Let’s start with the king himself. It’s hard to say whether the legendary King Arthur was based on a real person. In the stories, young Arthur pulls the sword Excalibur out of a stone, becoming King of the Britons. Later, he presides over the Round Table, where 150 knights can sit. He’s noble and brave, but not always a good judge of character.

Guinevere is King Arthur’s wife. Stories about Guinevere differ. In most, she is beautiful and wise, but unfaithful to her husband.

Lancelot is one of the greatest knights of the Round Table. Strong, skilled, and brave, Lancelot also has a major flaw: He’s in love with King Arthur’s queen, Guinevere.

Elaine is the daughter of King Pelles, whose castle guards the Holy Grail. Also called Elaine the Fair, she is beautiful and devoted. 

Percival, a knight of the Round Table who comes from humble origins, is known for his graciousness and innocence.

Dindrane, Percival’s heroic and beautiful sister, is remembered for giving her life to save another while helping the knights find the grail.

Galahad is the son of Lancelot and Fair Elaine, the only person to draw the sword from the marble and retrieve the Holy Grail. Galahad is known for his purity, chivalry, and courteousness.

Note: Like in all mythologies, many authors have taken up these tales. The stories they tell—and even the spelling of characters’ names—differ from century to century. 

What Is a Ballad? 

Some Arthurian legends are written in iambic pentameter—a poetic rhythm that matches the human heartbeat and the human step. 

That’s part of the reason Mr. Guite spends so much time walking while he writes. But he ultimately chose to write his poems as ballads. Ballads follow a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. Also, they rhyme. All the better to remember them by!

Recommended Reading: For more about knights, read The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris.