top of page
Black Knight
This portal was curated by:
​

BLACK KNIGHT

The Black Knight is the title given to several characters in Western literature. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval. Perceval defeated the black knight and explained that it was an innocent exchange.

He is also the son of Tom a'Lincoln and "Anglitora", grandson of King Arthur. He killed his mother after hearing from his father's ghost that she had killed him. He later joined the Faerie Knight, his half-brother, in adventures.

A black knight is also mentioned as being killed by Gareth when he was traveling to rescue Lyonesse.
DATABASES
The Black Knight is the title given to several characters in Western literature. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval. Perceval defeated the black knight and explained that it was an innocent exchange. He is also the son of Tom a'Lincoln and "Anglitora", grandson of King Arthur. He killed his mother after hearing from his father's ghost that she had killed him. He later joined the Faerie Knight, his half-brother, in adventures. A black knight is also mentioned as being killed by Gareth when he was traveling to rescue Lyonesse.
The Black Knight is an ambiguous motif that exists in many Arthurian legends. In some cases, Black Knight is used to refer to a random knight who appears as a competitor to one of the Arthurian knights. In other episodes, Black Knight is a disguise often taken up by Sir Lancelot to escape attention. The most notable reference to a Black Knight is the tale of Sir Morien. According to a 13th century narrative of King Arthurian legends, Morien is called a son of a Moorish princess and is named the Black Knight because of his African lineage.
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with the knight-errant (white knight). The character appeared in Arthurian literature and has been adapted and adopted by various authors, in cinema and popular culture. The character is sometimes associated with death or darkness.
Black Knights began to appear in history during the Middle Ages. Since the 13th century, a series of legends mentioning the mysterious Black Knights emerged. Although the Black Knights were said to have carried out good deeds and fought to protect cities from unjust rulers and other threats, texts referring to these legends were censored and banned by the Church during the medieval period. Nevertheless, the story of the legendary black knight Ashor endured over the centuries.
The Black Knight is a frequently seen stock character across all manner of Arthurian and medieval tales. Sometimes he is an evil antagonist, and other times he is a hero. Often he is in disguise. In Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory: The Black Knight is the final of the colored knights (Red, Green, Blue, and Black) that challenge Gareth There sat a knight all armed in black harness, and his name was the Knight of the Black Laund." . A Black Knight kills Arthur's squire and is then killed by Arthur in Perlesvaus The Knight of The Cart has a Black Knight that defeats Sir Calogrenant, but is later defeated by Yvain when he picks up Calogrenant's quest.
Visit our special guest curator
"Open Database..."
Related Portals:
 
Related Portals:
 
bottom of page