Arthurian Name Dictionary

Caball [Cafall, Caval(l)]

Arthur’s hunting dog, found in Nennius and Welsh tales. Nennius claims that while Arthur and Cabal were hunting the boar Troynt in the country of Buelt, Cabal left his footprint on a stone. Arthur later built a heap of stones on the location, calling the monument Cairn Cabal. Nennius describes this monument as one of the wonders of Britain, saying that men often take the stone from the monument, but it always reappears there within a day.
   In Welsh legend, Cabal accompanied Arthur on the hunts for the boars Ysgithyrwyn and Twrch Trwyth (which is possibly the same boar as Troynt), and killed Ysgithyrwyn himself. He was also instrumental during the hunt for a stag in the Forest of Dean. The dog’s name comes from caballus, the Latin word for “horse.” In Culhwch and Olwen, Cabal is also described as belonging to Arthur’s warrior Syfwlch. [Nennius, Culhwch, Geraint, TennIK]

Cabarentin [Cararentis, Esbarantin]

The good King of Cornwall in the Vulgate Lancelot; a vassal of Arthur. He assisted Arthur in the campaign against King Claudas of Gaul, and he led a division against Mordred at the battle of Salisbury. Presumably, he was slain there. [VulgLanc, VulgMort]

Cabcaflin

A king and father of Arthur’s knight Batewain. [HartmannE]

Cabrion

The lady of Cabrion was a cousin of Arthur. While traveling to Arthur’s court, she witnessed Gawain being kidnapped by Caradoc of the Dolorous Tower. She ordered her knights to attack, but they were defeated, and one of Caradoc’s knights came after her. Fleeing into the forest, she encountered Duke Galescalain of Clarence, who successfully defended her against her pursuer. [VulgLanc]

Cacamwri

Half brother of Hygwydd and one of Arthur’s warriors. He had an odd talent and desire for destroying barns that is not quite clear. He participated in the hunt for Twrch Trwyth and helped to trap him in the Severn river, but was dragged to the bottom by two millstones. He apparently survived, because he later went with Arthur’s party to the cave of the Black Hag in the Valley of Distress. Cacamwri and Hygwydd were sent in first, and were both mauled, stripped, and thrown out of the cave screaming by the Black Hag. [Culhwch]

Cadain

One of Arthur’s nobles, listed in Biket’s Lai du Cor. He helped stop Arthur from killing Guinevere when a magical horn betrayed a trivial infidelity. Cadain’s wife was also found to be untrue by the horn. [Biket]

Cadant [Chadians]

A vassal of King Claudas, whom he served in a war against Arthur. His brothers were Canart, Alibel, and Brumand. [VulgLanc]

Cadarn (“Strong”)

Father of Arthur’s warrior Nerth. [Culhwch, Dream]

Cadbury

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, writers began to associate Camelot with a Roman hill fort near Cadbury, Somerset, possibly because of a local river called the Camel. John Leland was the first known author to do so. Michael Drayton tells us that “By south Cadbury is that Camelot; a hill of a mile compasse at the top, foure trenches circling it, and twixt every of them an earthen wall; the context of it, within, about 20 acres, full of ruines and reliques of old buildings.” Folklore relates that Arthur sleeps in a cave beneath the hill, protected by golden gates which stand open only one night of the year. Another tale says that the ghosts of Arthur and his warriors ride down from the top of the hill on certain nights of the year.
   Twentieth-century archaeology has demonstrated the existance of a British hill-fort on top of the hill in the late fifth century. It may have been the headquarters of a British king campaigning against the Saxons, though identifying this hypothetical person with Arthur relies, as Richard Barber pointed out (King, 24), on the somewhat questionable theory that Arthur was the only British military figure of note in this area in this time period.
   William Camden also identified Cadbury with Cath-Bregion, the site of one of Arthur’s battles against the Saxons in Nennius’s account. [Camden, Drayton]

Cadellin Silver Brow

Father of one of Arthur’s Gweirs. The same Gweir is later named as the son of Llwch Windy Hand. [Culhwch]

Cadfan

A Welsh warrior whose death at the hands of Maelgwn is mourned by Merlin in an early Welsh poem contained in the Black Book of Carmarthen. [Myrddin]

Cadgyffro (“Battle Tumult”)

Father of Arthur’s warrior Gilbert. [Dream]

Cadiolant [Cadoalant, Cadoalens]

A king of Ireland who served Arthur, present at Arthur’s court in Cardigan. He fought at one of the Castle of Maidens tournaments and opposed King Ris in another tournament. [ChretienE, Contin1]

Cadoc¹

A Welsh “saint,” whose life contains an Arthurian episode: Cadoc’s father, Gwynnlyw, was harbored by Arthur when he kidnapped the lady Gwladys from her husband. Years later, Cadoc, the Abbot of Llancarfan, harbored a fugitive named Ligessauc who had killed three of Arthur’s knights. After seven years, Cadoc was finally able to make Arthur accept a payment of 100 cows for the lives of the three knights. Arthur agreed, but demanded that every cow had to be half-red and half-white. Cadoc, through holy means, transformed the cows into such colors, but the cows later turned into ferns. Arthur, humbled through the experience, named the location Ferntown. [SaintsCad]

Cadoc²

A knight from Carlisle or Tabriol saved by Erec. Cadoc was kidnapped and tortured by a couple of giants. Erec, on his adventures with Enide, heard Cadoc’s lady screaming, and rode to the rescue. Erec defeated the giants, and returned Cadoc to his paramour. Cadoc traveled to Arthur’s court and related the episode to Arthur’s company. He is called Kalviel in the Norse Erex Saga. [ChretienE]

Cadoc³

A king who fought in a Castle of Maidens tournament, where he was defeated by Gawain’s son Guinglain. [Renaut]

Cadog

One of the three “Just Knights” in Arthur’s court. He endeavored to enforce the law of the church. [Triads]

Cador¹ [Cadwr]

Ruler of Cornwall and father of Constantine. Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us that Cador was of Roman stock but does not name is father. A Welsh translation of Geoffry makes him the son of Gorlois, Igerne’s first husband, and in Geraint, his father is called Gwryon. He married a sister or half-sister of Arthur. According to Geoffrey, Guinevere was raised in his household (from which Thomas Hughes seems to assume that he was Guinevere’s father). The chronicler John Hardyng makes him the son of Igerne, and therefore Arthur’s half-brother.
   Cador assisted Arthur in the battles against the Saxons, and killed the Saxon leader Cheldric at the Isle of Thanet. He assisted in the battle against the Scots at Lake Lomond, and later helped Arthur in the campaigns against Gaul and Rome. After the first battle of the war, Cador escorted the prisoners captured to the prison in Paris. The Emperor’s men lay in ambush to capture the prisoners, but Cador and Lancelot, with their knights, slew them all. As the commander of the rear guard at the battle of Soissons, Cador helped Arthur to finally defeat Lucius. He was killed fighting Mordred’s army at Camlann, and his son inherited Arthur’s throne. [GeoffHR, Layamon, Dream, Geraint, Allit, Malory, HughesT]

Cador²

Brother of Guignier, the maiden who married Arthur’s Sir Caradoc. He was wounded when a knight named Alardin abducted his sister, and became friends with Caradoc when he rescued her. He accompanied Caradoc to Arthur’s court and married Ydain, one of the ladies there. [Contin1]

Cador³

A ruler of Northumberland, who organized a tournament at Banborc to find a husband for his daughter, Andrivete. When he died, his brother, Ayglin, tried to marry the maiden to a commoner, but Kay saved and wed her. [Girart]

Cadovain

An Arthurian knight. [Merveil]

Cadret

Son of King Aguiflet of Scotland, brother of Cuoi, and a powerful knight. He was present at the wedding of Erec and Enide. He is mentioned in Chrétien’s Erec, and his counterpart in Hartmann’s Erec is Goasilroet. [ChretienE]

Cadrïel

A knight of Arthur’s court. [Contin1]

Cadrieth¹ (“Fair Speech”) [Caydryeith]

Son of Seidi and one of Arthur’s warriors in Welsh legend. He was the brother of Alun of Dyfed and Cas. Although a young man, he was one of Arthur’s most trusted advisors because of his keen intellect. A Welsh Triad tells us that he was one of the three “most courteous to guests and strangers.” [Triads, Dream]

Cadrieth²

Son of Gandwy and one of Arthur’s squires. He held the position of chamberlain and guarded the king’s bed. [Geraint]

Cadwain of Carmurain [Cadowain of Caermurzin, Karadoains]

A knight freed from the prison of Sir Brandin of the Isles by Lancelot. He later joined Gawain on a quest to locate Lancelot. He may be identical to Cardroain of the verse romances. [LancLac, VulgLanc]

Cadwal [Cadual]

In Reginald Heber’s Morte D’Arthur, Guinevere pines over her first love—a forest boy named Cadwal she met during her youth in Derwent. It eventually is revealed that Cadwal was actually Lancelot in disguise. [HeberMD]

Cadwallo Longhand [Cadwallo Lewirh, Cadwell, Cadwathlan, Cadual]

