Meaning of lancelot, or lancelot in the encyclopedia of celtic mythology. Who is Lancelot? The role of Lancelot in different years

The story of Lancelot is a rather unusual example of a myth in which sincere love acts as a destructive force; it was Lancelot's love for Queen Guinevere that ultimately led to the fall of Camelot and the death of King Arthur.

Lancelot of the Lake (Sir Lancelot (or Launcelot) du Lac) is a hero of Arthurian myths, one of the most famous Knights of the Round Table. He became famous both for his exploits in the service of King Arthur and for his incredibly strong love for Arthur's wife, Guinevere.

Lancelot was born into the family of King Ban of Benwick and his wife Elaine. When Lancelot was still very young, his parents had to flee their native kingdom; They were forced to do this by the sworn enemy of King Ban, the ruler of the Desert Lands Claudas (Claudas de la Desert; in other translations - Claude or Clodas). Fortunately, Ban and Elaine managed to take the baby with them. While Elaine cared for her wounded husband, the child was looked after by the Lady of the Lake; It was thanks to this supervision that Lancelot received his nickname. Over time, Lancelot was joined by his cousins, Lionel and Bors - they were defeated by one of Claudas' knights and saved by the same Lady; King Ban had died by that time, and Elaine was accompanied by her sister Evaine, who also later died.

By the will of the Lady, Lancelot went to the court of King Arthur. Sir Gawain helped Lancelot become a knight; Soon after his arrival, Lancelot met Queen Guinevere - and almost immediately fell in love with her. Ironically, one of Lancelot's first tasks was to save Guinevere from one of Arthur's enemies, Meleagant. This story somewhat echoes the classic Celtic myth of a husband saving his wife from a mysterious stranger.

Lancelot also acquired his real name while performing another feat. During his journey, he - then known only as the White Knight - came to a castle guarded by the mysterious Copper Knight. To go into battle with the owner of the castle, Lancelot had to defeat ten knights on the first wall and ten knights on the second wall; Ultimately, many more opponents came out to fight him, but with the help of the Lady of the Lake, he still managed to win. The Bronze Knight did not wait for the knight to appear, escaping in time. The townspeople brought Lancelot to the cemetery, where they showed him a metal slab; the inscription on the slab said that only one knight in the world could lift it, and that the name of this knight was written under the slab. The White Knight successfully completed the task - and finally found his real name. Liberated from the Bronze Knight, the castle became the patrimony of Lancelot himself.

Lancelot played a major role in the conflict between Arthur and Galehaut. Galehote was both Lancelot's friend and Arthur's enemy; Ultimately, Lancelot convinced his comrade to surrender to Arthur - for which he was later invited to the Round Table. Later, it was Galehot who convinced Guinevere to reciprocate Lancelot's feelings - which indirectly began a series of processes that led to the collapse of Camelot.

With the help of Arthur, Lancelot managed to defeat Claudas and regain his father's kingdom; however, he did not return to his father’s lands, preferring to stay in Camelot.

The daughter of the Fisher King, Elaine of Corbenic, fell in love with the already popular Lancelot. Posing as Guinevere, Elaine managed to seduce Lancelot - and carried his child (later to become Sir Galahad, who ultimately managed to find the legendary Grail). Soon the news of what had happened reached Guinevere; she expelled Lancelot from Camelot. This literally drove the knight crazy; after two years of wandering, he wandered into Corbenic - where Elaine, who loved him, could still recognize him through the outfit of a fool and a layer of dirt. Elaine managed to heal her lover with the power of the Grail; Soon after this, Lancelot returned to Camelot - in the company of knights sent in search of him by Queen Guinevere.

Shortly after his return, Lancelot left Camelot again, going with Galahad and Percival in search of the Grail. Alas, infidelity to Guinevere and interest in earthly honors made Lancelot unworthy - he managed to see the Grail only for a moment. Lancelot's son was luckier - he even managed to drink from the coveted cup.

Ultimately, it was Lancelot's love for the queen that led to the start of the global crisis in the Arthurian world; Their romance led to the death of Gawain's brothers and sons, a quarrel between Gawain and Lancelot, and the betrayal of Arthur by Mordred. Having heard about Arthur's death, Lancelot went in search of his beloved; she blamed herself and the knight for what happened and even refused to give Lancelot his last kiss, declaring that he would never see her face in his life. Guinevere's prediction came true - their next meeting took place half an hour after Guinevere's death. The knight outlived his queen by only six weeks; his ashes were buried in the castle that was once recaptured from the Bronze Knight.

