The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend

Arthur declares a tournament to be held at Camelot during which he will compete with the king of Scotland, but Guinevere stays behind in London. Since Lancelot also stays behind, gossip spreads that the two lovers are reigniting their affair. Lancelot explains to Guinevere in private that he will in fact go to the tournament disguised and fight against the knights of the Round Table for sport. He follows Arthur’s traveling party to Astolat (also called Guildford) and the castle of Sir Bernard.

At Astolat, Lancelot asks Bernard for a shield to borrow (so that he will not be recognized by his own) and conceals his identity. Bernard asks if his son, Lavane, may accompany Lancelot, and Lancelot agrees. Elaine, Bernard’s daughter, spies on Lancelot and falls instantly in love with him. She begs Lancelot to wear her token—a red scarf—during the tournament, and because Lancelot wishes to remain disguised, he agrees.

At the tournament, Lancelot remains unrecognized. He wins the day but is severely wounded by Bors, whose spear lodges in Lancelot’s side. Lancelot makes a hasty exit and calls upon Lavane to treat his wounds. When Lavane pulls the spear out of Lancelot’s side, Lancelot loses even more blood. Together they go to the home of Sir Baudwin, Lancelot’s cousin. Baudwin almost dismisses the guest because Lavane only describes him as a knight who fought against Arthur’s court, but Baudwin, having relinquished his knighthood and become a hermit, ultimately agrees to treat the man. When Baudwin notices a scar on Lancelot’s cheek, he immediately recognizes him. He treats Lancelot’s injuries.

Because the identity of the knight with the red scarf remains unknown, Gawain, back at Arthur’s court, announces he will search for the champion while Arthur and the Round Table knights return to London. Gawain arrives at Astolat and tells Bernard that the winner of their tournament was a knight wearing a red scarf. Elaine overhears this and exclaims that the knight is her one true love. When Gawain questions her, Elaine remembers that the knight left his original shield there at the castle. Gawain sees the shield and realizes the knight was Lancelot. Gawain returns to London and informs Arthur of the knight’s identity. Guinevere overhears and rages against Lancelot for having worn the token of another woman.

Elaine, having heard from Gawain about Lancelot’s injuries, rides from Astolat and finds the home of Sir Baudwin. Elaine treats Lancelot like a mother caring for her child. Lancelot sends Lavane to fetch Bors, who upon arriving tells Lancelot about Guinevere’s wrath and the news that Arthur has planned another tournament, this time in competition with the king of North Wales and scheduled for All Hallows Day (Halloween).

Restless, Lancelot one day tries to ride his horse but is kicked off. Baudwin is angry at Bors and Lavane for letting the patient leave his bed, and Elaine is mortified. Bors goes to the tournament and then returns to find Lancelot well.

The next day, Bors, Lavane, Elaine, and Lancelot ride back to Astolat to say farewell to Sir Bernard. Elaine is distraught at the idea of Lancelot leaving. She asks to marry him or at least to be his lover; when Lancelot refuses, she announces that she will die. Lancelot leaves with Lavane. Elaine languishes and asks her father to bury her in a barge set on the river Thames. Then she dies.

Elaine’s funeral barge sails to Westminster, where Sir Kay, Arthur, and Guinevere notice it. The beautiful corpse bears a letter, identifying herself as the Fair Maid of Astolat and lover of Lancelot. Guinevere is moved to pity. Lancelot is summoned, hears the letter, and defends himself. Later, Guinevere reconciles with Lancelot.

After a brief discourse from the narrator about love, the story continues. Guinevere, 10 knights, and 10 ladies, ride out to enjoy a May festival. Since Lancelot is away, Sir Meliagaunt ambushes the queen; he has long loved her but feared Lancelot. The 10 knights are unsuccessful in defending Guinevere, but before Meliagaunt takes her and the defeated knights to his fortress, the queen hands her ring to a servant to deliver to Lancelot.

Lancelot rides out to rescue Guinevere, overcomes an ambush force of Meliagaunt’s men, and is taken by a cart driver to Meliagaunt’s castle. Meliagaunt, upon seeing Lancelot arrive, surrenders immediately.

At night, Lancelot goes to Guinevere’s window and, out of intense love for her, summons the strength to pull off the iron bars with his bare hands; in the process he cuts his hand. He sleeps with Guinevere that night and gets blood (from his wound) on the bed. In the morning, Meliagaunt discovers Guinevere’s blood-stained bed and realizes she has been with another man. Meliagaunt accuses the queen of adultery and treason, assuming she slept with one of the wounded knights from her entourage. Lancelot challenges him to a fight in one week at Camelot, but later that same day Meliagaunt deceptively traps Lancelot in a cave. The other knights return to Camelot, believing Meliagaunt’s lie that Lancelot already left on his own.

Trapped in the cave, Lancelot is kept alive by a woman serving him food and water. The woman offers to rescue Lancelot if he becomes her lover, but Lancelot refuses. On the day of the contest for Guinevere, the lady changes her offer, promising to release Lancelot if he will only kiss her. Lancelot agrees to this. Freed, Lancelot rides to Camelot, defeats Meliagaunt, and saves Guinevere from the charges of treason, which would have sentenced her to burn at the stake.