A king who Geoffrey of Monmouth names as the ruler of the Venedotians (North Welsh) under Arthur. According to historian John Morris (Age, 125), an historical Catwallaun Longhand drove the Irish out of Anglesey in 500. His son was named Maelgwn. [GeoffHR]

Cadwy [Cado, Cadway, Cato]

Son of Geraint, father of Berth, and one of Arthur’s warriors in Welsh legend. In the Life of St. Carannog, he is Arthur’s contemporary and perhaps his superior, ruling the castle of Dunster. He may be identical to Cador. [Culhwch, SaintsCar, Dream]

Cae Hir

Named in a Welsh Tristan fragment as a man who loved Golwg Hafddydd, Isolde’s handmaid. He may be a Welsh version of Kahedins who, in some versions of the Tristan legend, loves Brangain, Isolde’s servant. [TrisFrag]

Cæ the Courteous

A vassal of Queen Flúrant of Ireland, Isolde’s mother in the Icelandic Saga af Tristram ok Ísodd. He tried to claim credit from a dragon that Tristan slew on Sukstía mountain, which would have``````` allowed him to marry Isolde. Queen Flúrant wanted to hang him for the lie, but Tristan convinced her to simply banish him from Ireland. His character appears in Gottfried’s Tristan as an unnamed steward. [SagaTI]

Caelenc [Canlang]

A Saxon king who, under Rions, invaded Carmelide in the early days of Arthur’s reign. He was slain by Arthur at the battle of Carhaix. [VulgMer, Arthour]

Caelia

Mother of the Fairy Knight by Tom a’ Lincoln, Arthur’s son. She was called the Fairy Queen. [Johnson]

Caellus

A city in the lands ruled by Galehaut, Arthur’s enemy-turned-ally. The castle walls collapsed, foreshadowing Galehaut’s coming death. [LanDoLac]

Caen [Caiam, Came]

The name that King Arthur bestowed upon the former city of Chinon to honor Kay, who had died in the Roman war and was buried there. The city is real, and lies in northwest France. [Layamon, Allit]

Caer Brythwch

A city, probably in Wales, but lost to modern geographers. The only Arthurian association with the city comes in Culhwch and Olwen, where Arthur’s chief gatekeeper, Glewlwyd, says that he was in Caer Brythwch, and possibly implies some Arthurian involvement. The larger legend to which this remark likely refers is lost to history. [Culhwch]

Caer Dathal

Home of Arthur’s warriors Teregud, Caradawg, Sulyen, Bradwen, Moren, and Siawn—all sons of Iaen. [Culhwch]

Caer Fanddwy

An alternate name for Annwn, the Celtic otherworld. The meaning of fanddwy is unknown. [Spoils]

Caer Feddwid (“Fortress of Carousal”)

A nickname for Annwn, the Celtic otherworld. [Spoils]

Caer Goludd

An alternate name for Annwn, the Welsh otherworld. K. Jackson (Loomis, Romance, 16) suggests “Inward City” as a translation. [Spoils]

Caer Greu

In Welsh oral tradition, Peredur and Gwrgi were killed fighting Eda Great-Knee at Caer Greu, after their warriors abandoned them. The name may be a variation of Caer Creu, meaning “city of blood.” [Triads]

Caer Nefenhyr Nine-Teeth

A city, probably in Wales, but lost to modern geographers. The only Arthurian association with the city comes in “Culhwch and Olwen,” where Arthur’s chief gatekeeper, Glewlwyd, says that he was in Caer Nefenhyr, and possibly implies some Arthurian involvement. The larger legend to which this remark likely refers is lost to history. [Culhwch]

Caer Ochren

An alternate name for Annwn, the Celtic otherworld. [Spoils]

Caer Oeth

A city probably in Wales. Welsh oral tradition had it that Arthur was imprisoned in Caer Oeth for three days by Gwen Pendragon before he was transferred to another prison. [Triads]

Caer Pedryfran

A nickname for Annwn, the Celtic otherworld. It may signify a four-cornered fortress. [Spoils]

Caer Rigor

Another name for Annwn, the Celtic otherworld. [Spoils]

Caer Se

A British city, once inhabited or visited by Arthur’s chief gatekeeper Glewlwyd. [Culhwch]

Caer Seint

The Welsh name for the Roman fort of Segontium.

Caer Siddi (“Fairy Fortress”)

A nickname for Annwn, the Celtic otherworld, as told by the Welsh poem The Spoils of Annwn and a non-Arthurian poem in the Book of Taliesin. [Spoils]

Caer Wydr (“Fortress of Glass”)

An alternate name for Annwn, the Welsh otherworld. [Spoils]

Caergai

A location on the river Dee in Merioneth, Wales, where Kay was said to have lived (Ashe, Quest, 192).

Caerleon [Caer Llion, Ca(e)rlion, Carlioun, Ca(y)rlyon, Karlion, Karliun, Kerlioun]

A town on the River Usk in south Wales. In the chronicles, it is one of the key cities of Arthur’s realm. The remains of a Roman fortress and ampitheater at the site demonstrates some importance in Roman and post-Roman times. Locals call the ampitheater the “Round Table.” According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Arthur was crowned king in Caerleon by the Archbishop Dubricius. Geoffrey, who sometimes calls it the “City of Legions,” suggests that it was the greatest city in Arthur’s realm. In the Vulgate Merlin, Arthur’s coronation at Caerleon is interrupted by a rebellion, and a battle is subsequently fought and won by Arthur outside the city. A number of other texts, including several Welsh stories, name Caerleon as Arthur’s main court, at least until the founding of Camelot.
   The Arcbishopric of Caerleon passed from Tremonus, during the reign of Ambrosius, to Dubricius, and then to David. It was also the home of Arthur’s fool, Sir Dagonet. [Culhwch, GeoffHR, VulgMer, Owain, Peredur, Malory]

Caerliudcoit [Lindocolinum]

A city in the country of Lincoln in northern Britain, where Arthur fought a battle against the Saxons under Colgrim. The name is a derivate of Lincoln. [GeoffHR]

Caernarfon

A city and bay in Gwynedd, North Wales. It lies near Snowdon, and was the site of the Roman fort Segontium.

Cahors

A section of Arthur’s kingdom ruled by Baron Maurice. [GeoffHR]

Cahot the Red

Brother of the Red Knight that Perceval killed as a youth. In revenge for his brother’s death, Cahot joined the Lord of the Fens in waging a war against Perceval’s mother, Yglais, and her castle of Kamaalot. By coincidence, Perceval wandered into Cahot’s castle, the Key of Wales, looking for a night’s lodging. Cahot recognized him, and Perceval ended up slaying him in battle. [Perlesvaus]

Cahus

Son Yvain the Bastard and one of Arthur’s squires in Perlesvaus. Arthur announced that he was going to take Cahus on a pilgrimage to the chapel of St. Augustine in the White Forest. On the night before the scheduled journey, Cahus had a dream that he visited a shrine near the chapel, took a golden candle, and was stabbed in the side by a Black Knight. He awoke in Arthur’s castle and found to his astonishment that he was holding a golden candle, and had a dagger stuck in his side. He perished of the wound after presenting the candle to his king. A similar story is related about an unnamed attendant of Arthur’s in John of Glastonbury’s chronicle. [Perlesvaus, JohnG]

Caiaphas [Caiphas, C(h)aÿphas, Chaifas, Chayphas]

In the Book of Matthew, the high priest of Jerusalem who tried and condemned Jesus, and handed him over to Pilate. In the Grail histories, Caiaphas imprisons Joseph of Arimathea after Joseph entombs the body of Christ. He stuck Joseph in the bottom of a dark well and ordered that he be given nothing to eat or drink. He was therefore astonished when, 42 years later, the Roman Emperor Vespasian delivered Joseph from the prison looking as youthful as the day he was put in (Joseph had been sustained by the Grail). Vespasian tried Caiaphas for his crime, and then set him adrift at sea in a rowboat, with no food or water. God kept him alive, in ravenous hunger and thirst, and he was later met by Galahad, Bors, and Perceval during the Grail Quest. Two sixteenth-century versions of Joseph’s life give Caiaphas a confederate named Annas. [RobertBorJ, VulgEst, PostQuest, HereJoA]

Caichester [Kaicester]

A British city ruled in Arthur’s time by Cursalem. [GeoffHR]

Cairo

In Malory, this Egyptian city is allied to Lucius, Arthur’s enemy in the Roman War. [Malory]

Calabria [Kalabrois]

In the romance of Yder, Calabria is named as one of Arthur’s courts. Malory gives it as a country allied to Lucius the Roman. The latter reference probably indicates a region of southern Italy. [Yder, Malory]

Calafes [Kalafes]

King of the Strange Land (including the city of Malta) in the time of Joseph of Arimathea. He suffered from leprosy, but was cured by the Holy Grail, brought to his kingdom by Alan the Large and his brother Joshua. He converted to Christianity and took the name Alphasan. He gave his daughter and lands to Joshua, and he helped Alan and Joshua build the Grail Castle of Corbenic. He was wounded by a holy lance after impiously sleeping in the palace which contained the Grail. He died the next day. [VulgEst]