In medieval literature of the 11th-12th centuries, a moral and ethical image of an ideal knight was formed, to whom the asceticism of church saints was alien. On the contrary, the hero of courtly novels is a secular person and therefore close to readers. He has many virtues and, of course, is devoted to his Lady of the heart.

Lancelot of the Lake is one of the most famous heroes of the knightly epic. Novels were written about his exploits and love for Guinevere in the Middle Ages, and today films are made. They are based on ancient Celtic legends about the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur.

Celtic mythology

What do we know about the Celts? Much less than about the Romans or Greeks. Historians are sure that they had writing, but not a single text written down from that era has survived. It is assumed that the Druid priests had a hand in this.

Be that as it may, everything we know today about the Celtic civilization is based on archaeological finds and oral tradition. The latter has been preserved in the form of legends, and each of them has several variants.

A clear example of this is the legends in which the famous medieval character is found: Lancelot. Celtic mythology, according to some researchers, transformed one of the pagan gods into a new form - the famous knight of the Round Table.

Moreover, there are various accounts of his life and adventures. All this was reflected in the heyday of the medieval period, when cycles of novels about King Arthur were created in England, Germany and France.

Breton tales

In the mythological history of the Celts, Arthur appears completely unexpectedly. The most ancient mentions of him can be found in Welsh sources, where he appears as an ordinary military leader, who does not stand out from others. However, soon legends take him to unprecedented heights.

Such a turn remains a mystery to researchers to this day. However, like the personality of King Arthur himself. Unfortunately, we will never know whether he had a real prototype, although many historians are inclined towards this version.

It is believed that the Britons - one of the Celtic tribes - actually had a military leader named Arthur at the end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th century. Later, in legends, his personality was combined with the image of the Celtic god Artaius and, in this interpretation, became widespread among the Britons. His faithful companions have the same semi-mythical origin.

Lancelot, the Knight of the Round Table, appeared in these legends later than other characters in the Arthurian cycle. Nevertheless, it was he, along with the king, who became the most famous hero of medieval literature.

Knights of the Round Table

Chrétien de Troyes, the 12th-century author of courtly romances, mentions Camelot Castle in one of them as the place where King Arthur gathered his knights at the Round Table. According to Celtic legends, he came up with such an unusual shape of the table so that all the knights behind it felt equal.

Thanks to the same Chretien de Troyes, the cycle of works about King Arthur was enriched with a new character, who later became one of the most famous in literature. Lancelot Ozerny first appears in the novel “The Knight of the Cart” as an example of an ideal lover, ready for the most reckless exploits for the sake of his Lady.

From this time on, writings about the Knights of the Round Table took on the character of a courtly novel. They glorify such virtues as personal valor, willingness to come to the aid of the weak and, of course, service to the Beautiful Lady.

Sir Lancelot of the Lake: the legend

If King Arthur may have had a historical prototype, then the knight Lancelot is a fictional character. We draw information about his life from courtly novels of the 12th century and later works. In them, medieval realities are firmly intertwined with Celtic mythology. What do we know about this popular hero of chivalric novels?

Lancelot was the son of Ban, king of Brittany. Once Cloud attacked the lands of Lancelot's father, who and his family were forced to flee under the cover of darkness. But the king’s heart could not stand it when he looked back and saw his castle engulfed in flames. The queen laid her son on the shore of the lake, and she bent over the body of her dying husband.

All this was observed by Vivian, the Maiden of the Lake, who simply stole little Lancelot and took him to her domain. The poor queen, who had lost her son and husband, had no choice but to find shelter in the monastery.

At Camelot Castle

Vivian, better known as the Maiden of the Lake, learned magic from Merlin, who was in love with her. Over time, she created her own court, consisting of numerous ladies and knights. Lancelot was brought up in such an environment until he reached the age of 18.

Vivian sent the young pupil, nicknamed Ozerny, to Camelot to the court of King Arthur, where he would be knighted. Arriving at the castle, he made a great impression on its inhabitants with his nobility, courage and skill with weapons.

Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere, especially singled out Lancelot from among other knights. Needless to say, according to the laws of courtly romance, the vassal fell in love with the overlord’s wife, and she reciprocated his feelings. For the sake of Guinevere, Lancelot of the Lake won many military and tournament victories.

Elaine's Charm

Loyalty to the chosen Lady of the heart in the Middle Ages was considered one of the main virtues. As an exemplary knight, Lancelot was, of course, faithful to Queen Guinevere, although many women sought his love. For example, Princess Elaine. There are several variations of her relationship with Lancelot.

According to one of them, using the help of the sorceress, Elaine takes the form of Guinevere and thus achieves her goal: Lancelot spends the night with her. However, when the deception is revealed, he refuses to marry her and returns to King Arthur.

It was only when Galahad, the illegitimate son of Lancelot of the Lake, came of age that he met his father. The young man was distinguished by his nobility and purity, so of all the knights, only he managed to find and receive a precious relic - the Holy Grail.

Eternal Triangle

But let us return to the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, since it was this that formed the core of the chivalric romances. As in the case of Elaine, medieval literature contains various interpretations of their relationship.

Some works describe Lancelot's feelings for King Arthur's wife as exclusively platonic. Others make it clear that the lovers nevertheless crossed the line of what is permitted.

In the end, the deceived king sentenced his unfaithful wife to be burned. True, the execution never took place - Sir Lancelot of the Lake saved Guinevere and hid her in the monastery, while he himself hid in Brittany.

End of the legend

According to feudal laws, King Arthur gathered an army to punish a vassal who violated the oath of allegiance. Camelot was to be ruled in his absence by Mordred, whom legends call either the illegitimate son or nephew of the king.

But the treacherous Mordred, wanting to seize power in Camelot, enters into an alliance with the Saxons, tribes hostile to the Britons. King Arthur dies in an ambush arranged for him, and Guinevere, despite Lancelot's pleas, takes monastic vows and becomes a nun. Thus ends one of the most famous love stories in literature.

More than a century has passed since the creation of courtly novels, however, the knight Lancelot of the Lake has not been forgotten. On the contrary, his love for Guinevere, his exploits and life in general continue to interest our contemporaries.

Today another intellectual game “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” took place. In this article you can see answers to all questions in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for May 13, 2017 . Two pairs of players participated in the game today with host Dmitry Dibrov. Below are the questions and answers themselves, I decided not to write answer options, so as not to distract readers, because you only need the necessary information.

The first couple of players in the game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for 05/13/2017

1. What do you call a person who performs small, simple tasks?

errand boy

2.How should a Soviet pioneer respond to the call “Be ready!”?

"Always ready!"

3. Where is the heroine of the song performed by Lyubov Uspenskaya going to sit?

in a convertible

4.What can you earn in many games?

5. Who sang ditties in the cartoon “The Flying Ship”?

Granny hedgehogs

6. What predator lives high in the mountains?

Snow Leopard

7.In addition to horsepower, what is the power of a car measured in?

in kilowatts

8. What was the nickname of Sir Lancelot, the Knight of the Round Table?

Ozerny

9. The melody of which song by the bard Sergei Nikitin was recorded by the Paul Mauriat Orchestra?

"To the music of Vivaldi"

10. What decorated the hats of postal couriers in Ancient Rome?

wings

11.Which artist's house is one of the most famous museums in Amsterdam?

Rembrandt

The players of the first pair did not win anything and left without a penny of the money they won.

The second pair of players in the program “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” for 05/13/2017

1. What are animal and plant organisms made of?

from cells

2. How did Ershov describe the Little Humpbacked Horse: “On his back with two humps and...”?

with arshin ears

3. What is used in acupuncture?

needles

4.Which Shakespeare play is the basis for the musical Kiss Me, Kate?

"The Taming of the Shrew"

5.What do koalas eat?

eucalyptus leaves

6. Which country's martial arts are known as wushu?

China

7. From which poem by Pushkin did Vladimir Motyl take the title for his film “Star of Captivating Happiness”?

"To Chaadaev"

8. What letter does a rugby goal resemble?

9. What musical instrument is depicted on the coat of arms of Ireland?

10. On which lake did Tsar Peter I build the Amusement Flotilla?

Pleshcheyevo

The players answered incorrectly and left without a penny of the money they won.

LANCELOT LAKE

King Ban of Brittany, a loyal ally of Arthur, was attacked by his enemy Cloud, and after a long war, Ban was left with one fortress, in which the enemy besieged him. Finding himself in a desperate situation, Ban decided to turn to Arthur for help and, under the cover of darkness, escaped from the fortress with his wife Helen and son, baby Lancelot, leaving the fortress in the hands of his seneschal, who immediately handed it over to Cloud. The unfortunate monarch, looking back and seeing the burning fortress, died of a broken heart. Poor Elena, leaving the baby on the shore of the lake, rushed to her husband to take his last breath. Returning to the shore of the lake, she saw little Lancelot in the arms of the nymph. Noticing the queen appearing on the shore, the nymph rushed into the water with the child. This nymph was Viviana, beloved of the wizard Merlin, better known as the Lady of the Lake, or Maiden of the Lake. Lancelot received his nickname for the reason that he was trained at the court of this sorceress, whose palace was located in the middle of not a real one, but, like a mirage that appears before the eyes of an African traveler, an imaginary lake, which is an obstacle to her possessions. Viviana did not live here alone, but surrounded by a large retinue of knights and ladies.

Having lost her husband and son, the queen went to a monastery, where she was joined by the widow of the noble King Bors, who died of grief upon receiving news of the death of his brother. His two sons, Lionel and Bors, were rescued by a faithful knight and appeared in the lake palace in the guise of greyhounds. There, once again assuming human form, they began to study with their cousin Lancelot.

When her apprentice Lancelot reached the age of eighteen, the fairy sent him to Arthur's court to be knighted. The nobility, not inferior to the courage and skill with weapons, of the young candidate for knights who appeared in the castle, made an indelible impression on Guinevere, and her charms kindled ardent feelings in him. Over time, their love only intensified and influenced the story of King Arthur. For the sake of Guinevere, Lancelot achieved the conquest of Northumberland, defeated Gallehat, the marsh king, who later became his most devoted friend and ally, participated in many duels and threw many prisoners at the feet of his sovereign.

After King Arthur returned from Rome to England, all the knights of the Round Table came to him and began to organize fights and tournaments. Sir Lancelot of the Lake was especially distinguished. He won all tournaments, fights and even life-and-death battles. None of the knights could surpass him, since Lancelot could only be defeated through treachery or witchcraft. They began to treat him with even greater respect, and Queen Guinevere distinguished him from other knights. It is clear that he loved the queen, as he did not love any woman, and only for her he performed feats, and his knighthood saved her from dangers. Sir Lancelot indulged in various entertainments for a long time and finally decided to go wandering. He invited his brother Lionel to go together “in search of adventure.” Fully armed, they mounted their horses and galloped through the forest. After some time, a wide plain opened up in front of them. The time was approaching noon, it became hot, and Sir Lancelot felt sleepy. Then Sir Lionel saw a tall apple tree and said:

“Brother, we and our horses can rest in the shade of this tree.”

“Well done, great idea,” Sir Lancelot praised.

They drove up to the apple tree, dismounted, Sir Lancelot lay down on the ground, put his helmet under his head and soon fell asleep. Sir Lionel woke up while his brother was still sleeping. The first thing he saw was three knights galloping at full speed, followed by another knight. Sir Lionel thought that he had never seen such a huge knight. A few moments later, the knight caught up with one of the pursued horsemen and knocked him out of the saddle with one blow. Then he caught up with the second and knocked him to the ground with a blow, and then the same fate befell the third rider. After that, he dismounted and tied the knights with their own bridles. Intrigued by what he saw, Sir Lionel decided to find out all the details of this matter and quietly, trying not to wake Sir Lancelot, mounted his horse and rode after the huge knight. Having caught up with him, he was just about to ask a question when a blow of such force fell on him that he fell to the ground along with his horse. The knight dismounted, tied up Sir Lionel, threw his horse across the saddle and took all four captives to his castle. There he threw them into a deep pit, in which there were already many knights who were in a terrible state.

Sir Lancelot was still sleeping under the apple tree when the four queens rode up to him. Four mounted knights held over them a large piece of green silk stretched over four spears, protecting the ladies from the hot rays of the sun. The queens themselves rode white mules.

They were passing by and heard the loud neighing of a large horse. As they approached closer, they saw a knight dressed in armor sleeping under an apple tree. The queens immediately recognized Sir Lancelot in the sleeping knight and began to argue which of them would get him as a lover.

- Let's not argue! - said the fairy Morgana, King Arthur's sister. “I will put a spell on him, and he will sleep for six hours, and during this time we will take him to my castle.” There I will remove the spell from him, and he will have no choice but to choose one of us as his beloved.

The sleeping Sir Lancelot was bewitched, placed on a shield, and two knights, taking hold of it, brought the captive to the castle. Then he was taken to his chambers, and in the evening he was fed dinner.

At dawn, four queens in rich outfits came to wish Lancelot good morning, and he answered them in kind.

“Sir knight,” the ladies turned to Sir Lancelot. – You must understand that you are our prisoner. We know well that you are Sir Lancelot of the Lake, son of King Ban and the bravest of knights. We also know that for you there is only one woman - Queen Guinevere, and since you have lost her forever, and she you, you should choose one of us. I am the fairy queen Morgana, and these ladies are the queens of North Wales, the East Country and the Isles. Now choose one of us, and if you refuse, you will die.

