Lancelot The Fable

Lancelot The Fable

Copyright all rights reserved to Monica Pereira 2013

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Everyone knows the tale of Lancelot - he was king Arthur’s famous knight who had risen from poor upbringing. However who was he really? What was his beginning? Let us investigate this poor boy who grew into the world most famous knight a little closer.

Lancelot had a forgotten past. He was once an unknown, however some suggested that he was Welsh. However scholars today have declared that he was a folk tale which had been expanded to make the Arthurian legend a great tale of excitement.

According to tale Lancelot appeared as a hero on three separate days, and at every appearance he showed up in a different disguise. He then rescued a princess and a queen, as a result he was sent to an other-world prison. He had stark black hair, tanned skin, and was considered very handsome.

The tale was then expanded to include Lancelot as a hero and a rebel in the story of King Arthur. He played the destructor - without him Arthur's heart would have never been broken. Like the snake in the garden of Eden Lancelot appeared and coaxed Guinevere away from her husband King Arthur to share a great romance. Was Lancelot the embodiment of the Devil? Most agree that he did not fall from heaven or resemble God (i.e. he was not the Devil from Heaven) - but he was like a snake, and he slithered into the tale and took the good of Camelot away in one swift motion.

Let us now investigate the more popular tale of Lancelot.

Lancelot was created by Galahad who was the son of 'King Ban of Benwick', and his mother was Elaine. His father was driven from his throne when Lancelot was only an infant, as a result his father abandoned Britain and carried his family on a journey. As Elaine tended to her husband the Lady Of The Lake, (who was a water nymph), stole Lancelot from his family. The Lady Of The Lake then brought Lancelot up in her magical kingdom, and there Lancelot was given a new surname 'Du Lac' which meant 'of the lake'.

Lancelot's double-cousins Lionel and Bors were taken by a knight and then later spirited away to the Lady of the Lake. They became Lancelot's first friends. During this time Lancelot's mother Elaine stayed in a nunnery with her sister and she saw Lancelot with his cousins in the Lady Of The Lake's garden. Elaine grew very happy that her son was alive, however her sister died soon-after.

The Lady Of The Lake had a vision of Lancelot's life, and when Lancelot grew up she sent him straight to King Arthur’s court. Lancelot fast fell in love with King Arthur’s wife Queen Guinevere, and he showed her dire respect.

Lancelot's first adventure was made of love and passion as he rescued lovely Queen Guinevere from the evil Meleagant who was King Arthur’s great enemy who wished to destroy his golden kingdom. He was given much respect when he returned Queen Guinevere to the castle - however strange enough Lancelot was also soon to have been declared an abductor, and he abducted women whose husbands had to rush to the rescue their wives lest Lancelot made them a new home.

Lancelot met with Dolorous Guard as he came across a castle that was guarded by a Copper Knight. Lancelot battled ten knights, a second lot of ten knights, and then he would have battled the Copper Knight but the Copper Knight had run away! Lancelot was grabbed by the village people and taken to a cemetery where there was a slab of metal. They told Lancelot that only a knight could lift the metal to discover their name. So Lancelot lifted the metal and discovered his name 'Lancelot' (in this tale he had been known as the 'White Knight' before he found his name).

Next Lancelot became friends with King Arthur’s enemy Galehaut. Lancelot coaxed Galehaut to surrender to King Arthur, and he did. As a result Arthur gave Lancelot a seat at the Round Table. Galehaut came up with an idea to ruin the joyous occasion, and he approached Guinevere whose affection and honour had revolved around King Arthur. Galehaut told Guinevere to return Lancelot's affection while the occasion was filled with merry, and she did.

Lancelot then met with Claudas, (who was the king who dethroned his father). Lancelot fought and won back his father's kingdom, and he grew proud. However Lancelot did not stay in the foreign city - he returned to Camelot to unite with his family, which included his cousins Sir Bors and Sir Lionel, and his half-brother Ector de Maris.

When Lancelot became a full fledged knight he caught the attention of women. Elaine fell in love with him and she made him think that she was Queen Guinevere. Lancelot slept with Elaine who grew pregnant soon after. Elaine then gave birth to a son who she named Galahad. Guinevere was furious, and she told Lancelot that he would no longer see her. Lancelot’s heart broke over this, and he left Camelot to wander through the wild wilderness. Elaine later found Lancelot as he lived in solitary madness and she showed him the Holy Grail through a veil. Lancelot was cured of his madness and he was then returned to Camelot.

Back at home Lancelot was told to go on a Grail quest with Percival and Galahad. However Lancelot was not allowed near the Grail as he was corrupt. This made him a little upset as his son Galahad was allowed a drink from the Grail - however Lancelot knew he was an adulterer and so he settled himself with only a glimpse of the Grail.

Lancelot's affair with Guinevere ensued and Camelot fell. Mordred (King Arthur’s Son) killed King Arthur and the end of the kingdom was announced. Lancelot travelled and after a while he came to a church where he found Guinevere who had become a nun. Lancelot begged Guinevere to kiss him, and she told him to leave and never to see her again.

Lancelot retired into hermitage and he lived life without love - however he didn't live alone he lived with eight of his kin as well. Lancelot did not settle into retire - he became a priest and later he actually spoke the last rights over Queen Guinevere's coffin. Lancelot then buried Queen Guinevere beside her dead King Arthur who had already been buried. 

Lancelot died six weeks after Queen Guinevere and he was buried at the Joyous Gard. His eight kin returned to France where they looked after their lands and other affairs. They then journeyed to the Holy Land to battle against the Turks, and that was where they died on Good Friday.