The Death of King Arthur

by Peter Ackroyd

  ‘Well,’ the king replied, ‘you may speak with impunity as ambassadors. But I tell you this. Under other circumstances your words would have meant death. I owe your emperor no tribute. The only thing I will offer him is a sharp sword or a sharp spear in the field of battle. May that day come soon!’

  So the twelve knights left in a rage. Arthur was angry at their presumption. But he was still more angered at King Pellinor for wounding Sir Griflet. ‘Get my horse and armour ready,’ he told his chamberlain. ‘I have work to do in the wood.’

  On the following day he was armed and mounted outside the city, for the sake of secrecy, and then rode off alone towards the spring. As he made his way he saw Merlin being chased by three ruffians along a woodland path. So he raised his sword and, charging them, called out, ‘Flee, churls!’ Which is, of course, what they did.

  ‘Ah, Merlin,’ Arthur said. ‘If I had not chanced upon you here, you would have been killed.’

  ‘Not so, sire. I could have saved myself at any moment. You are in fact nearer to death than I am. You are about to meet a mortal foe. And God is not your friend.’

  They went on their way, talking, until they came up to the spring and the bright pavilion where King Pellinor sat fully armed in a chair of gold. ‘Sir knight,’ Arthur asked him, ‘why do you sit here challenging every knight that passes this way? That is not a good custom.’

  ‘I have followed this custom for a long time. If you wish to amend it, then you must fight me to the finish.’

  ‘I will amend it.’

  ‘I will defend it.’

  They prepared themselves for battle. They both brought out their spears and rode against each other so hard that their weapons were shattered in their hands. Then Arthur raised his sword.

  ‘No swords,’ King Pellinor said. ‘We should fight only with spears.’

  ‘I have none left,’ Arthur told him.

  ‘My squire will bring one for both of us.’ The squire brought out two sharp spears, and each warrior chose between them. Once again they were so furious in fighting that these spears were shattered. Arthur put his hand on his sword.

  ‘Not so!’ Pellinor called out to him. ‘You are the finest jouster I have ever known. For the sake of the high Order of Knighthood, we must still ride against each other with spears.’ So his squire brought them two more, and they resumed their battle. In the course of it, King Pellinor proved so strong that Arthur fell to the ground. But he was still eager to continue the contest and now, on foot, he was able to use his sword. ‘I will test you now,’ he said to King Pellinor.

  Pellinor dismounted, and pulled out his own sword. They fell upon each other like rams in conflict, and by dint of hard blows much blood was spilled. The part of the forest in which they fought was covered in gore. When their strength ebbed they rested, and then they clashed swords again. Pellinor struck hard, after many hours of fighting, and dashed Arthur’s sword to pieces. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘you are in my power. I can slay you or save you. So yield to me now, or else face certain death.’

  ‘As to that,’ Arthur replied, ‘death is welcome to me. I will never surrender.’ The king then leaped at Pellinor and caught him by the waist, throwing him to the ground and taking off his helmet. They wrestled briefly, but Pellinor was a man of great might. He pinned Arthur down, and was about to smite off his head when Merlin rushed over.

  ‘Knight,’ he said, ‘hold your hand. If you slay this man you will endanger the whole kingdom. He is of more worship than you know.’

  ‘What? Who is he?’

  ‘He is Arthur.’

  Pellinor was still ready to kill him, and raised his sword. But Merlin cast an enchantment on him, and the warrior fell to the ground in a great sleep. Then the magician took up his king and rode away with him on Pellinor’s horse. ‘What have you done?’ Arthur asked him. ‘Have you killed this man with your craft? He was a noble knight. I would rather have lost my land than that he should lose his life.’

  ‘Have no fear,’ Merlin replied. ‘He is in better health than you. He will awake within the hour. I told you of his fearlessness and strength. If I had not come to your aid, you would now be lying dead. But in time to come he will do you good service. His name is King Pellinor. He will sire two sons, Percival and Lamorak, who will surpass all other knights living. He will also tell you the name of the child your half-sister will bear, and who will be the bane of your kingdom.’