“It’s a hard lot,” Lancelot replied, “which means I must either die or choose one of you.” Well, in this case, I would rather die than have one of you as a lover, since you are all treacherous witches.

“Well,” said the ladies, “we must understand that you are refusing us?”

“Yes,” said Sir Lancelot, and the deeply saddened ladies left his chambers.

At noon the girl brought him lunch and asked how he was feeling.

“I have never felt so bad, dear girl,” Lancelot replied.

“Sir, if you listen to me, I will help you.” Just promise that next Tuesday during the tournament you will help my father, who will fight the king of North Wales; last Tuesday my father lost his fight.

“Tell me your father’s name, beauty, and I will give you the answer.”

“Sir knight, my father is King Bagdemagus.”

“I know him as a noble king and a good knight, and I am ready to serve you and your father on the appointed day.”

The girl left, and when she returned the next morning, she found Lancelot completely ready. She escorted him through twelve doors and led him straight to his horse. The knight jumped into the saddle and rode off.

On Tuesday he arrived in a small forest where the tournament was to be held. Tribunes for spectators were already installed there, from where the lords and their ladies could watch the tournament and present prizes. The King of North Wales, accompanied by one hundred and sixty knights, and eighty knights led by King Bagdemagus, entered the field. The knights armed with spears rushed at each other, and in the first battle, King Bagdemagus lost twelve men, and the King of North Wales six warriors; Bagdemagus's detachment suffered more severely.

Then Sir Lancelot of the Lake appeared and pointed his spear into the thick of it. With one blow he knocked down five knights, knocked the king of North Wales out of the saddle, and he broke his hip in the fall. The knights of the King of North Wales gave up resistance, and the victory went to King Bagdemagus.

After the tournament, Sir Lancelot went with King Bagdemagus to his castle, where he spent the rest of the day pleasantly with the king and his daughter. The next morning he said goodbye to them, explaining that he would go in search of Sir Lionel's brother, who had left for an unknown destination while he was sleeping. Lancelot set off and again came to the same forest where the dream overcame him. On the way, he met a girl riding a white horse, and they exchanged greetings.

“Beauty, do you know anything in this region that could be an adventure for a knight?”

“Sir knight,” the girl answered, “there are adventures at every turn.”

– Why don’t I test myself? After all, this is exactly why I came here.

“Sir,” the girl continued, “there lives a knight nearby that none of the knights I know can cope with, except perhaps you.” His name is Sir Turquin, and, as far as I know, he is King Arthur's worst enemy. He has more than sixty of Arthur's knights languishing in his dungeon; he single-handedly took them prisoner.

“Beauty,” Lancelot asked, “I beg you, explain how to get to this knight.”

“His castle is about a mile from here, on the left there is a watering hole where horses are brought, and next to the watering hole grows a beautiful tree hung with the shields of those knights whom he captured. There is also a copper basin hanging on the tree, and if you hit it, you will see what happens.

Sir Lancelot drove in the direction indicated by the girl and soon saw a watering hole and a tree on which shields and a basin hung. On the tree he noticed the shields of Sir Lionel, Sir Ector and many other knights whom he knew well.

Sir Lancelot hit the pelvis with the end of his spear once, twice, three times, but no matter how much he hit, no one appeared. Finally he saw a huge knight leading a horse by the bridle with a tied knight thrown over the saddle. As they drew nearer, Sir Lancelot realized that he knew the captive knight. It was Sir Gaheris, brother of Sir Gawain, knight of the Round Table.

“And now, dear knight,” said Sir Lancelot, “dismount this wounded knight from his horse and give him a little rest while you and I measure our strength, since, as I know, you have insulted the knights of the Round Table and brought shame upon them.” Now defend yourself!

“If you belong to the Round Table, then I challenge you and your entire brotherhood,” said Sir Turquin.

“That’s a strong word,” said Sir Lancelot.

Jumping onto their horses, they rushed towards each other with spears in their hands. Each of them struck the other with a spear in the middle of the shield, from which their horses fell and crushed the riders under them. Having got out from under the horses, they immediately crossed their swords. Each managed to deliver several strong blows that their shields and armor could not withstand. Soon the opponents were already bleeding. Completely exhausted, barely breathing, they stopped the fight and with difficulty leaned on their swords.

“Well, mate,” said Sir Turquin, “you are the toughest I have ever dealt with, and you know how to fight.” If you are not the knight whom I hate more than others because he killed my brother, Sir Carados, I will gladly make peace with you and, as a sign of respect for you, I will release my prisoners.

-What is the name of the knight whom you hate more than others? – asked Lancelot.

“His name is Sir Lancelot of the Lake,” answered Sir Turquin.

