The Story of King Arthur and His Knights facts for kids
Cover of the first printing of the 1903 edition
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| Author | Howard Pyle |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature, historical fiction |
| Published | November 1903 |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Pages | 416 |
| Followed by | The Story of the Champions of the Round Table |
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights is a popular children's book written by American author and illustrator Howard Pyle. It was published in 1903. This book brings together many exciting stories about the legendary King Arthur of Britain. It also features some of his brave Knights of the Round Table.
Pyle's book starts when Arthur is a young boy. It then tells many tales of courage, love, battles, and what it means to be a knight. Pyle's version is an American take on the famous English stories of the Arthurian legends. He added some unique touches, but he used ideas from older books. These include The Boy's King Arthur (1880) by Sidney Lanier and Idylls of the King (1859–1885) by Tennyson. The main source for all these stories is Le Morte d'Arthur (1485) by Mallory.
Contents
Plot
This book is divided into different sections. Each section tells a part of King Arthur's amazing journey.
The Book of King Arthur
The first part of Pyle's book is called "The Book of King Arthur." It has three main stories. These stories explain how Arthur became king and found his famous sword and queen.
The Winning of Kinghood
Howard Pyle's story introduces Arthur as a young boy. He was raised by foster parents and did not know he was born into a royal family. One day, young Arthur found a special sword. He was able to pull it out of an enchanted anvil. No one else could do this difficult task. With the magic sword, Arthur learned he was the true king. He then became the King of Britain.
The Winning of a Sword
King Arthur was once defeated by his enemy, King Pellinore. Arthur was badly hurt. Merlin, a wise wizard, told Arthur to find Excalibur. This was a very powerful sword. Following directions from the Lady of the Lake, Arthur got Excalibur. He then met King Pellinore again. Arthur used Excalibur's magic to defeat him. After the battle, they became friends.
The Winning of a Queen
King Arthur fell in love with Lady Guinevere. She was the daughter of Arthur's friend, King Leodegrance. To win her heart, Arthur visited Cameliard, where Lady Guinevere lived. Merlin helped Arthur disguise himself as a simple gardener. He worked below Lady Guinevere's tower.
King Ryence threatened King Leodegrance. He demanded that the Duke of North Umber marry Guinevere. The Duke bothered the people of Cameliard. He rode in front of the castle, daring anyone to fight him. Arthur accepted the challenge and defeated the Duke. After his victory, Arthur traveled and met other knights. These included Sir Geraint, Sir Gawaine, Sir Ewaine, and Sir Pellias. Arthur defeated them in battle and asked them to serve him.
Arthur, still disguised, returned to Cameliard. The Duke challenged him again. Arthur told his new knights to obey him. He asked to be Guinevere's champion. Arthur and his knights defeated the Duke and his men. After the fight, Arthur revealed who he was to King Leodegrance. He then asked for his daughter's hand in marriage.
The Book of Three Worthies
The second part of Pyle's book has three more stories. These are "The Story of Merlin," "The Story of Sir Pellias," and "The Story of Sir Gawain."
The Story of Merlin
Merlin, the wizard, was tricked by a young sorceress named Vivien. She was a friend of Queen Morgana le Fay. Morgana was King Arthur's sister. Morgana wanted revenge on Arthur. He had not chosen her son, Sir Baudemagus, for the Round Table. Merlin taught Vivien magic. But she used his lessons to make a potion that made Merlin helpless.
Before he died, Merlin predicted trouble for Arthur. He wished for Vivien to save Arthur. Vivien then buried Merlin alive. But she promised to help King Arthur.
While Vivien worked against Merlin, King Arthur and Sir Accalon got lost while hunting. They saw a ship come to shore. Fairies were on the ship. They offered Arthur and Accalon a feast and rooms for the night. Arthur woke up as a prisoner. He was in the dungeon of Sir Domas le Noir. To escape, he had to fight Sir Ontzlake, Sir Domas's brother. Accalon woke up in a strange place with a maiden. She asked him to fight for Sir Ontzlake against Sir Domas. She offered Excalibur as a reward.
Arthur and Accalon did not know each other. They fought a very bloody battle. When they were near death, Vivien led them to a nunnery. Vivien helped Arthur get well, but he needed rest. When Arthur asked Vivien to help Accalon, she lied. She said she had no more potion. Accalon died from his wounds. Morgana stole Excalibur's sheath while Arthur rested. She dropped it back into the lake where it was found.
