Gawain

Also known as: O Gawain / Prince / Sir Gawain / ghost of Gawain · Family: Orkney · Role: son of Bellicent · First appears: The Coming of Arthur 2

Gawain is Bellicent’s son, Modred’s brother, and the child of Lot. He is associated with Gareth as a proven knight whom Gareth was asked to challenge, and with Dagonet, whom he made a mock-knight of Arthur’s Table Round. He is also counted among Percivale’s friends and is described as “The Courteous.”

When Lancelot fled the lists, Arthur sent Gawain to find the wounded knight and deliver the diamond prize. At Astolat, Gawain recognized Lancelot by his shield, gave the diamond to Elaine, and abandoned the quest; at court he made her love for Lancelot public. For neglecting the king’s command, Arthur removed him from future quests, telling him, “ye shall go no more / On quest of mine.”

Gawain later swore with Percivale, Galahad, Bors, and Lancelot to seek the Holy Grail for a year and a day, departing Camelot with the other knights after Arthur permitted their sacred vows. In the affair of Pelleas and Ettarre, he freed Pelleas, pledged to aid him, and used his horse and arms to enter Ettarre’s domain by falsely claiming that Pelleas was dead. He promised to make Ettarre love the knight she hated, but on the third night Pelleas found Gawain and Ettarre together, sparing them as they slept by laying his sword across their throats. Gawain was later killed in Lancelot’s war.