NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Orguelleus of the Heath

Orguelleus of La Lander, Orilus of Lalander

A knight featured in the stories of Chrétien de Troyes and Wolfram von Eschenbach. His first appearance is in Chrétien’s Erec, as a knight defeated by Erec at the Tenebroc tournament.

In Chrétien’s Perceval and Wolfram’s Parzival, he owns a forest pavilion in Briziljan or Broceliande. Perceval, on his way to Arthur’s court for the first time, visits the pavilion and finds Orguelleus’s wife (called Jeschute by Wolfram) alone inside. Misinterpreting advice given to him by his mother, Perceval eats the woman’s food, kisses her, and takes a ring from her finger. Orguelleus returns and, finding that another man has been there, becomes enraged, accuses his wife of adultery, and forces her to mount a steed and ride with him, seeking Perceval. Perceval met them some time later. Orguelleus had not allowed his wife to change her dress or her mount in months. Orguelleus challenged Perceval to combat. Perceval was victorious, and he forced Orguelleus to make amends to his wife and to go to Arthur’s court.

Wolfram gives Orguelleus a brother named Lähelin and a sister named Cunneware. His wife Jeschute was Erec’s sister, yet Orguelleus and Erec frequently combated each other. He was an enemy of the Round Table he had killed Galoies (Galoes) (Perceval’s uncle), Schionatulander (Perceval’s cousin’s lover), and a knight named Plihoplehri (Bleoberis).

He seemed to be friends with Gawain, as Gawain had received his horse, Gringolet, from Orguelleus.


Sources
Erec | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century
Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century
Parzival | Wolfram von Eschenbach, 1200–1210
Didot-Perceval | c. 1220-1230
Diu Crône | Heinrich von dem Türlin, c. 1230