Griflet
Encyclopedia
Sir Griflet ˈɡrɪflɨt is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is called the son of Do or Don, and he is cousin to Sir Lucan
and Sir Bedivere
.
Griflet first appears as a squire and one of King Arthur
's earliest allies. When he is knighted he becomes one of the first Knights of the Round Table. He is one of Arthur's chief advisors throughout his career, and according the Lancelot-Grail
Cycle, he was one of the Battle of Camlann
's few survivors, and is the knight Arthur asked to return Excalibur
to the Lady of the Lake
. In Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur
, however, Griflet is one of the knights killed defending Guinevere
's execution when the queen is rescued by Lancelot
; Malory follows the Alliterative Morte Arthure
making Bedivere the knight who casts Excalibur into the lake.
Griflet is the hero of his own romance
, Jaufré
, the only surviving Arthurian romance written in Provençal.
Sir Lucan
Sir Lucan the Butler is a servant of King Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. The duties of a "butler" have changed over time; Lucan was supposed to have been in charge of the royal court, along with Bedivere the Marshal and Kay the Seneschal.Lucan is the son...
and Sir Bedivere
Bedivere
In Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He serves as King Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with Sir Kay...
.
Griflet first appears as a squire and one of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's earliest allies. When he is knighted he becomes one of the first Knights of the Round Table. He is one of Arthur's chief advisors throughout his career, and according the Lancelot-Grail
Lancelot-Grail
The Lancelot–Grail, also known as the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend written in French. It is a series of five prose volumes that tell the story of the quest for the Holy Grail and the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere...
Cycle, he was one of the Battle of Camlann
Battle of Camlann
The Battle of Camlann is best known as the final battle of King Arthur, where he either died in battle, or was fatally wounded fighting his enemy Mordred.-Historicity:...
's few survivors, and is the knight Arthur asked to return Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
to the Lady of the Lake
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
. In Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...
, however, Griflet is one of the knights killed defending Guinevere
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
's execution when the queen is rescued by Lancelot
Lancelot
Sir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
; Malory follows the Alliterative Morte Arthure
Alliterative Morte Arthure
The Alliterative Morte Arthure is a 4346-line Middle English alliterative poem, retelling the latter part of the legend of King Arthur. It is preserved in a single copy, in the early fifteenth-century Lincoln Thornton Manuscript.-History:...
making Bedivere the knight who casts Excalibur into the lake.
Griflet is the hero of his own romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
, Jaufré
Jaufré
Jaufre is the only surviving Arthurian romance written in Occitan. Its main character is equivalent to Sir Griflet, a Knight of the Round Table known from other literature...
, the only surviving Arthurian romance written in Provençal.