Knights of the Round Table

The Knights of the Round Table were those men awarded the highest order of Chivalry at the Court of King Arthur in the literary cycle the Matter of Britain. The table at which they met was created to have no head or foot, representing the equality of all the members. Different stories had different numbers of knights, ranging from only 12 to 150 or more. The Winchester Round Table, which dates from the 1270s, lists 25 names of knights.

Sir Thomas Malory describes the Knights' code of chivalry as:

To never do outrage nor murder
Always to flee treason
To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy
To always do ladies, gentlewomen and widows succor
To never force ladies, gentlewomen or widows
Not to take up battles in wrongful quarrels for love or worldly goods

Origins of the Round Table

The first writer to describe the Round Table was Wace, whose Roman de Brut was an elaboration of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. The company was used by many subsequent authors. However, even the earliest writers ascribe to Arthur a following of extraordinary warriors; in Geoffrey, Arthur's court attracts the greatest heroes from all of Europe. In the Welsh Arthurian material, much of which is included in the Mabinogion, Arthur's men are attributed with superhuman abilities. Some of the characters from the Welsh material even appear under altered names as Knights of the Round Table in the continental romances, the most notable of which are Cai (Sir Kay), Bedwyr (Sir Bedivere), and Gwalchmai (Sir Gawain).

List of Knights of the Round Table

Sir Aglovale, son of King Pellinore of Listinoise
Sir Agravaine, son of King Lot of Orkney
Sir Bedivere (Bedwyr)
Sir Bors, King of Gannes (Gaul)
Sir Breunor, also known as "La Cote Male Taile"
Sir Cador
Sir Caradoc, called "Caradoc Vreichvras", or "Caradoc Strong Arm"
Sir Colgrevance
Sir Constantine, son of Cador, who became king after Arthur's death
Sir Dagonet, the court jester
Sir Daniel
Sir Dinadan, the son of Sir Brunor Senior and brother of Sirs Brunor le Noir 'La Cote Mal Taillée' and Daniel.
Sir Ector, Arthur's foster father and Sir Kay's father
Sir Ector de Maris, the son of King Ban of Benwick
Sir Elyan the White, the son of Sir Bors
Sir Erec, (see also Geraint)
Sir Gaheris
Sir Galahad (son of Lancelot; his seat was the Siege Perilous)
Sir Gareth
Sir Gawain (Gawaine, Walganus, Balbhuaidh, Gwalchmai)
Sir Geraint (see also Erec)
Sir Gingalain, called at first Sir Le Bel Inconnu ("The "Fair Unknown"), Gawain's son
Sir Griflet, also called Sir Griflet le Fils de Dieu
King Bademagus
King Hoel
Sir Kay (Cai, Caius)
Sir Lamorak
Sir Lancelot (Launcelot du Lac, father of Sir Galahad)
King Leodegrance, Guinevere's father and keeper of the Round Table
Sir Lionel
Sir Lucan
Sir Maleagant, who abducted Guinevere
Sir Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son and destroyer of the kingdom
Sir Morholt
Sir Palamedes the Saracen
Sir Pelleas, husband of the Lady of the Lake
King Pellinore
Sir Percival (Perceval, Peredur), son of Pellinore
Sir Sagramore|Sir Sagramore le Desirous
Sir Safir, brother of Palamedes
Sir Segwarides, brother of Palamedes
Sir Tor
Sir Tristram (Tristan)
King Uriens
Sir Ywain (Owain), son of King Uriens of Gore
Sir Ywain the Bastard, also son of Uriens

In addition, Malory's account includes many obscure knights during the episode containing Sir Urry:

King Clariance of Northumberland, Sir Barrant le Apres (King with a Hundred Knights), King Angwish of Ireland, King Nentres of Garlot, King Carados of Scotland, Sir Galahalt (a duke known as the Haut Prince), Duke Chalance of Clarence, Earl Ulbawes, Earl Lambaile, Earl Aristance, Sir Florence and Sir Lovell (sons of Gawain by Sir Brandiles's sister), Sir Blamor de Ganis, Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, Sir Gahalantine, Sir Galihodin, Sir Menaduke, Sir Villiars the Valiant, Sir Hebes le Renowne, Sir Dodinas le Savage, Sir Kay l'Estrange (not Kay, Arthur's seneschal), Sir Meliot de Logris, Sir Petipace of Winchelsea, Sir Galleron of Galway, Sir Melion of the Mountain, Sir Cardok, Sir Uwain le Avoutres, Sir Ozanna le Coeur Hardi, Sir Ascamore, Sir Grummor Grummorson, Sir Crosslem, Sir Severause le Breuse (known for rejecting battles with men in favor of giants, dragons, and wild beasts), Sir Dornar, Sir Lucan the Butler, Sir Brandiles, Sir Clegis, Sir Sadok, Sir Dinas le Seneschal de Cornwall, Sir Fergus, Sir Driant, Sir Lambegus, Sir Clarus of Cleremont, Sir Clodrus, Sir Hectimere, Sir Edward of Caernarvon, Sir Dinas, Sir Priamus, Sir Helian le Blanc, Sir Brian de Listinoise, Sir Gauter, Sir Reynold, Sir Gillimer, Sir Gumret le Petit, Sir Bellenger le Beau, Sir Hebes (not Hebes le Renowne), Sir Morganor, Sir Sentrail, Sir Suppinabiles, Sir Belliance le Orgulous, Sir Neroveus, Sir Plenorius, Sir Damas, Sir Harry le Fils Lake, Sir Herminde, Sir Selises of the Dolorous Tower, Sir Edward of Orkney, Sir Ironside (Knight of the Red Launds), Sir Arrok, Sir Degrevant, Sir Degrave sans Villainy (fought with the giant of the Black Lowe), Sir Epinogris (son of King Clariance of Northumberland), Sir Lamiel of Cardiff, Sir Plaine de Fors, Sir Melias de l'Isle, Sir Borre le Coeur Hardi (King Arthur's son), Sir Mador de la Porte, Sir Colgrevance, Sir Hervis de la Forest Savage, Sir Marrok (whose wife turned him into a werewolf for seven years), Sir Persant, Sir Pertolepe, Sir Perimones (brother to Persant and Pertolepe. Called the Red Knight), Sir Lavain, and Sir Urry.

Sir Urry was a Hungarian knight who comes to Camelot, seeking Arthur's help in healing his wounds.

In the end, 110 knights--in addition to Arthur--are unable to heal Sir Urry. When Sir Lancelot arrives in Camelot, his touch heals the wounded knight. This scene depicts all the knights together at the same time, with the exception of those deceased, on quest, or otherwise ascended (as with Galahad).

Source: Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur, the Winchester Manuscript. Edited and abridged by Helen Cooper, this book was published by Oxford University Press in 1998.