Sir Lancelot of the Lake
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‘The best knight in the world’ as admirers called him, was a son of
King Ban of Benoic. The Lady of the Lake was said to have spirited him
away as an infant and brought him up. Hence the epithet "Lancelot of
the Lake". When he was eighteen the Lady presented him at Arthur’s
court, where he rose to supremacy in all knightly pursuits. Among many
adventures he delivered a northern castle, Dolorous Gard, from an evil
enchantment, and found a tomb with his own name on it. Realising that
the castle was his Fated home and last resting-place, he took
possession and renamed it Joyous Gard. As Guinevere’s lover he endured
much high-handedness on her part and various clashes for other
reasons, which drove him into temporary insanity. But he saved her
from an abductor and was generally true to her. He would not respond
to the advances of Elaine, the Maid of Astolat, and she died of grief:
her body was floated on a barge down-river to Camelot. When Arthur was
forced to condemn his wife and Lancelot rescued her, he took her to
Joyous Gard, but restored her to the King under a pledge of safety. In
consequence of the rift, which divided the Round Table, Lancelot led
away many followers to his own French domains, and set up a rival
court.