NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Clamadeu of the Isles

Camedyus, Clamadam, Clamadas, Clamadels, Clamades, Clamadeus, Clamadon, Clamados, Clamadien, Clamadiu, Clamedieu, Clamediu, Clamide

An important character in Chrétien’s Perceval and Wolfram’s Parzival. His story was expanded to include pre-Perceval events in the Prose Lancelot. His land is variously called the Distant IslesIserterre (Iseterre), and Brandigan.

He fought against the Saxons in the early days of Arthur’s reign, but he became Arthur’s enemy after Galehaut conquered him.

Desiring Blancheflor of Beaurepaire, Clamadeu sent his seneschal Engygeron (Anguingueron) (or Kingrun, who, in one source is also his brother) to besiege her. Engygeron captured most of the knights of the town and put them in Clamadeu’s prison. When Clamadeu himself approached after almost a year, confident in the expectation of imminent victory, he learned that Blanceflor’s strange new champion (Percivale) had defeated Engygeron on the very day when Beaurepaire should have surrendered.

On the advice of his mentor, who called him “young man”, Clamadeu undertook the attack himself, but was foiled first by a chance ship that arrived full of provisions and was willing to sell them to Blancheflor’s people, and then by Percivale, who defeated him in personal combat. Like his seneschal, Clamadeu begged not to be sent prisoner either to Beaurepaire or to Gornemant’s castle, in both which places his life wouldn’t have been worth much; so Percivale sent him to King Arthur instead. After a visit home to release the prisoners Engygeron had captured in the fighting at Beaurepaire, Clamadeu arrived at Arthur’s court, where he was welcomed and made a member of the Round Table and participated in the Grail Quest.

In Wolfram’s version, he falls in love with Cunneware of Lalander and marries her. In the Middle-English Sir Perceval of Galles, his character is called Golotherame. The similarity of names might suggest an identification of Clamadeu with the Vulgate’s King Clamadon, but shouldn’t take that step.


Sources
Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century
Second Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval | Attributed to Wauchier of Denain, c. 1200
Parzival | Wolfram von Eschenbach, 1200–1210
Lancelot do Lac | 1215-1220
Vulgate Lancelot | 1215-1230
Vulgate Merlin | 1220-1235
Le Livre d’Artus | Early 13th century
Post-Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal | 1230-1240
Tandareis and Flordibel | Der Pleier, 1240-1270