Mark, as you hopefully recall, was the king of Cornwall. Malory implied he was Arthur’s vassal at one point in Book VIII, but in this story we get a sense that he’s neither Arthur’s vassal nor Arthur’s enemy. As this … Continue reading →
We open with Tristram hot on the trail of the mysterious Fair Knight! He came across a lady weeping over a dead knight, because either Malory forgot he used this exact tableau in the previous story, describing Palomides’s encounter with … Continue reading →
This tale may have been written while Malory was in the throes of a stroke, or possibly two pages were stuck together and his editor missed it, or something, because not only does it make no sense in the familiar … Continue reading →
Malory wants to tell us a little bit about Sir Dinas. It hadn’t come up before and it wouldn’t come up again, but Sir Dinas had a little bit of backstory. Once upon a time, says Malory, Sir Dinas had … Continue reading →
Speak we of other knights that sought after Sir Tristram many divers parts of this land, Malory announces. Now begins the Tale of King Mark and Sir Kay. Naturally we cut to Sir Gawaine’s brother Sir Gaheris. Don’t worry, you … Continue reading →
Sir Palomides had a problem, and that problem was named Sir Tristram. Tristram, just the fact of him out there, ate at Palomides. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t make sensible conversation. He couldn’t ride straight, even. With the Castle of … Continue reading →
Tristram wandered aimlessly for a time. Remember when he had some kind of objective? And the semblance of a plot, with Mark and the lovely Isoud and so on? Those were the days, huh? He heard about a tournament up … Continue reading →
Tristram and Lamorak met back up at the forester and collected Kehydius, and then the three of them rode back to the ship where they’d gotten wrecked back in the first place, and met the folks they left there, Gouvernail … Continue reading →
This story at least has Nimue in it. Malory opens the Tale of Tristram’s Story With Nimue In It by telling us about a great new villain character he’s come up with: Lady Annowre. She was a sorceress who wanted … Continue reading →
We find Sir Tristram riding around the forests of North Wales. In theory he went to find help for his wife, Isoud the White, his manservant Gouvernail, and the lovely Isoud’s henchman Bragwaine; they had all been in a shipwreck … Continue reading →
