Epinogre, Epinogres, Epinogris, Espignogrés, Espinogre, Espinogres, Epynogrys, Spinagrus, Spynagrose
A knight, sometimes a Knight of the Round Table, who shows up in a number of romances, mostly French, beginning with Raoul de Houdenc’s Meraugis de Portlesguez.
In Meraugis, he is the son of Belchis. His father kidnaps the lady Lidoine, hoping to force her into marrying Espinogres, but Lidoine’s lover, Meraugis, forces Belchis to release her.
In the Third Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval, he is a king who slays his mother, Branguemore of Cornwall, in the Chapel of the Black Hand. He has a nephew named Partinal who is an enemy of the Grail family.
In L’Atre Périlleux, Gawaine forces him to return to a paramour he deserted. He shows up in the Prose Tristan, La Tavola Ritonda, and Malory’s Le Morte Darthur as a companion of Tristan and Dinadan. He was the son of King Clarion of Northumberland and the nephew of Bagdemagus of Gorre. He ruled the fortress of Prougno. Tristan convinced him to have his daughter attempt to vamp the pragmatic Dinadan as a practical joke. Later, Espignogrés fell in love with the daughter of the King of Wales, and became an outstanding fighter by virtue of his love. Sir Helyor le Preuse abducted his paramour, but Palamedes helped Espignogrés retrieve her.
In the Scottish tale of Golagros and Gawain, he provides information on Lord Golagros, whose castle Arthur passed on the way to Rome.
Sources
Meraugis de Portlesquez | Raoul de Houdenc, early 13th century
Palamedes | c. 1240
Third Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval | Manessier, c. 1230
Prose Tristan | 1230-1240
L’Atre Perilleux | Mid-13th century
La Tavola Ritonda | 1325–1350
Le Morte Darthur | Sir Thomas Malory, 1469-1470
Golagros and Gawain | Late 15th century