When Arthur woke, he was very angry. He, Vivien, and his men looked for Morgana. Morgana turned herself into a rock. But Vivien recognized her and begged Arthur to kill her. Arthur, however, forgave his sister. This upset Vivien.
The Story of Sir Pellias
One day, Queen Guinevere, her court, and Sir Pellias were enjoying nature. A maiden named Parcenet came to them. She wanted to see if the queen was more beautiful than her Lady Ettard. Lady Ettard was known as the most beautiful woman in her area. Sir Pellias agreed to go to Grantmesnle, Lady Ettard's home. He would settle the matter with her knight, Sir Engamore of Malverat.
As Parcenet and Sir Pellias traveled, they entered the Forest of Adventure. There, they found an old woman. She asked for help crossing a stream. Sir Pellias helped her onto his horse and crossed the stream. He helped her down, and she turned into the Lady of the Lake. The Lady gave Pellias a beautiful magic necklace. It made anyone who wore it adored by everyone. With the necklace, Sir Pellias fell deeply in love with Lady Ettard. However, Lady Ettard felt no love for him when he took off the necklace. Sir Pellias was very sad because his love was not returned.
The Lady of the Lake told Sir Gawain to go to Grantmesnle. He was to help Sir Pellias. Sir Pellias accepted his help, and they made a plan. But Sir Gawaine was charmed by Lady Ettard. Sir Pellias and Sir Gawaine fought. Pellias won, but Gawaine wounded him. Pellias was near death. He was taken to a healing hermit's chapel. The Lady of the Lake came. She took the necklace and gave Pellias a potion to revive him. Pellias was alive, but he was no longer fully human. He was half-mortal and half-fairy. The Lady of the Lake and Sir Pellias went to their fairy city hidden on the lake. There, they were married.
The Story of Sir Gawaine
During a parade of King Arthur and his court, the men saw a dog chasing a deer. Right after, they saw a knight and a lady attacked by another knight. This knight took the woman captive. King Arthur asked Sir Gawaine and his brother to find out what happened. Gawaine and his brother arrived at a castle. They saw the dog killed there. Gawaine was angry. He chased the deer into the castle yard and killed it. He thought the dog died because it chased the deer.
The lady of the castle was sad about the deer's death. So, Sir Ablamor, the lord of the castle, challenged Gawaine to a fight. Gawaine won against Ablamor but did not kill him. Because Gawaine showed mercy, Ablamor invited him to dine. He explained the strange events. Earlier, Ablamor's sister-in-law was riding with his wife. They met the sorceress Vivien. Vivien gave them a dog and a deer. These animals caused trouble between Sir Ablamor and his brother.
During the Court's parade, Lord Ablamor saw the dog chasing his wife's deer. He became very angry. When he saw his brother and sister-in-law, Ablamor thought the deer chase was on purpose. He hit his brother and took his sister-in-law captive. Gawaine returned to King Arthur's court. He told Arthur what had happened.
Soon after, King Arthur left to find adventure. Arthur and his squire got lost in a forest. They found shelter in a castle. Arthur and his squire met an older knight. This knight challenged King Arthur to see who could survive having their head cut off. Arthur struck first, and the older knight lived. The old knight said he would spare King Arthur's life. But Arthur had to return in a year and a day and answer a riddle.
A year and a day passed. King Arthur searched for the riddle's answer but could not find it. He set out to keep his promise. On the way, he met an old woman. She promised to tell him the answer. But only if she could marry a knight from his court. King Arthur agreed. He then defeated the old knight. To keep his promise, King Arthur brought the woman to his court. He let her choose a knight to marry. She chose Sir Gawaine, which upset him. After they married, the woman tested Gawaine. When he proved to be a worthy knight, she revealed herself. She was the Lady of the Lake.
Characters
King Arthur is the main character in Pyle's book. But several other characters are also important. Queen Guinevere, Vivien, and Morgana le Fay are the main female characters. The Lady of the Lake is also very important to the story. King Arthur's knights, Sir Gawain and Sir Pellias, are very involved in the events. Merlin is another central male character.
Other Works
Howard Pyle wrote other books about King Arthur and his knights. These include:
