# Bulfinch’s Mythology — Character guide

> Key figures in Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch.

- [King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/king_arthur.md): Legendary king of Britain, central figure of the Arthurian legends and the Round Table.
- [Sir Launcelot](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/launcelot.md): Greatest knight of the Round Table, renowned for his bravery and love for Queen Guenever.
- [Charlemagne](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/charlemagne.md): Emperor of the Franks, leader of the paladins and central figure in the Charlemagne legends.
- [Orlando](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/orlando.md): Bravest of Charlemagne's paladins, whose madness over love drives much of the epic.
- [Rogero](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/rogero.md): Saracen knight who converts to Christianity and marries Bradamante, ancestor of the Este family.
- [Geraint](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/geraint.md): Knight of the Round Table, hero of a Welsh romance about love and chivalry.
- [Aeneas](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/aeneas.md): Trojan hero who fled Troy and founded the Roman race, central to Virgil's epic.
- [Tristram](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/tristram.md): Knight of the Round Table, tragic lover of Isoude, known for his adventures.
- [Sir Owain](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sir_owain.md): Knight of the Round Table, hero of Welsh Arthurian tales and the Lady of the Fountain.
- [Astolpho](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/astolpho.md): English paladin of Charlemagne, known for his wit, magical adventures, and flying hippogriff.
- [Rinaldo of Montalban](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/rinaldo.md): Paladin of Charlemagne, cousin of Orlando, known for his strength and rivalry with him.
- [Ogier the Dane](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/ogier.md): Legendary Danish paladin of Charlemagne, hero of many chivalric adventures.
- [Sir Perceval](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/perceval.md): Knight of the Round Table, seeker of the Holy Grail, known for his purity.
- [Sir Gawain](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sir_gawain.md): Nephew of King Arthur, a valiant knight known for his strength and courtesy.
- [Sir Bohort](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sir_bohort.md): Knight of the Round Table, one of the three who achieved the Holy Grail.
- [Huon of Bordeaux](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/huon.md): Duke of Bordeaux who undertakes a perilous quest to the court of Charlemagne.
- [Jupiter](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/jupiter.md): King of the Roman gods, ruler of Olympus, often intervening in mortal affairs.
- [Phoebus Apollo](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/apollo.md): God of music, prophecy, and healing; a central figure in many myths.
- [Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/ulysses.md): Greek hero of the Odyssey, known for his cunning and long journey home.
- [Angelica](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/angelica.md): Beautiful princess of Cathay, object of desire for many paladins in the Orlando epics.
- [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/achilles.md): Greatest Greek warrior of the Trojan War, son of Thetis, known for his wrath.
- [Sir Galahad](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sir_galahad.md): Purest knight of the Round Table, destined to achieve the Holy Grail.
- [Thor](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/thor.md): Norse god of thunder, protector of mankind, wielding the hammer Mjolnir.
- [Sir Kay](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sir_kay.md): Foster-brother of Arthur and seneschal of the Round Table, known for his sharp tongue.
- [Psyche](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/psyche.md): Mortal princess who becomes the wife of Cupid and a goddess after trials.
- [Oliver](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/oliver.md): Paladin of Charlemagne, close friend of Roland, known for wisdom and valor.
- [Niobe](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/niobe.md): Proud queen turned to stone after boasting about her children, slain by Apollo and Diana.
- [Minerva](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/minerva.md): Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and war; patron of heroes like Ulysses.
- [Juno](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/juno.md): Queen of the gods, wife of Jupiter, often vengeful toward his mortal lovers.
- [Vulcan](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/vulcan.md): God of fire and metalworking, husband of Venus, forger of divine weapons.
- [Sir Lionel](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sir_lionel.md): Knight of the Round Table, brother of Sir Bohort, known for his fierce temper.
- [Hector](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/hector.md): Trojan prince and greatest warrior of Troy, killed by Achilles.
- [Ovid](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/ovid.md): Roman poet whose Metamorphoses is a major source for many myths in this book.
- [Antaeus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/antaeus.md): Giant wrestler of Libya, invincible while touching the earth, killed by Hercules.
- [Orpheus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/orpheus.md): Legendary musician who descended to the underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice.
- [Cephalus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/cephalus.md): Hunter and husband of Procris, central figure in a tragic love story.
- [Pwyll](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/pwyll.md): Prince of Dyfed in Welsh mythology, hero of the first branch of the Mabinogi.
- [Proserpine](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/proserpine.md): Daughter of Ceres, queen of the underworld, abducted by Pluto.
- [Medea](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/medea.md): Sorceress who helped Jason obtain the Golden Fleece, later a tragic figure.
- [Enid](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/enid.md): Wife of Geraint, known for her loyalty and patience in Arthurian romance.
