Knights of the Round Table

The Knights of the Round Table are the knightly members of the legendary fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain, in which the first written record of them appears in the Roman de Brut written by the Norman poet Wace in 1155. In the Arthurian romance tradition, the Knights are an order in the service of Arthur, tasked with ensuring the peace of the kingdom and charged with leading the quest for the Holy Grail. The Round Table at which they met was supposed to represent the equality of all the members. Different stories presented different numbers of the Knights, ranging from only 12 to as many as 150 or more.

List

Their total number (always symbolic) and the names vary depending on the text. The first sources state 24, 36 or 72. For Robert de Boron, for whom the Round Table is a replica of the table of the Last Supper, they are fifty. In some versions, including Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, they are 150 ("three times fifty" is a phrase that is often found in Welsh or Irish texts, which means "a large number" or even "immeasurable"). Bedivere, Gawain and Kay are the oldest characters associated with Arthur. Those most popular and best known today may include:

Knights of the Round Table
Name	Other names	Introduction	Other medieval works	Notes
Aglovale	Agloval, Sir Aglovale de Galis		The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis	King Pellinore's eldest son
Agravain	Agravaine		Lancelot-Grail, Le Morte d'Arthur	Second son of King Lot (of either Lothian or Orkney) and Arthur's sister Morgause
Arthur	Arthur Pendragon, Arturus	Y Gododdin, c. 7th century	Many	High King of the Britons, ruler of Logres and lord of Camelot
Bagdemagus			Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, 1170s	Meleagant's father and ruler of Gorre
Bedivere	(Welsh: Bedwyr, French: Bédoier) Bedevere	Pa Gur yv y Porthaur, c. 10th century	Vita Cadoc, Culhwch and Olwen, Stanzas of the Graves, Welsh Triads, Historia Regum Britanniae, Le Morte d'Arthur, numerous others	Returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake, brother to Lucan
Bors the Younger				Son of Bors the Elder, father of Elyan the White; in some versions Arthur's successor
Brunor	Breunor le Noir, La Cote Male Taile ("The Badly-shaped Coat")			Knight who wears his murdered father's coat, brother of Dinadan and Daniel
Cador	(Latin: Cadorius)		Historia Regum Britanniae, The Dream of Rhonabwy	Raised Guinevere as his ward, father to Constantine, described in some works as Arthur's cousin
Calogrenant	Colgrevance, Cynan	Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, 1170s	Le Morte d'Arthur	Cousin to Sir Yvain
Caradoc	(Latin: Caractacus) (Welsh: Caradog Freichfras, meaning Caradoc Strong Arm) (French: Carados Briefbras)		Perceval, the Story of the Grail, the Mabinogion	Rebelled against Arthur when he first became king, but later supported him. Sometimes two characters, Caradoc the Elder (a king) and Caradoc the Younger (a knight)
Claudin			Lancelot-Grail, Le Morte d'Arthur	Virtuous son of the villain Claudas
Constantine III of Britain		Historia Regum Britanniae, c. 1136	Le Morte d'Arthur	Arthur's cousin and successor to his throne, Cador's son
Dagonet				Arthur's court jester
Daniel von Blumenthal		Daniel von Blumenthal, 1220		Knight found in an early German offshoot of Arthurian legend
Dinadan		Prose Tristan, 1230s	Le Morte d'Arthur	Son of Sir Brunor the Senior
Ector	Hector, Antor, Ectorius	Lancelot-Grail, early 13th century	Le Morte d'Arthur	Raises Arthur according to Merlin's command, father to Kay
Elyan the White	(French: Helyan le Blanc)			Son of Bors
Erec		Unclear; first literary appearance as Erec in Erec and Enide, c. 1170	See Geraint and Enid	Son of King Lac
Esclabor				Exiled Saracen king, father of Palamedes, Safir, and Segwarides
Feirefiz		Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, early 13th century		Half-brother to Percival and King Arthur's nephew
Gaheris			Le Morte d'Arthur	Son of King Lot and Morgause, brother to Gawain, Agravaine, and Gareth, and half-brother to Mordred
Galahad		Lancelot-Grail, early 13th century	Post-Vulgate Cycle, Le Morte d'Arthur	Bastard son of Sir Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic, the main achiever of the Holy Grail
Galehault	Galehalt, Galehaut	Lancelot-Grail, early 13th century		A half-giant foreign king, a former enemy of Arthur who becomes close to Lancelot
