| Knights of the Round Table | |
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Members |
Gawain, Kay, Lancelot, Tristan, Galahad, Gareth, & More |
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First Appearance |
Matter of Britain literature (mid-12th century) |
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Created by |
British Folklore |
Origin[]
The Knights of the Round Table are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are an order dedicated to ensuring the peace of Arthur's kingdom following an early warring period, entrusted in later years to undergo a mystical quest for the Holy Grail. The Round Table at which they meet is a symbol of the equality of its members, who range from sovereign royals to minor nobles.
The various Round Table stories present an assortment of knights from all over Great Britain and abroad, some of whom are even from outside of Europe. Their ranks often include Arthur's close and distant relatives, such as Agravain, Gareth, and Yvain, as well as his reconciled former enemies, like Galehaut, Pellinore and Lot. Several of the most notable Knights of the Round Table, among them Bedivere, Gawain and Kay, are based on older characters from a host of great warriors associated with Arthur in the early Welsh tales. Some, such as Lancelot, Perceval and Tristan, feature in the roles of a protagonist or eponymous hero in various works of chivalric romance. Other well-known members of the Round Table include the holy knight Galahad, replacing Perceval as the main Grail Knight in the later stories, and Arthur's traitorous son and nemesis Mordred.
By the end of Arthurian prose cycles (including the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur), the Round Table splits up into groups of warring factions following the revelation of Lancelot's adultery with King Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere. In the same tradition, Guinevere is featured with her own personal order of young knights, known as the Queen's Knights. Some of these romances retell the story of the Knights of the Old Table, led by Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, whilst other tales focus on the members of the 'Grail Table'; these were the followers of ancient Christian Joseph of Arimathea, with his Grail Table later serving as the inspiration for Uther and Arthur's subsequent Round Tables.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All literary works featuring the Knights of the Round Table published before January 1, 1929 are in the public domain in the US.
A list of some notable works can be found here.
Public Domain Television Appearances[]
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956 - 30 episodes)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Star Comics #1-6, 8-10, 19-20
- New Comics #3, 7-8
- Knights of the Round Table (1957) #10
- Knights of the Round Table (1963) #1
- Jack-in-the-Box Comics #15
- Robin Hood and His Merry Men #29
- Four Color #0775
- Catholic Comics v1 #5
- Robin Hood #1-8
- Mystery Comics #1
- Top Notch Comics #5