Nightbringer | The Arthurian Online Encyclopedia

Hellekin


In Li Jus Adan (thirteenth century) a fairy king who became Morgan Le Fay’s lover. He was an established figure in Germanic (Teutonic) lore, first mentioned by Ordericus Vitalis in his Ecclesiastical History (eleventh-twelfth century) in which he is described as a giant with a club leading the Wild Hunt.

In later times in Italy Hellekin became the Harlequin (Arlecchino) of the Commedia dell’Arte and in this guise appears in the Arthurian pantomime Merlin (1734) by Lewis Theobald.