Galeschin	Galeshin	The Vulgate Cycle		Son of Elaine of Garlot and King Nentres, nephew of Arthur
Gareth	Beaumains		Le Morte d'Arthur, Idylls of the King	Also a son of King Lot and Morgause, in love with Lyonesse
Gawain	(Latin: Walwanus, Welsh: Gwalchmai, Irish: Balbhuaidh)	Culhwch and Olwen, c. 11th century	Conte du Graal, Lancelot-Grail cycle, Prose Tristan,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Le Morte d'Arthur and many short Middle English romances	Another son of King Lot and Morgause, father of Gingalain
Geraint			Geraint and Enid	Enid's lover
Gingalain	Guinglain, Gingalin, Gliglois, Wigalois, etc., also Le Bel Inconnu, or The Fair Unknown		Le Bel Inconnu	Gawain's son
Gornemant	Gurnemanz	Perceval, the Story of the Grail	Parzival	Mentor to Perceval
Griflet	Girflet, Jaufre		Jaufré	A cousin to Lucan and Bedivere
Hector de Maris	Ector de Maris		Quest du Saint Graal (Vulgate Cycle)	Half-brother of Lancelot, son of King Ban; Bors and Lionel are his cousins
Hoel	(Welsh: Howel, Hywel)		The Dream of Rhonabwy, Geraint and Enid	Son of King Budic of Brittany, father to St. Tudwal
Kay	(Welsh: Cai, Latin: Caius)	Pa Gur yv y porthaur? 10th century	Many	Ector's son, foster brother to Arthur
Lamorak		Prose Tristan, c. 1235	Lancelot-Grail Cycle	Son of King Pellinore, brother to Tor, Aglovale, Percival, and Dindrane. Lover of Morgause
Lancelot	Lancelot du Lac, Lancelot of the Lake, Launcelot	Erec and Enide, c. 1170	Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, Lancelot-Grail, many others	Son of King Ban from France, most famous for his affair with Queen Guinevere, father of Galahad. Most prominent Knight of the Round Table
Lanval	Landevale, Launfal, Lambewell	Marie de France's Lanval, late 12th century	Sir Landevale, Sir Launfal, Sir Lambewell	Enemy of Guinevere
Leodegrance	Leondegrance			Guinevere's father, King of Cameliard
Lionel			Lancelot-Grail, early 13th century	Son of King Bors of Gaunnes (or Gaul), brother of Bors the Younger
Lucan	Sir Lucan the Butler		Le Morte d'Arthur	Servant to King Arthur, Bedivere's brother, Griflet's cousin
Maleagant	Malagant, Meleagant, perhaps Melwas	Unclear, a similar character named "Melwas" appears in the 12th century Life of Gildas	Lancelot-Grail, Post-Vulgate Cycle, Le Morte d'Arthur	Abductor of Guinevere
Mordred	Modred (Welsh: Medrawd, Latin: Medraut)	Annales Cambriae, c. 970	Many	In the Rond Table stories, Arthur illegitimate son through Morgause
Morholt	Marhalt, Morold, Marhaus	Tristan poems of Béroul and Thomas of Britain, 12th century	Tristan poems of Eilhart von Oberge, Gottfried von Strassburg, Prose Tristan, Post-Vulgate Cycle, Le Morte d'Arthur	Irish knight, rival of Tristan, uncle of Iseult
Morien	Moriaen	Dutch romance Morien, 13th century		Half-Moorish son of Aglovale
Pelleas	Pellias	Post-Vulgate Cycle, 1230s	Le Morte d'Arthur	In love with Ettarre, later lover of Nimue
Pellinore			Lancelot-Grail, Post-Vulgate Cycle	King of Listenoise and friend to Arthur
Percival	(Welsh: Peredur) Perceval, Parzifal	As Percival, Erec and Enide, c. 1170	Perceval, the Story of the Grail, Lancelot-Grail, many	Achiever of the Holy Grail; King Pellinore's son in some tales
Safir			Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Prose Tristan	Son to King Esclabor, brother of Segwarides and Palamedes
Sagramore	Sagramor		Lancelot-Grail, Post-Vulgate Cycle, Prose Tristan, Le Morte d'Arthur	Ubiquitous Knight of the Round Table; various stories and origins are given for him
Segwarides			Le Morte d'Arthur, Prose Tristan	Son of Esclabor, brother of Safir and Palamedes
Tor			Le Morte d'Arthur	Son of King Ars, adopted by Pellinore
Tristan	(Latin/Brythonic: Drustanus; Welsh: Drystan; Portuguese: Tristão; Spanish: Tristán) Tristran, Tristram, etc.	Beroul's Roman de Tristan	The two Folies Tristans, Marie de France's Chevrefeuil, Eilhart von Oberge, Gottfried von Strassburg, Prose Tristan, Post-Vulgate Cycle, Le Morte d'Arthur	King Mark's son or relative, Iseult's lover
Urien	Uriens	Historical figure	Welsh Triads	King of Rheged (or Gorre), father of Yvain (Owain mab Urien), husband of Morgan le fairy
Yvain	(Welsh: Owain) Ywain, Ewain or Uwain	Based on the historical figure Owain mab Urien	Historia Brittonum, Yvain, the Knight of the Lion	King Urien's son
Yvain the Bastard	Ywain the Adventurous, Uwain le Avoutres			Urien's illegitimate son

