NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Garin

Three entries with the name Garin.


Garin


A squire present at King Mark of Cornwall’s tournament at Lancien.


Source
Fourth Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval | Gerbert de Montreuil, c. 1230


Garin

Terre Gaste

A knight who joined Mordred’s rebellion against Arthur and was slain by Gawaine.


Source
Alliterative Morte Arthure | c. 1400


Garin


Garin was a vavasour of Tibaut of Tintagil. The son of Berte and father of Bertrand. Garin, a resident of Tintagil, gave lodging to Gawaine when the latter came to witness the tournament between Tibaut of Tintagil and Meliant of Lis.

En route to Escavalon, Gawaine coincidentally came to Tintagil as the tournament between Meliant and the reluctant Tibaut was about to begin. Gawaine was carrying a pair of shields and hung them both on the tree beneath which he parked. I surmise that they were standard-issue “Arthur’s court” shields rather than two bearing his own device because, seeing them, Garin guessed that two of Arthur’s knights had arrived and would help the town – Tibaut’s side. On this assumption, he advised his lord to let they tourney proceed.

Though Gawaine’s daylong incation must have disappointed Garin, he nevertheless welcomed Arthur’s knight into Tintagil at the day’s end, offering him hospitality for the night, which Gawaine accepted. Garin naturally asked why his guest had refrained from fighting, and pronounced the explaination – that the stranger was on his way to defend himself in trial by combat against a charge of treason and feared being delayed by tournament injury – good and honorable. Leaving his guest with his wife and two daughters, Garin and his son Herman set out to confer with the lord Tibaut, as was apparently their regular daily usage, but met him on the way.

Tibaut’s elder daugher had told him that the stranger was a merchant passing himself off as a knight to avoid paying tolls, an imposture which seems to have been a hanging offense. Garin explained the true state of things and they returned to his house, where they found Tibaut’s younder daughter, the Maid with Little Sleeves, who was a friend of Garin’s daughters, begging Gawaine for her sake to fight only one day in the tournament.

The outcome of his assent was quite happy for Garin’s family, since Gawaine had the second, third, and fourth horses he won next day sent as gifts to Garin’s wife and two daughters. On finally asking his guest’s name, and learning whom he had hosted, Garin tried to get Gawaine to spend a second night beneath his roof and be more completely honored, but the champion refues (perhaps fearing further delay).


Source
Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century