Calamine Valley [Galamine]

A lush Middle-Eastern valley near the castle Hemelian. It was abundant with nard, cinnamon, and balsam. Flegetine traveled through it while seeking her husband, Nascien. [VulgEst]

Calcas [Kallas]

Son of Caw, one of twenty brothers, and a one of Arthur’s knights. He appears in the Welsh tale of Culhwch and the Vulgate Lancelot. He performed well in a tournament thrown by King Brandegorre of Estrangorre, and he swore fealty to Brandegorre’s daughter. [Culhwch, VulgLanc]

Calcydon [Calcidoine]

A Mediterranean kingdom. Its lords were ancestors of King Rions of Ireland, an enemy of Arthur. One of its princes, Tydeus, owned a sword which had belonged to Hercules and was later passed on to Rions. [VulgMer]

Caledfwlch

Arthur’s sword in Welsh legend, analogous to Excalibur, with which it shares the same root. Scholars have identified it with Caladbolg (“hard lightning”), the enchanted sword belonging to Cuchulainn in Irish mythology. [Culhwch]

Caledon [Aledon, Caledonia, Calidoine, Calydon, Celidon, Celyddon, Cylyddon]

A forest covering northern England and southern Scotland, around the area of Dumfries, Carlisle, and the river Tweed. In Nennius, it is the site of Arthur’s seventh victorious battle against the Saxons (see Arthur’s Battles). This seems rather far north for a fight against the Saxons, and some scholars have conjectured that, if the battle really took place, Arthur was fighting Picts allied to the Saxons rather than the Saxons themselves. Geoffrey retains the battle but changes the Saxon leader to Colgrim. Welsh legend has the region ruled by Cilydd. Merlin (and Lailoken) was said to have roamed through Caledon like a wild man after he had gone mad at the battle of Arfderydd. In the Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal, we learn that it was the haunt of the fearsome Papagustes serpent. Inglewood, which plays a large role in several Middle English poems, was one of the forests in the Caledonian region. [Nennius, Culhwch, GeoffHR, TennIK]

Calendin the Younger

A Knight of the Round Table who embarked on the Grail Quest. [PostQuest]

Caleph [Kaleph]

A castle in Wales belonging to Duke Ganor, the first British ruler converted to Christianity by Joseph of Arimathea’s followers. It was the site of a battle between Ganor and his former overlord, the King of Northumberland. [VulgEst]

Caleque [Kalec]

A castle in Britain ruled by Count Dangis. Fleeing Arthur’s court for Joyous Guard, Lancelot and Guinevere lodged at Caleque for one night. Count Dangis, a friend of Lancelot, promised to support Lancelot in his struggle against Arthur, and he placed Caleque at Lancelot’s disposal. [VulgMort, PostMort]

Calfaudin

A Saxon knight killed by Meleagant after Calfaudin issued a challenge to any Briton knight. Calfaudin had hoped to prove his honor in order to marry the daughter of the king of Saxony. [Prophecies]

Calfle

A town on the coast of Wales, to which Perceval’s mother fled after the death of her husband, Bliocadran. After organizing her affairs, she left Calfle for the forest, where she raised Perceval in seclusion. [Bliocadran]

Caliburn

The original form of Excalibur, given by Geoffrey of Monmouth. [GeoffHR]

Calidore

Champion of courtesy, assigned by Gloriana, the Fairy Queen, to capture the Blatant Beast. After a number of adventures, he became fascinated with the life of shepherds and digressed fom his quest to become one of them. He fell in love with the shepherdess Pastorella. When she was abducted by pirates, Calidore rescued her, and discovered along the way that she was a princess. He eventually returned to his quest and captured the Blatant Beast after a struggle. [Spenser]

Calidus

A Roman soldier who fought in the war against Arthur. Mentioned in the Vulgate Merlin, he occurs in the same location as “Catellus Vulteius” in Wace’s version. [VulgMer]

Caligante the Poor

A Knight of the Round Table who died during the Grail Quest. His brothers, Delimaz the Poor and Asalim the Poor, were also of the Round Table. [PostQuest]

Calistra

Pagan queen of the realm of Femminoro, seat of all lechery. Five of her descendants—Medeas, Lavina, Agnena, Bresenda, Pulizena—inhabited the castle Crudele and clashed with Tristan. [Tavola]

Calixtes

A hermit who lived in the White Forest, near the chapel of St. Augustine. A murderer and robber most of his life, Calixtes repented at the end and spent his last five years as a holy man. Upon his death, Arthur witnessed a battle in which angels triumphed over devils for the man’s soul. [Perlesvaus]

Call (“Wise”)

The dog belonging to Arthur’s warrior Bwlch. [Culhwch]

Calles [Kallés]

A wealthy duke whose six sons led a revolt against him because they feared that Calles intended to disinherit them. Calles’ nephews allied with their uncle, as did Gaheris, Gareth, and Agravain. With their help, Calles almost prevailed, but Lancelot and Lionel, who had been deceived by the Maiden of Many Years and Calles’ sons, allied with the sons. Calles was slain by Lancelot. [VulgLanc]

Callic

Archbishop of Everwic. Arthur summoned him to marry Sir Yder to Queen Guenloie. [Yder]

Callyburne

A knight in the service of Lucius the Roman in Malory. He was known as one of the strongest men in Pavia. During the first battle of the Roman War, Callyburne slew many of Arthur’s men but was killed by Sir Bors. In the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Malory’s source, Callyburne appears as an unnamed “paynim of Perse.” [Malory]

Calobrus

Cousin of Perceval and son of Calobrutus. He was captured by Gohart of the Castle of the Whale, chained to a rock, and left to starve. He was sustained by the daughter of the Sick King until Perceval found him and freed him. After Perceval captured Gohart, Calobrus chained his former captive to the same rock and likewise left him to die. [Perlesvaus]

Calobrutus

One of Perceval’s eleven paternal uncles in Perlesvaus. He was the seventh son of Gais the Large, the brother of Alain, and the father of Calobrus. [Perlesvaus]

Calogrenant [Calogreuand, Colgreva(u)nce, Kalebrant, Kalocreant, Kalogrenant, Kalogreuant, Kalogrian]

A Knight of the Round Table from Gorre, introduced by Chrétien de Troyes. In two versions of the Yvain story, Calogrenant’s tale of an enchanted fountain in Broceliande prompts Yvain to seek the adventure. His counterpart in Welsh legend, in this respect, is Cynon. In Heinrich von dem Türlin’s Diu Crône, Calogrenant is present at the Grail Castle when Gawain concludes the Grail Quest, but an enchantment puts him to sleep before he can witness the marvels of the Grail.
   According to the Vulgate romances, he joined Arthur’s company in the early days of the king’s reign, fighting against the Saxons at Carhaix and Aneblayse, and against the rebellious kings at the battle of Bedegraine. He appears as a stock character in other places.
   During the Grail Quest, he came to a chapel and found Lionel about to murder Bors. In defense of Bors, Calogrenant dueled with Lionel (Bors was praying and refused to fight) and was eventually killed. He prayed just before Lionel struck the killing blow and achieved holy absolution. When Lionel decapitated him, his blood flowed milky white, spilled on the ground, and caused enchanted flowers to grow perennially in that spot. A hermitage at the location was later named after him.
   Malory also recounts his death at the hands of Lionel but later, confusingly, reports that Calogrenant was present at the healing of Sir Urry. Malory gives him a second death outside the chamber of Queen Guinevere, where he was slain by Lancelot after joining Mordred’s plan to expose Guinevere’s infidelity.
   R. S. Loomis (Tradition, 273) thought that he was a duplicate of Kay, his name deriving from Kai lo Grenant (“Kay the Grumbler”). [ChretienY, ChretienL, Heinrich, VulgLanc, VulgQuest, VulgMer, Contin3, PostQuest, Ywain, Malory]

Caloise

A forest near Corbenic through which Galahad and Perceval’s sister rode during the Grail Quest. [PostQuest]

Calon

The King of Sicily in Claris et Laris. He joined Emperor Thereus of Rome’s war against Arthur and was killed in battle against Arthur’s knights. [Claris]

Calufer

A Saxon king who joined King Rions’ war against Arthur. He fought at the battle of Aneblayse, where King Ban of Benoic slew him. [VulgMer, Arthour]

Cam

A name meaning “crooked,” borne by a number of rivers in Britain, including one near Cadbury Castle in Somerset. This Cam has been suggested as the site of Camlann, Arthur’s final battle. Excavation has revealed signs of a battle at the site. [Topography]

Camalis [Camaalis]

King of Camelot in the time of Joseph of Arimathea, according to the Post-Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal. He battled the Christians (led by Mordrain and Nascien) when they arrived in his kingdom and, defeating them, imprisoned them in the Giant’s Tower. He then offered to settle the dispute in single combat with Nascien, who had been wounded in the first battle. Nascien was magically healed before the duel, however, and was able to defeat Camalis. Camalis and his kingdom then converted to Christianity. In the Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal, Argestes is the king of Camelot. [PostQuest, ProsTris]

Camandans

A king of North Wales who served Arthur. [Contin1]

