Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
due order at the Round Table in the great hall of Carlisle Castle, and
King Arthur's heart was filled with pride as he looked on his heroes.
There sat Sir Lancelot, not yet the betrayer of his lord's honour and
happiness, with Sir Bors and Sir Banier, there Sir Bedivere, loyal to
King Arthur till death, there surly Sir Kay, the churlish steward of
the king's household, and King Arthur's nephews, the young and gallant
Sir Gareth, the gentle and courteous Sir Gawayne, and the false,
gloomy Sir Mordred, who wrought King Arthur's overthrow. The knights
and ladies were ranged in their fitting degrees and ranks, the
servants and pages waited and carved and filled the golden goblets,
and the minstrels sang to their harps lays of heroes of the olden
time.
His Discontent
Yet in the midst of all this splendour the king was ill at ease, for
he was a warlike knight and longed for some new adventure, and of late
none had been known. Arthur sat moodily among his knights and drained
the wine-cup in silence, and Queen Guenever, gazing at her husband,
durst not interrupt his gloomy thoughts. At last the king raised his
head, and, striking the table with his hand, exclaimed fiercely: "Are
all my knights sluggards or cowards, that none of them goes forth to
seek adventures? You are better fitted to feast well in hall than
fight well in field. Is my fame so greatly decayed that no man cares
to ask for my help or my support against evildoers? I vow here, by the
boar's head and by Our Lady, that I will not rise from this table till
some adventure be undertaken." "Sire, your loyal knights have gathered
round you to keep the holy Yuletide in your court," replied Sir
Lancelot; and Sir Gawayne said: "Fair uncle, we are not cowards, but
few evildoers dare to show themselves under your rule; hence it is
that we seem idle. But see yonder! By my faith, now cometh an
adventure."
The Damsel's Request
Even as Sir Gawayne spoke a fair damsel rode into the hall, with
flying hair and disordered dress, and, dismounting from her steed,
knelt down sobbing at Arthur's feet. She cried aloud, so that all
heard her: "A boon, a boon, King Arthur! I beg a boon of you!" "What
is your request?" said the king, for the maiden was in great distress,
and her tears filled his heart with pity. "What would you have of me?"
"I cry for vengeance on a churlish knight, who has separated my love
from me." "Tell your story quickly," said King Arthur; and all the
knights listened while the lady spoke.
"I was betrothed to a gallant knight," she said, "whom I loved dearly,
and we were entirely happy until yesterday. Then as we rode out
together planning our marriage we came, through the moorland ways,
unnoticing, to a fair lake, Tarn Wathelan, where stood a great castle,
with streamers flying, and banners waving in the wind. It seemed a
strong and goodly place, but alas! it stood on magic ground, and
within the enchanted circle of its shadow an evil spell fell on every
knight who set foot therein. As my love and I looked idly at the
mighty keep a horrible and churlish warrior, twice the size of mortal
man, rushed forth in complete armour; grim and fierce-looking he was,
armed with a huge club, and sternly he bade my knight leave me to him
and go his way alone. Then my love drew his sword to defend me, but
the evil spell had robbed him of all strength, and he could do nought
against the giant's club; his sword fell from his feeble hand, and the
churlish knight, seizing him, caused him to be flung into a dungeon.
He then returned and sorely ill-treated me, though I prayed for mercy
in the name of chivalry and of Mary Mother. At last, when he set me
free and bade me go, I said I would come to King Arthur's court and
beg a champion of might to avenge me, perhaps even the king himself.
But the giant only laughed aloud. 'Tell the foolish king,' quoth he,
'that here I stay his coming, and that no fear of him shall stop my
working my will on all who come. Many knights have I in prison, some
of them King Arthur's own true men; wherefore bid him fight with me,
if he will win them back.' Thus, laughing and jeering loudly at you,
King Arthur, the churlish knight returned to his castle, and I rode to
Carlisle as fast as I could."
King Arthur's Vow
When the lady had ended her sorrowful tale all present were greatly
moved with indignation and pity, but King Arthur felt the insult most
deeply. He sprang to his feet in great wrath, and cried aloud: "I vow
by my knighthood, and by the Holy Rood, that I will go forth to find
that proud giant, and will never leave him till I have overcome him."
The knights applauded their lord's vow, but Queen Guenever looked
doubtfully at the king, for she had noticed the damsel's mention of
magic, and she feared some evil adventure for her husband. The damsel
stayed in Carlisle that night, and in the morning, after he had heard
Mass, and bidden farewell to his wife, King Arthur rode away. It was a
lonely journey to Tarn Wathelan, but the country was very beautiful,
though wild and rugged, and the king soon saw the little lake gleaming
clear and cold below him, while the enchanted castle towered up above
the water, with banners flaunting defiantly in the wind.
The Fight
The king drew his sword Excalibur and blew a loud note on his bugle.
Thrice his challenge note resounded, but brought no reply, and then he
cried aloud: "Come forth, proud knight! King Arthur is here to punish
you for your misdeeds! Come forth and fight bravely. If you are
afraid, then come forth and yield yourself my thrall."
