Meliadus

1. Meliadus
   Maleadus, Maliaduc, Meniadus, Minaduf

   A Saxon king who joined the Saxon invasion of northern Britain in the early days of Arthur’s reign. He participated in the siege of Vambieres and the second battle of Clarence.

   
   

2. Meliadus
   Meliodas, Melyodas

   Tristan’s father in the Prose Tristan and its adaptations. As such, he replaces Rivalin from earlier legends. The King of Lyonesse, Meliadus was considered one of the best knights in the world in his time.

   He is a central character in the French Palamedes, in which he abducts the beautiful Queen of Scotland and has a son with her named Meliadus the Younger. As a result of this abduction, he went to war with Scotland and its allies, including Arthur. He lost and was imprisoned by Arthur at Camelot until Arthur needed his services to help against a Saxon invasion, led by Aliohan, whom Meliadus defeated in single combat. In La Tavola Ritonda, Meliadus refuses to submit to Arthur’s rule and goes to war with the king, but surrenders when his ally, Lord Galehaut, yields.

   Meliadus married Elyabel, Mark’s sister (although in Italian romance, Meliadus is Mark’s brother, the son of Felix). He was imprisoned in the Rock of the Cornishwoman by an enchantress at the same time that his wife gave birth to Tristan and died. He was rescued by Merlin.

   He eventually re-married the daughter of King Hoel of Brittany (called Agia in La Tavola Ritonda), who tried to murder Tristan but ended up poisoning her own child by Meliadus. Meliadus spared her life at Tristan’s request, but forever resented her. Meliadus was murdered by vassals of the Count of Norholt, or by his own kinsmen. Tristan fled Lyonesse to serve at King Faramon of Frances’s court, but he later returned and avenged Meliadus’s death. In Malory’s version, Meliadus is still alive some time after Tristan’s return from Gaul.

   
   

3. Meliadus

   A knight who served as the seneschal of the City Without a Name.

   
   

4. Meliadus li Blois
   Meliadus li Noirs, Meliadus the Blake, Moliadus li Blois

   He is probably identical with Meliadus the Black.

   
   

5. Meliadus the Black
   Mauduit le Noir en l'Ille Seche, Meliadex, Meliadus le Noir, Melyadus

   The lord of the Hedged Manor.

   Meliadus hated Guinevere’s knights. He battled Sir Sagremor (Sagramore) on the Dry Island. After badly wounding Sir Dodinel, he was defeated by Lancelot, who forced Meliadus to go to Guinevere and apologize.

   Arthur took Meliadus into his service, and Meliadus became a good friend to Lancelot. He participated in the Grail Quest. When the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere was exposed, Meliadus helped Lancelot rescue Guinevere from the stake; in the process, however, Meliadus was slain by Gaheris.

   
   

6. Meliadus the Pale
   Meliard

   A knight in the service of King Ban of Benoic. He fought for Arthur against the rebellious kings at Bedegraine.

   
   

7. Meliadus the White

   A Knight of the Round Table who participated in the Grail Quest.

   
   

8. Meliadus the Younger

   Tristan’s half-brother in the Prophecies de Merlin.
   
   Born to King Meliadus of Lyonesse and the Queen of Scotland, whom Meliadus had abducted, he was raised by the Lady of the Lake with Lancelot, Bors, and Lionel. When he grew up, he became the Lady of the Lake’s lover.

   He convinced the Lady to bring him to Merlin’s tomb, where he wrote down the prophecies spoken by Merlin’s ghost.