Medieval Arthurian Legend

Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur

15th century, late-Medieval English.

'By my knighthood!' exclaimed Sir Palamedes, 'I didn't recognise you. I thought you were the King of Ireland, for you are wearing his arms.'

At a tournament at Lonazep, in Sir Thomas Malory's Book of Sir Tristram de Lyones, four knights, including Sir Tristram and Sir Palamedes, fight in green arms. And than sir Trystram chonged his horse and disgysed himselff all in rede [red], horse and harnes [armour]. Sir Tristram, the next day, leaves the field and comes back with a black shield while Sir Palamedes takes the silver shield of a retiree who is nursing his wounds beneath a thorn bush. Than cam sir Palomydes whyche was disgysed... [and] sir Palomydes answered agayne, as though he had nat knowyn sir Trystram... 'Be [by] my knyghthod," seyde sir Palomydes, "untyll now I knew you nat, for I wente [believed] that ye had bene the kynge off [of] Irelonde, for well I wote [know] that ye bare his armys [heraldic arms].'

Vinaver, Eugene, 1971, reprinted in paperback, 1977. Malory: Works. Oxford University Press. The Book of Sir Tristram de Lyones. XII. The Tournament at Lonezep, pp 447–60.

Sir Thomas Malory – Wikipedia

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Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte Darthur' – British Library, online exhibition

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