The churlish giant darted out at the summons, brandishing his massive
club, and rushed straight at King Arthur. The spell of the enchanted
ground seized the king at that moment, and his hand sank down. Down
fell his good sword Excalibur, down fell his shield, and he found
himself ignominiously helpless in the presence of his enemy.
The Ransom
Now the giant cried aloud: "Yield or fight, King Arthur; which will
you do? If you fight I shall conquer you, for you have no power to
resist me; you will be my prisoner, with no hope of ransom, will lose
your land and spend your life in my dungeon with many other brave
knights. If you yield I will hold you to ransom, but you must swear
to accept the terms I shall offer."
"What are they," asked King Arthur. The giant replied: "You must swear
solemnly, by the Holy Rood, that you will return here on New Year's
Day and bring me a true answer to the question, 'What thing is it that
all women most desire?' If you fail to bring the right answer your
ransom is not paid, and you are yet my prisoner. Do you accept my
terms?" The king had no alternative: so long as he stood on the
enchanted ground his courage was overborne by the spell and he could
only hold up his hand and swear by the Sacred Cross and by Our Lady
that he would return, with such answers as he could obtain, on New
Year's Day.
The King's Search
Ashamed and humiliated, the king rode away, but not back to
Carlisle--he would not return home till he had fulfilled his task; so
he rode east and west and north and south, and asked every woman and
maid he met the question the churlish knight had put to him. "What is
it all women most desire?" he asked, and all gave him different
replies: some said riches, some splendour, some pomp and state; others
declared that fine attire was women's chief delight, yet others voted
for mirth or flattery; some declared that a handsome lover was the
cherished wish of every woman's heart; and among them all the king
grew quite bewildered. He wrote down all the answers he received, and
sealed them with his own seal, to give to the churlish knight when he
returned to the Castle of Tarn Wathelan; but in his own heart King
Arthur felt that the true answer had not yet been given to him. He was
sad as he turned and rode towards the giant's home on New Year's Day,
for he feared to lose his liberty and lands, and the lonely journey
seemed much more dreary than it had before, when he rode out from
Carlisle so full of hope and courage and self-confidence.
The Loathly Lady
Arthur was riding mournfully through a lonely forest when he heard a
woman's voice greeting him: "God save you, King Arthur! God save and
keep you!" and he turned at once to see the person who thus addressed
him. He saw no one at all on his right hand, but as he turned to the
other side he perceived a woman's form clothed in brilliant scarlet;
the figure was seated between a holly-tree and an oak, and the berries
of the former were not more vivid than her dress, and the brown leaves
of the latter not more brown and wrinkled than her cheeks. At first
sight King Arthur thought he must be bewitched--no such nightmare of a
human face had ever seemed to him possible. Her nose was crooked and
bent hideously to one side, while her chin seemed to bend to the
opposite side of her face; her one eye was set deep under her beetling
brow, and her mouth was nought but a gaping slit. Round this awful
countenance hung snaky locks of ragged grey hair, and she was deadly
pale, with a bleared and dimmed blue eye. The king nearly swooned when
he saw this hideous sight, and was so amazed that he did not answer
her salutation. The loathly lady seemed angered by the insult: "Now
Christ save you, King Arthur! Who are you to refuse to answer my
greeting and take no heed of me? Little of courtesy have you and your
knights in your fine court in Carlisle if you cannot return a lady's
greeting. Yet, Sir King, proud as you are, it may be that I can help
you, loathly though I be; but I will do nought for one who will not be
courteous to me."
The Lady's Secret
King Arthur was ashamed of his lack of courtesy, and tempted by the
hint that here was a woman who could help him. "Forgive me, lady,"
said he; "I was sorely troubled in mind, and thus, and not for want of
courtesy, did I miss your greeting. You say that you can perhaps help
me; if you would do this, lady, and teach me how to pay my ransom, I
will grant anything you ask as a reward." The deformed lady said:
"Swear to me, by Holy Rood, and by Mary Mother, that you will grant me
whatever boon I ask, and I will help you to the secret. Yes, Sir King,
I know by secret means that you seek the answer to the question, 'What
is it all women most desire?' Many women have given you many replies,
but I alone, by my magic power, can give you the right answer. This
secret I will tell you, and in truth it will pay your ransom, when you
have sworn to keep faith with me." "Indeed, O grim lady, the oath I
will take gladly," said King Arthur; and when he had sworn it, with
uplifted hand, the lady told him the secret, and he vowed with great
bursts of laughter that this was indeed the right answer.
The Ransom
When the king had thoroughly realized the wisdom of the answer he rode
on to the Castle of Tarn Wathelan, and blew his bugle three times. As
it was New Year's Day, the churlish knight was ready for him, and
rushed forth, club in hand, ready to do battle. "Sir Knight," said the
king, "I bring here writings containing answers to your question; they
are replies that many women have given, and should be right; these I
bring in ransom for my life and lands." The churlish knight took the
writings and read them one by one, and each one he flung aside, till
all had been read; then he said to the king: "You must yield yourself
and your lands to me, King Arthur, and rest my prisoner; for though
these answers be many and wise, not one is the true reply to my
question; your ransom is not paid, and your life and all you have is
forfeit to me." "Alas! Sir Knight," quoth the king, "stay your hand,