Sir Tor

Also known as: Sir Tor le Fise Aries / Sir Tor le Fise de Vayshoure / Tor · Family: Round Table · Role: young man · First appears: Book III, Chapter III

In Book III, Aries the cowherd asks King Arthur to make Tor a knight, and King Arthur does so, permitting him to join the Table Round. Merlin reveals that King Pellinore, not Aries the cowherd, is Tor’s father; King Pellinore later confirms this at court, saying Tor is his son and that he was knighted at the cowherd’s request. Tor is then charged to recover the brachet and its captor, defeats Sir Felot of Langduk and Sir Petipase of Winchelsea, and takes thedwarf into his service. He defeats Abelleus, recovers the brachet, and, after Abelleus refuses mercy, kills him; returning to Camelot, Tor receives a joyful welcome and an earldom from King Arthur.

Tor swears the Table Round’s code with the other knights. In Book IV, King Arthur chooses him for a seat before King Bagdemagus, whose anger leads him to leave court, while King Pellinore praises Tor as an excellent knight who is unwilling to do or suffer wrong. Later, Tor defeats Sir Grummore Grummursum and Sir Kay in combat, but Sir Tristram defeats him in a joust. His kinship is further identified through Sir Lamorak, his half-brother, and through Sir Aglovale, Dornar, and Sir Percivale, his brothers; Sir Lamorak names Tor as the brother he excepts when pledging lifelong affection to Sir Palomides.

In Book X, Tor’s household welcomes King Mark, Sir Lamorak, and Sir Dinadan, and Tor later defeats Sir Dinadan at a bridge, whom Sir Dinadan recognizes as his former opponent. At Carlisle in Book XX, Tor is among the knights slain by Sir Launcelot during the rescue of Dame Guenever.