  Here we will tell of the Lady of the Lake

  The king and Merlin made their way to a hermitage, where there dwelled a skilful doctor. This man tended Arthur’s wounds with herbs that grew around the hermitage, and within three days they were healed.

  Then Arthur and Merlin rode off. ‘I am the shadow of myself,’ the king said. ‘I have no sword.’

  ‘Do not concern yourself. A sword will be found for you soon enough.’

  So they rode until they came to a fair lake with placid waters. ‘Look,’ Merlin said. ‘There is your sword.’ And, at that moment, from the surface of the water there emerged an arm clothed in white that in its hand held a shining sword. The air was filled with sweet sounds, and the light from the sword suffused the whole lake. Then Arthur saw a lady sailing towards him in a dark boat; she was wearing a black cape, and her hair was covered with a hood. ‘This is the Lady of the Lake,’ Merlin told him. ‘She lives in a great palace within a cavern. Speak graciously to her, and she will give you the sword.’

  The lady came up to the shore and greeted the king with a deep bow. He saluted her in turn. ‘Fair lady,’ he said, ‘whose sword is that, being held above the water? I wish that it were mine.’

  ‘Arthur,’ she replied, ‘the sword is mine. But if you will present me with a gift, for which I will ask you soon, then I will give the sword to you.’

  ‘What is this gift you desire? It will be yours.’

  ‘Go into the barge over there. Row yourself to the sword, and take it with its scabbard out of the water. I will ask you for my gift when the time comes.’

  Arthur and Merlin dismounted from their horses, tied them to two trees, and then climbed aboard the barge. When they came up to the sword the king took it by its handle and lifted it from the water. Then the arm and the hand disappeared into the lake.

  So they came back to the shore, and rode off. ‘Which is finer,’ Merlin asked him, ‘the sword or the scabbard?’

  ‘The sword.’

  ‘Now there you are wrong. The scabbard is worth ten times more than the sword. I will tell you the reason. While you have the scabbard about you, you will never lose a drop of blood. Keep it beside you. Even when badly wounded, you will be safe.’

  They returned to Caerleon, where the knights welcomed them with great joy. When the men heard of the adventures of Arthur, they wondered why he had put himself in such jeopardy. But the wiser among them realized that it was good to serve such a king, who put himself at the same risk as his warriors.

  Here we will tell of a dark deed

  Soon after this adventure Arthur called for the gathering of all noble children born on the first day of May; that was the day, according to Merlin, when the future destroyer of the king and of his kingdom had been born to his half-sister. The king was determined to act on this prophecy. So the children of lords and knights were yielded up to him, on pain of death, among them the child named Mordred, who was sent by the wife of King Lot.

  Then Arthur ordered that all these infants should be embarked on a ship and left to the mercy of the sea; but by the fortune of the winds and the waves this sad ship was wrecked on the cliffs near a castle. Most of the children were drowned but Mordred himself was saved; he was fostered by a good man of the country, and was brought to Arthur’s court at the age of fourteen. This story is yet to be told.

  Many of the lords of the realm were angry at the loss of their children, but for the most part they blamed Merlin rather than Arthur. Yet, for fear and dread of their sovereign, they said and did nothing. An evil world had been born.


  The Knight with the Two Swords

  After the death of Uther Pendragon, as we have written, Arthur became sovereign of England. Yet this was not accomplished without a struggle, because there were many kings residing upon the land who fought one with another and aspired to become leader of the whole country. One day, when the court was at Winchester, Arthur was told that King Rience of North Wales had invaded the kingdom; he was laying waste the realm, and killing the people.

  ‘If this report is true,’ Arthur said, ‘we must launch our power against him and lay him waste.’

  ‘It is true,’ one of his knights told him. ‘I have seen his army.’

  ‘Then the moment has come to destroy him before he reaches further.’

  So Arthur called all of his warriors, and lords, and knights, to a general council at the castle called Camelot. In those far-off days Winchester itself was known as Camelot. It was a blessed city.

  Wherein Sir Balin wins a sword

  When the king was comfortably lodged there, in the company of all his kin, there came to him a lady who had been sent by the great Lady Lile of the enchanted island of Avalon. She said that she bore with her a message from that lady. Then she let her mantle fall, and revealed a noble sword strapped to her side.