“I am Sir Lancelot of the Lake, son of King Ban and knight of the Round Table.” And now I challenge you to a fight to the death.

- Ah well! - cried Sir Turquin. “I wanted to meet you, Lancelot, more than anything in the world, and we will fight until one of us dies.”

And they began to fight like two angry bulls, waving their shields and swords with such fury that sometimes they could not even stand on their feet and fell head first. They fought like this for more than two hours, until the entire ground around them was stained with blood.

Suddenly Sir Turquin swayed, began to fall back and, out of weakness, lowered his shield. Noticing this, Sir Lancelot, like a lion, rushed furiously towards the enemy, tore off his helmet and with one blow cut off his head from his neck.

Sir Gaheris, seeing that Sir Turquin was killed, turned to the conqueror:

“Noble knight, tell me your name, because today I saw the best knight in the world.” You have just, in my presence, killed the strongest and most skilled of all whom I have ever met until this day.

“My name is Sir Lancelot of the Lake, and it was my duty to avenge the insult done to King Arthur, and especially to Sir Gawain, your beloved brother.” And now I ask you to go to the castle and free all the prisoners you find there. I am sure that among them there will be many Knights of the Round Table and, of course, my brother Sir Lionel. Greet them on my behalf and tell them that they can take whatever they want from the castle. Yes, and tell my brother to go to the court and wait for me: I hope to return there before Trinity. And now new adventures await me.

Sir Lancelot set out, and Sir Gaheris rode to the castle, took the keys from the gatekeeper, opened the door of the prison and freed all the prisoners. Among them were Sir Caius, Sir Brandel, Sir Briand, Sir Aliduc, Sir Hector the Outskirts, Sir Lionel and many others. When they saw Sir Gaheris, they began to thank him, because they decided, looking at his wounds, that it was he who had killed Sir Turquin.

- Don't thank me. It was Sir Lancelot who killed the villain. I saw it with my own eyes.

Sir Lancelot rode all day and at dusk he came to a beautiful castle. The elderly lady, the mistress of the castle, showed exceptional hospitality and deliciously fed both Lancelot and his horse. When the time came, the hostess took Lancelot to the room allocated for him to spend the night. Sir Lancelot took off his armor, placed it next to the bed, lay down in bed and fell asleep almost instantly. But he did not sleep for long, because soon a horseman galloped up to the castle and began loudly knocking on the gate. Awakened by a loud knock, Lancelot stood up, looked out the window and in the moonlight saw three horsemen armed with swords. So they arrived at the gate, the knight turned to them and fearlessly entered the battle. “I must help this knight,” thought Sir Lancelot, “after all, it is vile for three to attack one.” He put on his armor, walked down the sheet from the window to the ground and shouted loudly:

“Leave this horseman, knights, and fight me!”

The knights left Sir Kai alone - as it turned out, it was him - and attacked Sir Lancelot. They attacked him from three sides and inflicted significant blows. Sir Caius tried to intervene and help Sir Lancelot, but was stopped by the words:

“No, sir, I don’t need help and I can handle them myself.”

Sir Kai obeyed his wishes and began to watch the battle from the side. Sir Lancelot needed only six blows for all the opponents to be on the ground and immediately prayed:

- Sir knight, we surrender to your mercy!

- I don't need you. If you want, surrender to Sir Kai, and I just promise to spare your life.

“We will do as you say, noble knight,” they assured.

“Then go to Trinity to the court of King Arthur and surrender there to Queen Guinevere, not forgetting to say that you are prisoners of Sir Kai.”

“Sir,” the three replied, “we swear that we will do exactly what you said.”

Each of them swore on his sword, and Sir Lancelot allowed them to leave.

In the morning, Sir Lancelot rose early, while Sir Kai was still sleeping, took Sir Kai's armor and shield, led his horse out of the stable, jumped into the saddle and rode away. Soon after his departure Sir Caius awoke to find that Sir Lancelot had taken his armor and horse. “Now it is clear to me,” thought Sir Kay, “that he has decided to fight with one of King Arthur’s knights, who, seeing him in my armor and on my horse, will decide that it is me and will boldly enter into battle with him. But his armor and horse will allow me not to be afraid of anyone on the road.” After this, Sir Kai said goodbye to the mistress of the castle and left.

Sir Lancelot rode through a dense forest and saw under an oak tree four knights who served in the court of King Arthur. These were Sir Sagramur the Desired, Sir Ector the Outlying, Sir Gawain and Sir Ywain. When they saw Sir Lancelot, by his armor they took him for Sir Caius.

