King Bagdemagus

Bagdemagus(pronounced /ˈbægdɛˌmægəs/), also known asBademagu,Bademagus,Bademaguz,Bagdemagu,Bagomedés,Baldemagu,Baldemagus,Bandemagu,Bandemagus,Bangdemagew,Baudemagu,Baudemagus,and other variants (such as the ItalianBando di Magoor the HebrewBano of Magoç), is a character in theArthurian legend,usually depicted as king of the land of Gorre and aKnight of the Round Table.He originally figures in literature the father of the knightMaleagant,who abductsKing Arthur's wife QueenGuineverein several versions of a popular episode. Bagdemagus first appears in French sources, but the character may have developed out of the earlier Welsh traditions of Guinevere's abduction, an evolution suggested by the distinctivelyotherworldlyportrayal of his realm. He is portrayed as a kinsman and ally of Arthur and a wise and virtuous king, despite the actions of his son. In later versions, his connection to Maleagant disappears altogether.

Origins

King Bagdemagus first appears inOld Frenchworks of the late 12th century, but the principal episode in which he appears, the story of the abduction ofGuinevere,developed out of significantly older traditions.Caradoc of Llancarfan's early 12th-century LatinLife of Gildasincludes an episode in which Guinevere is kidnapped and taken to the "Isle of Glass", glossed asGlastonbury Tor,by Melwas, King of the "Summer Country". This Melwas is generally understood to be the original ofMaleagant,Bagdemagus' son in the French works. Some other texts testify to the early popularity of this story; a version of it is alluded to in the Welsh poem known as "The Dialogue of Melwas and Gwenhyfar", which survives in two variants,and a "Meloas", lord of the Isle of Glass, is mentioned inChrétien de Troyes' French romanceErec and Enide.Some writers have suggested that Bagdemagus should be identified with Baeddan, mentioned as the father of "Maelwys" in the early 12th-century Welsh romanceCulhwch and Olwen.This identification relies on the suggestion proposed byE. K. ChambersthatMaelwysis an alternate spelling ofMelwas.

However, this suggestion is rejected byRachel Bromwichand Simon Evans, among others, who instead connect Maelwys with the historical Irish princeMáel Umai,son ofBáetán mac Muirchertaig.René Bansard looked on similar legends between king Baudemagus and hagiography of Bômer alias Bohamadus inNormandynearGorron(possibly Gorre of the Arthurian romance), honoured in several parishes.

Appearances

The character is first mentioned in the 12th century inChrétien de Troyes'Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart,where Bagdemagus (Bagomedés) is the king of Gore, a mysterious land connected toLogresonly by a bridge as sharp as a sword, where many natives of Logres are kept prisoner; again, his son Maleagant abductsGuinevere,who is later rescued by the heroLancelot.In the romanceSone de Nansai,Bagdemagus (Baudemagus) is said to be the father of Meleagant and the son of Tadus.

Theattributed armsof "Baudemagu" in prose romances

The story is repeated, without its supernatural overtones, in the laterVulgate Cycle;King Bagdemagus (various spellings) is presented as a cousin ofGawainand a friend of Lancelot, who condemns his son's evil deeds and acknowledges that his death at the hands of Lancelot was deserved. In the VulgateLancelot,Bagdemagus joins theRound Tableby taking the seat that had belonged to Ganor who was accidentally killed by Lancelot in a jousting tournament. Bagdemagus is the King of Gorre at the same time as whenMorgan le Fayis described as the Queen of Gorre and lives there, but the connection between their characters and their status is not explicitly explained. InThomas Malory'sLe Morte d'Arthur,the link between Bagdemagus and "Sir Meleagraunce" disappears, and Bagdemagus is just another knight of the Round Table, linked to Malory's version ofGalehaut,until he is accidentally killed by Gawain at a tournament.

In both de Troyes and Malory, Bagdemagus also has an unnamed daughter who is an ally and friend of Lancelot, aiding his escape from respectively either Maleagant or Morgan le Fay in return for his helping her at another time. InLancelot, the Knight of the Cart,she is mentioned as one of his daughters, suggesting that Bagdemagus has at least three children altogether.

King Bagdemagus (Bademagu) is a very different character in thePost-Vulgate Cycle,in which he is a companion of Gawain andYvain.Previously, he had also been the one who discovered the fate ofMerlinin the course of hisknight errantadventures having left the Round Table in anger after the admission ofTor,eventually becoming the King of Gorre. Bagdemagus fights for Arthur against KingClaudas,and also comes close to being cruelly killed by KingPellinorewhen the latter finds out about the romance of Bagdemagus and his wife, but he is rescued byGaheris.His death takes place in the Post-VulgateQueste,after he discoversMordredraping a young girl and then wounds him in a duel. Gawain, not knowing the identity of the knight who injured his brother, pursues Bagdemagus and gives him a mortal injury, but then despairs upon discovering the truth; Bagdemagus forgives Gawain before dying. In theStanzaicMorte Arthur,Bagdemagus survives the Grail Quest and joins Lancelot's faction against Arthur in the civil war over Guinevere.

Sources

• Bromwich, Rachel, and Evans, D. Simon (1992).Culhwch and Olwen: An Edition and Study of the Oldest Arthurian Tale.University of Wales Press.
• Loomis, Roger Sherman (1997).Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance.Academy Chicago Publishers.ISBN0-89733-436-1.