  ‘Fair lady,’ the king said to her, ‘why do you wear such a weapon? It is not fit for a female to carry a sword.’

  ‘I carry this sword to my shame, sire,’ she replied. ‘It brings me sorrow. But it can be taken only by a knight of absolute truth and valour. Only he will be able to lift it from its sheath. If a knight of these virtues stands before me, I will be saved. I travelled to the court of King Rience, where I was told by report that many good knights were gathered, but not one of them could take out this sword.’

  ‘This is a marvel,’ the king said. ‘I will try myself to take it. I may not be the greatest and most valiant of all knights, but I will set an example to everyone else here.’

  He put his hand around the hilt of the sword, but however hard he tried he could not lift it. ‘Sire,’ the lady said, ‘there is no need to struggle with it. He that is destined to take it needs to use little strength.’

  ‘You speak the truth,’ Arthur told her. ‘Now come up, all the rest of you. Try your skill.’

  The lady then turned to them. ‘But take care that you are not tainted by treachery or any other fault. The knight who removes this sword must be free of all sin.’ So most of the knights of the Round Table tried to lift the sword, but none of them succeeded. At that point the lady wailed in sorrow. ‘I had hoped,’ she said, ‘that at this court I would find a faithful knight filled with virtue.’

  ‘I swear in God’s name,’ Arthur told her, ‘that the knights of my court are as good as any others in the world. But it is not in their destiny to help you. I am sorry. I beg your forgiveness.’

  It so happened that in Arthur’s company that day was a poor knight who had been held prisoner in London for half a year after he had killed a cousin of the king in open combat. His name was Sir Balin. He had been released from prison, and had travelled secretly to the court to restore his fortunes. He had seen the failure of the other knights to remove the sword from its sheath, and he believed that he could succeed in the task. But he was so poor and so piteously arrayed that he dared not put himself forward. Yet he knew in his heart that he could do it. So, just as the lady was departing, Balin called to her, ‘Good lady, I beg you to let me try to lift the sword. I may seem poor to you, but I will prove that I can assist you.’

  The lady saw that he was a good-looking man, but she believed that his outward show of poverty meant that he had committed some villainy in the past. ‘Do not put yourself to any trouble,’ she told him. ‘What makes you believe that you can succeed where the others have proved unable to do so? You do not look like a fortunate knight.’

  ‘Ah, lady, fine clothes do not make an honest man. I have within me that which passes show. I have strength and sincerity. Many good knights go through the world unknown.’

  ‘You speak the truth, sir. So. Try your strength.’

  Sir Balin took the hilt, and drew out the sword without any difficulty. The king and the court looked on in astonishment, but the bitter envy of other knights was thereby aroused by his triumph.

  ‘You have succeeded,’ the lady said. ‘You are the most virtuous of all knights, free of the vices of felony or treason. You will achieve many wonderful feats in the course of your life. Now, gentle and courteous knight, give me back the sword.’

  ‘Oh no, dear lady. I have earned the right to keep it. I will fight anyone who tries to take it from me.’

  ‘Well,’ she said, ‘this is not wise of you. I tell you this. With this sword you will slay your best friend. With its blade you will cut down the man whom you most love in the world. This sword will bring your ruin.’

  ‘I will take the chance. I will abide by God’s will. But I shall not surrender it to any man.’

  ‘You will repent of this very shortly,’ she replied. ‘I am sorrowful for your sake, not for mine. It is a great pity that you will not be persuaded.’ With that she left the court, weeping, while Balin called for his horse and armour.

  ‘Why are you leaving us?’ Arthur asked him. ‘I suppose that you are displeased with me for showing you some unkindness before. But lay no blame at my door. I was not told the truth about you. I did not know that you are a knight of valour and virtue. So stay with us. If you remain at court, I will advance you through the ranks of the knights.’

  ‘God thank you, sire, for your goodwill towards me. I cannot praise you highly enough. But I must go on alone.’

  ‘I am sorry to lose you,’ the king replied. ‘But do not be absent for too long. Come back in good time. We will all be here to welcome you. And I will be able to remedy the mistakes I have made against you.’

