Nightbringer | The Arthurian Online Encyclopedia

Cart Castle

Carete, Charete, Chariot, Charite, Charrete, Charroie, Charyot

A castle on the border of Gorre (Gore), in which Lancelot was imprisoned by several queens, headed by Morgan le Fay. (In the Vulgate Lancelot, her co-conspirators are Queen Sedile and the Queen of Sorestan; in Malory, they are the Queen of North Wales, the Queen of Eastland, and the Queen of the Out Isles.)

They tried to make him choose a lover from among them, but he refused and was eventually freed by one of their maidservants, who elicited from him a promise to fight for her father, King Bagdemagus, in an upcoming tournament.

The castle’s name commemorated Lancelot’s ride in the cart during his rescue of Guenevere, as he had passed by the castle on the way. (In Malory, however, his rescue of Guenevere occurs long after his imprisonment by Morgan.) Later, Lancelot returned to Cart Castle to save his deliverer from marriage to an evil knight. Malory says that Morgan owned the castle.


See also
Bagdemagus’ Daughter | The Legend of King Arthur


Sources
Vulgate Lancelot | 1215-1230
Le Morte Darthur | Sir Thomas Malory, 1469-1470