King Lot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lot (Loth)
Matter of Britain character
Attributed arms of Loth of Orkney (Loth de Orchanie) according to romance heraldry
First appearance	Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth
Information
Occupation	King
Spouse(s)	Arthur's sister
Children	Gawain and Mordred, various others (Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth in the prose cycle tradition)
Relatives	King Arthur's family, various others
Home	Lothian and either Norway or Orkney

King Lot, sometimes spelled Loth or Lott, is a well-known king in the Arthurian legends. He first appeared in a book called Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In these stories, Lot is King Arthur's brother-in-law. He even served as a temporary ruler of Britain before Arthur became king.

King Lot often appears in chivalric romance stories. Sometimes he is Arthur's enemy, and other times he is his friend. He is usually shown as the ruler of a place called Lothian in Scotland. He also sometimes rules Norway or the Orkney Islands. His character might be based on an older figure named Leudonus, who was a king in the Lothian area.

Lot is usually described as the husband of Arthur's sister or half-sister. She is known by different names, but most often as Anna, Gwyar, or Morgause. The number and names of their children change in different stories. However, their sons Gawain and Mordred are almost always mentioned.

Who Was King Lot?

King Lot's character likely comes from older stories about a king named Leudonus. This king ruled a place called Leudonia, which is the old name for Lothian. Stories about Saint Kentigern (also known as Saint Mungo) mention Leudonus as the saint's grandfather.

Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote about King Lot in the 1100s. He probably chose the name "Lot" because it sounded like "Lodonesia," a Latin name for Lothian. This was a common way for writers back then to connect characters to places.

The name Lot might also be linked to an old Norse name, Ljot. This name was common in the Orkney Islands. It suggests a possible connection between King Lot and the rulers of Orkney.

King Lot in Arthurian Legends

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, Historia Regum Britanniae, Lot is one of three brothers. Each brother rules a part of northern Britain. Lot rules Lodonesia and is the lord of Carlisle. His brothers, Urien and Angusel, rule other areas.

Lot is first mentioned as a loyal helper to Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father. He helps Uther fight against the Saxons. When Uther gets sick, he marries his daughter to Lot. He then puts Lot and his daughter in charge of the kingdom. Lot and Anna have two sons, Gawain and Mordred.

When Arthur becomes king, he helps Lot and his brothers get their lands back from the Saxons. Lot is also the heir to the "Kingdom of Norway." With Arthur's help, he takes this kingdom from a ruler who had taken it unfairly. Later, Lot even leads one of Arthur's armies in a war against the Roman Emperor.

Lot in Other Stories

After Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, Lot appeared in Welsh Arthurian stories. Here, he was called Lleu or Llew. These stories also connect Lot and Urien as brothers. Lot's wife in Welsh stories is Arthur's sister, Gwyar, and she is the mother of Gawain.

Early chivalric romances often mention Lot, but usually only in connection to his famous son, Gawain. Some stories, like De Ortu Waluuanii, tell how a teenage Lot fell in love with Uther Pendragon's daughter, Anna. This happened when he was a young servant at Uther's court.

In the 13th century, Lot became more important in longer Arthurian stories. In these tales, he is the king of Lothian and Orkney. In the Lancelot-Grail stories, Lot of Orkney marries Morgause, one of Arthur's mother's daughters from a previous marriage.

When the young Arthur becomes king, Lot and other kings rebel against him. Arthur defeats them in a big battle. After this, Lot becomes Arthur's ally and helps him fight the Saxons.

Lot's Tragic End

Later stories, like the Post-Vulgate Cycle and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, tell a different version of Lot's story. In these tales, Lot again fights against Arthur. Arthur hears a prophecy that a child born on May Day will destroy him. Arthur gathers all babies born around that time, including his own son, Mordred. He puts them on a ship, which sinks, and the children are believed to have died.

Lot believes Mordred was one of his own sons. Because of this, he joins Arthur's enemy, King Rience. Lot continues his fight against Arthur until he is killed in battle by King Pellinore. Merlin, a powerful wizard, helps Pellinore defeat Lot.

Lot's death starts a long and bitter fight between his family and Pellinore's family. This fight leads to many revenge killings. This family feud is a very important part of Malory's famous book, Le Morte d'Arthur.

Some Scottish stories from the late Middle Ages say that Lot was also the king of the Picts, an ancient people of Scotland. This idea has continued in some modern Arthurian legends.

Images for kids

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  Attributed arms of Loth of Orkney (Loth de Orchanie) according to romance heraldry