How the eleven kings with their host fought against Arthur and his host, and many great feats of the war explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Kingship and Governance

  Arthur leads his allied kings in battle, demonstrating his role as a commander and protector of his realm.

• Violence and Vengeance

  The battle is brutal with heavy casualties, and the eleven kings seek revenge for their losses.

• Honor and Reputation

  Knights perform deeds of arms to gain honor, and the act of remounting fallen comrades is a chivalric duty.

Characters to notice

• King Arthur

  Fights like a lion, rescues Ulfius by smiting King Cradelment and giving him the horse, later strikes down the King with the Hundred Knights.

• Merlin

  Devises the ambush strategy for the three kings, advising King Ban and King Bors to hide their forces.

• Sir Kay

  Fights valiantly, unhorses King Nentres and gives his horse to Griflet, later is struck down by the King with the Hundred Knights but is remounted.

• Sir Griflet

  Unhorsed early, then rescues Sir Kay by smiting Pinel and giving him a horse, later rescues Lucas the butler.

• Sir Ector

  Enters the battle with an eager countenance, finds Ulfius and Brastias in peril, later is unhorsed by the King with the Hundred Knights.

• Sir Ulfius

  Leads an assault with Brastias, has his horse slain under him but fights well on foot, later receives a horse from Arthur.

• Lucan the Butler

  Unhorsed and lies like a dead man under horses' feet, eventually rescued and remounted by Griflet.

• Sir Brastias

  Fights alongside Ulfius, smites Duke Eustace, later is defoiled and receives a horse from Sir Ector, then rescues Lucas by slaying several knights.

Key passages

• “Then King Arthur and King Ban and King Bors, with their good and trusty knights, set on them so fiercely that they made them overthrow their pavilions on their heads, but the eleven kings, by manly prowess of arms, took a fair champaign, but there was slain that morrowtide ten thousand good men’s bodies.”

  Arthur, Ban, and Bors attacked so fiercely that they knocked over the enemy's tents, but the eleven kings regrouped on open ground, though ten thousand men were killed that morning.

  Describes the initial clash and heavy casualties.

• “When Sir Kay saw Griflet on foot, he rode on King Nentres and smote him down, and led his horse unto Sir Griflet, and horsed him again.”

  Seeing Griflet dismounted, Sir Kay charged King Nentres, knocked him down, and took his horse to give to Griflet.

  Illustrates the chivalric act of remounting a fellow knight.

• “Then Arthur as a lion, ran unto King Cradelment of North Wales, and smote him through the left side, that the horse and the king fell down; and then he took the horse by the rein, and led him unto Ulfius, and said, Have this horse, mine old friend, for great need hast thou of horse.”

  Arthur charged like a lion at King Cradelment, piercing his side and causing both horse and king to fall, then gave the horse to his friend Ulfius.

  Highlights Arthur's prowess and loyalty to his knights.