Cambenic [Ambenic, Cambernic, Canbernic, Candebenet]

A duchy in northern Britain, described in the thirteenth-century Lancelot as bordering on the kingdoms of North Wales and Estregor, although its location is nonetheless mysterious. It contained the city of Clarence. There is perhaps a confusion with Cambria, the medieval name for Wales, or Cumbria, a kingdom bordering on Wales and Scotland. Ruled by Duke Escant during the early days of Arthur’s reign, Cambenic was one of the countries in rebellion against Arthur. It was soon invaded by Saxons, and was the site of an epic battle in which Gawain and his father and brothers showed extraordinary prowess. The Saxons were eventually repelled, and Cambenic made peace with Arthur. Later, Cambenic went to war with North Wales. It may be the origin of the country Kanadic in German literature. [LanDoLac, VulgLanc, VulgMer, Arthour, Malory]

Camber

Son of Brutus, first king of Britain, and brother of Albanact and Locrine. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, he gave his name to Cambria, or Wales. [GeoffHR, Wace, Palamedes]

Cambria

A medieval name for Wales. Geoffrey of Monmouth traces its etymology to the fictional Camber, son of King Brutus. [GeoffHR]

Cambynes

An English duke who fought in the tournament at Sorelois. It is probably Malory’s mistake for the duke of Cambenic. [Malory]

Camel¹

A river in Cornwall. It begins in Bodmin Moor and empties into the sea near the town of Padstow. It is given by Geoffrey of Monmouth as the actual location of Camlann, where Arthur fought his final battle against Mordred. Constantine and Arthur were the only survivors. Constantine became king of Britain while Arthur was taken to Avalon by Morgan le Fay. Near its source is a town named Camelford, which Layamon specifies as the location of the final battle. Local legend places the battle at Slaughter Bridge, about one mile from Camelford. John Leland says that Arthur and Mordred clashed on the bridge and killed each other. [GeoffHR, Wace, Layamon]

Camel²

A knight from Northumberland. He loved Princess Hermondine of Scotland, but she was hesitant to marry him because of his disconcerting sleepwalking habit. He was eventually slain by Arthur’s Sir Meliador, one of Hermondine’s other suitors. [Froissart]

Camelford

A town on the river Camel in Cornwall, named by Layamon as the site of Arthur’s final battle against Mordred. This event is called Camlann in early Welsh tradition. Layamon erroneously thought that the town was on the River Tamar. It has been suggested as the site of Camelot. [Layamon]

Camelon

A location near Falkirk in central Scotland, offered as the site of Camlann by proponents of Arthur as a northern hero.

Camelot¹ [Camalahot, Camalat, Camallate, Camalot, Camelotto, Camilot, Damolot, Kama(h)alot, Schamilot]

The famous court and capital of King Arthur, common in the vernacular due to the Lerner and Lowe play bearing its name, appears first (but only once) in Chrétien de Troyes. In most Arthurian tales, it competes with Caerleon, Carlisle, Cardueil, and Logres for the position of Arthur’s chief city.
   From the Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal, we learn that an evil pagan king named Agrestes ruled the city in the time of Joseph of Arimathea. He slaughtered many of Joseph’s followers at the Black Cross before God drove him mad. The Post-Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal provides us with different biblical era king named Camalis, after whom Camelot was named. Following these examples, Tennyson agrees that the city was ancient and was not established by Arthur, in contrast to popular tradition.
   In Arthur’s time, Camelot served as the location for many tournaments, one of Gawain’s battles against the Saxons, and many other adventures. It’s main church, St. Stephen’s, held the remains of Arthur’s greatest warriors. According to the Post-Vulgate Mort Artu, King Mark of Cornwall besieged Camelot during the Grail Quest and, after Arthur’s death, returned to destroy it completely. In La Tavola Ritonda, it falls to ruin after Arthur’s death.
   Camelot may be a variation of Camulodunum, the Roman name for Colchester. The castle also may have taken its name from any number of rivers with the root cam, meaning “crooked,” which was probably the source of Camlann. Descriptions of its location vary. Palamedes places it on the Humber River, and Malory identifies it with Winchester, while writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries began to associate Camelot with an old Roman hill fort south of Cadbury. Camelford in Cornwall and Camelon in Scotland have also been suggested. In recent years, archaeological investigations into the Cadbury fort have shown that it was occupied by Britons in the late fifth century. Given that Camelot is a place of romance and fantasy, however, any investigation into the location of the “real” Camelot is probably futile. [ChretienL, Wolfram, Perlesvaus, VulgQuest, VulgLanc, VulgEst, PostMer, PostQuest, PostMort, Tavola, Malory, Camden, Drayton, TennIK]

Camelot² [Kamaalot]

A valley and castle ruled by Perceval’s father, Alain le Gros, in Perlesvaus. The author of Perlesvaus clearly makes a distinction between Perceval’s Camelot and Arthur’s Camelot. After Alain’s death, the castle fell to his widow, Yglais. It was attacked by Cahot the Red and the Lord of the Fens, but these knights were eventually slain by Perceval. [Perlesvaus]

Camengues [Camugnes]

A castle or country in or near Britain. It’s lord fought against the Saxon invasion in the early days of Arthur’s reign. [VulgMer]

Camiliard

Malory’s variation of Carmelide, Leodegan’s kingdom. [Malory]

Camille¹

The daughter of the pagan British King Orcant of Orkney. She found Peter, a follower of Joseph of Arimathea, wounded near her father’s castle. Taking pity on him, she arranged for a Christian in her father’s prison to be released long enough to heal Peter. Peter later championed her father against King Luce; his victory secured Orcant and Camille’s conversion to Christianity. Camille and Peter married and had a son named Herlan. Gawain was one of their descendants. [VulgEst]

Camille²

A Saxon sorceress. See Gamille.

Camille³

One of Isolde’s maidservants. [ProsTris]

Camille⁴ with the White Throat

In Heinrich von dem Türlin’s Diu Crône, a lady at Arthur’s court who failed a chastity test. [Heinrich]

Camlann [Cambala, Camball, Camblan, Cambul(a), Camel, Camelford, Camlan, Kamblan, Kemelen]

The site of the final battle between Arthur and Mordred, where Mordred was killed and Arthur mortally wounded. The romances tell us that Arthur was carried from the battlefield to be healed at Avalon.
   The name Camlann comes from Welsh tradition, where its extensive proliferation indicates an actual battle was probably fought at some place with that name. These bardic tales, annotated in the Triads, portray a different conception of Camlann than what we have come to accept through Geoffrey of Monmouth and Malory. One Triad mentions the warrior Alan Fyrgan, who was apparently killed there after his warriors deserted him. Another tells us that it was started when Guinevere’s sister, Gwenhwyfach, struck Guinevere. A third suggests that Arthur’s defeat could be attributed to the method by which he divided his battalions. Some of these Triads probably developed after the Annales Cambriae, in which Camlann is listed in the year 537 as the battle where “Arthur and Medraut fell.” The Annales, contrary to later tradition, do not indicate whether Arthur and Medraut (Mordred) were fighting on opposite sides.
   Some of the Welsh Mabinogion tales discuss Camlann in more detail. Culhwch and Olwen tells us that nine warlords planned the battle, including Gwynn Hyfar—Arthur’s seneschal of Devon and Cornwall—and that there were only three survivors: Sanddef (he was so beautiful that the warriors mistook him for an angel and refused to attack him), Morfran (he was so ugly that the warriors thought he was a devil and refused to attack him), and Cynwyl. The Dream of Rhonabwy informs us that the battle was caused when Arthur’s messenger Iddawg delivered a peace offer from Arthur to Mordred in rude and insulting tones. This is the first mention in Welsh literature of Mordred as Arthur’s opponent at Camlann, and it must have been influenced by Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account. Nennius failed to pick up the story of the battle, and Geoffrey of Monmouth was consequently the first chronicler to mention it. Wace and Layamon followed this tradition, and the battle of Camlann was soon firmly rooted in Arthurian lore. According to the chronicles, Arthur returned from the Roman War to deal with Mordred’s insurrection. During their final battle at Camlann, their armies obliterated each other, Arthur slew Mordred, and Mordred mortally wounded Arthur. Morgan le Fay, Arthur’s sister, bore his body away to Avalon in a barge.
   The location of the battle has been subject to many interpretations. Geoffrey gave the site of the final battle as the river Camel in Cornwall; Layamon specifies the town of Camelford. A majority of scholars seems to accept this identification. Another suggestion involves the river Cam near Cadbury. Since cam is the Celtic word for “crooked,” it is a root of a number of rivers. A possible source for the name is Camboglanna, meaning “crooked bank.” Camboglanna belongs to a town in Rheged and has been proposed as the site of Camlann by proponents of Arthur as a northern hero. Camelon in Scotland is another possibility.
   The Vulgate Mort Artu substitutes Salisbury for the location of the final battle, which Malory follows. Counterpart locations in other sources include Trent, Urbano, the Humber, Ireland, and Lyonesse.
   Clearly there are many mysteries surrounding “Arthur’s final battle.” What does seem clear is that the battle of Camlann was a strife between two warring British factions—not between the British and the invading Anglo-Saxons. As Leslie Alcock points out (363), “[Camlann] must hae greatly facilitated the Anglo-Saxon advance. Whatever political history lies concealed here, the result must have been the fragmentation of a Britannia united under the sovereignty of a superbus tyrannus into a number of small British kingdoms. Most of these disappeared in the course of the next century without leaving the least trace….” [Culhwch, Triads, GeoffHR, Wace, Layamon, Tavola, Allit, Malory, Camden, HughesT, Boece, Drayton]

