Gawain (Gwalchmei, Gawan, Gauvain, Walewein etc.) (
IPA pronunciation: /gaʊwɪn/ or /gɑːweɪn/) is
King Arthur's nephew and a
Knight of the
Round Table who appears very early in the
Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. He is almost always portrayed as the son of Arthur's sister
Morgause (or Anna) and King
Lot of
Orkney and
Lothian, and his brothers are
Agravain,
Gaheris,
Gareth, and
Mordred. In some works he has sisters as well. Gawain is often portrayed as a formidable but brash warrior, fiercely loyal to his king and family. He is a friend to young knights, a defender of the poor, and a consummate ladies' man. In some works, his strength waxes and wanes with the sun; in the most common form of this motif, his might triples by noon, but fades as the sun sets. His knowledge of herbs makes him a great healer, and he is credited with at least three children: Florence, Lovell, and
Gingalain, the last of which is also called
Libeaus Desconus or
Le Bel Inconnu, the Fair Unknown. In later
Welsh Arthurian literature, Gawain is considered synonymous with the native champion Gwalchmei.
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[Arthurian] One of Arthur's main champions; in medieval English terms, the chief knight of the Round Table. He is frequently identified with the Welsh warrior Gwalchmei but is much more significant. Strangely, Gawain's strength increases until noon then wanes, hinting that he has origins in solar myth but has become fully human. His exploits were found on the Continent prior to Geoffrey of Monmouth. His father is Lot but there are uncertainties about his mother. Romancers finally settled on Morgause, Arthur's half-sister, making Mordred his brother or half brother. Undisputedly he has three more brothers- Gaheris, Agravain and Gareth. The Didot-Perceval gives him a sister, Elaine, as well. William of Malmesbury referred to him as early as 1125 as the nephew of Arthur. William also claimed that Gawain's tomb was found during the reign of William the Conqueror on the coast of Pembrokeshire. William says that Gawain fought against a brother of Hengist, the Saxon chieftain. Two accounts of his deat...
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