cathedral on Sunday,' he said.
On Sunday, the knights and the people ofWinchester came to the cathedral. They prayed for peace and a good king. And while they were praying, they heard a sound like music outside the cathedral.
The people went outside. In the field by the church, they saw a large stone. The stone was half as big as a man. A bright, metal sword was standing in the stone. The people could see only the handle of the sword.
The archbishop looked at the stone and the sword. Words were written on the stone in gold letters:
THE MAN WHO PULLS THIS SWORD FROM THE STONE IS THE TRUE KING OF ATI. BRITAIN.
knights knew too. They all gathered around Kay and Arthur.
'Who gave you this sword?' asked a knight. 'What are you doing with it?'
'Arthur, this sword does not belong to you,' said Sir Ector. 'Put the sword back in the stone. The sword belongs to the true king.'
All the knights watched as Arthur put the sword back into the stone.
'Kay,' said Sir Ector. 'Draw the sword from the stone.'
So Kay put this hand around the handle of the sword and pulled. But the sword did not move. Then all the other knights tried to pull the sword out of the stone. Many strong men tried to take the sword, but it still did not move.
'Arthur,' said Sir Ector, 'draw the sword from the stone.'
Arthur put his hand on the sword and drew the sword from the stone easily. Then he raised the sword above his head and the metal flashed brightly in the sunlight. Everyone could see that Arthur held the sword.
Sir Ector got offhis horse. He drew his own sword from its sheath and knelt down on the ground. He lowered his head and held the handle of his sword towards Arthur.
'Arthur,' said Ector. 'You are the true king of all the land and I am your servant.'
Arthur was astonished^20. 'Father, put your sword away,' he said. He touched the hilt of Sir Ector's sword. Ector kissed the sword and put it back in its sheath.
'Arthur,' said Ector, 'You are the true king of all the land and I am your servant.'
'Arthur, Sire. You must know the truth,' said Sir Ector. 'I am not your father. Merlin the Magician brought you to me more than fifteen summers ago when you were only a few days old. "Take this child into your home," Merlin told me. "The boy's name is Arthur. Take care of him. Arthur and Kay will be brothers.'"
Arthur is crowned King
When they heard these words, everyone knelt down. Arthur was astonished and could not speak. Then the archbishop led Arthur to the cathedral. The archbishop took the sword and laid it on the altar. Then Arthur knelt in front of the altar and prayed.
For a day and a night, Arthur prayed in the great church. He asked God to help him. He wanted to be a good and just king.
Three months passed. At the beginning of spring, Arthur was crowned king in Winchester Cathedral. When the archbishop put the crown on Arthur's head, all the people shouted, 'LONG LIVE THE
KING!'
Excalibur
A new sword
Merlin the Magician came to Arthur. 'Sire, you will fight many battles,' he said. 'You will need a new sword.'
'But I have a sword,' Arthur replied.
'The sword that came from the stone is not for fighting,' said Merlin. 'Thatswordis asign^21 thatyou are king. Itisthe Sword of Right. Now you need a sword for battle. Your new sword will be the Sword of Might. It will be a powerful, fighting sword. You must not use this sword because you are angry. You must use it to do good. You must defend the weak against the strong. You must fight against evil and defend your land.
A journey to the west
Merlin took Arthur to the lands in the west. They travelled for many days. They went through great forests and passed the dark castle at Tintagel where Arthur was bom. They rode onto high, bare hills and came near to the sea.
From the top of these hills, Arthur saw a valley and a lake. In the far west, past the lake, he saw a plain of sand. Beyond the plain of sand, he saw the sea. And, on the horizon, he could see a group of islands.
Arthur and Merlin rode down the hills and into the valley until they came to the edge of the lake. There, they stood together and looked at the water. Clouds moved across the sky and the colour of the water changed from blue to green to grey. As the sun went lower in the sky, a soft, white mist came across the water. And then a boat came out of the mist.
The boat was empty, and it had no sails or oars. There was no wind, but the boat moved slowly across the water until it stopped at Arthur's feet. Then Arthur stepped inside. The boat began to move towards the middle of the lake.