“I swear, now I will test the strength of Sir Kai,” said Sir Sagramur, took the spear and rode up to Sir Lancelot.

Sir Lancelot raised his spear and struck Sir Sagramur with such force that he and his horse fell to the ground. Then Sir Ector said:

“Now you will see what I will do with him.”

But he suffered even more, for Sir Lancelot's spear pierced his shoulder, and he fell from his horse to the ground.

“By my honor,” cried Sir Yvain, “we have a strong knight before us.” I'm afraid he killed Sir Kai and donned his armor.

Sir Ivain took the spear in his hands and galloped towards Sir Lancelot, who met him with such a blow that the ground went out from under Sir Ivain's feet and he ceased to understand what kind of world he was in now. “Now it’s my turn to fight this knight,” Sir Gawain realized. He took the shield and the best spear, which was well known to Sir Lancelot. The horsemen separated at the required distance, turned around, rushed towards each other, and each struck the enemy’s shield with a spear. Sir Gawain's spear broke, and from Sir Lancelot's blow his horse fell, crushing its rider. Sir Lancelot rode on and, smiling, mentally thanked the one who made his spear, for he had never had a better spear. When he had gone, the knights began to console each other, and Sir Ector said:

“I bet my head is that it was Sir Lancelot.” I recognized him by the way he sat in the saddle.

Sir Lancelot traveled through many foreign lands until fate brought him to a beautiful castle. As he drove past, he thought he heard bells ringing. Then a falcon flew over his head and landed on a tall elm tree. A debtor was tied to his paw, who was entangled in the branches, and when the bird decided to fly away, it only flapped its wings and hung with its paws up.

Sir Lancelot watched with compassion the bird's attempt to escape from its accidental captivity, when he suddenly heard a woman's voice:

- O Lancelot, Lancelot! You are the flower of all chivalry. Help me get my hunting falcon. If I cannot save him, then my master will kill me, and he is quick to kill.

-What is your master's name? - asked Sir Lancelot.

“Sir,” answered the lady, “his name is Sir Felot, he is a knight of the King of North Wales.”

“Well, fair lady, since you know my name and invoke my knightly duty, I will do what I can to get this falcon.” But God knows, I am not an expert at climbing trees, and the tree is already very tall, and there are few branches on it to climb.

Sir Lancelot dismounted, tied his horse to a tree and asked the lady to help him take off his armor. Freed from his armor, he took off his jacket and began to deftly climb the tree. He climbed up to the falcon, unraveled it, tied it to a dry branch and threw it down. The lady caught the falcon, and then suddenly her husband came out of the castle in armor and with a naked sword in his hand.

“I finally got you, knight Lancelot.”

With these words he stood under the tree, preparing to cut Sir Lancelot to death.

“Oh, lady,” cried Lancelot, “why did you betray me?”

“She did what I ordered her,” Sir Felot answered for his wife. “And there’s nothing you can do about it—your hour of death has come.”

“Shame on your head,” exclaimed Lancelot, “an armed knight kills an unarmed man who was betrayed.”

- What does nobility have to do with it? Save yourself if you can,” Sir Felot growled.

“Well,” answered Lancelot, “since you have decided so, then take my armor, but just hang my sword on a branch so that I can get it, and then kill me if you can.”

“Well, no,” replied Sir Felot, “I know you well, so you will not receive weapons.”

“Alas,” Sir Lancelot then exclaimed, “the knight will have to die unarmed.”

As he said this, he looked around and saw right above his head a strong branch with no leaves on it. He broke it off and began to descend, noting at the same time where his horse stood, and thus jumped to the ground so that it was between him and Sir Phelot. Sir Felot swung his sword, but Lancelot parried the blow with a thick branch, and then brought it down with a flourish on Sir Felot's head. From the blow, Sir Felot, losing consciousness, fell to the ground. Sir Lancelot approached the enemy and cut off his head with his own sword.

“Oh,” the lady cried out, “why did you kill my husband?”

“It is not my fault,” replied Sir Lancelot. “It was the two of you who cunningly planned to kill me, but everything turned against you.”

The lady fainted, and Sir Lancelot hastily put on his armor, because he feared other ambushes, because the knight’s castle was nearby. He hastily jumped on his horse and galloped away, thanking God for deliverance from the terrible danger.

Two days before the feast of Pentecost, Sir Lancelot returned home. The king and the whole court were very happy at his arrival. And when Sir Gawain, Sir Ywain, Sir Sagramur and Sir Ector the Outskirts saw Lancelot in the armor of Sir Caius, they no longer doubted that it was he who had felled all four of them with one spear. And there was a lot of laughter and fun about this. Meanwhile, one after another, former prisoners of Sir Tarquin began to arrive at the court, and they all praised Sir Lancelot. Sir Gaheris heard the voice of Sir Lancelot and said:

“I saw the whole fight from beginning to end.

