Breunor le Noire

Also known as: La Cote Male Taile · Family: Arthur's court · Role: young knight · First appears: Book IX, Chapter I

Life events

• Breunor le Noire kills a lion that escapes and threatens Queen Guenever and her knights.(Book IX, Chapter I)
  • With: Queen Guenever
  • “Then said La Cote Male Taile: Now I see well that all coward knights be not dead; and therewithal he drew his sword and dressed him afore the lion. And that lion gaped wide and came upon him ramping to have slain him. And he then smote him in the midst of the head such a mighty stroke that it clave his head in sunder, and dashed to the earth.”
• King Arthur knights Breunor le Noire after hearing of his valorous lion-slaying.(Book IX, Chapter I)
  • With: King Arthur
  • “With that the king came home. And when the queen told him of that adventure, he was well pleased, and said: Upon pain of mine head he shall prove a noble man and a faithful knight, and true of his promise: then the king forthwithal made him knight.”
• Breunor le Noire accepts Sir Kay's mocking name and requests that the court use it.(Book IX, Chapter I)
  • With: Sir Kay
  • “Now Sir, said this young knight, I require you and all the knights of your court, that ye call me by none other name but La Cote Male Taile: in so much as Sir Kay hath so named me so will I be called.”

Book IX, Chapter I

• knighter: King Arthur “With that the king came home. And when the queen told him of that adventure, he was well pleased, and said: Upon pain of mine head he shall prove a noble man and a faithful knight, and true of his promise: then the king forthwithal made him knight.”
• with Sir Kay (Sir Kay gives Breunor the scornful name La Cote Male Taile.) “It may well be, said Sir Kay, the Seneschal, but in mockage ye shall be called La Cote Male Taile, that is as much to say, the evil-shapen coat.”
• with Sir Lamorak (Sir Lamorak recommends that Breunor be knighted.) “Sir, said Sir Lamorak and Sir Gaheris, it were well done to make him knight; for him beseemeth well of person and of countenance, that he shall prove a good man, and a good knight, and a mighty”
• with Sir Gaheris (Sir Gaheris recommends that Breunor be knighted.) “Sir, said Sir Lamorak and Sir Gaheris, it were well done to make him knight; for him beseemeth well of person and of countenance, that he shall prove a good man, and a good knight, and a mighty”
• with Queen Guenever (Breunor rescues Queen Guenever by killing the lion.) “And this young man that Sir Kay named La Cote Male Taile was there left behind with Queen Guenever; and by sudden adventure there was an horrible lion kept in a strong tower of stone, and it happened that he at that time brake loose, and came hurling afore the queen and her knights. And when the queen saw the lion she cried and fled, and prayed her knights to rescue her. And there was none of them all but twelve that abode, and all the other fled. Then said La Cote Male Taile: Now I see well that all coward knights be not dead; and therewithal he drew his sword and dressed him afore the lion. And that lion gaped wide and came upon him ramping to have slain him. And he then smote him in the midst of the head such a mighty stroke that it clave his head in sunder, and dashed to the earth.”

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Extracted from the original text of Le Morte d'Arthur. Made with Rho MD.