The Lady of the Lake
A hand and arm rose out of the water. The arm was covered in fine white cloth. The hand held a great sword. Arthur reached out and took the sword in his own hand. As he held the sword, a voice whispered the name, 'EXCALIBUR!' Then the arm disappeared under the water.
Arthur looked at the sword. It was made of fine steel and there was writing on the blade. The words, TAKE ME UP, were written on one side of the blade. On the other side of the blade, were the words: CAST ME AWAY.
the Knights of the Round Table.
Queen Guinevere
The most famous Knights
Many knights joined King Arthur at Camelot. Three of those knights - Sir Bedivere, Sir Lancelot du Lac and Sir Gawain - would always be remembered.
Sir Bedivere was the first and most faithful knight. Sir Lancelot du Lac was the bravest, the strongest and the most handsome knight. And Sir Gawain was often called the Greatest Knight because Gawain
was polite and chivalrous and he did great deeds^23.
As time passed, more knights came to Camelot. They, too, did many great and good deeds. All the knights sat in special seats at the Round Table. The seats were also called 'sieges'. Each knight's name was written on their siege in letters of gold. But one seat at the table was always empty. There was no name written on it.
The Siege Perilous
'The empty seat is called the Siege Perilous,' said Merlin. 'Only one man may sit in this place. The man will be pure - a man who has never done any evil deed. I do not know his name, but the man will come to Camelot one day. Meanwhile, no other man may sit on the Siege Perilous. If they do, they will die. Then great trouble will come to Logres.'
Leodogran - the King of Cameliard
The Knights of the Round Table travelled through all the land. There were no battles to fight now, but they fought
other enemies - robbers, ogres^24 , and evil magicians. Arthur's knights guarded and supported their king. They also protected the poor and weak.
During this time, Arthur rode west with Sir Gawain and Merlin until they came to the land of Cameliard. The King of Cameliard was called Leodogran.
Arthur, Merlin and Gawain stopped at King Leodogran's castle. Leodogran welcomed them and took them into his hall.
'You are welcome,' he said. 'Please eat, drink and rest in my castle.'
King Leodogran was a tall man. He had a handsome and honest face and he smiled often. His daughter came into the hall and she smiled at the guests.
'This is my daughter, Guinevere,' said King Leodogran. Guinevere was tall, and her face was very beautiful. Her hair was the colour of gold. Men said that she was the fairest and most lovely woman
in the land. She came into the hall and sat on the left side of her father.
As soon as Arthur saw Guinevere, he looked at no one else. But Arthur did not behave like Uther Pendragon, his father. When Guinevere lowered her eyes, Arthur lowered his eyes too. King Leodogran looked at them both and smiled.
Arthur spoke quietly to Merlin. 'I want to marry,' he said. 'The Kingdom of Logres must have both a
king and a queen. And the kingdom must have an heir^25. I must have a son who will be king after me. I choose Guinevere to be my Queen.'
Merlin looks into the future
Merlin looked at Arthur. The young king was tall and strong and his hair was the colour of gold. Arthur had a handsome face and clear eyes. When people looked at him, they thought of a lion. The king's voice was soft and when he spoke, men
listened. Men loved Arthur because he was polite and honest and wise. They respected him because he was a great warrior and had won many battles. Arthur had brought peace to Logres.
'Merlin,' said Arthur. 'Can you look into the future? Use your magic and answer this question. Will my marriage to Guinevere bring peace and plenty to the Land of Logres?'
Merlin did not reply immediately. He looked far away towards the sea. His eyes were pale blue — the colour of the summer sky. Suddenly the colour of his eyes changed. They became dark grey - the colour of the sky during a storm.
There was sadness in Merlin's voice when he spoke. He said quietly: 'Yes, Arthur, the Land of Logres will know peace and plenty for a time. But all things must pass and all men must pass with them. Your kingdom will live in memory. Your story will last as long as men tell stories. But you shall pass away and I shall pass away and your kingdom shall pass away.'
'This is the way of the world,' said Arthur. 'I shall marry Guinevere and I shall love her and keep her. And I shall care for the land as long as I live.'
'Now I must tell you that I have looked into the future for the last time,' said Merlin. 'My powers are growing weak. My own future is dark, and, soon, I will pass away into the darkness. You will have to rule without my help. You are King Arthur and your queen shall be Guinevere. Rule the Land of Logres with justice. Make it a peaceful place.'