Camlas

A knight in Arthur’s service. [Girart]

Campadoine

A castle ruled by Belchis, an enemy of Arthur’s warrior Meraguis of Portlesguez. [Raoul]

Canaan¹

The King of Baradigan—possibly an ally or vassal of Arthur—who fought in a tournament at the Castle of Maidens. [Renaut]

Canaan² [C(h)anaam, Chanaan]

One of fourteen brothers who followed Joseph of Arimathea to Britain. Canaan and his brother Simeon were shown to lack faith when they were not served, like the other followers, by the Grail. Jealous, he murdered all of his brothers except for Simeon in the middle of the night. In punishment, the Christians decided to bury him alive. Canaan repented at the last minute, and was granted his request to have his dead brothers buried around him. Later, Canaan’s tomb burst into flames, and he suffered inside it for hundreds of years, until he was delivered by Lancelot. [VulgEst]

Canagues [Tanagues]

A knight and nephew of Sir Seguarades. He saw Gawain defeat his uncle in combat. Soon after, he attacked Gawain, but Gawain beat him senseless with his own helmet and made him surrender to the Lady of Roestoc. [VulgLanc]

Canain

A dwarf who served Felinete, a benefactress of Gawain. [Girart]

Canan

Erec’s grandfather. Descended from Greek peasants, Canan struggled to build a kingdom through his prowess. Eventually, he was crowned king of Saloliqui and had two children: Lac (Erec’s father) and Dirac. He was poisoned by his own aides, and his young sons were carried to Britain by their tutor. [VulgQuest]

Canart [Chanard]

A powerful knight who served King Claudas. His brothers were Cadant, Alibel, and Brumand, the last of whom died in the Round Table’s Perilous Seat. He fought furiously at the battle of Tower Castle, during Claudas’s war with Arthur. [VulgLanc]

Candaces [Gandaries, Kandiges]

Tristan’s great-great-grandfather. He was the son of King Appollo of Lyoness and Gloriande. His father was murdered by the son of the king of Cornwall, who took Candaces in and raised him as his own. When he came of age, he married the king’s daughter, Cressille, and became heir to Cornwall and Lyoness. He had twelve sons, including Crissidés and Baralis, who became the kings of Cornwall and Lyoness, respectively. [ProsTris, Tavola, Povest]

Candenart [Deriard]

A Saxon warrior who served Kings Sornegrieu and Sapharin. He fought in the battle of Carhaix against Arthur, where he was slain by Kay. [VulgMer, Arthour]

Canedam the Thin

A Knight of the Round Table who embarked with the others on the Grail Quest. [PostQuest]

Canedor of the Beautiful Lover

A Knight of the Round Table who participated in the Grail Quest. [PostQuest]

Canelengres [Kalegras, Kanelangres]

The surname of Tristan’s father, Rivalin, in Gottfried von Strassburg’s Tristan, from Rivalin’s capital city of Canoel. In the Norse Tristan sagas, the name is the only one given to Tristan’s father. The Icelandic Saga af Tristram ok Ísodd says that he was the son of Patrocles and that he served King Hlöòvir of Spain. According to this latter tale, he fell in love with Blenzibly, the sister of King Mark of England, with whom he had Tristan. He returned to Spain to defend it against two invading kings named Seran and Desixtus. He won the war, but received a mortal wound. [Gottfried, TrisSaga]

Canet¹ of Blay

An Arthurian knight who participated in a quest to learn the fate of Merlin. [VulgMer]

Canet² of Occire

A knight who served Uther Pendragon. [VulgLanc]

Canguin Rock [*Roche de Canguin, Sanguin]

A castle in Galloway, constructed by Igerne after the death of Uther Pendragon. While Arthur and the rest of Britain thought that Igerne was dead, she was living in the castle with her daughter and granddaughter, Clarissant. Gawain visited the palace and braved the Perilous Bed adventure found within. The comparable castle in the First Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval and in Wolfram’s Parzival is known as the Castle of Marvels. Heinrich von dem Türlin calls it Salie. [ChretienP]

Canhastyr (“Hundred Holds”) Hundred Hands

One of King Arthur’s warriors in Welsh legend who owned a special dog collar. As one of his tasks, the warrior Culhwch had to obtain this collar to hold the hound Drudwyn while hunting the boar Twrch Trwyth. [Culhwch]

Canodan

Father of Brions, a Knight of the Round Table. [ChretienE]

Canodes

A knight who served Arthur or King Leodegan of Carmelide. He fought against the Saxons at the battle of Carhaix. [VulgMer, Arthour]

Canoel

The capital city of Parmenie, homeland of Tristan. It was a port town, situated on the English Channel. Tristan’s father, King Rivalin of Parmenie, took his surname (Canelengres) from it. [Gottfried]

Canor¹

A vassal of the King of a Hundred Knights. He participated in King Mark’s tournament in Lancien. [Contin4]

Canor² [Thanor]

A heathen king of Cornwall who appears in the tale of Tristan’s ancestry. He married Chelinde, whose husband, Sador, was believed to be dead. Canor and Chelinde had a son named Cichoriades. Canor went to war with King Pelias of Lyonesse, who loved Canor’s wife. Canor was eventually killed by Apollo, the son of Chelinde and Sador. [ProsTris]

Canterbury

A city in Kent, in near England’s southeast coast. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, it was founded by King Hudibras in the tenth century BC.
   Formerly called Dorobernia, Canterbury served as Vortigern’s capital and as the Christian seat during Arthur’s reign (the Welsh Triads list it as one of the three archbishoprics). According to Geoffrey, Canterbury was managed by Duke Kimmarc in Arthur’s time.
   In the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate Cycles, and in Malory, the Archbishop of Canterbury is perhaps the chief Christian leader in Britain. The cycles tell us that the archbishop, who was related to Guinevere, threatened to excommunicate all of Logres if Arthur did not restore Guinevere as queen, following the exposé of her affair with Lancelot. Retiring to a hermitage after Arthur’s death, he was joined by several former Knights of the Round Table.
   The Post-Vulgate Mort Artu places him on the field after the battle of Salisbury, where he helped Sir Bleoberis build the Tower of the Dead. The story further relates that King Mark of Cornwall murdered him, and that he was avenged by Sir Paulas.
   The Stanzaic Morte Arthur says that when Mordred seized the throne of Britain and besieged Queen Guinevere in the Tower of London, the archbishop met him and rebuked him for lying about Arthur’s death and tormenting the poor Queen. He threatened to “curse [Mordred] with book, bell, and candle” if he did not abandon his attempts. In response, Mordred tried to kill him, and the archbishop fled to a hermitage in Glastonbury, where he received Arthur’s body from Morgan, and had it buried in the churchyard. As in the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate, he was joined by several of Arthur’s knights in his retirement.
   In Malory, the Archbishop of Canterbury takes on a number of roles given to the Archbishop of Brice in the Vulgate version, including summoning Britain’s nobles to the sword-in-the-stone tournament, supporting Arthur’s claim to the throne, and blessing the Round Table. In contrast to the archbishop’s murder in the Post-Vulgate, Malory says that King Constantine, who ruled Britain after Arthur, restored the Archbishop of Canterbury to his archbishopric. [Triads, GeoffHR, VulgLanc, VulgMort, VulgMer, PostQuest, PostMort, Stanz, Malory]

Cap

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, a king of Britain in the second century BC. He succeeded King Bledud and was succeeded by King Owen. [GeoffHR]

Capentrenalle

A wasteland near Camelot. [Tavola]

Capernaum

A city in ancient Palestine, on the sea of Galilee. In the Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal, a knight from Capernaum told Emperor Titus of Rome that Titus’s son, Vespasian, could be cured of his leprosy with any artifact that had been touched by Christ. Vespasian was cured, and later freed Joseph of Arimathea from prison. [VulgEst]

Capoir

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, a king of Britain in the second century BC. He succeeded King Pir and was succeeded by his son, King Cligueill. [GeoffHR]

Cappadocia [Capados]

An ancient kingdom, later a Roman province, in East Asia Minor. In the Alliterative Morte Arthure, it is subject to Lucius, Arthur’s enemy in the Roman War. [Allit, Malory]

Capua

The capital city of the sorcerer Clinschor, an antagonist of Gawain. [Wolfram]

Caradan

A Knight of the Round Table, brother of the knights Damas and Damcab, who participated in the Grail Quest. He resented Lancelot and his kin for their fame and abilities. [PostQuest]

Caradawg¹ [Caradawc, Cradawg]