There have been also many others, generally more or less obscure. For instance, Malory's account in Le Morte d'Arthur lists the following in the episode "The Healing of Sir Urry":

• King Anguish of Ireland
• Earl Aristance
• Sir Azreal
• Sir Arrok
• Sir Ascamore
• Sir Balan (brother of Sir Balin, whom he killed by accident in a duel in which both wore helmets and did not know who they were fighting)
• Sir Barrant le Apres (King with a Hundred Knights)
• Sir Bellenger le Beau
• Sir Belliance le Orgulous
• Sir Blamor de Ganis
• Sir Bleoberis de Ganis
• Sir Bohart le Cure Hardy (King Arthur's son)
• Sir Brandiles
• Sir Brian de Listinoise
• King Carados of Scotland
• Sir Cardok
• Duke Chalance of Clarence
• King Clariance of Northumberland
• Sir Clarus of Cleremont
• Sir Clegis
• Sir Clodrus
• Sir Colgrevance
• Sir Crosslem
• Sir Damas
• Sir Degrave sans Villainy (fought with the giant of the Black Lowe)
• Sir Degrevant
• Sir Dinas le Seneschal de Cornwall
• Sir Dinas
• Sir Dodinas le Savage
• Sir Dornar
• Sir Drian
• Sir Edward of Orkney
• Sir Epinogris (son of King Clariance of Northumberland)
• Sir Fergus
• Sir Florence (son of Gawain by Sir Brandiles's sister)
• Sir Gahalantine
• Sir Galihodin
• Sir Galleron of Galway
• Sir Gauter
• Sir Gillimer
• Sir Grummor Grummorson
• Sir Gumret le Petit
• Sir Harry le Fils Lake
• Sir Hebes (not Hebes le Renowne)
• Sir Hebes le Renowne
• Sir Hectimere
• Sir Helian le Blanc
• Sir Herminde
• Sir Hervis de la Forest Savage
• Sir Ironside (Knight of the Red Launds)
• Sir Kay l'Estrange (not Kay, Arthur's seneschal)
• Earl Lambaile
• Sir Lambegus
• Sir Lamiel
• Sir Lavain
• Sir Lovell (son of Gawain by Sir Brandiles's sister)
• Sir Mador de la Porte
• Sir Marrok (whose wife turned him into a werewolf)
• Sir Melias de l'Isle
• Sir Melion of the Mountain
• Sir Meliot de Logris
• Sir Menaduke
• Sir Morganor
• King Nentres of Garlot
• Sir Neroveus
• Sir Ozanna le Cœur Hardi
• Sir Perimones (brother to Persant and Pertolepe; called the Red Knight)
• Sir Persant
• Sir Pertolepe
• Sir Petipace of Winchelsea
• Sir Plaine de Fors
• Sir Plenorius
• Sir Priamus
• Sir Reynold
• Sir Sadok
• Sir Selises of the Dolorous Tower
• Sir Sentrail
• Sir Severause le Breuse (known for rejecting battles with men in favour of giants, dragons, and wild beasts)
• Sir Suppinabiles
• Earl Ulbawes
• Sir Urry
• Sir Villiars the Valiant