Arthur asks Guinevere to be his wife
Arthur went and spoke to King Leodogran. 'I wish to marry your daughter,' he said.
Leodogran looked at his daughter, Guinevere, and she smiled. 'I am happy,' said Leodogran. 'You are a great king. It will be a good marriage. And I see that my daughter is happy too.'
Arthur and Merlin rode their horses forward. Gawain took the dead knight's horse.
'Who are you waiting for?' Arthur asked the lady.
Lady Nimue smiled and said nothing. She looked at Merlin, and Merlin looked at Nimue.
They said nothing, but Nimue and Merlin spoke to each other without words. Nimue was like Merlin.
She had magical powers. She was a sorceress^27.
Merlin and Nimue
Glastonbury and Morgana Le Fey
Arhur and Gawain rode along a narrow road across the watery land. Merlin followed them, carrying Nimue on his horse. Merlin and Nimue were always together. They used magic to speak together without words. Merlin was in love with Nimue and he told her many secrets.
The group came to the town of Glastonbury which stands on an island in that watery land. A high hill rose behind the town and on that hill stood a small chapel. Next to it, there stood a nunnery with high walls.
Merlin and Nimue climbed the hill. At the top they met a woman who was wearing the black clothes of a nun. Her head was covered so that no man could see her face. The woman seemed to be waiting for them.
'This lady is Morgana,' saidNimue to Merlin. 'I have leamt magic from you. Now, Morgana will learn from you too.'
Merlin's magical powers were becoming weaker. He did not know it, but Nimue was controlling the magician's mind. Merlin did not look at Morgana, because he only thought about Nimue. He did not see that the nun was Morgana Le Fey - the daughter of Gorlo'is and Igrayne of Cornwall. And Merlin
did not remember that Morgana was Arthur's half-sister^28.
And so the two sorceresses - Nimue and Morgana - leamt Merlin's secrets. They took more and more of the magician's power and Merlin gradually became old and weak.
The Holy Grail
Arthur and Gawain left the nunnery and went to Glastonbury Abbey^29. Inside the abbey, there was a well of holy water. The abbess - the woman in charge of the nunnery - showed the holy well to Arthur and Gawain.
'Joseph of Arimathea^30 brought the Holy Grail to this land,' said the abbess. 'He put the Grail into this
well. The water from this well can heal^31 the sick. The Grail, itself, can heal the land. It can stop troubles and bring peace. But the Grail was taken from us. It is not lost; it is hidden somewhere.
Only the purest knight can find the Grail. He will find the Grail when there is great danger in the land.'
Merlin speaks to Arthur for the last time
Arthur, Gawain and Merlin rode back towards Camelot with Nimue and Morgana Le Fey. Merlin spoke to Arthur.
'Sire, I shall not return to Camelot,' said the magician. 'I am going away with Nimue and Morgana. You are king, and Guinevere is queen. You must rule without my help.'
Arthur was troubled by Merlin's words. 'Shall I never see you again?' Arthur asked.
'You will never see me in this life again,' answered Merlin. 'But we shall both return, one day. Remember, you are the Once and Future King. Now, goodbye. I shall see your wedding, and then I shall leave.'
Merlin's words made Arthur sad. But as he rode on to Camelot with Gawain, he did not think deeply about their meaning.
Lancelot becomes Champion of Camelot
Shortly before the holy week of Easter, Arthur sent for Sir Lancelot. Sir Lancelot was the strongest and most handsome of the knights of the round table. He always wore shining armour.
'Lancelot,' Arthur said. 'You are my bravest knight. I now make you my Champion Knight. You will guard and defend everything that I love. Ride to Caerleon Castle. My bride, Guinevere of Cameliard, is waiting there. Bring Guinevere to Camelot. She and I will be married at Whitsun. Then Guinevere will be crowned Queen.'
Lancelot smiled and bowed towards the king. 'Yes, Sire,' he said. Then he got onto his great warhorse, which was dressed in red and white cloth, and he rode away.
Lancelot meets Guinevere
Lancelot's journey to Caerleon took many days. At last he came to the castle where Guinevere was waiting.