Son of Iaen, brother of Sulyen, Bradwen, Moren, Siawn, and Teregud. One of King Arthur’s warriors in Welsh legend, from Caer Dathal, he was related to Arthur through Uther. The name seems to be the source of the French Caradocs. [Culhwch]

Caradawg² Strong-Arm

Son of Llyr of the Sea, father of Cawrdaf, and Arthur’s chief advisor in Welsh legend. He rode a horse named Host-Splitter. Caradawg is said to be Arthur’s first cousin, but Llyr is never said to be related to Eigyr (Igerne) or Uther. He was adapted by French writers as Caradoc Shortarm. [Triads, Dream, Geraint]

Caradigas [Caradigain]

A knight of Arthur’s service who participated in one of Gawain’s quests to locate Lancelot. [LancLac, VulgLanc]

Caradoc¹ [Carados, Carahues, Carodac, Carodas, Carodoc, Carrado, Crad(d)oc(k)(e), Kar(a)dos, Karaduz, Karodas]

The giant, evil lord of the Dolorous Tower, where he lived with his mother. Testifying as to his popularity as one of the earliest Arthurian villains, Caradoc appears in a sculpture on an archivolt of a cathedral in Modena, Italy, constructed in the early twelfth century. On the sculpture, he seems to serve a Lord Mardoc of the Dolorous Tower, and is involved in a kidnapping of Arthur’s Queen Winlogee (Guinevere). He is apparently slain by Gawain during the queen’s rescue.
   In French romance, he is the son of Aupatris or Mitrides and the father of Karakadin. He is variously called “the Cruel,” “the Great,” and “the Huge.” In contrast to the scene on the Modena relief, Caradoc is an autonomous lord. He imprisons dozens of good knights, including Gawain and Yvain, which prompts Arthur to declare war. Caradoc’s forces held Arthur at the Wicked Pass, but Lancelot pressed through and engaged Caradoc in single combat. A lady named Floree, who Caradoc had imprisoned, handed Lancelot a magic sword during the fight, and Caradoc was slain. His brother, Tericam the Impenetrable, gave Arthur and Lancelot similar trouble. Malory tells a subdued version of Caradoc’s story, naming him as a knight who Lancelot defeated after catching him in the process of kidnapping Gawain.
   The name “Caradoc” enjoyed extensive proliferation throughout French Arthurian romances. The name is Welsh in origin and is represented in Welsh Arthurian literature as Caradawg. A number of other giants or tyrants, including Caradoc the Thirteenth and Karedos recall the character of Carados of the Dolorous Tower. [Modena, VulgLanc, Malory]

Caradoc²

The King of Cambria, or Wales. He conquered Ireland and married the king’s daughter, by whom he had two children: Meriadoc and Orwen. As he grew old and infirm, he gradually relinquished control of his kingdom to his brother, Griffin, retaining only the ceremonial title for himself. Griffin, however, grew covetous of the throne and had Caradoc assassinated during a hunt. Meriadoc escaped to Arthur’s court and later brought justice to Griffin. [Historia]

Caradoc³

Son of Catel and one of Arthur’s warriors. [Layamon]

Caradoc⁴

The King of Nantes and husband of Ysave. His wife engaged in an adulterous affair with a sorcerer named Elïavrés, and gave birth to a son, accepted by Caradoc as his legitimiate heir and also named Caradoc. To hide the affair, Elïavres used magic to make Caradoc believe he was making love to his wife when, in fact, he was copulating with various animals. When the younger Caradoc, having become one of Arthur’s knights, exposed the affair, King Caradoc imprisoned his wife and forced Elïavres into bestiality with the same animals with which Caradoc had been tricked into sleeping. [Contin1]

Caradoc⁵

A knight defeated in combat by Branor the Brown after he kidnapped a maiden. [Palamedes]

Caradoc⁶

King of Little Britain and vassal of Lancelot in Jean D’Outremeuse’s Ly Myreur des Histors. He joins Lancelot in an invasion of Britain after Arthur’s death. They execute Guinevere and defeat Mordred. [Jean]

Caradoc⁷ Shortarm [Carados, Garedas, Karadin, Karadues]

An Arthurian knight who first appears in Robert Biket’s Lai du Cor, but who is known best through the Livre de Caradoc, an interpolation in the First Continuation of Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval.
   Caradoc relates that Caradoc was the heir to King Caradoc of Nantes, but was actually the son of Caradoc’s wife Ysave and a sorcerer named Elïavrés, with whom Ysave had an affair. He was awarded knighthood at Arthur’s court and accepted a challenge from a mysterious stranger to engage in a Beheading Game: each would take a swipe at the other’s head, and the one left standing would win. Caradoc went first, and chopped of his opponent’s head, but the stranger carefully picked up his severed head and secured it upon his neck again. When the stranger’s turn came, he refrained from decapitating Caradoc, revealing himself to be Elïavrés, Caradoc’s true father.
   Caradoc established a reputation as the best of Arthur’s knights through a series of quests, including the rescue of the maiden Guignier from the knight Alardin. He made it a personal duty to punish his adulterous parents, locking his mother in a tower and publicly humiliating Elïavrés. In response, Elïavrés cast a spell upon Caradoc which attached a deadly snake to his arm. Guignier and her brother Cador helped him avoid death, by luring the serpent away from Caradoc to Guinger, and then killing it as it went from one host to the other (a remedy prescribed by Elïavrés after Caradoc and Cador shamed it out of him). Caradoc married Guinger, who became his faithful wife as proven by a chastity test at Arthur’s court. This test forms the subject matter of Biket’s romance and several later chastity test tales. Biket contends that Arthur granted Caradoc the earldom of Cirencester as a reward for his wife’s fidelity.
   Caradic explains that his surname, briefbras (“shortarm”), derived from the fact that his arm was left shortened by the serpent that for a time was attached to it. Likely, however, the writer of the story simply mistranslated breichbras (“strongarm”), the surname of the Welsh character Caradawg. Another Caradoc Shortarm appears in the Vulgate Cycle as the king of Estrangorre. Other than the similarity in names, however, the characters have nothing in common. [Biket, ChretienE, Contin1, Mottuls, MantelM, Heinrich, Boy]

Caradoc⁸ Shortarm [Karadan]

The King of Estrangorre, Scotland, or Galencie who appears first in the non-cyclical Lancelot, and whose story is expanded by the Vulgate Cycle and by Malory. He was the father of King Aguisant of Scotland. The Vulgate Merlin says that he married one of Arthur’s half-sisters, although in another source, he is named as Arthur’s nephew and is married to Queen Catanance of Ireland. He was a Knight of the Round Table during Uther’s reign, but he revolted against Arthur when the young king first came to power. After Caradoc (with the other rebellious leaders) was defeated by Arthur at Caerleon and Bedegraine, his land was invaded by Saxons, and he had to swear fealty to Arthur in order to expel them. Later, as a Knight of the Round Table again, he fought in Arthur’s wars against Rome, King Claudas, King Mark of Cornwall, Lancelot, and Mordred. At the battle of Salisbury, he joined in combat with Mordred’s King Heliades, and each was mortally wounded.
   Though he bears the same name (and, likely, the same etymology) as Caradoc Shortarm of the Livre de Caradoc, his character shows no other similarities. [LancLac, VulgLanc, VulgMort, VulgMer, Arthour, Malory, TennIK]

Caradoc⁹ the Thirteenth [Carados]

A giant knight from Uther Pendragon’s Old Table. He ruled the Torre Vittoriosa and hated the knights of the New Table. He defeated Lancelot, Palamedes, Galehaut, and many others, and hung their shields on his tower. Tristan, hearing of his prowess, visited his tower and conquered him after a day’s combat. Caradoc gave him the Torre Vittoriosa and retired to a hermitage in Andernantes. His character was probably suggested by Caradoc of the Dolorous Tower. [Tavola]

Carael

A castle which served as the site of a tournament, which Lancelot won by defeating knights from Sorelois and the Wasteland. [PostMort]

Caraés [Careheuls]

One of Arthur’s knights. He fought in a tournament at the Castle of Maidens. [Renaut]

Caraginale

A British wasteland where Lamorat and Drian were slain by Gawain and his brothers. [Tavola]

Caranges [Co(u)ranges, Corente(s)]

A wealthy Scottish city which was King Angusel’s capital. It was besieged by Saxons in the early days of Arthur’s reign, but Angusel repelled them with the help of Kings Urien and Bagdemagus. [VulgMer, Arthour]

Carannog

One of the several Welsh “saints,” connected to Arthur in his Life. A missionary from Cardigan, he set his holy altar adrift in the Severn river, expecting it to wash up where he was most needed. It floated to Arthur’s realm in Dindraithof (the Welsh name for Dunster). Arthur seized it, promising to return it to Carannog if Carannog could drive away a serpent that was terrorizing Arthur’s land in Carrum. Through spiritual means, Carannog fulfilled the promise. In the meantime, Arthur had tried to use the altar as a table, but anything he placed on top of it was thrown off. Arthur returned the altar to Carannog, at the same time awarding Carrum to the saint. Carannog then resumed his journeys and founded the town of Carrof. [SaintsCar]

