Pellias

Pelleas, or Pellias, is an Arthurian Knight of the Round Table whose story first appears in the Post-Vulgate Cycle. He becomes husband of Nimue the Lady of the Lake in Le Morte d’Arthur… In a section of the Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin, Pellias, the son of a poor vavasour, seeks the love of the high-born lady named Arcade. Though he wins her a golden circlet in a tournament, she spurns him, holes up in her castle refusing to see him, and sends her knights daily to humiliate him in hopes of driving him away. During the course of unrelated adventures, Gawain, Arthur’s nephew, witnesses Pellias’s humiliation and vows to help him by going to Arcade wearing Pellias’ armour so that it appears that Pellias killed Gawain. Once in her confidences, Gawain plans to woo Arcade on behalf of Pellias, delivering her to him. Instead, Gawain falls for Arcade himself, his passion causing him to forget his promise to Pellias. When Gawain does not return with the maiden, Pellias seeks them out and finds them in bed together. Though distraught, Pellias cannot bring himself to kill them, so leaves his bare sword between them in the bed and returns home, where he says he will never leave his bed until he dies from grief. The next morning, Arcade recognises the sword and Gawain remembers his promise. He convinces Arcade to love Pellias and arranges for them to meet. The pair marry and have a son, Guivret, who later becomes one of Arthur’s knights… Thomas Malory reworked the Post-Vulgate version in “The Story of Pelleas and Ettard” from the first book of his compilation Le Morte d’Arthur. There, Gawain leaves the maiden—who in this version is called Ettard or Ettarde—after the incident with the sword. Nimue (Nenyve), one of the Ladies of the Lake, comes upon Pelleas, hears his story, and casts a spell that makes him love herself. She then punishes Ettard’s abuse of him, enchanting her to fall in love with Pelleas as deeply as he loved her…