When he met Guinevere, he saw that she was the fairest woman in the land. And Guinevere saw that Lancelot was the fairest man.
Lancelot and Guinevere rode to Camelot together, talking and laughing. Behind them rode twenty of Leodogran's finest knights. Each knight wore fine armour and fine clothes.
It was the month of May and white flowers fell from the trees onto the road. The travellers stopped and rested at a chapel where many flowers grew. Lancelot took a red rose and put it in his hair.
'Yes, yes,' said Merlin. But he did not see who spoke to him, or what was near him. He did not see the trees of the great forest around him. He did not see how they had come to a secret place in the forest where a circle of tall stones stood around a low hill. On the top of the hill, there was a great oak tree. Nimue and Morgana led Merlin to the tree. Then, a doorway opened in the trunk of the tree. A light was burning inside.
'Step inside the tree, Merlin,' said Nimue. 'Here you will find rest. You are old and tired. Soon you will feel young again. Here you may sleep through many centuries and dream of the world outside. Rest here - until the day when you shall wake and return to the land again.'
Merlin stepped into the oak tree and the door closed behind him. There, inside the oak, he slept and dreamed of the world outside.
'No man shall see his face again,' said Morgana to Nimue.
From that day, no one saw Merlin the Magician again. But the people often spoke his name and told their children stories about him.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Christmas court
It was a time of peace in the Kingdom of Logres. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere ruled wisely and
well. Many good and noble^33 knights visited Camelot and the Round Table. Many stories were told of famous knights there — of Lancelot, Gawain, Tristram, Percivale and Galahad. And their stories are still told today.
Every year, on Christmas Day, King Arthur gathered the knights at his court in Camelot. Everyone celebrated for twelve days. There was a great feast. Everyone ate good food and drank wine. They danced and listened to stories.
Then, one year, on the twelfth day of Christmas, a strange knight rode into the court. He was the strangest knight that anyone had seen. He was tall and broad, like the trunk of a tree. His great warhorse had fierce, red eyes. The knight was not wearing armour, but he and his horse were both dressed in green cloth.
Even more strangely, both the knight and his horse were green. The skin of the horse was green and the skin of the knight was green. The knight's hair and beard were green too. The Green Knight did not carry a sword. He held a huge green and gold axe in his right hand.
The knight rode his horse through the gates of Camelot Castle. He rode into the great hall and stopped in front of the Round Table. Here, the best knights sat in the most important seats. Only one seat still remained empty at the table. This was the Siege Perilous.
The Green Knight looked around the hall. 'Where is the
king of this land?' he asked in a loud voice. 'I will speak with the king and no other man.'
The guests at the feast were astonished. No one had ever seen such a knight. He was the colour of new grass and leaves in spring. And he had ridden his horse into the hall!
'Sir knight, you are welcome,' said Arthur. 'Will you join
us at the feast?^1
'I do not come to eat and drink,' said the Green Knight. 'I come to see the brave and famous knights at your court.'
'Sir, there are many good knights here,' said Arthur. 'And many of them are ready to fight and to joust.'
The Green Knight challenges^34 the knights ofCamelot
'I come from my castle in the north,' said the Green Knight. 'I make this challenge. Who will strike me with my own axe? Is any knight brave enough?'
He held the heavy green axe above his head. The knights of Camelot looked at it and were silent.
'Come, any man,' said the Green Knight. Take my axe. You may strike the first blow. You may cut off my head. I will strike the second blow. That is my only request.'
No one spoke. The Green Knight laughed. 'Are there no brave knights here? Do you all fear me? I speak truthfully. You may strike the first blow and I shall strike the second.'
'If no man will take your challenge,' said Arthur, 'I shall strike the blow myself. But you do not bring honour to my court. Your challenge is not honourable. Go in peace and do not return. This is a feast day, not a day ofbattle.'
Sir Gawain takes the challenge
The Green Knight laughed again. 'You fear that you cannot kill me with one blow from my axe,' he shouted. 'You fear that I will kill you. Is this what you brave men of Camelot think?'
Then Gawain stood up. 'I am Gawain, son of King Lot,' he said. 'I will strike you with your axe. I will cut off your head.'
