Ulfines, Ulfius, Ulphin, Ulphyne, Urfin, Vlfin, Vrfin
A knight from Rescraddeck who served both Uther Pendragon and Arthur. He first appears in Geoffrey’s Historia.
In Uther’s service, he fought in the Saxon Wars, acted as an envoy to Merlin, and participated in the breach of Tintagel (when Uther slept with Igerne). Upon Uther’s death, he supported Arthur’s claim to the throne, testifying to Arthur’s paternity, serving as an envoy to Kings Ban and Bors, and fighting against the rebellious kings at Bedegraine. Arthur awarded him a position as his chamberlain and a seat at the Round Table.
His further credits included the wars against Rions, the Saxons, and Claudas, and the thwarting of the first False Guinevere plot. In one episode, he chastised Igerne for not preventing the revolution by admitting she was Arthur’s mother; he relented when she protested that she did not know this fact herself.
He later became a hermit and lodged Galahad during the Grail Quest. Percivale’s sister Amide found Galahad here and led him to the ship where Bors and Percivale was waiting.
Malory says that he lived in Corbenic in his retirement. Pierre de Langtoft calls him the son of Craddock, but this is probably just a misreading of Rescraddeck, his home.
Ulfin might well be identified with Sir Ulfius.
Sources
Historia Regum Britanniae | Geoffrey of Monmouth, c. 1138
Roman de Brut | Wace, c. 1155
Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal | 1215-1230
Vulgate Merlin | 1220-1235
Le Livre d’Artus | Early 13th century
Arthour and Merlin | Late 13th century
Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin | 1230-1240
The Chronicle of Pierre de Langtoft | Pierre de Langtoft, c. 1300-1307
Le Morte Darthur | Sir Thomas Malory, 1469-1470
Idylls of the King | Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1859-1886