Launcelot, Sir
Launcelot, Sir
(lăn`səlŏt', lŏn`–, lôn`–), in Arthurian legendArthurian legend,the mass of legend, popular in medieval lore, concerning King Arthur of Britain and his knights. Medieval Sources
The battle of Mt. Badon—in which, according to the Annales Cambriae (c.
..... Click the link for more information. , bravest and most celebrated knight at the court of King Arthur. He was kidnapped as an infant by the mysterious Lady of the LakeLady of the Lake,
in Arthurian legend, a misty, supernatural figure endowed with magic powers, who gave the sword Excalibur to King Arthur. She inhabited a castle in an underwater kingdom.
..... Click the link for more information. , from whom he received his education and took his title, Launcelot of the Lake. As a young man he went to the court of King Arthur, where he was knighted and became one of the most feared warriors in all Christendom. Launcelot was the lover of Guinevere, his sovereign's queen. He was also loved by Elaine (the daughter of King Pelles), by whom he was the father of Sir Galahad, and by Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat, who died for love of him. Launcelot's name sometimes appears as Lancelot.
Bibliography
See study by J. L. Weston (1901, repr. 1972).