The Knights of the Round Table () are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the French-language Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are a chivalric 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, Gaheris 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.
The first written record of the Knights of the Round Table is found in the Roman de Brut, written by the Norman author Wace in 1155. At the end of the 12th century, works of chivalric romance by Chrétien de Troyes had a major influence on the spread of the Arthurian legend while introducing many of the later popular Round Table heroes to French and international audiences. In the 13th-century Arthurian prose cycles, including their seminal compilation Le Morte d'Arthur, the Round Table eventually 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 texts also tell of one or two other minor tables, intended for the lesser knights of Arthur, and of the precedent Knights of the Old Table, once led by Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon. A story introduced by Robert de Boron around 1200 focuses on the much earlier members of the 'Grail Table'—followers of ancient Christian Joseph of Arimathea, who centuries later would serve as the template for Uther's and Arthur's orders following Merlin's creation of the Round Table.
Numbers of members The number of the Knights of the Round Table (including King Arthur) and their names vary greatly between the versions published by different writers. The figure may range from a dozen to as many as potentially 1,600 (the number of seats at the table), the latter claimed by Layamon in his Brut. Most commonly,Daniel Mersey, Myths & Legends: The Knights of the Round Table, p. 4. however, there are between about 100 and 300 seats at the table, often with one seat permanently empty. The number of three hundred was also chosen by King Edward III of England when he decided to create his own real-life Order of the Round Table at Windsor Castle in 1344.Jennifer Westwood, Albion: A Guide to Legendary Britain, p. 314.
In many chivalric romances, there are over 100 members of Arthur's Round Table, as with either 140 or 150 according to Thomas Malory's popular Le Morte d'Arthur, and about 140 according to Erec by Hartmann von Aue. Some sources offer much smaller numbers, such as 13 in the Didot Perceval and 60 in the count by Jean d'Outremeuse in his Ly Myreur des Histors.Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects, p. 132.Christopher W. Bruce, The Arthurian Name Dictionary, p. 140. Others yet give higher numbers, as with 250 in the Prose Merlin, and 366 in both Li Chevaliers as Deus Espees and Perlesvaus (where this is their peak number that nevertheless had dwindled to only about 25 at the time when the story begins).
Chrétien de Troyes suggested around 500 knights in his early romance Erec and Enide. In the same work, Chrétien catalogued many of Arthur's top knights in a series of long hierarchical lists of names. These rankings are different in each of the surviving manuscripts, none of which is believed to be the author's original version.
While not mentioning the Round Table as such, one of the late Welsh Triads lists 24 extraordinary knights permanently living in Arthur's court, mixing romance characters with several Arthur's warriors from a largely lost Welsh tradition considered to originate in old Celtic folklore. Companions of Arthur numbering 24 also appear in the Welsh tale of Peredur son of Efrawg.
Partial lists Select members Some of the more notable knights include the following (the bolded out entries indicate separate character articles):
+Overview of common members of the Knights of the Round TableNameAlternative namesIntroductionOther medieval worksNotes Accolon Post-Vulgate Cycle, c. 13th centuryLe Morte d'ArthurLoved by Morgan le Fay, accidentally killed in a duel with King Arthur. Aglovale Agloval, etc. King Pellinore's eldest son; father of Morien. Agravain Agravaine, etc. Lancelot-Grail, Le Morte d'Arthur Second son of King Lot (of either Lothian or Orkney) and Arthur's sister Morgause. Arthur Y Gododdin, c. 6th century Many High King of Britain, ruler of Logres and lord of Camelot. BagdemagusBademagu, etc.Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, 1170s Meleagant's father and ruler of Gorre. Bedivere (Welsh: Bedwyr, French: Bédoier) Bedevere Pa Gur yv y Porthaur, c. 10th century Vita Cadoc, Culhwch and Olwen, Stanzas of the Graves, Welsh Triads, Historia Regum Britanniae, Le Morte d'Arthur, numerous others Returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake; brother to Lucan. Bors Son of King Bors, father of Elyan the White, achiever of the Holy Grail; Arthur's successor in some versions; also known as Bors de Ganis. Brunor Breunor le Noir, La Cote Mal Taillée ("The Badly-shaped Coat")Knight who wears his murdered father's coat; brother of Dinadan and Daniel. Cador (Latin: Cadorius) Historia Regum Britanniae, The Dream of Rhonabwy Raised Guinevere as her ward, father to Constantine; described in some works as Arthur's cousin. Calogrenant Colgrevance, etc. Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, 1170s Le Morte d'Arthur Cousin to Sir Yvain. Caradoc (Latin: Caractacus) (Welsh: Caradog Freichfras, meaning Caradoc Strong Arm) (French: Carados Briefbras) (English: Carados of Scotland) Perceval, the Story of the Grail, the Mabinogion Rebelled against Arthur when he first became king, but later supported him. Sometimes two characters: Caradoc the Elder (a king) and Caradoc the Younger (a knight). Claudin Lancelot-Grail, Le Morte d'Arthur Virtuous son of the villain king Claudas. ConstantineHistoria Regum Britanniae, c. 1136 Le Morte d'Arthur Arthur's cousin and successor to his throne; Cador's son. Dagonet Arthur's court jester. Daniel von Blumenthal Daniel von Blumenthal, 1220 Knight found in an early German offshoot of Arthurian legend. Dinadan Prose Tristan, 1230s Le Morte d'Arthur Son of Sir Brunor the Senior. Ector Hector, etc.Lancelot-Grail, early 13th century Le Morte d'Arthur Raises Arthur according to Merlin's command; father to Kay. Elyan the White (French: Helyan le Blanc) Son of Bors ErecUnclear; first literary appearance as Erec in Erec and Enide, c. 1170See Geraint and Enid Son of King Lac. Esclabor Exiled Saracen king; father of Palamedes, Safir, and Segwarides. FeirefizWolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, early 13th century A half-black half-brother of Perceval; Arthur's nephew. Gaheris Le Morte d'Arthur Son of King Lot and Morgause, brother to Gawain, Agravaine, and Gareth, and half-brother to Mordred. Galahad Galahad, etc. Lancelot-Grail, early 13th century Post-Vulgate Cycle, Le Morte d'Arthur Bastard son of Sir Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic conceived when the latter raped the former using magic; the main achiever of the Holy Grail, alongside Bors and Perceval. GalehaultGalehot, etc.Lancelot-Grail, early 13th centuryA half-giant foreign king, a former enemy of Arthur who becomes close to Lancelot.GaleschinGaleshin, etc.The Vulgate CycleSon of Elaine of Garlot and King Nentres; nephew of Arthur. Gareth BeaumainsLe Morte d'Arthur, Idylls of the King Also a son of King Lot and Morgause; in love with Lyonesse. Gawain Gawaine, Gauvaine, etc. (Latin: Walwanus, Welsh: Gwalchmai) Culhwch and Olwen, c. 11th centuryConte du Graal, Lancelot-Grail cycle, Prose Tristan,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Le Morte d'Arthur and many short Middle English romances Another son of King Lot and Morgause; father of Gingalain. Gingalain Wigalois, etc. Also Fair Unknown (Bel Inconnu) Le Bel Inconnu Gawain's son. Gornemant Gurnemanz, etc. Perceval, the Story of the Grail Parzival Mentor of Perceval. Griflet Girflet, etc. Jaufre Jaufré A cousin to Lucan and Bedivere. Hector de MarisEctor Quest du Saint Graal (Vulgate Cycle) Half-brother of Lancelot, son of King Ban; Bors and Lionel are his cousins. Hoel (Welsh: Howel, Hywel) The Dream of Rhonabwy, Geraint and Enid Son of King Budic of Brittany; father to St. Tudwal. Kay (Welsh: Cai, Latin: Caius) Pa Gur yv y porthaur? 10th century Many Ector's son, foster brother to Arthur. LamorakLamorat Prose Tristan, c. 1235 Lancelot-Grail Cycle Son of King Pellinore, brother to Tor, Aglovale, Perceval, and Dindrane; lover of Morgause. LancelotLancelot du Lac, Lancelot of the Lake, LauncelotErec and Enide, c. 1170Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, Lancelot-Grail, many others Son of King Ban from France. Lancelot, the most prominent knight of the Round Table, as well as the most powerful knight (although he could not best Tristan), is infamous for his affair with Queen Guinevere. LanvalLaunfal, etc. Marie de France's Lanval, late 12th century Sir Landevale, Sir Launfal, Sir Lambewell Enemy of Guinevere. Leodegrance Guinevere's father, King of Cameliard, and the holder of the Round Table during the period between the death of Uther and the reign of Arthur. LionelLancelot-Grail, early 13th century Son of King Bors of Gaunnes (or Gaul) and brother of Bors the Younger. Lucan The ButlerLe Morte d'ArthurServant to King Arthur; Bedivere's brother, Griflet's cousin. MaleagantMeliagrant, etc.