- [Theseus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/theseus.md): Athenian hero who slew the Minotaur and later became king of Athens.
- [Manawyddan](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/manawyddan.md): Welsh hero and magician, son of Llyr, central figure in the Mabinogi.
- [Queen Guenever](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/queen_guenever.md): Wife of King Arthur, whose love for Launcelot leads to the downfall of Camelot.
- [Danaë](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/danae.md): Mother of Perseus, imprisoned by her father but visited by Jupiter in a golden shower.
- [Charlot](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/charlot.md): Son of Charlemagne, a treacherous figure in the Charlemagne legends.
- [Arachne](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/arachne.md): Mortal weaver who challenged Minerva and was turned into a spider.
- [Venus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/venus.md): Goddess of love and beauty, mother of Cupid, central to many love myths.
- [Neptune](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/neptune.md): God of the sea, brother of Jupiter, often causing storms and earthquakes.
- [Merlin](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/merlin.md): Wise wizard and prophet who guided King Arthur and the knights of Camelot.
- [Luned](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/luned.md): Handmaiden and confidante of the Lady of the Fountain in Welsh Arthurian tales.
- [Pyramus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/pyramus.md): Babylonian lover who died for love of Thisbe in a tragic tale of miscommunication.
- [Scylla](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/scylla.md): Sea monster or maiden transformed; also a princess who betrayed her father for love.
- [Jason](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/jason.md): Greek hero who led the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
- [Melissa](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/melissa.md): Wise enchantress who aids Bradamante and Rogero in the Orlando epics.
- [Gradasso](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/gradasso.md): Proud Saracen king who invades France seeking the best sword and horse.
- [Osiris](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/osiris.md): Egyptian god of the underworld, killed by Set and resurrected by Isis.
- [Sir Palamedes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/palamedes.md): Saracen knight of the Round Table, rival of Tristram for Isoude's love.
- [Siegfried](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/siegfried.md): Hero of Norse legend, slayer of the dragon Fafner, central to the Volsung saga.
- [Odin](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/odin.md): Chief of the Norse gods, god of wisdom, war, and poetry.
- [Bellerophon](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/bellerophon.md): Greek hero who tamed Pegasus and slew the Chimaera.
- [Mercury](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/mercury.md): Messenger of the gods, god of travelers, thieves, and commerce.
- [Atlas](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/atlas.md): Titan condemned to hold up the sky, encountered by Perseus.
- [Baldur](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/baldur.md): Beloved Norse god whose death triggers the onset of Ragnarok.
- [Isoude](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/isoude.md): Irish princess, wife of King Mark, tragic lover of Tristram.
- [Perseus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/perseus.md): Greek hero who slew Medusa and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster.
- [Rodomont](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/rodomont.md): Proud Saracen king, a fierce warrior in the Orlando epics.
- [Malagigi](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/malagigi.md): Enchanter and cousin of Rinaldo, skilled in magic in the Charlemagne legends.
- [Zerbino](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/zerbino.md): Scottish prince and lover of Isabella, a tragic figure in Orlando Furioso.
- [King Priam](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/king_priam.md): King of Troy during the Trojan War, father of Hector and Paris.
- [Triton](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/triton.md): Sea god, son of Neptune, often depicted blowing a conch shell.
- [King Cadmus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/king_cadmus.md): Founder of Thebes, who slew a dragon and sowed its teeth to create warriors.
- [Pryderi](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/pryderi.md): Son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, a central figure in the Mabinogi.
- [Mandricardo](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/mandricardo.md): Saracen king who seeks revenge and challenges Orlando.
- [Marphisa](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/marphisa.md): Fierce female Saracen warrior who later converts to Christianity.
- [Narcissus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/narcissus.md): Beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection and died.
- [Turnus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/turnus.md): Rutulian king who fought Aeneas for the hand of Lavinia.
- [Sacripant](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/sacripant.md): Saracen king, one of Angelica's suitors in the Orlando epics.
- [Medoro](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/medoro.md): Young Saracen soldier who wins Angelica's love, causing Orlando's madness.
- [Polyphemus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/polyphemus.md): One-eyed Cyclops who imprisoned Ulysses and his men.
- [Circe](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/circe.md): Enchantress who turned Ulysses' men into swine on her island.
- [Paris](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/paris.md): Trojan prince who abducted Helen, sparking the Trojan War.
- [Cupid](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/cupid.md): God of love, son of Venus, whose arrows cause irresistible desire.
- [Modred](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/modred.md): Traitorous knight who usurped Arthur's throne and caused the final battle.
- [King Mark](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/king_mark.md): King of Cornwall, husband of Isoude, uncle of Tristram.
- [King Agramant](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters/agramant.md): Saracen king who leads an invasion of France against Charlemagne.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/characters