Lore

1. Lore

   A lady from Carlisle or Branlant in the service of Guinevere. In the First Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval, she is the daughter of Brun of Branlant, but the Prose Lancelot makes her Arthur’s niece; the daughter of King Clarion of Northumberland and Arthur’s unnamed sister.

   She served as Arthur’s wine steward and as Kay’s mistress.

   
   

2. Lore
   Lady of Cardigan

   The Lady of Cardigan and a vassal of Arthur. She was besieged by King Ris of Outre-Ombre, and her city was captured. Lore saw a chance to reclaim her city when none of Ris’s knights would venture to the fearsome Waste Chapel. Ris had promised to grant any favor to the knight who accepted the quest. Lore offered to complete the quest.

   Braving a forest of brambles and beasts, she arrived at the Waste Chapel. She witnessed the burial of a knight named Bleheri, and she took Bleheri’s sword. Girding it about her waist, she found that she could not undo the straps. She returned to Cardigan, where Ris was forced to abide by his promise and restore the Lady’s city.

   She went to Arthur’s court to find a knight who could undo the sword. After hundreds of knights attempted the feat but failed, a newly-knighted youth called simply Handsome Young Man (he was Bleheri’s son, Meriadeuc) undid the sword and girded it over his own, earning himself the title the Knight of the Two Swords. Arthur had promised to marry her to the knight who undid the sword, but Meriadeuc immediately left court to seek adventure. Lore remained at Arthur’s court, and Meriadeuc eventually returned. He and Lore were married in great splendor and retired to Cardigan to rule. They had two children.

   
   

3. Lore

   A woman in the ancestry of the 'Brown' family. She was the daughter of Brun and Lye and the sister of Brun, Hector, Galehaut, and Ysille.

   
   

4. Lore, Lady
   Lady of Garadigan

   King Arthur sits with his court about him in Orkney, and they all break down with grief for Gawaine, who is missing and for whom they fear the worst. Up in a gallery, Lady Lore witnesses their grief. It is unclear to whether or not she also witnesses the arrival of Gawaine's messenger (Igraine's squire from the Rock of Canguin), who is just in process of arriving with news of Gawaine's whereabouts and arrangement to fight Guiromelant.

   In any event, Lady Lore leaves the gallery and comes down to the Queen, showing distress and shock. The Queen asks her what the trouble is ... and there Chrétien laid down his pen forever. It is Lore's first appearance in this romance, though the abruptness of her introduction suggests to me that she may have been already known in other Arthurian contexts of the era.

   I would more incline to identify her with Lore of Carduel than with Lore de Branlant. Lady Lore, if the same person, brought a swordbelt to Arthur's court and challenged anyone to unfasten it Meriadeuc (Meriadoc) was the only one able to do this.

   
   

5. Lore of Branlant
   Lore de Branlanc, - de Branlant, - de Brulent

   She was a cousin of a knight named Sir Drians li Gaiz of Gais Castle (Drian the Gay). Branlant seems to have been the name of Lore's own castle; her seneschal was called Bruns de Branlant. A lady who takes her name, but not her character from the first Lore.

   Known as the Maiden of the Narrow Wood, she fell in love with Gawain, who had saved her from Waldin of the Fearsome Vales. Lore plots to kill Gawain in order to possess him forever.

   
   

6. Lore of Carduel
   Lore de Cardueil, - de Carduel, - de Kardoil; Lore la Fille Doon, Lorete

   Carduel is surely Cardoile, or Carlisle. Dame Lore of Carduel served as the King's cupbearer.

   At a lovers' rendevous between the two couples Lancelot and Guenevere, and Duke Galeholt and the Lady of Malohaut, Lore of Carduel and Duke Galeholt's seneschal were also present.

   In Vulgate VII Lore is a sister or - more likely - a cousin of Guenevere, and either the sister or the lover of Sir Giflez (Griflet?). In some extremely tricky - at least to Phyllis Ann Karr - passages, Lore and the Queen appear to help Giflez cross a lake.

   Four knights seem to have captured Gareth; Kay, after killing one of them, gives his destrier to Lorete (Lore), who then proceeds with the Queen to rescue, mount, and arm Gareth. Once he is armed, the women apparently stand back and watch; however, there is at least a hint that Lorete might do a bit of fighting.

   When I read about Lore de Carduel in The Vulgate Version (edited from Manuscripts in the British Museums by H. Oskar Sommer) I find some interesting comments.

   ... a lady-in-waiting to Guenever, and is in attendance when the Queen's first meeting with Lancelot takes place. The Lore mentioned on page 272 is, according to all the MSS, a daughter of a sister of Artus, and of the King Norwei, Norwage, or Norauge. So far there is nothing to find fault with in these statements. But this 'Lore' is surnamed 'de Carduel', and her father, according to some MSS, is said to have been 'maistre bouteillier de la Terre de Logres', an office which she herself fills after her arrival at court.
   
   In one MSS her father is simply styled 'haut botiller lo roi de fe'. The MS. No. 337, in part II, there is mentioned a Lore or Lorete who is the daughter of Doon de Carduel, and the sister of Ginet.

   In the part of the MS. No. 337 which corresponds to two thirds of the Vulgate Merlin, there occurs a passage which states that 'Do' is said to have been Uther Pendragon's 'foreister' or 'maister forester'. It is remarkable that Lucan's father bears the same name as the founder of Cornwall.