Arthurian Inspiration
People
King Allfire
King Arthur is (unsurprisingly) the central figure of all Arthurian mythology, whatever its finer details. He is credited with bringing unity to the kingdom after many years of turmoil, and introducing chivalry, truth and justice into the hearts and minds of his people.
Queen Griddle
Queen Guinevere’s marriage to King Arthur is usually depicted as a loveless union that was brought about for political purposes, but perhaps we have
Hollywood to blame for that, as the film industry inevitably makes a huge deal of Guinevere’s illicit love affair with…
Hollywood to blame for that, as the film industry inevitably makes a huge deal of Guinevere’s illicit love affair with…
Sir Loungelot
Sir Lancelot, apparently the most perfect of all knights. Sometimes he is called Lancelot du Lac, indicating a possible link with the Lady of the Lake. Inevitably, Lancelot’s affair with Guinevere is instrumental in bringing about the downfall of Camelot, no matter which version of the story you read or watch. Griddle has a huge soft spot for Loungelot, who is always happy to present himself as her champion.
Sir Blaze
Sir Kay is Arthur’s foster brother - the son of Sir Ector, in whose care Merlin is said to have left the infant Arthur. Sometimes you will see a tense and hostile relationship between Arthur and Kay; at other times, you will see them presented as close friends and comrades. It is possible that Sir Blaze’s step-relationship with King Allfire and Princess Flame is a reference to the non-blood relationship between Arthur and Kay.
Sir Burnevere
Sir Bedevere features in many legends about Arthur and his knights. His most notable contribution to the saga is the task he was given by Arthur in his dying moments - to return Excalibur to the Lake. Sir Bedevere was tempted to keep the marvellous sword for himself; only when he had informed Arthur that the Lady of the Lake had raised her hand from the water to reclaim Excalibur did Arthur know that the sword had truly been returned.
Sir Galahot
Sir Galahad is the son of Sir Lancelot and his wife, Elaine, and he is actually the most perfect of all knights, rather than his father. Galahad was the only knight good and pure enough to sit in the Siege Perilous, a seat at the Round Table that was forbidden to all others. Because of his noble and
incorruptible nature, Sir Galahad was the knight who managed to find the Holy Grail. As he knelt before it, he prayed that his soul would be taken up to Heaven then and there because he had achieved his ultimate goal. Apart from the name, the only conceivable link between Sir Galahad and Sir Galahot is the appellation ‘the Proper’ - I don’t think there is really a case to put forward that Sir Loungelot might be his father!
incorruptible nature, Sir Galahad was the knight who managed to find the Holy Grail. As he knelt before it, he prayed that his soul would be taken up to Heaven then and there because he had achieved his ultimate goal. Apart from the name, the only conceivable link between Sir Galahad and Sir Galahot is the appellation ‘the Proper’ - I don’t think there is really a case to put forward that Sir Loungelot might be his father!
Count Geoffrey
Although their names bear no resemblance, Count Geoffrey is like Mordred in many ways, being the main antagonist of the saga. Mordred is always presented as Arthur’s nephew, and nearly always as his son as well, as most legends agree that Arthur was tricked into fathering Mordred by his evil half-sister, Morgan/Morgana Le Fay.
Merle the Wizard
In terms of character, Merle (as the evil sorceress of the saga) is very like Morgana. Her name, however, is more like Merlin, the benign sorcerer who taught and advised Arthur throughout his life. Merlin even (according to most sources) engineered Arthur's birth by transforming Uther Pendragon (his father) into the likeness of the Duke of Cornwall, whose wife, Igraine, Uther then had his wicked way with.
The Lady of the Lake
Directly transplanted from Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake is first mentioned in ‘Excaliburn’, when King Allfire tries to find her. We do not see the Lady herself in this episode, although Allfire does manage to find the Princess of the Pond (top), the Female of the Fjords (below), the Dame of the Dam, the Wench of the Whirlpool and the Babe of the Bay. The Lady of the Lake makes her first on-screen appearance in ‘Knights and Knightresses’, when she is seen holding a sword above the surface of her lake in the traditional style, although this sword cannot be Excaliburn, as King Allfire has that. In this episode, the Knights of the Square Table have taken early retirement, and Sir Galahot has apparently found alternative employment as a lifeguard at the Lady of the Lake’s lake. From this appearance, it might be hard to decide whether the Lady of the Lake is a dragon or a human, as we see so little of her (just an arguably human-looking arm holding a sword above the water, as legend dictates), but this question is answered in no uncertain terms in the Series 2 episode ‘Excalibroke’. The Lady of the Lake is revealed to be Sir Loungelot’s mother, so she turns out to be (naturally) a dragon. This episode marks her only full-body appearance; she is seen doing some knitting in an armchair.
Sir Gasflame
Although he was one of the featured Knights of the Square Table in the video game, Sir Gasflame never made an appearance in the cartoon. He is mentioned in ‘Knights and Knightresses’, when he has apparently been eaten by the glutinous mud monster Hog in the Bog. He is (or was) Sir Blaze’s cousin, which may be a reference to his namesake, Sir Gawain, who is sometimes presented as the nephew of King Arthur. Gawain features in most versions of the Arthurian saga. ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ is perhaps his most famous story. The Green Knight tests Sir Gawain’s knightly virtues; Gawain proves himself in several different ways, most notably by keeping his word to give the Green Knight the opportunity (which the Green Knight does not take, of course) to cut his head off.
The Paisley Knight
This amusing ancillary character features in the Series 2 episode ‘Achy Breaky Mace’. As Sir Loungelot points out, he does not wear paisley at all; apparently he liked the idea of being called the Paisley Knight, but could not be bothered to put together the matching ensemble. It seems likely that this character was inspired by Sir Gawain’s Green Knight.
The Green Knight
He does not actually make an appearance, but he is mentioned in ‘Knights and Knightresses’ as persistently refusing to leave a nearby bridge. Sir Loungelot claims that the Green Knight has stolen this legend from him, although it sounds more like the legend of Little John (of Robin Hood fame) than Sir Lancelot. The Green Knight remains an unseen presence throughout this episode, as Flicker (in the guise of Sir Delores) keeps deflecting Loungelot’s amorous advances by claiming that the Green Knight got there first.