Sir Pelleas

Also known as: King Pelleas / Pelleas · Family: Arthurian world · Role: knight · First appears: Book IV, Chapter XVIII

In Book IV, Chapter XVIII, Sir Pelleas was among the knights who overmatched Sir Gawaine. In Chapter XX, he defeated ten knights and was then captured after allowing them to bind him, while over three days of jousts he struck down twenty knights each day and gave the circlet of gold to Lady Ettard as the fairest lady. He chose her as his sovereign lady—“And so he chose her for his sovereign lady, and never to love other but her”—and repeatedly let her knights capture him so that he might see her.

When Sir Gawaine pledged to win Lady Ettard for him, Sir Pelleas exchanged horses and armor with him, but later found Sir Gawaine and Lady Ettard together. He spared them, gave his goods to his retainers, and resolved to remain in bed until death; Nimue then enchanted him and caused Lady Ettard to love him. Sir Pelleas rejected her, changed from loving her to hating her, and left the country with Damosel of the Lake, with whom he loved throughout their lives.

At the Pentecost jousts, Sir Pelleas won the prize, and at the next feast he and Sir Marhaus were made Knights of the Round Table by King Arthur. He never again loved Sir Gawaine, though he spared him for King Arthur’s sake and often defeated him at jousts and tournaments, and he became one of the four knights who achieved the Sangreal. Later, Nimue wedded him and saved him from being slain; he fought beside Sir Bors, Sir Ector, Sir Lionel, Sir Lamorak, Sir Bleoberis, Sir Galihud, and Sir Galihodin, rode with Queen Guenever and her knights, and was sorely wounded when Sir Meliagrance attacked them.