NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Durmart the Welshman


Hero of the French romance Durmart le Gallois. He was the son of King Jozefent of Wales and Denmark and Queen Andelise.

As a youth, Durmart had an affair with the wife of his father’s steward. After realizing that the woman was too base for him, he decided to give his love to Fenise, the queen of Ireland, instead. Although he had never seen her, he had been privy to tales of her great beauty, and embarked on a quest to find her. He won a sparrowhawk tournament and bestowed the prize upon the queen without realizing who she was.

His further adventures caused him to rescue Guinevere from an abductor named Brun of Morois, and to win a tournament at the Blanches Mores. Offered a place at the Round Table, he declined until he found his love.

Finally, he made it to Ireland and rescued the queen from the evil Nogant, who had been besieging her castle in Limerick. Fenise and Durmart were married, and Durmart became king of Ireland. His further adventures took him to Rome, where he fought a horde of pagans attacking the city.


Source
Durmart le Gallois | Early 13th century