# How King Arthur Rode to Carlion, and of His Dream, and How He Saw the Questing Beast explained — Le Morte d’Arthur

> Chapter companion for Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory.

## What happens

King Arthur travels to Carlion, where he is visited by King Lot's wife (his own half-sister, though he does not know it) and begets Mordred upon her. He then has a troubling dream of griffins and serpents, and later while hunting encounters the Questing Beast, which is being pursued by King Pellinore.

## Themes in this chapter

### Fate and Tragedy

Arthur's dream of griffins and serpents foreshadows future calamities, and his unknowing begetting of Mordred sets the stage for his eventual downfall.

### Kingship and Governance

Arthur's court is visited by King Lot's wife under the guise of a message, highlighting the political intrigue and espionage surrounding his rule.

## Character check-ins

### King Arthur

Rides to Carlion, dreams of griffins and serpents, hunts a hart, and sees the Questing Beast.

### Sir Gawaine

One of the four sons of King Lot's wife who accompany her to Arthur's court.

### Sir Gaheris

One of the four sons of King Lot's wife who accompany her to Arthur's court.

### Sir Agravaine

One of the four sons of King Lot's wife who accompany her to Arthur's court.

### Sir Gareth of Orkney

One of the four sons of King Lot's wife who accompany her to Arthur's court.

### Sir Mordred

Begotten by Arthur upon King Lot's wife, who is Arthur's half-sister.

## Key lines

> And she came richly beseen, with her four sons, Gawaine, Gaheris, Agravine, and Gareth, with many other knights and ladies. For she was a passing fair lady, therefore the king cast great love unto her, and desired to lie by her; so they were agreed, and he begat upon her Mordred, and she was his sister, on his mother’s side, Igraine.

King Lot's wife arrived at court with her four sons and many attendants. Arthur, not knowing she was his half-sister, was attracted to her and slept with her, conceiving Mordred.

_This union, born of ignorance, creates the tragic lineage of Mordred._

> Him thought there was come into this land griffins and serpents, and him thought they burnt and slew all the people in the land, and then him thought he fought with them, and they did him passing great harm, and wounded him full sore, but at the last he slew them.

Arthur dreamed that griffins and serpents invaded the land, killing and burning, and that he fought them, was badly wounded, but eventually killed them.

_The dream foreshadows the civil war and Arthur's final battle._

> So the beast went to the well and drank, and the noise was in the beast’s belly like unto the questing of thirty couple hounds; but all the while the beast drank there was no noise in the beast’s belly: and there with the beast departed with a great noise, whereof the king had great marvel.

The beast drank from the fountain, and while drinking the baying of hounds inside its belly ceased; when it finished, the noise resumed as it departed.

_The Questing Beast is a mysterious creature that Arthur encounters, later pursued by King Pellinore and Sir Palomides._

## Links

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