The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, written and illustrated by Howard Pyle, was originally published in 1903. Pyle’s Book 1s part of the Arthurian romance genre, which begins with Geoffrey of Monmouth’s introduction of the Arthur character in The History of the Kings of Britain, written in the twelfth century. The Arthurian, or chivalric, romance genre includes texts from many different eras and in many different languages. Pyle’s novel offers an American perspective, written for a young audience, and predates The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White (1938), which was adapted into the Disney film of the same name and covers similar material for a similar audience.

Other works by this author include Men of Iron and The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.

This guide cites the 2006 (100th anniversary) reprint by Signet Classics.

Plot Summary

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights is split into two books. Book 1 covers Arthur’s quests for kingship, the sword Excalibur, and Guinevere’s hand in marriage. Book 2 follows the adventures of three members of Arthur’s court: Merlin, Sir Pellias, and Sir Gawaine.

The prologue describes how Arthur’s father, Uther-Pendragon, marries his mother, Lady Igraine, who has daughters from a previous marriage, including Morgana le Fay. Merlin, the sorcerer, predicts that harm will come to Arthur after Uther-Pendragon dies, and so hides Arthur as the foster son of Sir Ector. Then Merlin creates a test of kingship: the sword in the stone.

In Part 1 of Book 1, “The Winning of Kinghood,” Arthur goes to a tournament where his foster brother, Sir Kay, wins many jousts but breaks his sword. Arthur, seeking a sword for Kay, inadvertently pulls out the sword that Merlin embedded in a marble stone and anvil. When Ector learns of this miracle, he reveals that Arthur is adopted. Merlin arrives, tells Arthur about Uther-Pendragon, and Arthur performs the miracle of removing the sword from the stone in front of everyone on Christmas day. He is declared king, but makes enemies, including Sir Pellinore.

In Part 2 of Book 1, “The Winning of a Sword”, a wounded knight, Sir Myles, stumbles into where Arthur and his court are relaxing in the Forest of Usk. Arthur joins Myles’s quest for adventure, but after one of Arthur’s knights fails to avenge Myles against the discourteous Sable Knight, Arthur takes on the quest of vengeance himself. During their battle, the Sable Knight is revealed to be Arthur’s old enemy, Sir Pellinore. Merlin aids Arthur with his magic, and they escape to a hermit’s chapel in the woods. While the hermit heals Arthur’s severe wounds, Lady Guinevere arrives. Her personal healer helps with Arthur’s care, and when Arthur sees Guinevere, he falls in love with her.

Once healed, Arthur and Merlin find the Lady of the Lake, Nymue. She assists them in retrieving the sword Excalibur, which is held by a woman’s hand that sticks out of a lake. Arthur uses Excalibur to finally defeat Sir Pellinore.

In Part 3 of Book 1, “The Winning of a Queen,” Merlin gives Arthur a magic cap that disguises him as a gardener and Arthur works as an assistant in Guinevere’s private garden. He obtains an unmarked suit of armor and armor asks to be Guinevere’s champion. As her champion, he defeats Guinevere’s suitor Duke Mordaunt. Also in this anonymous armor, he defeats Gawaine, Ewaine, Geraint, and Pellias, whom he sends to serve Guinevere. When Mordaunt issues another challenge for the hand of Guinevere, Arthur reveals his identity to the four knights. They join him in fighting Mordaunt and several of Mordaunt’s knights. After Mordaunt’s second defeat, Arthur reveals himself to Guinevere, they kiss, and he proposes. Arthur assists in defeating King Ryence and others who threaten Guinevere’s father, King Leodegrance. When Guinevere and Arthur marry, Leodegrance gives Arthur the magical Round Table at Merlin’s suggestion.

“The Story of Merlin” is Part 1 of Book 2, The Book of the Three Worthies. After Arthur fails to choose Morgana le Fay’s son for the Round Table, Morgana sends the sorceress Vivien to seduce Merlin with a set of magic rings. Merlin falls under the spell of the rings and teaches Vivien all of his magic in the Valley of Joyousness. With her new knowledge, Vivien traps Merlin in a stone casket forever.

Morgana borrows Excalibur from Arthur and has artisans replicate it. She also gives Arthur a gift horse that takes Arthur and the knight Sir Accalon onto a ship crewed by fay, or faeries, who drug them. Arthur ends up the prisoner of Sir Domas and fights on his behalf, while Accalon fights on behalf of Domas’s rival, Sir Ontzlake. Before the fight, Arthur requested Morgana return Excalibur, and she sent him the fake. Accalon, equipped with the real Excalibur, nearly kills Arthur. However, Vivien saves Arthur, fulfilling Merlin’s final wish. Morgana steals Excalibur’s sheath, throws it back to the woman’s hand in the lake, and turns herself and her entire court into stones.

Part 2 of Book 2 is the “Story of Sir Pellias.” He decides to fight on behalf of Queen Guinevere when Lady Ettard claims to be more beautiful than her. Traveling through the Forest of Adventure to Ettard’s castle, Pellias stops to help an old woman across a stream. The woman turns out to be the beautiful Lady of the Lake, Nymue, and after revealing her true self, she gives Pellias a magic necklace that makes everyone love its wearer.

Pellias then detours from the quest to fight a Red Knight, Sir Adresack. Pellias knocks the knight out with a stone, takes his armor, and frees his prisoners. When Pellias finally arrives in front of Ettard’s castle, he defeats her champion, the Green Knight, and is so overwhelmed by Ettard’s beauty that he loans her Nymue’s magic necklace. Pellias falls in love with Ettard because of the magic necklace, and she humiliates him in various ways.

Meanwhile, Gawaine is banished from Camelot by Guinevere for harming her dog. He comes across Pellias and offers to help him with Lady Ettard. However, Gawaine is also taken in by the magic of the necklace and betrays Pellias. Pellias disguises himself as a friar in order to take back the necklace and punch Gawaine for betraying him. Gawaine challenges Pellias, and nearly kills him during their fight. Nymue heals Pellias at a hermit’s chapel, making him part fay, part mortal. Nymue takes back her necklace, and Pellias follows her to the magical island of Avalon.

Part 3 of Book 2 is the “Story of Sir Gawaine.” Gawaine and his brother Gaheris pursue a white hound chasing a white deer, as well as Sir Ablamor, who captured a damsel who was chasing these animals. Gawaine finds that the hound is dead and kills the deer. During his fight with Sir Ablamor, Gawaine hits Ablamor’s wife with the flat of his sword. They call for a truce, and Gawaine learns that the animals that caused the feud were gifts from Vivien to Ablamor’s wife and the captured damsel, who is her sister.

Meanwhile, Arthur goes out with his squire in unmarked armor and gets lost in the woods. He ends up at the castle of a knight who wears all black and challenges Arthur to behead him, in exchange for the opportunity to behead Arthur. Arthur beheads the knight, but the knight picks up his head and puts it back on. He gives Arthur a year and a day to answer the riddle of what women want in order to avoid being beheaded in return. Near the end of that time, Arthur meets an ugly old woman who offers him the answer to the riddle, and the method for killing the knight, in exchange for his promise to marry her to one of his knights. Arthur agrees. He tells the knight that women want to have their will, and kills the knight by destroying his life essence, which was hidden in a locket.

The old ugly woman picks Gawaine for her husband. Gawaine consents and, after their wedding, she reveals that she is under a spell, and is beautiful for half of each day. After Gawaine concedes to her will regarding which half of the day she will appear beautiful, she reveals that she will actually remain beautiful all of the time, and that she gave up her life as a fay to be with him.