[Arthurian] Lancelot (Launcelot) -- named du Lac ("of the Lake"). Undoubtedly the most famous of the Knights of the Round Table. While outwardly a model of chivalry, he is an internally torn and ultimately flawed being. He does not appear in any Welsh material nor in Geoffrey of Monmouth and no convincing model is evident. He may have derived from Irish or Breton myth. He is first introduced by Chrétien de Troyes and substantially enlarged by the Vulgate cycle. Malory furthers his prominence. Lancelot is the son of the King of Benoic, Ban. He is carried away from this province of western France, by the Lady of the Lake. She raises him and presents him to Arthur's court upon his eighteenth birthday. His marshall prowess and inward nobility are soon apprehended by all. When not on the Quest, he meets with the Round Table and participates in the tournaments, often victoriously. He makes his home the northern castle of Joyous Gard, possibly Bamburgh, at the location of a British fort named Din Guay...
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