Safere

Safir, Safire, Saphar


Sirs Safere and Segwarides, already christened, came with their still-unbaptized brother Palomides to the tournament at Castle Dangerous. Safere seems to appear next at the tournament given by King Carados, seemingly somewhere on the south coast, where he, Carados, and a score of other knights were struck down by young Sir Alisander le Orphelin. Safere put in another appearance at Duke Galeholt's tournament in Surluse. Between tournaments, he seems to have put in a good deal of time in errantry.

After the Lonazep (Leverzep) tournament, somehow having acquired the shield used by Ector de Maris, Safere met, fought, and defeated one Sir Helior le Preuse and won the lady with him. Helior had just won this lady from Sir Epinogris (Epinegris), and Palomides arrived, to win her back for Epinogris, in time to see the fight between Helior and Safere.

Palomides then fought Safere for more than an hour to win the lady; at last, admiring each other's strength, they inquired and learned each other's identities and Safere knelt to beg Palomides' forgiveness, afterward helping him escort the lady back to Epinogris. Safere then rode with Palomides for a time, but they were soon captured by men whose lord Sir Palomides had slain in the lists at Lonazep. Safere fought beside Palomides until they were defeated through weight of numbers, then spent three days in prison with him and was put on trial with him; Safere was found not guilty, while Palomides was sentenced to die.

    And when Sir Safere should be delivered there was great dole betwixt Sir Palomides and him, and many piteous complaints that Sir Safere made at his departing, there is no maker can rehearse the tenth part. ... So Sir Safere departed from his brother with the greatest dolour and sorrow that ever made a knight.
He must have been equally delighted later to learn of Palomides' rescue of Lancelot.

Safere became a knight of the Round Table and continued to enjoy his tournaments, fighting at Winchester and elsewhere. He and Palomides were among Guenevere's guests at the small dinner when Patrise was poisoned. They clove to Lancelot's party when the break came and accompanied him into exile, where Safere was made Duke of Landok.


See also
Guenevere's Poisoned Apple | The Legend of King Arthur