Caraton

A noble who served Arthur. Like the other lords at Arthur’s court, his wife was found to be at least somewhat unfaithful by a magical horn in Biket’s Lai du Cor. [Biket]

Carausius

A king of Britain several centuries before Arthur. Nennius says that he was the fourth Roman emepror to come from Rome to Britain, and that he immediately succeeded the dead Severus.
   While Bassianus held the throne in Britain, according to Geoffrey’s account, Carausius convinced the Roman senate to put many ships and soldiers under his control for the purpose of defending Britain’s coast. Carausius used the soldiers, however, to overthrow Bassianus and take the throne of the island for himself. Carausius’s rule was tyrranical but brief: upon hearing of his betrayal, the Roman senate sent the war leader Allectus to rectify the situation. Allectus killed Carausius and assumed the kingship.
   Both Nennius and Geoffrey are thinking of a late third-century Roman admiral who planned to usurp the Roman emperor Diocletian. Allectus, who murdered him, was his finance minister (Lindsay, 10). [Nennius, GeoffHR]

Carcelois¹ [Carteloyse, Cartolius, Chartelos]

A castle on the borderlands of Scotland. Its lord, Count Ernol, was imprisoned by his sons, who wanted to rape their sister and perform similar sinful acts. Galahad, Perceval, and Bors liberated Carcelois the Grail Quest and freed the count from prison. Ernol lived long enough to meet Galahad and die in his arms. [VulgQuest, ProsTris, Tavola, Malory]

Carcelois² [Catheloys]

A Grail King and ancestor of Pelles, Elaine, and Galahad. He was the third king of Corbenic Castle, the son of Aminadap, and the father of Manuel. [VulgEst]

Carcobra

A city in Britain, near lake Plimozœl, where Perceval’s uncle Trevrizent adventured. The Burgrave of the city was generous to both Trevrizent and to Perceval’s half-brother Feirefiz. [Wolfram]

Cardiff [Cardef, Caerdyv, Kardyval]

A city in southern Wales, near Caerleon-on-Usk, named in some romances as one of Arthur’s several courts. The Alliterative Morte Arthure and Malory mention one of Arthur’s knights called the “Captain of Cardiff,” who fought in the war against Rome. [Allit, Carle, SyrGaw, Malory]

Cardigan [Caradigan, Kardigan, Karidagan]

A city on the coast of Dyfed in Wales. In Chrétien de Troyes’s romances, and in several other tales, Arthur held his court here. In the tale of Meriadeuc, the queen of Cardigan is named Lore. Her city was besieged and captured by King Ris of Outre-Ombre, but she eventually forced him to leave. In the Livre d’Artus, it is ruled by Lisanor and is besieged by Saxons during the Saxon invasion at the beginning of Arthur’s reign. [ChretienE, UlrichZ, Livre, Meriadeuc]

Cardoas

A knight from Lanvale; one of three who fought against Lancelot in the False Guinevere episode. Cardoas and his companions were champions of the False Guinevere, while Lancelot fought to prove the queen’s innocence. Lancelot was victorious. [VulgLanc]

Cardoilen of London

A good Knight of the Round Table who participated in the Grail Quest. [PostQuest]

Cardroain the Red [Cadeain, Cadro(v)ain, Co(r)drovain]

A knight killed in a sparrowhawk tournament at Landoc by Arthur’s Sir Durmart. Cardroain had been championing the lady Idain of Landoc at the tournament. His brother was Sir Brun of Morois. [Durmart, Atre]

Cardueil [Cardeuyle, Cardo(e)(i)l(e), Carduel, Caridoel, Kardeuyle, Karduel, Karedol, Karido(e)l]

One of the locations frequently named as Arthur’s capital, particularly in continental literature. It is almost certainly a variation of Carlisle in Cumberland, although Cardueil’s location is often given as Wales or Brittany. It was the home of Do (Sir Girflet’s father, whom Malory confusingly calls “Cardol”), Arthur’s niece Lore, and Arthur’s knights Asgares the Sad and Briamont. Under Arthur, Meliant administered the city. In Arthour and Merlin, it is the site of the first battle between Arthur and the rebelling kings—a skirmish which the Vulgate Merlin places at Caerleon. In the prior Livre d’Artus, King Urien torches the city during the rebellion. Arthur rebuilds it, only to have the Saxon King Arrant burn the city again. According to the romance of Yder, it was the birthplace of Sir Yder and was outside Arthur’s kingdom. [VulgLanc, VulgMer, Livre, PleierG, Arthour]

Carduino

Hero of the Italian Cantari di Carduino, a Fair Unknown story. After the jealous knight Aguerisse (Gareth or Gaheris) murdered Carduino’s noble father, Dondinello (Dodinel), his mother raised him in a remote forest and tied to keep him from becoming a knight. Enticed by the sight of a group of knights, however, Carduino left home for Arthur’s court. In subsequent adventures, he avenged his father’s murder and freed a city from a sorcerer’s hold. He married Beatrice, the lady of the city. The account of Carduino’s youth hints of Perceval’s childhood, while his later adventures bear a resemblance to the story of  Guinglain. [CantariC]

Cardycan

A castle, possibly Cardigan, where Aglovale and Perceval lodged on their quest to find Lancelot. [Malory]

Carembaus

A Knight of the Round Table who participated in the Grail Quest. [ProsTris]

Carentin

One of Arthur’s knights. [Renaut]

Cargrilo

A knight who joined his father, Margon, in a war against the Sore Pucelle, a lady who was eventually championed by Gawain. He was capturred by the Sore Pucelle’s warriors. The Sore Pucelle agreed to exchange him for a knight Margon had captured, but Margon betrayed the agreement by murdering the Sore Pucelle’s knight. Enraged, the Sore Pucelle launched Cargrilo to his death with a catapault. [Contin3]

Carhaix [Camaheu, Carahaix, Carahan, Carahes, Caraheu, Caro(h)aise, Karahes]

A city in Brittany that appears often in continental Arthurian literature. In Eilhart von Oberge’s Tristrant, Carhaix is the city ruled by King Havelin, father of Kahedins and Isolde of the White Hands. It was besieged by Count Riole of Nantes when Havelin refused to give Isolde to Riole, but was saved by the arrival of Tristan.
   In the Vulgate Merlin, Carhaix is a wealthy city in Carmelide (some geographic confusion here; Carmelide is supposed to be in Britain), ruled by King Leodegan (Guinevere’s father). Cleodalis was Leodegan’s steward of the city. It was besieged by Saxons led by King Rions of Ireland in the early days of Arthur’s reign. Arthur, Merlin, King Ban of Benoic, and King Bors of Gannes joined Leodegan’s forces there. A combination of the kings’ prowess and Merlin’s magic helped repel the Saxons. Some time later, Rions returned with greater numbers but was still unable to take the city. The second siege ended when Arthur fought Rions in single combat, and Rions was slain. Arthour and Merlin describes action at Carhaix which in the Vulgate Merlin takes place at Aneblayse. In other texts, Carhaix is named as the homeland of Gaheris, or as one of Arthur’s many courts. [Eilhart, Gliglois, LancLac, VulgLanc, VulgMer, Arthour]

Cariadoc

Steward of King Mark of Cornwall. He falsely accused Kahedins, Tristan’s brother-in-law, of cowardice and was killed by Kahedins. See Mariadoc. [Thomas]

Caridés of Escavalon [Aridés of Escabalon]

A malevolent lord who attacked the city of Beaurepaire and besieged the lady Blacheflour, Perceval’s sweetheart, within. Perceval, who had previously saved Beaurepaire from Clamadeu and Anguigerron, returned, defeated Caridés, and sent him to Arthur. Caridés eventually became a Knight of the Round Table. [Contin3]

Carismal

A Knight of the Round Table who was defeated in a tournament between the Round Table and the Queen’s Knights. [VulgMer]

Carl of Carlisle

A giant, churlish (carl means “churl”) nobleman from Carlisle, famed for his poor hospitality. He kept a bull, a boar, a bear, and a lion as pets. Gawain, Kay, and Baldwin lodged with him after becoming lost during a hunt. The Carl beat Baldwin and Kay after they insulted him. He put Gawain through several tests (including, in one version, a Beheading Game) and was ultimately impressed with his courtliness and his willingness to obey his host. He explained to Gawain that as a youth he had made a vow to test all those who lodged with him, and to kill those who failed. Gawain’s nobility freed him from the vow. In reward, he gave Gawain his lovely daughter in marriage. Arthur made him the lord of Carlisle and gave him a seat at the Round Table. The Carl founded an abbey in honor of the many knights he had slain. [SyrGaw, Carle]

Carlisle [Carl(e)(i)le, Carlill]

A city in northwest England. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, it was named after King Leil, who ruled in the tenth century BC. Several authors suggest Carlisle as Arthur’s capital, or as one of his courts. The city’s original name, Luguvallum, may derive from the Celtic god Lug. In the sixth century, it was the capital of the kingdom of Rheged. Geoffrey of Monmouth names Lot, Gawain’s father, as the earl of Carlisle. Continental authors probably intend Carlisle when they mention Arthur’s Cardueil court. The Carl of Carlisle features in two English romances. Malory locates two pivotal events at the city: the healing of Urry and the rescue of Guinevere from the stake. In Sir Walter Scott’s The Bridal of Triermain, Arthur offers the city to the knight who will marry his daughter, Gyneth. [GeoffHR, Allit, Malory, Scott]

