King Mark

Also known as: King / Mark / Mark of Cornwall / the King · Family: Cornwall · Role: king · First appears: Chapter 1 · Part 1

At the beginning, King Mark gave his sister Blanchefleur to Rivalen, who served him faithfully with counsel and sword. After long wandering, Rohalt revealed Tristan as Mark’s nephew, the son of Blanchefleur and Rivalen; Mark had nourished the orphan, and Tristan returned to Cornwall to serve him as harper, huntsman, and liege. For three years their mutual love grew, until the King of Ireland’s demand for tribute brought Mark into conflict with Morholt, whom Tristan fought on Cornwall’s behalf.

When Andret, Guenelon, Gondoïne, and Denoalen turned the barons against Tristan and pressed Mark to marry, Mark agreed to seek a wife by the sign of the golden hair. Tristan vowed to find its owner, Iseult, and bring her to Tintagel, so that Cornwall and Ireland might know peace. Mark married Iseult, but after Andret accused Tristan of loving the Queen, he ordered his nephew away; he later followed Frocin the Dwarf’s plan to spy on him, made peace with him, and restored him to court before again accepting Frocin’s counsel against him. After Tristan’s nighttime visit was exposed, Mark sentenced him to death, ordered him and Iseult burned without trial, and gave Iseult to Ivan and the lepers.

At Morois, Mark found Tristan and Iseult asleep and spared them after seeing the sword between them. Tristan brought him Ogrin’s writ and departed, while Mark called after him, “Nephew! nephew! for God’s sake wait awhile,” but later consented to take Iseult back without keeping Tristan as his liege. He ordered Tristan away, escorted Iseult publicly into the palace, and freed a hundred slaves; then, during a hunt, he expelled Denoalen, Andret, and Gondoïne, declaring, “Out of my land, and out of my peace, all of you!”

After Iseult asked to clear herself by oath, Mark stood among those named in her oath, and Tristan later returned disguised as a fool and was admitted to the royal hall. Mark granted Kaherdin peace and safeguard to trade in his land. When Tristan and Iseult died, Mark carried their bodies to Tintagel, built their tombs, and forbade the briar that grew between them to be destroyed.