Urjans

A malicious prince from Punturteis.

While at Arthur’s court, he raped a visiting noble maiden and fled. Gawain caught him and brought him back to Arthur’s court for justice. Urjans was tried and convicted. Arthur and his company were keen on sentencing him to death, but Gawain, moved by a sense of honor, pleaded for his life. Instead, Urjans was sentenced to eat out of a trough with hounds for forty days.

Despite Gawain’s intervention on his behalf, Urjans blamed Gawain for his plight, and he found a serendipitous chance to exact his revenge: Gawain came upon Urjans while Urjans was lying on the ground, wounded, after losing a battle on the behalf of Orgeluse (Orguelleuse), the Duchess of Logres. Gawain, not recognizing the wounded knight, helped to heal him.

Urjans repaid him by jumping on Gawain’s horse and riding away. Somehow, the horse - called Gringolet - soon fell into the hands of Lischois Gwelljus. Presumably, Lischois killed Urjans, as he was in the habit of doing with other knights. Gawain soon re-acquired the steed.