  ‘Thank you again,’ Sir Balin said. ‘And God save you.’ So he prepared to ride away from the court. He had hardly put on his stirrups when some knights started to whisper that he had seized the sword by witchcraft.

  Wherein the Lady of the Lake meets her destiny

  But then there came to the court the lady known as the Lady of the Lake. She rode on a horse richly caparisoned, and her robes were of the finest silk. She saluted the king, and then spoke to him. ‘I claim,’ she said, ‘the gift that you promised me when I gave you the sword.’

  ‘I was not told the name of the sword.’

  ‘It is called Excalibur. That is to say, it is Cutter of Steel.’

  ‘A good name for a noble weapon. Please ask me what you wish for it, and I will keep my promise if I can.’

  ‘Well,’ the lady said, ‘I want the head of the knight who won the sword today. If I cannot have it, then I demand the head of the lady who wore that sword. I would in fact prefer to have both of their heads. He killed my brother, a true and good knight, and she was the cause of my father’s death.’

  ‘Alas, fair lady,’ the king replied, ‘I cannot grant these requests. It would bring great shame upon me. Ask me for another gift, which I will gladly grant you.’

  ‘I want nothing else.’

  At that moment Sir Balin rode up, ready to depart, and saw the Lady of the Lake. He blamed this woman for the death of his mother three years before, and for all that time he had sought her. Now he learned that she had asked for his own death. So he acted. ‘This is an evil hour for you,’ he said. ‘You wanted my head, but instead you will lose yours!’ And with his sword he struck off her head.

  Arthur cried out. ‘What have you done? You have shamed me and my court by killing a guest. I owed much to her, and she came here under my pledge of safe conduct. I can never forgive your crime.’

  ‘Sire,’ Sir Balin replied, ‘I am sure that I deserve your displeasure. But consider this. This lady was the most wicked woman in the world. By enchantment and sorcery she has destroyed many good knights. And she caused my mother to be burned alive by reason of her false witness.’

/>   ‘Whatever cause you had,’ the king replied, ‘you should have held back in my presence. Do not doubt my word. You have committed the greatest crime against courtesy, and therefore you must renounce my court for ever. Leave now with all possible speed.’

  Sir Balin took up the severed head of the lady, and rode off to his lodging. There he met his squire, and together they rode away from Winchester. ‘You must take this head,’ he told the squire, ‘and bear it to my friends in Northumberland. Tell them that I have destroyed my worst enemy. Tell them, also, that I have been allowed to leave prison. And please relate to them the adventure that brought me this sword.’

  ‘Ah, sir,’ the squire replied to him, ‘you are greatly to blame for displeasing the king.’

  ‘As for that,’ Balin said, ‘I have a plan. I will strive with all speed to meet King Rience and challenge him to combat. If I die, I die with honour. If I kill him, then Arthur will once more be my friend.’

  ‘Where shall I see you again, sir?’

  ‘At the court of King Arthur. At Camelot. Where else?’ So he and his squire left each other on the road.

  Meanwhile Arthur had mourned the death of the Lady of the Lake, and had buried her body in splendid state. She lay in a white tomb on a hillside, and upon the sides of her sepulchre were carved images of flowing water. Then there came to the court a young knight, Sir Launceot, who was the son of the King of Ireland. He was an envious and overweening man who resented the fact that Sir Balin had won the sword. So he came up to Arthur, and asked permission to challenge and kill him for the shame he had inflicted on them all.

  ‘I wish you well,’ the king told him. ‘He has done me a great wrong.’ So Sir Launceot prepared himself for the fight.

  Merlin came back to the court at this time, and was told about the lady and the enchanted sword. He also heard about the death of the Lady of the Lake. ‘I will tell you something,’ he said. ‘The lady who brought the sword to court is false and unfaithful. She has a brother who, by the strange chance of battle, captured and killed her very own lover. She was enraged by this, and so she went to the Lady of the Lake for revenge. The Lady of the Lake gave her that sword, and told her that the knight who took it from its sheath was destined to kill her brother before himself being destroyed. That was the reason she came here. I wish to God that she had not come, because in the company of good people she always tries to do harm. The knight that gained the sword will die from it.’