Sir Bedivere
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| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Sir Bedivere |
| Occupation: | Knight; Marshal to King Arthur |
| Relationships: | Sir Lucan's brother, Sir Griflet's cousin, King Arthur's friend and loyal vassal, ambiguous platonic or romantic relationship with Sir Kay |
| Fandom: | Arthuriana, Arthurian Legend |
| Other: | |
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Sir Bedivere, also named Bedevere, Bedwyr or Beduerus, is a character in Arthurian Legend and a fan favorite in the Arthuriana fandom. He is King Arthur's Marshall and is generally considered to be one of the most loyal Knights of the Round Table. He is Sir Lucan's brother, Sir Griflet's cousin, and possibly the son of Duke Corneus.
In Published Literature
Medieval
His first surviving recorded appearance is as Beduerus in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. However, he probably originated in Welsh mythology as the one-handed warrior "Bedwyr Bedrydant" ("Bedwyr of the perfect sinews), who is one of the three strongest men in Britain as well as one of the three most handsome and once killed hundreds of cynocephali (dog-headed people, somewhat akin to werewolves) in one battle at Mynyd Eiddyn. In addition to his martial prowess, he is noted for his great skill as a commander. [1] In Cullwch and Olwen, he and Cai (who later became Sir Kay) are a dynamic duo until a climactic moment when Cai becomes angry at Arthur and marches out and Bedwyr stays with Arthur. There and elsewhere in the Mabinogion, he is said to have a daughter named Euneuog and a son named Amhren. According to Taliesin, Bedwyr's grave is in Gallt Tryvan. [2]
In French texts, where he is known as Bedivere or Bedevere, his role is diminished somewhat and he is no longer one of the top three strongest warriors. However, though overshadowed by the likes of Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot du Lac, he is Arthur's marshal and a respected knight. In texts like Wace's Roman de Brut, Bedivere dies in battle and Kay risks his life to bring the body of the man "he loved above any man living" back from the battlefield, possibly dying in the process. Later, Bedivere became one of the survivors of the Battle of Camlann and the person to throw Excalibur back in the lake at the request of the dying Arthur, a role which previously belonged to his cousin Griflet.
Modern
In modern Arthurian literature, Bedwyr is sometimes substituted for Lancelot as the adulterous lover of Guinevere, since Lancelot is a later, less "historical-seeming" character. Works in which Bedivere or Bedwyr is Guinevere's lover include The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart, Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff, and Hawk of May by Gillian Bradshaw. Some members of the Arthurian fandom have commented that this is an illogical and somewhat random-seeming choice: while Bedivere is not always a fully fleshed out character in medieval literature, those traits which he has strongly contrast Lancelot's and also make him unlikely to start an affair with Guinevere. For one thing, he has no romantic relationships with women in medieval literature and mostly interacts with his male colleagues and close relatives (who are also his colleagues). His closest relationships seem to be with Arthur and Kay, and even when he seems emotionally closer to Kay, his highest loyalty is always to Arthur. Thus, it seems unlikely that he would betray Arthur with his queen, even if he were attracted to her.[3]
Alternately, some modern authors have portrayed Bedivere as being in love with King Arthur, such as Lev Grossman in The Bright Sword.
He is the protagonist of the novel Grailblazers by Tom Holt.
He is a minor character in Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles, but the protagonist, Derfel, is given many of Bedivere's traditional attributes and deeds.
In Other Media
He is lampooned as "Sir Bedevere the Wise" in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
In King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, he appears as one of Uther's former knights and a resistance leader.
He makes a cameo appearance in BBC Merlin but is swiftly killed by the Questing Beast.
Bedivere appears in Fate/stay night, Fate Grand Order, and other media in the Fate franchise.
In the MMORPG Albion Online, he appears as Lord Bedivere, the final boss in the Avalonian Dungeon.
In Fandom
Bedivere won a "Who is the best Knight of the Round Table?" contest on Tumblr.
He is most frequently shipped with Sir Kay.