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Sir Galehodin
Arthurian Literary Character

Sir Galehodin, Lord of Penning & Castle Ferelois, was the nephew of King Galehaut of Sorelais & the Distant Isles; and grandson of the King of Norgales.

Galehodin was a Knight of the Round Table and friend of Sir Lancelot. The two played a practical joke on Sir Dinadan at his uncle's the Sorelais Tournament. At the same meeting, Galehodin tried to win Le Belle Isolde with a force of knights, twenty strong. However, Sir Tristram allowed Sir Palomides to act as his lover's champion and he jousted them all to the ground. Galehodin's knights were well known and feared in his own country. Sir Aglovale once killed a relative of Galehodin in combat. The dead man's brother attacked him when unarmed and the knight was forced to flee. Galehodin sent out his knights to find him, but Aglovale managed to hide at the house of a wealthy burgher, where his brother, Sir Gawain and a number of friends were staying. The group confronted Galehodin's men and killed sixty of them. The poor burgher was horrified, knowing that he would be blamed for this seemingly unprovoked attack on his lord's men. However, Gawain promised to sort things out. He went to see Galehodin and impressed him so with his knightly prowess that the lord not only forgave all, but gave the burgher his castle of Penning and made him a knight.

Sir Galehodin naturally sided with Sir Lancelot during the split with King Arthur. He fought for him at the Battles of Benwick and Joyous Guard and later followed him into exile, where he was made Duke of Saintonge. He was again with the Lakeland Knight at his hermitage, but returned home after Lancelot's death.

 

    © Nash Ford Publishing 2001. All Rights Reserved.