Lancelot of the Lake was the most
famous knight of the Round Table. A major part of his fame was that he became
the lover of Queen Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. However his many
adventures as a knight of the Round Table were famous throughout the history of
King Arthur.
Lancelot was the son of King
Ban of Banoic and Helen or Elaine, his mother was usually referred to
Elaine of Banoic. According to the Grail legend Lancelot was the
descendant of the noble line of King David of Israel. The first time, Lancelot became the lover
of Guinevere was when Lancelot had to rescue Guinevere from her abductor
named Meleagant.
Though he played a prominent part
in the Quest of the Holy Grail, he failed to win the Grail, because of his
love for Guinevere, Arthur's wife. Adultery was considered a mortal sin. The
knight was required the knight to be free of sins, and either chaste or a
virgin.
His father, King Ban, had
died of grief when he lost his kingdom to Claudas, king of the Waste Land. Lancelot's
mother, became a nun, when her infant son Lancelot vanished with the Lady of
the Lake.
The Lady of the Lake, who
was a fay or faerie from the Otherworld, brought up Lancelot. The hero stayed
with the Lady of the Lake until he was old enough to become a knight.
Lancelot helped Arthur to defeat Claudas. Arthur
gave Gaul to Lancelot, including the kingdoms of Banoic and Gaunes, that
Claudas had acquired. When the friendship ended between him and the Arthur and
Gawain, Lancelot gave the kingdoms of Banoic and Gaunes to his cousins, Bors
and Lionel, while he gave the kingdom of Gaul to Arthur.
Lancelot’s early adventure after
being knighted, was when became lord of Dolorous Guard, which he had conquered.
Dolorous Guard was renamed to Joyous Guard, after he lifted the curse and
enchantment from the castle.
Elaine, the daughter of King
Pelles of Listenois, the Fisher King, tricked Lancelot into sleeping with her.
Lancelot thought he was sleeping with Guinevere. This resulted in the birth
of Galahad, the future hero of the Grail quest.
At this stage, Lancelot became
the greatest knight in the world. However, during the search for the Holy
Grail, Lancelot failed, due to his adulterous love for Guinevere, the queen and
wife of Arthur. It was his son Galahad who completed the quest for the grail.
His affair with Guinevere became
one of the most popular romances in Arthurian literature. After the Grail quest,
their love caused the destruction of Arthur's kingdom and the dissolution of
the fellowship of the Round Table.
Their adultery, it
resulted in the death of Gawain's three brothers, where Lancelot earned
Gawain's hatred. Two disastrous battles, between Arthur and Lancelot, Gawain
became mortally wounded by his former friend Lancelot. Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son and
half-brother of Gawain, to committed treason; Mordred had crowned himself king
of Logres and was attepting to force Guinevere to become his wife.
When news reached Lancelot of
Arthur's death in battle, Lancelot became a monk. When he died, he was buried
at Joyous Guard.
More than any other knights, Lancelot
preferred to win in his adventures, through various disguises. He was known as
the White Knight, the Black Knight and the Red Knight. He used these disguises by changing his armor;
allowing him to go from one adventure to another, without anyone recognizing
him. In the Quest of the Holy Grail Merlin had foretold Lancelot's son,
Galahad, would surpass his father,
Though, Arthur and Round Table
gained fame and prestige through the adventures of Lancelot, Lancelot did in
the name of love. Lancelot's great feat of arms was all done for Guinevere.
These early adventures before the quest of Grail, earned him the reputation of
the greatest knight in the world.
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