Elayne, Igraine's Sister, Malory Text

Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, composed in the middle of the 15th century, and published in 1485 by William Caxton, is the version of the Arthurian legend that became the foundation for most of the treatments of the legend known now -- White's The Once and Future King, for instance, upon which the musical Camelot is based, and Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Malory's work is an amalgamation of several earlier Arthurian texts, including both French and English sources, and adds some original material. The work is readily available in print; an e-version can be found here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080925231822/http://etext.lib.virginia... http://web.archive.org/web/20080825140058/http://etext.lib.virginia...

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Gorlois' daughter, Elaine, is best known from her single appearance in Malory's "Le Morte D'Arthur" as the step-daughter of King Uther Pendragon (and thus half-sister to King Arthur). Uther married her off to King Nentres of Garlot, an otherwise unknown King who appears to be a confused combination of Elaine's brother-in-law and her real husband. Geoffrey of Monmouth reveals the latter's identity when he states "Hoel was the son of Arthur's sister; and his father was Budicius, the King of the Armorican Britons". The 14th century tale of the "Birth of Arthur" confirms this by naming him as the Emyr Llydaw (Emperor of Brittany), that is King Budic II of Brittany, though here Arthur's sister is given as Gwyar (a confused character, usually identified as King Arthur's sister, Anna). "Nentres" is probably an extreme corruption of Emyr. "Garlot" stems from the residence of Elaine's brother-in-law, King Lot of Caer-Lot in Lothian (Gododdin). Elaine may also be identified with the lady of that name given in literary sources as the wife of King Ban of Benwick and mother of Sir Lancelot, since Ban is sometimes called King of Brittany (and was probably the historical Budic). Elaine's apparent historicity is shown in one of the Welsh Triads which records her as one of the "Three Elens who went from the Isle of Britain". She accompanied her brother, Arthur, on his expedition to fight Frollo, the Roman Governor of Gaul and never returned. What more natural than to remain in Gaul, if her husband were a Breton?

Sources

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Peter C. Bartrum (1993) A Welsh Classical Dictionary.

Rachel Bromwich (1961) Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads.

Ronan Coghlan (1991) The Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends.

Llanstephen MS.201 (14th c.) The Birth of Arthur.

Thomas Malory (1485) Le Morte D'Arthur.

Geoffrey of Monmouth (1136) The History of the Kings of Britain.

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Queen of Garlot Elaine verch Gorles o Cernyw1

b. circa 475

Father Duke of Cornwall Gorles Sap map Solor o Cernyw1 b. circa 452, d. before 480

Mother Ygerna verch Amlawdd o Dumnonia1 b. circa 452

    Also called Helena filia Corlius Latin. Queen of Garlot Elaine verch Gorles o Cernyw is best known from her single appearance in Malory's "Le Morte D'Arthur" as the step-daughter of King Uther Pendragon (and thus half-sister to King Arthur).2 Also called Anna.3 She was born circa 475.1 She was the daughter of Duke of Cornwall Gorles Sap map Solor o Cernyw and Ygerna verch Amlawdd o Dumnonia.1 Queen of Garlot Elaine verch Gorles o Cernyw married Emyr Llydaw Budic II map Erich of Brittany, son of King of Brittany Erich ab Aldrien of Brittany, before 491.1

Family

Emyr Llydaw Budic II map Erich of Brittany b. circa 460, d. 544

Child

King of Brittany Hoël I Mawr ap Budic de Bretagne+ b. c 491, d. 5451

Citations

[S266] EBK, online http://freespace.virgin.net/david.ford2/…

[S266] EBK, online http://freespace.virgin.net/david.ford2/…, Elaine, Queen of Garlot.

[S278] DfAdam, online unknown url, The Line of Constantine, King of Britain, 78.