Clamadeu

1. 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 Isles, Iserterre (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.

   
   

2. Clamadeu's Mentor

   This graying knight of Clamadeu's advised him that an attack would conquer Beaurepaire, since Clamadeu's forces were strong and well fed, while Blancheflor's people were weak with hunger and long siege. Clamadeu's mentor may have been a sound military strategist, but Percivale and a chance-arriving ship with a full cargo of food defeated his planning.

   D.D.R. Owen translates this character as Clamadeu's major-domo, but while the OED gives "major-domo" as the title of the highest royal official under the Merovingians, its earliest example of the word in English usage is dated 1589; moreover, a comparison of "major-domo" with "seneschal" in the same dictionary shows an overlap of office and functions, and Clamadeu already had a seneschal in Engygeron. Possibly the "major-domo" served as acting seneschal while Engygeron was besieging Beaurepaire for his master - but then, who watched things at home while the "major-domo" accompanied Clamadeu to the siege site?

   Ruth Cline simply renders this character as an aging knight who had trained Clamadeu and become his counselor.