Knights of the Round Table facts for kids

The Arming and Departure of the Knights, one of the Holy Grail-themed 19th-century tapestries by Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and John Henry Dearle

King Arthur and his knights in a 14th-century Italian manuscript of the Vulgate Cycle's Quest for the Holy Grail

The Knights of the Round Table were famous characters from the legends of King Arthur. They were known as the bravest and most skilled knights in King Arthur's kingdom. These knights lived in King Arthur's castle, Camelot.

They were called the Knights of the Round Table because of a special table in Camelot. This table was round, not rectangular. This design meant that everyone who sat around it was seen as equal and trustworthy. No one person was at the "head" of the table, showing that all knights were equally important.

The Code of Chivalry

King Arthur's knights, gathered at the Round Table

To become a Knight of the Round Table, a knight had to prove he was chivalrous enough. Chivalry means being polite, honorable, and brave. In the legends, the knights swore a special promise called the Code of Chivalry. This was like an oath they had to follow.

This code meant they promised to live by certain rules once they became a Knight of the Round Table. It guided their actions and showed what it meant to be a true knight.

What was the Code of Chivalry?

Sir Thomas Malory wrote a famous book based on the King Arthur legends. It was called Le Morte d'Arthur. In his book, he shared his version of the Code of Chivalry. This code included important rules for the knights:

• Never to do outrage or murder. This meant they should not attack or kill anyone without a good reason.
• Always to flee treason. They promised not to commit treason, which is a serious crime against their country or king.
• To by no means be cruel. They had to give mercy to anyone who asked for it, even in a fight.
• Always to help ladies, gentlewomen, and widows. 'Succor' is an old word for help. This meant knights must help women if they needed it.
• Never to harm ladies, gentlewomen, or widows.
• Not to fight in wrongful quarrels for love or money. They should only fight for God or their country.
• To fear God and support His Church.

Famous Knights of the Round Table

Queen Guinevere bidding farewell to Sir Lancelot

In different stories, the number of knights varies. Some tales mention only 12 knights, while others list more than 150. The famous Winchester Round Table, a large decoration, shows 25 knights.

Most people agree that these are some of the most well-known Knights of the Round Table:

Related pages

• Round Table

Images for kids

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  Piety: The Knights of the Round Table about to Depart in Quest of the Holy Grail by William Dyce (1849)

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  "Queen Guenever's Peril." Alfred Kappes' illustration for The Boy's King Arthur (1880)

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  Calogrenant at the fountain in the BN MS fr.1433 manuscript of Yvain ou le chevalier au lion (c. 1325)

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  The attributed arms of "Dodinet le Sauvaige"

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  The attributed arms of "Herec le fils Lac"

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  The attributed arms of "Exclabor ly Viescovtiens"

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  Giflet throwing Excalibur into the lake in a 1470 illustration for the 13th-century romance La Mort du roi Arthur

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  The attributed arms of "Lucam le Bouteillier"

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  The attributed arms of "Mellienderis"

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  The attributed arms of "Securades"

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  "Sir Segwarides rides after Sir Tristram." F. A. Fraser's illustration for Henry Frith's King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (1912)

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  His attributed arms

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  Le Morte d'Arthur scene of Guinevere with some of her unarmed knights before they are ambushed by Maleagant, as depicted in Queen Guinevere's Maying by John Collier

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Caballeros de la Mesa Redonda para niños