Carmadan [Karmadan]

A kind and noble knight who lodged Lancelot after the latter drank from a poisoned spring and fell deathly ill. Carmadan’s sister, Amable, healed Lancelot and fell in love with him. [VulgLanc]

Carmadol the Black [Carmaduc]

One of Arthur’s knights who participated in a quest to learn the fate of Merlin. [VulgMer]

Carmarthen

A city in Dyfed in Wales, on the river Tywi. It is linked to Myrddin, the prototype of Merlin in Welsh tradition, as the Welsh incarnation of the town’s name was Caer Myrddin. It is unclear which name came first—the character or the town—but the link between the two reached Geoffrey of Monmouth, who made Carmarthen the site of the young Merlin’s encounter with King Vortigern’s soldiers, on a quest to find a “fatherless” child. Geoffrey also names Eli as the town provost under the king. Nennius had formerly placed the same events in Elledi. In Layamon, we are told that Uther Pendragon’s smith, Griffin, had his forge in Carmarthen. [Nennius, GeoffHR, Layamon]

Carmelide [Cameliard, Camelide, Camilyard, Carmalide, Carmeli(k)e, Ta(r)meli(r)de]

Carmoisim the Great

A Knight of the Round Table killed during the Grail Quest. [PostQuest]

Carn Gwylathyr

An English mountain that contained the “five peaks” region, or Pumlumon, where Arthur’s warriors Cei and Bedwyr slew Dillus the Bearded. [Culhwch]

Carnant [Karnant]

The capital and chief castle of Destrigales, from which King Lac and, later, his son Erec, ruled. It is either Carwent in South Wales (R. S. Loomis’s proposal) or a conflation of Caer Nantes (“city of Nantes”), as Nantes takes the place of Destrigales in other Erec romances. In Parzival, Wolfram refers to the land itself as Carnant, and says that Duke Orilus defeated Erec in a tournament there. The nearby Well of Lac was capable of repairing the Grail Sword. [Erec, Wolfram]

Carnedyr

An Arthurian warrior who was the son of Gofynyon the Old. [Culhwch]

Carnisy [Carnisin]

A castle to which maidens bore the body of a unnamed king slain by Lancelot during a forest encounter. [VulgLanc]

Carnwennan

Arthur’s dagger, which he used to kill the Black Hag. [Culhwch]

Caroduant

A lesser king under Arthur, present at the coronation of Erec and Enide as King and Queen of Nantes. [ChretienE]

Caroman

A powerful Saxon king who, with others, invaded northern Britain in the early days of Arthur’s reign. He led a division at the battle of Estrangort. [VulgMer]

Carone the Great of Granchole

According to La Tavola Ritonda, the first giant to come to Britain from the faraway islands. His son, Federiel, was the first ruler of Dolorous Guard, the castle conquered by Lancelot. [Tavola]

Carras

Brother of King Claudas of the Land Laid Waste in the Second Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval. He invaded Britain and, in turn, had his own kingdom of Recesse invaded by Arthur. He managed to arrange a reconciliation with Arthur through Gawain. [Contin2]

Carrick

A region of southwest Scotland. It originally belonged to Sir Galleron, but Arthur annexed it and gave it to Gawain. Galleron arrived at a feast and challenged Gawain for ownership of the land. The fight ended in a draw, but Gawain graciously returned the country to Galleron anyway. [Awntyrs]

Carrum

A province in Arthur’s realm. It was terrorized by a dragon, but was saved through the assistance of Saint Carannog, to whom Arthur gave the country as a reward. [SaintsCar]

Cart Castle [Charyot]

A castle on the border of Gorre, in which Lancelot was imprisoned by several queens, headed by Morgan le Fay. (In the Vulgate Lancelot, her co-conspirators are Queen Sedile and the Queen of Sorestan; in Malory, they are the Queen of North Wales, the Queen of Eastland, and the Queen of the Out Isles.) They tried to make him choose a lover from among them, but he refused and was eventually freed by one of their maidservants, who elicited from him a promise to fight for her father, King Bagdemagus, in an upcoming tournament. The castle’s name commemorated Lancelot’s ride in the cart during his rescue of Guinevere, as he had passed by the castle on the way. (In Malory, however, his rescue of Guinevere occurs long after his imprisonment by Morgan.) Later, Lancelot returned to Cart Castle to save his deliverer from marriage to an evil knight. Malory says that Morgan owned the castle. [VulgLanc, Malory]

Carvain [Karvain]

The home of Queen Guenloie, the lady loved and married by Arthur’s Sir Yder. [Yder]

Cas

Son of Seidi, brother of Alun and Cadrieth, and one of Arthur’s warriors. [Culhwch]

Casain

One of Arthur’s dukes in the Norse Erex Saga. He was present at the wedding of Erec and Enide. [Erex]

Case

A castle five miles from Corbenic where Galahad was conceived by Lancelot and Elaine. Lancelot was drugged and led to the castle by Elaine’s maidservant, who told him that Guinevere was waiting for him. [VulgLanc, Malory]

Casibilant [Cassibilans]

The nephew of Duke Calles and brother of Alibel, Dyonis, and Dion. His six cousins revolted against Calles, their father. Casibilant and his brothers assisted Calles in the war, in which they were joined by Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth. [VulgLanc]

Casnar

A Welsh ruler who was the father of Arthur’s warrior Llara. [Dream]

Cassibelaunus¹ [Cassibolon]

One of Arthur’s warriors, killed while fighting Mordred’s army at the battle of Camel. [GeoffHR, Wace]

Cassibelaunus²

In the chronicles, the King of Britain during Julius Caesar’s invasion in the first century BC. He ascended to the throne of Britain after the death of his brother, King Lud, whose sons were too young to receive the crown. Cassibelaunus was a magnanimous ruler; though he retained the throne when his nephews came of age, he invested them with lands and cities. Julius Caesar demanded Cassibelaunus’s fealty and invaded when Cassibelaunus refused. Cassibelaunus enjoyed several victories against Caesar before his nephew, Duke Androgeus of London and Kent, rebelled against him and joined Caesar’s forces. Caesar conquered Britain but was persuaded to leave Cassibelaunus on the throne provided the latter pay an annual tribute to Rome. Cassibelaunus ruled for seven more years, died, and was succeeded by his other nephew, Duke Tenuantius of Cornwall.
   In the Short Metrical Chronicle, the chronology of which is confused, Cassibelaunus is succeeded by Uther Pendragon. [GeoffHR, Wace, Short]

Castel of the Hevy Sorow

In Ywain and Gawain, the name for the castle that Chrétien de Troyes calls the Castle of Most Ill Adventure. [Ywain]

Castell Syberw (“Proud Castle”)

A castle owned by one of Peredur Long Spear’s cousins. It held five hundred and sixty-six knights. [Peredur]

Castile

According to Der Pleier, in Tandareis and Flordibel, this kingdom in Spain was allied to Arthur. [PleierT]

Castis

The King of Wales and North Wales in the days of Uther Pendragon. He married Herzeloyde (later Perceval’s mother) from the Grail Family. He died before their marriage was consummated, and Herzeloyde inherited his throne and lands. [Wolfram]

Castle Joyous

A fortress visited by the warrior maiden Britomart. There, she found the Red Cross Knight attacked by six knights. She assisted him, and the two of them defeated the attackers. The lady of the castle, Malecasta, had wanted the Red Cross Knight as her lover. When the Red Cross Knight and Britomart lodged at the castle, Malecasta turned her affections to Britomart, not realizing that Britomart was a woman. This misunderstanding led to another brawl, and Britomart and the Red Cross Knight had to flee the castle. [Spenser]

Castle of Boys

An island castle belonging to King Orians of Amalvi. When Arthur set hundreds of children adrift at sea in a vain effort to destroy his incestuous son, Mordred, the boat washed ashore at Amalvi. King Orians took pity on the children and had them raised secretly in the Castle of Boys. [VulgMer]

Castle of Death

A castle where Gaheris fought and killed the evil Kaols the Cruel. Gaheris gave the castle to one of Kaols’s prisoners. [Livre]

Castle of Enchantments

A castle in the Scottish borderlands, built by Orpheus the Enchanter, who had once debated with Joseph of Arimathea. This was related to Sir Bors in a song that he heard in Corbenic Castle. [VulgLanc]

Castle of Joy

One of the various names given to the Grail Castle in Perlesvaus. [Perlesvaus]

Castle of Ladies¹

A fortress on the opposite site of the Oscure River from the Castle of Maidens. Lancelot participated in a tournament fought between the two. The Castle of Ladies was the home of Arthur’s Sir Flaundreus. Scholars often refer to Canguin Rock in Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval as the Castle of Ladies, but the text does not use this name. [VulgLanc, Malory]

Castle of Ladies²

Copyright Christopher Bruce. All Rights Reserved. Provided here by his kind permission. Layout of book modified to fit the Celtic Twilight format.