52 Facts About Morholt

1.

Morholt appears in some tales as an opponent whom the story's hero must overcome during the course of a quest or an adventure.

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2.

Morholt is similarly the first adversary conquered by Gawain's son Guinglan in Le Bel Inconnu.

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3.

Morholt's name is considered to have been derived from the 12th-century Welsh storyteller known as Bledhericus or Bleheris, who is mentioned in several texts, including being credited by Thomas of Britain and Wauchier de Denain as the original source of their early Arthurian poems.

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4.

Morholt dies while fighting either against Lancelot during the latter's rescue of the condemned Guinevere or against Mordred in the final battle.

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5.

Morholt's character has been derived from the Welsh mythological hero Cynon ap Clydno, usually the lover of Owain mab Urien's sister Morvydd; although in Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain, Cynon is stated to be the son of Clydno, possibly connected to Clyddno Eiddin.

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6.

Morholt describes an adventure he had in the forest of Broceliande, in which there was a magic spring that could summon a large storm.

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7.

Morholt dies during the Grail Quest while trying to keep Lionel from killing his own brother, Bors.

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8.

Morholt's father, who he fights for, is a major villain during King Arthur's early reign.

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9.

Morholt is nevertheless important in several of such works, including the Third Continuation of Perceval, the Vulgate Lancelot, the Post-Vulgate Merlin, the Livre d'Artus, the Prose Tristan, and Claris et Laris.

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10.

Morholt is most prominent in the Prose Tristan which describes him as one of the very best of the Knights, alongside Galahad, Lancelot, Palamedes, and his own brother Lamorak.

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11.

Morholt appears alongside two knights named Darnarde and Dryaun, both of them derived from the French Drian.

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12.

Morholt has her go on a long, tortuous trip with him where she is forbidden to speak to him, after which they reconcile.

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13.

Morholt's acts include saving Bors from the enchanter Mabon; he has a cousin named Driadam, whose death begins Erec's feud with the young Mordred.

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14.

Morholt is the father of Palamedes, Safir, and Segwarides, among others.

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15.

Morholt is described as one of the tallest knights in the world, wearing only a plain white shield.

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16.

Morholt first appears in the story of the Dolorous Tower in the Vulgate Cycle, in which he and his cousin Yvain attempt to rescue their other cousin Gawain from the wicked lord Carados; both are taken captive as well, but the trio are eventually rescued by Lancelot.

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17.

Morholt loosely inspired the character of Duke Chalance of Clarence, a Knight of the Round Table appearing in different episodes of Le Morte d'Arthur.

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18.

Morholt is often associated with the similarly named nephew of King Arthur, Gawain of Orkney, while being cast as Gawain's companion or opponent.

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19.

Morholt is listed by the name Gasouains in the First Continuation of Perceval ou le Conte du Graal.

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20.

Morholt is nevertheless successfully slain by Gawain with the help of Yder, the latter of whom then marries Guengasoain's daughter Trevilonete.

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21.

Morholt is defeated and taken captive by Gawain, who sends him to Arthur's court at Caerleon as a prisoner; there, he eventually becomes a Knight of the Round Table.

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22.

Morholt is with Gawain when they are both captured and imprisoned in the Dolorous Prison until the rescue by Lancelot, who later frees him from Turquine's captivity on another occasion.

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23.

Morholt is mentioned in a few early romances and is prominent in Perceval, the Story of the Grail, in which he instructs the young hero in the ways of knighthood.

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24.

Morholt's character appeared as Gurnemanz in Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal, in which he is one of the main Grail Knights.

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25.

Morholt is first found in Chretien de Troyes' Erec et Enide, named there as Girflez li filz Do.

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26.

Morholt is notably the eponymous hero of his own, early chivalric romance, Jaufre.

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27.

Morholt's name means Hector of the Fens ; he should not be mistaken with Sir Ector, the father of Kay and foster father of Arthur.

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28.

Morholt is the eponymous protagonist of the Italian Cantare di Astore e Morgana.

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29.

Morholt is raised by his maternal grandfather Agravadain the Black, lord of the Castle of the Fens.

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30.

Morholt is successful at tournaments, prevailing against such esteemed knights as Palomedes and Perceval.

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31.

Morholt is one of the knights defeated and imprisoned by Turquine before being rescued by his brother Lancelot; he returns the favour by finding the lost Knight of the Lake after Lancelot's period of insanity and returning him to the court.

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32.

Morholt has a long relationship with Lady Perse of the Narrow Borderland after saving her from a forced marriage; he has an affair with a cousin of the Lady of Roestoc prior to reuniting with Perse.

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33.

Morholt becomes one of the top leaders of Lancelot's faction, participating in the battle to rescue the queen at her would-be execution and the subsequent defence of Lancelot's castle Joyous Guard.

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34.

Morholt accompanies Lancelot in France when they are expelled from Arthur's kingdom, before later returning to Britain to help defeat the Saxon army aided by Mordred's sons after the Battle of Camlann.

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35.

Morholt then joins his brother at the Archbishop of Canterbury's hermitage, and later dies on a crusade in the Holy Land.

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36.

Morholt's first known appearance is possibly in Lanzelet as Ritschart, a count opposing King Lot who is mentioned as having a hundred knights and is later aided by Lancelot.

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37.

Morholt remains on Arthur's side during Lot's second rebellion, then fights against Arthur in the service of Galehaut in the Vulgate Lancelot.

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38.

Morholt's kingdom is variably known as Nantes, Destrigales, Carnant, and Black Isles.

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39.

Morholt appears as the king's legitimate son by Queen Guinevere in the early continental romances such as Lanzelet and Perlesvaus.

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40.

Morholt was supposed to have been in charge of the royal court, along with Bedivere the Marshal and Kay the Seneschal.

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41.

Morholt fought for Arthur's right to the throne at the Battle of Bedegraine and against subsequent rebellions.

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42.

Morholt was known to always attend the royal tournaments, and was once hurt so badly by Tristan that Yvain had to escort him to Gannes Abbey for medical assistance.

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43.

Morholt of Ireland is an Irish warrior who demands tribute from King Mark of Cornwall until he is slain by Mark's nephew Tristan.

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44.

Morholt appears in almost all versions of the legend of Tristan and Iseult, beginning with the verse works of Thomas of Britain and Beroul.

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45.

Morholt comes to Cornwall to collect tribute owed to his country; instead Tristan challenges him to battle on the remote Saint Samson's Isle in order to release his people from the debt.

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46.

Tristan mortally wounds Morholt, leaving a piece of his sword in the Irishman's skull, but Morholt stabs him with a poisoned spear and escapes to Ireland to die.

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47.

Morholt is cuckolded by Tristan in the Prose Tristan and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

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48.

Morholt is born when Pellinore sleeps with his mother "half by force", and she marries Aries shortly afterward; here Aries is not a king, but a shepherd.

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49.

Morholt's parents take him to the teenage King Arthur, who makes the boy one of his first knights in recognition of his qualities.

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50.

Morholt is encountered frequently in Arthurian romance as a hearty and usually sensible knight, fighting in Arthur's wars and questing for the Holy Grail with Galahad and Gareth.

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51.

Morholt was killed by his cousin Gawain late during the Grail Quest when the two, disguised by their armour, randomly meet and decide to joust.

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52.

Morholt serves Arthur in the Saxon wars, later participating in the quests to learn the fate of Merlin and to find the missing Lancelot.

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