Gareth

Gareth (; Old French: Guerehet, Guerrehet) is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother to Gawain, Agravain and Gaheris, and either a brother or half-brother of Mordred. Gareth is particularly notable in Le Morte d'Arthur, where one of its eight books is named after and largely dedicated to him, and in which he is also known by his nickname Beaumains. Arthurian legend French literature The earliest role of Gareth, appearing as Guerrehet, is found in the First Continuation of Chrétien de Troyes's Perceval ou le Conte du Graal. As the protagonist of the story's final episode, he slays the giant known as "Little Knight", thus avenging the death of fairy king Brangemuer, son of Guingamuer and the fay Brangepart. Several of his adventures are narrated in the Vulgate Cycle (Lancelot-Grail). In the Vulgate Merlin, Gareth and his brothers defect from their father King Lot and take service with King Arthur, participating in the early battles against the Saxon invaders of Britain and in the war against King Claudas on the continent. As the youngest and often most chivalrous of the Orkney princes, Gareth later prevents his brothers Gawain and Agravain from killing their other sibling Gaheris in revenge for the murder of their mother the Queen of Orkney, condemns his brothers for their killing of Lamorak, and attempts to dissuade Agravain and Mordred from exposing the secret love affair between Lancelot and Arthur's wife Queen Guinevere. His death at the hands of Bors during Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere from being burned at the stake is related in the Mort Artu (Death of Arthur), the final volume of the Vulgate Cycle. The Vulgate Lancelot and the Vulgate Mort Artu differ in their characterisation of Gareth: in the Lancelot, he is portrayed as Gawain's most cherished brother; in the Mort Artu, it is rather his older brother, Gaheris.