Sir Uwaine

Also known as: Sir Uwaine le Blanche Mains / Sir Uwaine le Fise de Roy Ureine / Uwaine / Uwaine le Blanchemains · Family: Arthurian court · Role: knight · First appears: Book IV, Chapter XIII

In Book IV, Chapter XIII, Sir Uwaine stopped Morgan le Fay, his mother, from killing King Uriens, his father, seizing her hand as she raised the sword. She repented and promised not to repeat the deed, and Sir Uwaine forgave her on condition that she would keep from such actions. Soon afterward, King Arthur suspected him of complicity in Morgan le Fay’s plot and expelled him from court; Sir Gawaine, his cousin, shared the banishment, saying, “Whoso banisheth my cousin-germain shall banish me.” Sir Uwaine later fought Sir Marhaus, was overthrown and wounded, and recovered with Sir Gawaine while lodged by Sir Marhaus; the three then chose their damosels, swore to meet again at the fountain, and departed by separate roads.

At the march of Wales, Sir Uwaine defeated thirty knights and won the tournament prize. He then pledged himself, as a knight of King Arthur’s, to defend the Lady of the Rock against Sir Edward and Sir Hue; he killed Sir Edward in combat and accepted Sir Hue’s surrender. After meeting Sir Gawaine and Sir Marhaus as they had promised, he returned with them to King Arthur’s court, and later promised thirty thousand men with Sir Ider and their cousins to support the king’s war. In Book VI, Sir Launcelot defeated and stunned him, though Sir Uwaine later joined Sir Launcelot, Sir Ector, Sir Bors, Sir Bleoberis, Sir Blamore, Lucan the Butler, Sir Galihud, Sir Lionel, and Galiodin in swearing to seek Sir Tristram.

During the search for Sir Tristram, Sir Uwaine was twice overthrown and wounded by him, but he defeated Sir Andred and Sir Dinas and challenged all the knights of Cornwall. King Mark ambushed and nearly killed him, and Sir Kay had him carried to the Abbey of the Black Cross, where he recovered. Sir Uwaine later welcomed Sir Dinadan among the fellowship at King Arthur’s court, joined the search for Sir Launcelot undertaken at the urging of King Arthur and Queen Guenever, and with Sir Gawaine and Sir Gareth slew the seven brethren who ruled the Castle of Maidens. In Book XVI, Chapter III, after he and Sir Gawaine pulled a spear shaft from his body, Sir Uwaine died; Sir Gawaine and Sir Ector buried him as a king’s son and recorded who had slain him.