Lavaine

Also known as: Sir Lavaine / young Lavaine · Family: Astolat · Role: son of the Lord of Astolat · First appears: Lancelot and Elaine 1

At Astolat, Lavaine was one of the two sons of Lord of Astolat, alongside Torre, with his sister Elaine close behind them. When Lancelot arrived incognito seeking an unmarked shield for the tournament, Lavaine gave him Torre’s shield, while Lancelot entrusted his own to Elaine. The two then rode together, and Lancelot revealed his identity to Lavaine, commanding him to keep it secret: “Hear, but hold my name Hidden, you ride with Lancelot of the Lake,”

On the day Lancelot fled the lists, Lavaine drew out the lance-head, after Lancelot warned him, “I die already with it: draw— Draw,” causing Lancelot to collapse from the pain and blood loss. Lavaine was devoted to Lancelot as a friend and as his lord, and he held fealty to Arthur, Britain’s King of kings. Later, he led Elaine across the poplar grove to the caves and wrote the letter she devised for Lancelot, the Queen, and all the world.

Relationship record

Life events

• Lancelot arrived incognito at Astolat and requested an unmarked shield for the tournament.(Lancelot and Elaine 1 · 📍 Astolat)
  • With: Lancelot Lord of Astolat Torre Elaine
  • “But since I go to joust as one unknown At Camelot for the diamond, ask me not, Hereafter ye shall know me—and the shield— I pray you lend me one, if such you have, Blank, or at least with some device not mine.”
• Lavaine gives Lancelot his brother’s shield, while Lancelot entrusts his own shield to Elaine.(Lancelot and Elaine 3)
  • With: Lancelot Elaine
  • “His brother’s; which he gave to Lancelot, Who parted with his own to fair Elaine: ‘Do me this grace, my child, to have my shield In keeping till I come.’”
• Lancelot reveals his identity to Lavaine and commands him to keep it secret.(Lancelot and Elaine 3)
  • With: Lancelot
  • “Then Lancelot saying, ‘Hear, but hold my name Hidden, you ride with Lancelot of the Lake,’”
• Lavaine removes the lance-head, and Lancelot collapses from the resulting pain and blood loss.(Lancelot and Elaine 4)
  • With: Lancelot
  • “But he, ‘I die already with it: draw— Draw,’—and Lavaine drew, and Sir Lancelot gave A marvellous great shriek and ghastly groan, And half his blood burst forth, and down he sank For the pure pain, and wholly swooned away.”

Lancelot and Elaine 1

• parent: Lord of Astolat (Lavaine is identified as one of the Lord of Astolat's sons.) “And issuing found the Lord of Astolat With two strong sons, Sir Torre and Sir Lavaine, Moving to meet him in the castle court”
• siblings with Elaine (Elaine and Lavaine are children of the same father.) “With two strong sons, Sir Torre and Sir Lavaine, Moving to meet him in the castle court; And close behind them stept the lily maid Elaine, his daughter”
• siblings with Torre (Torre and Lavaine are explicitly described as sons of the Lord of Astolat.) “With two strong sons, Sir Torre and Sir Lavaine, Moving to meet him in the castle court”

Lancelot and Elaine 2

• siblings with Torre “Here is Torre’s: Hurt in his first tilt was my son, Sir Torre. And so, God wot, his shield is blank enough. His ye can have.” Then added plain Sir Torre, “Yea, since I cannot use it, ye may have it.” Here laughed the father saying, “Fie, Sir Churl, Is that answer for a noble knight? Allow him! but Lavaine, my younger here,”
• friends with Lancelot “So will ye grace me,” answered Lancelot, Smiling a moment, “with your fellowship O’er these waste downs whereon I lost myself, Then were I glad of you as guide and friend:”

Lancelot and Elaine 3

• siblings with Elaine “Her bright hair blown about the serious face Yet rosy-kindled with her brother’s kiss”
• friends with Lancelot “Meanwhile the new companions past away Far o’er the long backs of the bushless downs”
• liege: Arthur “One have I seen—that other, our liege lord, The dread Pendragon, Britain’s King of kings”

Lancelot and Elaine 4

• with Lancelot (Lavaine assists the wounded Lancelot.) “‘Ah my sweet lord Sir Lancelot,’ said Lavaine, ‘I dread me, if I draw it, you will die.’”
• liege: Lancelot (Lavaine addresses Lancelot as his lord.) “Ah my sweet lord Sir Lancelot,” said Lavaine”

Lancelot and Elaine 6

• siblings with Elaine “Came on her brother with a happy face Making a roan horse caper and curvet For pleasure all about a field of flowers: Whom when she saw, “Lavaine,” she cried, “Lavaine,”
• liege: Lancelot “Torre and Elaine! why here? Sir Lancelot! How know ye my lord’s name is Lancelot?”
• with Elaine (Lavaine leads Elaine to Lancelot's cave.) “And her, Lavaine across the poplar grove Led to the caves”

Lancelot and Elaine 7

• with Elaine (Elaine asks Lavaine to write her letter, and he does so.) “So when the ghostly man had come and gone, / She with a face, bright as for sin forgiven, / Besought Lavaine to write as she devised / A letter, word for word; and when he asked / ‘Is it for Lancelot, is it for my dear lord? / Then will I bear it gladly;’ she replied, / ‘For Lancelot and the Queen and all the world, / But I myself must bear it.’ Then he wrote / The letter she devised”

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Extracted from the original text of Idylls of the King. Made with Rho MD.