Lamorak

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Lamorak is one of the sons of King Pellinore and a brother of Aglovale, Drian, Perceval, and Tor. His siblings may also include the Grail maiden Dindrane and others.{{cite book |last= Sommer|first= H. Oskar|date= 1891|title= Le Morte Darthur: Studies on the Sources|url= {{google books|plainurl=yes|id=5KU3AAAAIAAJ|keywords=Lamorak}}|via= Google Books|publisher= David Nutt|pages= 197–199, 248, 282, 287}}{{cite book |last= Schofield|first= William Henry|date= 1895|title= Harvard Studies and Notes in Philology and Literature, Vol. IV|url= {{google books|plainurl=yes|id=ShgJAAAAIAAJ}}|via= Google Books|publisher= Ginn & Company|pages= 184, 185, 193}} Named after his uncle, who in his time had been one of the best knights of King Arthur's father Uther Pendragon, he gains fame for his strength, fiery temper, and feats of martial prowess, such as fighting off at least thirty knights by himself on more than one occasion. Lamorak's adventures often involve the Cornish prince Tristan, first as his mortal enemy, later turned his best friend. In one episode exclusive to the Italian Tavola Ritonda,{{Cite book |last=Tether |first=Leah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=33gqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT309 |title=Handbook of Arthurian Romance: King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature |last2=McFadyen |first2=Johnny |date=2017-06-26 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-043248-0 |language=en}} for example, he helps Tristan escape from the castle of the lustful fairy enchantress Medeas.{{Cite book |last=Polidori |first=Filippo Luigi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=biRLAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA292 |title=La Tavola ritonda, o L'istoria di Tristano testo di lingua citato dagli accademici della Crusca ed ora per la prima volta pubblicato secondo il codice della Mediceo-Laurenziana per cura e con illustrazioni di Filippo Luigi Polidori: Prefazione, testo dell'opera |date=1864 |publisher=Presso Gaetano Romagnoli |language=it}}

Lamorak's death comes from how his father Pellinore, one of King Arthur's earliest royal allies, had once killed the rebellious King Lot of Orkney in battle. Ten years later, Lot's sons Gawain and Gaheris retaliated by slaying Pellinore in a duel. Lamorak, who meanwhile has joined Lot's sons at the Round Table, inflames the families' blood feud by having an affair with Lot's widow, the Queen of Orkney (Morgause). The Queen's son Gaheris catches the lovers in flagrante delicto while staying at Gawain's estate and promptly beheads her, letting her unarmed lover go. Lamorak reappears at a tournament and explains the situation to Arthur, but rejects the king's promise of protection at his court and enforcement of a truce between the two royal families. In the version made popular by Le Morte d'Arthur, when Lamorak rides off alone, he is ambushed in a wood by Gawain and Gaheris along with their brothers Agravain and Mordred, who had just murdered Drian. Together, the four unfairly fight him all at once for hours. Ultimately, it is Mordred who delivers a fatal blow on Lamorak from behind, after which Gawain beheads Lamorak. The episode reflects Gawain's earlier killing of Pellinore.{{Cite book |last=Busby |first=Keith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9R8HDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA291 |title=Gawain: A Casebook |last2=Thompson |first2=Raymond H. |date=2005-11-08 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-78352-4 |language=en}} In the P-V Folie Lancelot and the First Version of the Prose Tristan, Gawain beheads Lamorak (Lamorat), defeated by Mordred and Agravain in their ambush (in which Lamorak had first defeated Gawain), after Lamorak refuses to yield. This, too, is preceded by the mortal wounding of Drian.{{Cite book |last=Bogdanow |first=Fanni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o3gbDgAAQBAJ&pg=PR25 |title=La folie Lancelot: A hitherto unidentified portion of the Suite du Merlin contained in MSS B.N. fr. 112 and 12599 |date=2015-11-13 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-132803-4 |language=fr}}

Most other variants of the Prose Tristan report on his murder only very briefly; one of the exception is the late manuscript BnF 103 that seems to have been Malory's exact source. Arthur learns of the murder and the suspicion falls on the Orkney brothers. Lamorak's cousin, named Avarlon in the Post-Vulgate Cycle and Pinel le Savage in Le Morte d'Arthur, later attempts to avenge Lamorak's murder by poisoning Gawain at Queen Guinevere's dinner party. However, the poison is accidentally taken by Gaheris de Kareheu (unrelated to Gaheris the son of Lot), whose brother Mador de la Porte then blames the queen and demands Arthur to have her executed. Guinevere is saved when Lancelot fights Mador as her champion while the sorceress Nimue uncovers the truth behind the incident.

Guiron le Courtois features his uncle named Lamorat de Listenois, a brother of Pellinor de Listenois. He adventures with Galehaut and Guiron, and is eventually accidentally killed by Dinadan's father known as the Good Knight Without Fear when the latter mistakes him for his enemy.{{Cite book |last=Lathuillère |first=Roger |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_mqQ-8Jcl3UC&pg=PA565 |title=Guiron le courtois: Étude de la tradition manuscrite et analyse critique |date=1966 |publisher=Librairie Droz |isbn=978-2-600-02795-3 |language=fr}} {{clear left}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.kingarthursknights.com/knights/lamorak.asp King Arthur's Knights: Sir Lamorak]

{{Arthurian Legend}}

Category:Fictional characters introduced in the 13th century

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Category:Fictional Welsh people

Category:Knights of the Round Table