Lanceor
Also known as: Sir Lanceor / the Irish knight / the knight of Ireland · Family: Ireland · Role: knight and king's son · First appears: Book II, Chapter IV
Life events
- King Arthur permits Lanceor to pursue Balin and avenge the insult.(Book II, Chapter IV)
- With: King Arthur Balin
- “and he asked King Arthur if he would give him leave to ride after Balin and to revenge the despite that he had done. Do your best, said Arthur”
- Balin jousted Lanceor and pierced him through, killing him and his horse.(Book II, Chapter V)
- With: Balin
- “and Balin hit him through the shield, and the hauberk perished, and so pierced through his body and the horse’s croup”
- Lanceor was slain, prompting the damosel who loved him to take his sword.(Book II, Chapter VI)
- With: damosel
- “And when she espied that Lanceor was slain, she made sorrow out of measure”
- Balin kills Lanceor in self-defense.(Book II, Chapter VII)
- With: Balin
- “It was I, said Balin, that slew this knight in my defence, for hither he came to chase me, and either I must slay him or he me;”
- Colombe kills herself with Lanceor's sword out of love and grief.(Book II, Chapter VII)
- With: Colombe
- “and this damosel slew herself for his love, which repenteth me, and for her sake I shall owe all women the better love.”
- King Mark buries Lanceor and Colombe together and erects a named tomb over them.(Book II, Chapter VII)
- Balin slew Sir Lanceor at Merlin’s peron.(Book X, Chapter V · 📍 Camelot)
- With: Balin
- “where Sir Lanceor, that was the king’s son of Ireland, was slain by the hands of Balin.”
- Colombe killed herself after Sir Lanceor’s death.(Book X, Chapter V · 📍 Camelot)
- With: Colombe
- “for after he was dead she took his sword and thrust it through her body.”
- Merlin arranged for Sir Lanceor and Colombe to be buried beneath one stone.(Book X, Chapter V · 📍 Camelot)
Book II, Chapter IV
- enemies with Balin “he had great despite at Balin for the achieving of the sword, that any should be accounted more hardy, or more of prowess; and he asked King Arthur if he would give him leave to ride after Balin and to revenge the despite that he had done.”
- with King Arthur (Arthur grants Lanceor permission to pursue Balin.) “and he asked King Arthur if he would give him leave to ride after Balin and to revenge the despite that he had done. Do your best, said Arthur”
Book II, Chapter V
- rivals with Balin (They joust against each other; Balin kills Lanceor.) “Make you ready, said the knight Lanceor, and dress you unto me, for that one shall abide in the field. Then they took their spears, and came together as much as their horses might drive, and the Irish knight smote Balin on the shield, that all went shivers off his spear, and Balin hit him through the shield, and the hauberk perished, and so pierced through his body and the horse’s croup, and anon turned his horse fiercely, and drew out his sword, and wist not that he had slain him; and then he saw him lie as a dead corpse.”
- with King Arthur (Lanceor acts to avenge an insult to King Arthur and his court.) “I am come from the court of King Arthur, said the knight of Ireland, that come hither for to revenge the despite ye did this day to King Arthur and to his court.”
Book II, Chapter VI
- with Balin (Balin slew Lanceor.) “O Balin, two bodies thou hast slain and one heart, and two hearts in one body, and two souls thou hast lost.”
Book II, Chapter VII
- courtship with Colombe (The text identifies Lanceor and Colombe as lovers.) “then made the king great sorrow for the true love that was betwixt them”
- with King Mark (King Mark arranged Lanceor’s burial and erected a tomb over him.) “then the king let put them both in the earth, and put the tomb upon them”
Book X, Chapter V
- with Merlin (Merlin arranged Lanceor's burial.) “And by the craft of Merlin he made to inter this knight, Lanceor, and his lady, Colombe, under one stone.”
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Extracted from the original text of Le Morte d'Arthur. Made with Rho MD.