Ector

1. Ector
   Anthor, Anthors de Cors, Antor of Bonmaison, Anton, Antore, Antour, Arntor, Artus, Auctor, Entor, Hector

   Arthur’s foster-father in the Post-Vulgate Merlin continuation and in Malory. In Robert de Boron’s Merlin and the Vulgate Merlin, he is called Antor. He was also the father of Arthur's seneschal, Kay. Merlin selected this "lord of fair livelihood in many parts in England and Wales", whom he called "a passing through man and a faithful" to Uther, to be Arthur's foster father. Robert de Boron seems to have originated the character.

   He was renowned as a wise man and accepted the task at Uther's behest, for which Uther granted him great rewards ahead of time, Ector followed Merlin's directions and gave Arthur to his wife for suckling, entrusting his own son, Kay, to a wetnurse. When Arthur was fifteen, Ector took him and his son Kay to London for a tournament at which Kay was to be knighted, with Arthur acting as his squire. When, having found that he had forgotten Kay's sword, Arthur returned with the enchanted sword that had been placed in a stone to test who should become King of all England. Kay tried to claim credit for drawing the Sword from the Stone, Ector saw through the claim and made his son "swear upon a book how he came to that sword".

   Modern romancers have presented us with the tale that Arthur was always aware he was not Ector's true son and that he grew up believing himself a bastard and destined to a humbler lot in life than Kay. According to Malory, however, Arthur was completely surprised and dismayed when the incident of the Sword in the Stone prompted Sir Ector to reveal as much of the truth as he knew. (Apparently Ector himself did not know the full story of Arthur's birth and parentage.)

   Alas, said Arthur, my own dear father and brother, why kneel ye to me? ... Then Arthur made great dole when he understood that Sir Ector was not his father. Sir, said Ector unto Arthur, will ye be my good and gracious lord when ye are king? Else were I to blame, said Arthur, for ye are the man in the world that I am most beholden to, and my good lady and mother your wife, that as well as her own hath fostered me and kept ... God forbid I should fail you.

   Ector asked of Arthur only that Kay be made seneschal of all Arthur's lands, which the young King eagerly promised. I see no reason to belive from all this that Arthur occupied a lesser position in Ector's household during his formative years than did Kay, except for a slight age difference, or to assume that Arthur did not fully expect to be made knight in his turn. Ector was clearly an ideal foster father. When Arthur became king, he assisted Arthur in the battle of Bedegraine against the rebelling kings, and in the war against the Saxons.

   This Sir Ector must not be identified with Sir Ector de Maris (entry below), Lancelot's brother.

   His character appears in the Post-Vulgate and Malory as Ector. J.D. Bruce suggests a possible corruption of Arthur, given the literary tradition of naming children after their foster fathers (cf. Gawain in De Ortu Waluuanii).

   Sommer found in several MSS that Antor is consistently named Artus. He believe that Robert de Borron gave the same name "Arthur" to Arthus and his foster-father - Auctor, Arntor, Anthor - which are corruptions of Arthur (a form still seen in many French MMS). Tennyson gives him the name Anton. Ector is the Welsh form of the name Hector.

   
   

2. Ector de Maris
   The White Knight | Estor, Hector des Mares, Hestor des Mares

   This major knight of the Round Table was Lancelot's English-born half-brother. Through Merlin's unsolicited contrivance, King Ban of Benwick fathered Ector on the Damsel des Mares.

   Malory seems first to mention Ector de Maris in Book VI. Lancelot left court with his cousin Lionel to seek adventure. Lancelot was napping under a tree when Lionel saw Sir Turquine ride by, pursued him without waking Lancelot, and was captured by Turquine, while Morgan and her cohorts chanced along from another direction and kidnaped the slumbering Lancelot. Ector, meanwhile, learning how Lancelot had left court, "was wroth with himself" and went out to find and join him.

   Coming to Turquine's stronghold and being informed of the danger by a local forester, Ector challenged Turquine and defeated in his turn, stripped, beaten with thorns, and imprisoned along with Lionel and others until Lancelot could come to rescue them. A little later Ector, Sagramore, Gawaine, and Ywaine saw Lancelot riding in Kay's arms, thought it was indeed Kay, and tried - unsuccessfully, of course - to joust him down. When Mark sent Tristram to Ireland for La Beale Isoud, a storm drove him ashore "fast by Camelot". Ector de Maris and another knight of Arthur's, Morganore, welcomed Tristram with a joust.

   Alas, said Sir Ector [on being defeated], now I am ashamed that ever any Cornish knight should overcome me. And then for despite Sir Ector puff off his armour from him, and went on foot, and would not ride.

   When Tristram later dropped out of sight after the Castle of Maidens tournament, however, Ector was one of nine knights who joined Lancelot in a vow to search for him.

   Despite the defeats mentioned above, Ector was a good man of arms, showing up well at tourneys. At least once during Duke Galeholt's tournament in Surluse (Sorelois), Ector got the better of the formidable Palomides.

   Chancing to meet during a search for Lancelot, Ector and Percivale took time out for a friendly little fight that ended with both wounded nigh unto death and lying helpless on the ground. At Percivale's prayer, the Sangreal came and healed them. Traveling on together, Ector and Percivale found Lancelot living with Elaine of Carbonek at Joyous Isle and persuaded him to return to Arthur's court.

   While on the Grail Quest, Ector met and rode for a while with Gawaine. One night each had a vision. In Ector's vision, he saw Lancelot humbled and himself turned away from a rich man's wedding feast. Later, when Ector came knocking at Carbonek (his brother Lancelot being already within), King Pellam denied him admittance, saying that he was

   one of them which hath served the fiend, and hast left the service of Our Lord.

   This may reflect the high standards of the Grail rather than Ector's depravity, for Ector seems no worse than most "wordly" knights and a good deal better-living than many.

   Naturally rallying at once to Lancelot's side when the break came with Arthur, Ector helped rescue Guenevere from the stake. He afterward accompanied Lancelot into exile and was crowned King of Benwick. Later, he was one of the last to refind Lancelot at the hermitage of the former Archbishop of Canterbury. Ector did not arrive until Lancelot was dead.

   [A]nd then Sir Ector threw his shield, sword, and helm from him. And when he beheld Sir Launcelot's visage, he fell down in a swoon. And when he waked it were hard for any tounge to tell the doleful complaints that he made for his brother. Ah Launcelot, he said, thou were head of all Christian knights, and now I dare say ... that thou were never matched of earthly knight's hand.

   After returning to settle affairs in Benwick, Ector went with Bors, Blamore, and Bleoberis to die fighting the Turks in the Holy Land.

   Ector's first love was Perse whom he rescued from Zelotes to whom she had been promised by her father. Later he took a niece of Lady of Roestoc's dwarf and and cousin of the Lady of Roestoc. She died, and he was eventually reunited with Perse.

   Do not confuse Ector de Maris with the older Ector who was Arthur's foster father.