Aguigneron, Aguygueron, Anguiguerron, Anguigueron, Augenevin, Engygeron, Guyguernon
The seneschal of Clamadeu of the Isles appears in Chrètien’s Perceval and in the Vulgate romances. He was one of a number of rulers that rebelled against King Arthur’s ascension to the throne. He also fought the Saxon invasion, leading a battalion at Salisbury. He might be the king of Sorelois.
He spent the better part of a year, in the service of Clamadeu, defeating, capturing and imprisoning hundreds of knights from the town of Beaurepaire, in an effort to persuade the lady of the town, Blancheflor, to marry Clamadeu. He had almost reduced it to abject surrender when Percivale arrived and defeated both Anguiguerron and Clamadeu in single combat. In some versions, Perceval slays Anguigerron; in others, he sends him to Arthur as a prisoner. Anguigerron’s counterpart in Wolfram’s Parzival is Kingrun.
Conscientiously remembering Gornemant’s instructions to grant mercy whenever defeated opponents begged for it, Percivale would have sent Engygeron prisoner to Blancheflor; Engygeron pointed out that she would certainly have him killed, not only for besieging her and her people, but for having had a hand in her father’s death. (I find no further details about that incident.) All right, said Percivale, then present yourself prisoner at this castle, describing Gornemant’s.
Engygeron recognized it from the description and explained that they hated him there, too, for having killed one of Gornemant’s brothers in the Beaurepaire fighting. Thereupon Percivale ordered him to turn himself in at Arthur’s court in Dinasdaron, which final charge Engygeron accepted.
The day after his arrival at Arthur’s court, he found his lord Clamadeu following him, having suffered almost exactly the same fate at Percivale’s hands. Since Clamadeu settled down as a member of Arthur’s court for the rest of his life, it might not be preposterous of us to guess that Engygeron did the same.
“Engygeron” is D.D.R. Owen’s transcription of the name. “Anguingueron” is Ruth Harwood Cline’s.
Sources
Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century
First Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval | Attributed to Wauchier of Denain, c. 1200
Vulgate Merlin | 1220-1235
Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin | 1230-1240