He told King Arthur how it all happened, and added that Sir Tarquin was the most powerful knight he had ever seen, except for Sir Lancelot. Next, Sir Kai told the king how Sir Lancelot saved him from certain death and how he forced the three knights to admit that they were “not his captives, but mine.” The three knights present during the conversation confirmed Sir Kai's words.

“And then, by God,” concluded Sir Caius, “Sir Lancelot took my armor and left me his, and I rode in peace and tranquility, for no one wanted to fight with me.”

And at that time Sir Lancelot had such glory as no other knight in the world, and everyone revered him, both great and small.

A Berserker-class servant summoned during the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The real identity of Berserker is Lancelot of the Lake, the hero of Arthurian myths, one of the most famous knights of the Round Table.

He became famous both for his exploits in the service of King Arthur and for his incredibly strong love for Arthur's wife, Guinevere.

Lancelot was born into the family of King Ban of Benwick and his wife Elaine. When Lancelot was still very young, his parents had to flee their native kingdom; They were forced to do this by the sworn enemy of King Ban, the ruler of the Desert Lands, Claudas. While Elaine nursed her wounded husband, the child was looked after by the Lady of the Lake; It was thanks to this supervision that Lancelot received his nickname.

By the will of the Lady, Lancelot went to the court of King Arthur. Sir Gawain helped Lancelot become a knight; Soon after his arrival, Lancelot met Queen Guinevere - and almost immediately fell in love with her. One of Lancelot's first tasks, ironically, was precisely the rescue of Guinevere from one of Arthur's enemies, Melegante.

Lancelot played a major role in the conflict between Arthur and Galehot. Galehote was both Lancelot's friend and Arthur's enemy; Ultimately, Lancelot convinced his comrade to surrender to Arthur - for which he was later invited to the Round Table.

With the help of Arthur, Lancelot managed to defeat Claudas and regain his father's kingdom; however, he did not return to his father’s lands, preferring to stay in Camelot.

The daughter of the Fisher King, Elaine of Corbenic, fell in love with the already popular Lancelot. Posing as Guinevere, Elaine managed to seduce Lancelot - and bore him a child named Galahad. Soon the news of what had happened reached Guinevere; she expelled Lancelot from Camelot. This literally drove the knight crazy; after two years of wandering, he wandered into Corbenic - where Elaine, who loved him, was able to recognize him. Soon after this, Lancelot returned to Camelot - in the company of knights sent in search of him by Queen Guinevere.

Soon after his return, Lancelot left Camelot again, going with Galahad and Percival in search of the Grail. Alas, infidelity to Guinevere and interest in earthly honors made Lancelot unworthy - he managed to see the Grail only for a moment.

Lancelot's son was luckier - he even managed to drink from the coveted cup.

Ultimately, it was Lancelot's love for the queen that led to the start of the global crisis in the Arthurian world; their romance led to the death of Gawain's brothers and sons, a quarrel between Gawain and Lancelot, and the betrayal of Arthur by Mordred. Having heard about Arthur's death, Lancelot went in search of his beloved; she blamed herself and the knight for what happened, and even refused to give Lancelot the last kiss, declaring that he would never see her face in his life. Guinevere's prediction came true - their next meeting took place half an hour after Guinevere's death. The knight outlived his queen by only six weeks.

In the Nasuverse, as a Berserker, Lancelot's mind is affected by Insanity Enhancement, which limits his rationality and thinking abilities. He feels nothing but murderous intent and bloodlust. He exudes hatred so strong that it can be easily felt even when he is hiding.

He is dressed in pitch-black armor and a crude helmet with a thin slit for his terribly glowing eyes. His armor contains many signs by which his identity can be identified, but he remains unidentified thanks to his Noble Phantasm For Alien Glory - a black fog that envelops and hides him from identifying his identity by his figure, and also prevents enemy Masters from reading his abilities .

Lancelot was born with numerous abilities and talents, thanks to which he became famous as the strongest among the Knights of the Round Table. His combat prowess is many times higher than even that of King Arthur.

When fighting against other Servants, Berserker usually uses his Knight of Honor Phantasm. He can use anything he can use as a weapon as his own Phantasms.

Lancelot's main phantasm is Arondite: the Unfading Light of the Lake - a sacred sword that has distorted its properties. The strength of this blade makes it virtually indestructible to enemy attacks.