{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart368.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart368.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart368.htm","text":"CHAPTER XV\nHow Sir Galahad fought with the knights of the castle, and\ndestroyed the wicked custom.\nWHEN Sir Galahad heard this he thanked God, and took\nhis horse; and he had not ridden but half a mile, he saw\nin the valley afore him a strong castle with deep ditches,\nand there ran beside it a fair river that hight Severn; and\nthere he met with a man of great age, and either saluted\nother, and Galahad asked him the castle's name. Fair sir,\nsaid he, it is the Castle of Maidens. That is a cursed\ncastle, said Galahad, and all they that be conversant therein,\nfor all pity is out thereof, and all hardiness and mischief\nis therein. Therefore, I counsel you, sir knight, to turn\nagain. Sir, said Galahad, wit you well I shall not turn\nagain. Then looked Sir Galahad on his arms that nothing\nfailed him, and then he put his shield afore him; and anon\nthere met him seven fair maidens, the which said unto\nhim: Sir knight, ye ride here in a great folly, for ye have\nthe water to pass over. Why should I not pass the water?\nsaid Galahad. So rode he away from them and met with\na squire that said: Knight, those knights in the castle\ndefy you, and defenden you ye go no further till that they\nwit what ye would. Fair sir, said Galahad, I come for to\ndestroy the wicked custom of this castle. Sir, an ye will\nabide by that ye shall have enough to do. Go you now,\nsaid Galahad, and haste my needs.\nThen the squire entered into the castle. And anon\nafter there came out of the castle seven knights, and all\nwere brethren. And when they saw Galahad they cried:\nKnight, keep thee, for we assure thee nothing but death.\nWhy, said Galahad, will ye all have ado with me at once?\nYea, said they, thereto mayst thou trust. Then Galahad\nput forth his spear and smote the foremost to the earth,\nthat near he brake his neck. And therewithal the other\nsmote him on his shield great strokes, so that their spears\nbrake. Then Sir Galahad drew out his sword, and set\nupon them so hard that it was marvel to see it, and so\nthrough great force he made them to forsake the field;\nand Galahad chased them till they entered into the castle,\nand so passed through the castle at another gate.\nAnd there met Sir Galahad an old man clothed in\nreligious clothing, and said: Sir, have here the keys of\nthis castle. Then Sir Galahad opened the gates, and saw\nso much people in the streets that he might not number\nthem, and all said: Sir, ye be welcome, for long have we\nabiden here our deliverance. Then came to him a gentlewoman\nand said: These knights be fled, but they will\ncome again this night, and here to begin again their evil\ncustom. What will ye that I shall do? said Galahad.\nSir, said the gentlewoman, that ye send after all the\nknights hither that hold their lands of this castle, and\nmake them to swear for to use the customs that were used\nheretofore of old time. I will well, said Galahad. And\nthere she brought him an horn of ivory, bounden with\ngold richly, and said: Sir, blow this horn which will be\nheard two mile about this castle. When Sir Galahad had\nblown the horn he set him down upon a bed.\nThen came a priest to Galahad, and said: Sir, it is\npast a seven year agone that these seven brethren came\ninto this castle, and harboured with the lord of this castle\nthat hight the Duke Lianour, and he was lord of all this\ncountry. And when they espied the duke's daughter,\nthat was a full fair woman, then by their false covin they\nmade debate betwixt themself, and the duke of his goodness\nwould have departed them, and there they slew him\nand his eldest son. And then they took the maiden and\nthe treasure of the castle. And then by great force they\nheld all the knights of this castle against their will under\ntheir obeissance, and in great service and truage, robbing\nand pilling the poor common people of all that they\nhad. So it happened on a day the duke's daughter said:\nYe have done unto me great wrong to slay mine own\nfather, and my brother, and thus to hold our lands: not\nfor then, she said, ye shall not hold this castle for many\nyears, for by one knight ye shall be overcome. Thus she\nprophesied seven years agone. Well, said the seven\nknights, sithen ye say so, there shall never lady nor knight\npass this castle but they shall abide maugre their heads, or\ndie therefore, till that knight be come by whom we shall\nlose this castle. And therefore is it called the Maidens'\nCastle, for they have devoured many maidens. Now, said\nGalahad, is she here for whom this castle was lost? Nay\nsir, said the priest, she was dead within these three nights\nafter that she was thus enforced; and sithen have they\nkept her younger sister, which endureth great pains with\nmo other ladies.\nBy this were the knights of the country come, and\nthen he made them do homage and fealty to the king's\ndaughter, and set them in great ease of heart. And in\nthe morn there came one to Galahad and told him how\nthat Gawaine, Gareth, and Uwaine, had slain the seven\nbrethren. I suppose well, said Sir Galahad, and took his\narmour and his horse, and commended them unto God.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIII CHAPTER XV","type":"page"}