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14 The Adventure of Sir Marhalt

Now we turn to Sir Marhalt, who rode south with the thirty-year-old damsel. They came to a deep forest, and by fortune they were still traveling when it became night, and they rode far along a dark path. Finally they came to a yard, and there they asked for lodging. But the man of the yard would not lodge them for any sum; instead, he said, “If you will undertake the adventure of your lodging, I will bring you someplace where you may stay tonight.”

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“What adventure is that which I must do for my lodging?” said Sir Marhalt.

“You shall find out when you come there,” said the good man.

“Sir, whatever the adventure may be, please bring me there, for I, my damsel, and my horse are all weary.”

So the good man led them all down a lane, and within an hour he brought them to a fair castle. Then the poor man called to the porter, who let them into the castle. He told the lord that he had brought with him a knight-errant and damsel who wished to be lodged with him.

“Let him in,” said the lord, “but it may happen that he shall repent that they took their lodging here.” So Sir Marhalt was let in by torchlight, and there a great number of goodly men welcomed him. His horse was taken to the stable, and he and the damsel were brought into the hall, where stood a duke and many noblemen. The duke asked him his name, and from whence he came, and with whom he dwelled.

“Sir,” he said, “I am a knight of King Arthur, and a knight of the Round Table. My name is Sir Marhalt, and I was born in Ireland.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” said the duke, “for I do not love your lord nor any of your fellows at the Round Table. Therefore, enjoy yourself as you would like tonight, for tomorrow I and my six sons will all challenge you.”

“Is there no other option,” said Sir Marhalt, “except that I fight with you and your six sons at once?”

“No,” said the duke, “and for this reason. I made a vow when Sir Gawain slew my seventh son in an encounter; I vowed that I would never let a knight of King Arthur stay with me unless I would be able to avenge my son’s death.”

“What is your name?” said Sir Marhalt. “I ask that you tell me, if you please.”

“Know that I am the Duke of the South Marches.”

“Ah!” said Sir Marhalt. “I have heard it said that you have long been a foe to my lord King Arthur and his knights.”

“That you shall experience tomorrow,” said the duke, “if you live so long.”

“Shall I have ado with you?”

“Yes,” said the duke, “you do not get to choose. Therefore, take him to his chamber and let him have whatever he wishes.” So Sir Marhalt departed and was led to his chamber, and his damsel was led to her chamber.

In the morning the duke sent word to Marhalt to make himself ready. So Sir Marhalt rose and armed himself. Then he attended mass, broke his fast, and then mounted on horseback in the court of the castle where they would do battle.

The duke was already there on horseback, fully armed, and his six sons were with him, each with a spear in his hand. So they met in battle, and the duke and his sons broke their spears upon him, but Sir Marhalt held his spear aloft and did not touch any of them. Then the other four sons came at him in pairs, and two of them broke their spears, and then the other two did so. And all this while, Sir Marhalt did not touch them.

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Then Sir Marhalt ran at the duke and smote him down with his spear so that horse and man fell to the earth; he did the same to the sons. Then Sir Marhalt dismounted and bade the duke yield to him, or else he would slay him. Some of his sons then recovered, and would have set upon Sir Marhalt.

Then Sir Marhalt said, “Sir duke, tell your sons to cease, or else I will kill you all.” When the duke saw there was no way for him to escape death, he called out to his sons and ordered them to yield to Sir Marhalt; so they all kneeled down with the pommels of their swords toward the knight, and he accepted them. Then they got their father onto his feet. They all agreed to promise Sir Marhalt that they would never be King Arthur’s foes, and that on the Whitsunday after next they would come to King Arthur and submit to the king’s grace. Then Sir Marhalt departed.

Within two days, Sir Marhalt’s damsel brought him to where a great tournament—which had been announced by the Lady Vause—was being held. Whoever did the best there would win a circlet of gold worth a thousand gold coins. There Sir Marhalt performed so nobly that he was renowned; he smote down forty knights, so the circlet of gold was awarded to him. Then he departed from there with great honor.

Within a week his damsel brought him to an earl’s palace. His name was Earl Fergus who later was a knight of Sir Tristram. This earl was a young man who had just recently come to those lands. There was a giant nearby named Talard and he had a brother in Cornwall who was called Talus, and he was killed by Sir Tristram when he was out of his mind. This earl made complaint to Sir Marhalt that there was a giant nearby who destroyed all his lands, and he did not dare ride anywhere for fear of him.

“Sir,” he said, “does he fight on horseback or on foot?”

“Nay,” said the earl, “there is not a horse that could carry him.”

“Well, “ said Sir Marhalt, “then I will fight with him on foot.” So in the morning Sir Marhalt asked the earl to have one of his men bring him to where the giant was; so one brought him to where he could see him under a holly tree, with many clubs of iron and battleaxes about him.

So this knight challenged the giant, putting his shield in front of him; the giant took an iron club in his hand, and with the first stroke he broke Sir Marhalt’s shield. He was then in great danger, for the giant was a clever fighter, but finally Sir Marhalt struck off his right arm above the elbow.

Then the giant fled with the knight after him, and he drove him to the water; the giant was so tall that Marhalt could not wade after him. Then Sir Marhalt had Earl Fergus’ man fetch him some stones, and with the stones the knight gave the giant many serious blows, until at last he fell down in the water, dead.

Then Sir Marhalt went to the giant’s castle where he rescued twenty-four knights and twelve ladies from the giant’s prison. He found there great riches out of measure, so that for the rest of his life he would never be a poor man.

Then he returned to the Earl Fergus, who thanked him greatly and would have given him half his lands, but Sir Marhalt would take none of them. So Sir Marhalt dwelled with the earl almost half a year, for he had been sorely wounded by the giant. Finally he took his leave, and as he was riding along with his damsel, he met Sir Gawain with Sir Uwain. It also happened that he met four knights of Arthur’s court: the first was Sir Sagramore le Desirous, Sir Ozanna le Cure Hardy, Sir Dodinas le Savage, and Sir Felotte of Listenoise. There Sir Marhalt smote down all four of these knights with one spear and wounded them sorely. Then he departed to meet Sir Gawain and Sir Uwain on the appointed day.