Safir
Encyclopedia
Sir Safir is a Knight of the Round Table
and the youngest son of the Saracen
king Esclabor
in the Arthurian legend. Both his brothers, Segwarides
and Palamedes
, also belong to the Round Table. He is a courageous and loyal knight and was, in his time, a fairly popular character, showing up in the Prose Tristan
and Sir Thomas Malory
's Le Morte d'Arthur
. His name is included on the Winchester Round Table.
Safir appears in many works of Arthurian literature, usually alongside his brother Palamedes. In one incident, Safir is disguised as Sir Ector de Maris and fights with Sir Helior le Preuse. He defeats him and wins Sir Espinogres' lady. Vowing to defend the lady's honor, Sir Palamedes arrives on the scene, and locks sword with Safir, not realizing it is his brother. After fighting for an hour, both are impressed with each other's prowess and skill, and decide to ask the other's identity. Safir is devastated to find that he was fighting with his own brother and asks Palamedes for forgiveness. Together, they return the lady to Sir Espinogres.
Though he is a younger brother, Safir converted to Christianity
some time before Palamedes. When the affair between Lancelot
and Guinevere
is exposed, Safir and Palamedes join Lancelot's side in the ensuing civil war between Lancelot and King Arthur
. When they are banished to Lancelot's homeland in Gaul
, Safir is made Duke of Landok
while Palamedes becomes Duke of Provence
.
Round Table
The Round Table is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his Knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status. The table was first described in 1155 by Wace, who relied on previous depictions of...
and the youngest son of the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
king Esclabor
Esclabor
Esclabor is a lord of Babylon and father of Palamedes, Safir, and Segwarides in Arthurian Legend. While visiting Rome, he saves the life of its emperor and then goes to Logres where he saves the life of King Pellinore. He eventually retires to Camelot....
in the Arthurian legend. Both his brothers, Segwarides
Segwarides
Segwarides is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. In the Prose Tristan and Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Segwarides is a liegeman of King Mark who is cuckholded by Tristan. Malory also lists an individual of this name as a son of the Saracen king Esclabor; his brothers are...
and Palamedes
Palamedes (Arthurian legend)
Palamedes is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is a Saracen pagan who converts to Christianity later in his life, and his unrequited love for Iseult brings him into frequent conflict with Tristan...
, also belong to the Round Table. He is a courageous and loyal knight and was, in his time, a fairly popular character, showing up in the Prose Tristan
Prose Tristan
The Prose Tristan is an adaptation of the Tristan and Iseult story into a long prose romance, and the first to tie the subject entirely into the arc of the Arthurian legend...
and Sir Thomas Malory
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland as well as John Bale believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholars, beginning with G. L...
'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...
. His name is included on the Winchester Round Table.
Safir appears in many works of Arthurian literature, usually alongside his brother Palamedes. In one incident, Safir is disguised as Sir Ector de Maris and fights with Sir Helior le Preuse. He defeats him and wins Sir Espinogres' lady. Vowing to defend the lady's honor, Sir Palamedes arrives on the scene, and locks sword with Safir, not realizing it is his brother. After fighting for an hour, both are impressed with each other's prowess and skill, and decide to ask the other's identity. Safir is devastated to find that he was fighting with his own brother and asks Palamedes for forgiveness. Together, they return the lady to Sir Espinogres.
Though he is a younger brother, Safir converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
some time before Palamedes. When the affair between 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...
and 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...
is exposed, Safir and Palamedes join Lancelot's side in the ensuing civil war between Lancelot and 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...
. When they are banished to Lancelot's homeland in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
, Safir is made Duke of Landok
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
while Palamedes becomes Duke of Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.