'Do it,' said the Green Knight. 'Then, after this day, twelve months and one day will pass. At that time, you shall come to my castle in the north. There I shall strike you with my axe and I will cut off your
head. This will he our bargain^35 .'
'Give me the axe,' said Gawain. 'I accept your bargain. But I will strike only once and you will never strike your own stroke. Go in peace, or you will die today.'
On the other side of the valley, there was a castle on a hill. Gawain went into the valley and rode through the stream. Then he went up to the castle and knocked on the gate.
'I am Gawain, from the court of King Arthur!' he shouted. 'I am seeking the Green Chapel.'
A servant opened the castle gate. 'My lord says that you are welcome,' said the man. 'Please come into the castle and rest.'
Gawain went into the castle. The servant took his horse to the stables. Then he led Gawain into the castle hall.
The lord of the castle was a tall man who had a thin, pale face. 'Welcome, Sir Gawain,' said the lord. 'It is Christmas - a time of peace and celebration. Will you stay with us and rest?'
Gawain sat by the warm fire. 'I thank you, sir,' he said. Then he ate the good food that the lord of the castle gave him.
'I seek the Green Chapel and the Green Knight,' said Gawain, when he had finished eating.
'The Green Chapel is near here,' replied the lord. You will find it at the end of this valley. But the Green Knight is a cruel man. Do not seek him. He will kill you.'
'I have made a bargain with the Green Knight,' replied Gawain. 'And I must keep this promise. I am a Knight of the Round Table. I cannot break my promise.'
'Very well,' said the lord of the castle. 'Rest here and you will find the Green Chapel tomorrow.'
The lady of the castle gives Gawain a green ribbon
The lady of the castle took Gawain to a bedchamber. The room was warm and the bed was soft. The lady brought hot wine to Gawain and smiled. She spoke softly and laughed easily. Gawain saw that she was very beautiful.
'You are ahandsome knight,' said the lady. 'It is a cold night. Would you like a maiden^36 of the castle to visit you?'
'No, lady,' said Gawain. 'I thank you for the food and the fire. But I am on a quest. I will not bring honour to you or your lord if I spend time with your maidens.'
You are a good and honorable knight,' said the lady. 'I have a gift for you. It is a small thing - a piece
of green ribbon^37. The ribbon will protect you. You must wear it in your hair.'
So Gawain tied the green ribbon in his hair. Then he slept.
The Green Chapel
Early the next morning, Gawain rode out of the castle and rode along the valley until he saw the Green Chapel. Outside
the chapel sat the Green Knight. His head was back on his shoulders and his green face was angry.
The Green Knight was sharpening the blade of his axe.
You have come a long way, Sir Gawain,' said the Green Knight. 1 am surprised. You have made a long journey to die.'
'I am here because I made you a promise,' answered Sir Gawain. 'I am a Knight of the Round Table at Camelot and I do not break my promises.'
'Very well,' said the Green Knight. 'Then you must prepare to die.'
Sir Gawain watched and waited as the Green Knight came close and swung his axe. Gawain heard the sound of the blade as it went through the air. But Gawain's head did not fall from his neck. Something else fell to the ground. It was the green ribbon - the gift from the lady of the castle.
Sir Gawain keeps his promise
Suddenly the face of the Green Knight changed. His skin was no longer green. His hair and beard were no longer green. Instead he became a tall man with a pale, thin face. He was the lord of the castle where Gawain had rested. Then his lady came out of the Green Chapel and stood beside her lord. She smiled at Gawain.
'The green ribbon was a sign to my husband,' she said. 'It is a sign that you are a man of honour.'
'Sir Gawain, you have proved that you are a good and honorable knight,' said the lord of the castle. 'Now you must return to Camelot and tell this story. From this day forward, men will say: "Sir Gawain did not break his promise to the Green Knight.'"
The Chapel Perilous
Sir Lancelot seeks adventure
Sir Lancelot du Lac rode out of Camelot in search of adventure. He rode for many days until he found a forest full of tall trees that hid the sun. There were many paths through the trees, but Lancelot did not know which one to take.
Suddenly a white hunting dog came out of the trees. The dog put its nose to the ground and ran along one of the paths.
'Perhaps the dog will lead me to its master,' thought Lancelot. So Lancelot followed the dog along the path.
