A True, Black Knight

A True, Black Knight

by Briana Cassia, Lions Gate, An Tir

(for the SMASH, Team SwanSong)

Morien was the son of Aglamore de Galis, who was the eldest son of King Pellinore, and brother to Percival. (It is posited circumstantially that in earlier versions, Morien was Perceval’s get, which parentage was redacted with the growing trope of Perceval’s inviolable virginity, but such arguments are beyond the scope of this paper.) When Arthur sent the Knights in search of Lancelot, Aglovale found himself in Moorish lands, and became enamored of a princess (unfortunately unnamed, so far as I have found). While he did promise to marry her and they consummated their betrothal, Aglovale then left to continue his quest, leaving his fiancee to bear his child and raise him as befitted a Prince of Christendom. When she was disinherited of her lands, she sends her son to seek his father to redress that wrong. It should be noted that Moriaen and Moryan, both spellings found in the extant Middle Dutch text, are synonyms for the Moors themselves. As well, Saint Maurice was a favoured saint of that region during the Middle Ages, and was as dark of skin as the literary figure of Sir Morien.

Morien is described as being very large and with very dark skin: “He was all black, even as I tell ye: his head, his body, and his hands were all black, saving only his teeth.”¹ Indeed, he has trouble trying to get across the sea to Britain, as the sailors were made afraid by his dark skin and huge frame, and thought him a devil, so he could find no passage. At the same time, it is remarked how well-formed he is, how beautiful, as only the flower of chivalry may be seen to be. “...his head, which was black as pitch; that was the fashion of his land--Moors are black as burnt brands. But in all that men would praise in a knight was he fair, after his kind. Though he were black, what was he the worse? In him was naught unsightly.”¹

Of the several “fatherless son” tropes seen in the Arthurian mythos, Morien’s case is better justified than most, and has as happy an ending as these romances can: he succeeds in finding his father after a series of adventures with a few named Knights, including Lancelot and Gawain. Aglovale and Morien together return to the Moorish lands of his birth to succor his mother and regain her lost kingdom. She appears to have been a Christian, as Morien was raised in the faith shared with the other Knights of Arthur’s court, and is heard to call upon God, which reassures Gawain that he is no devil, however tall and black he is.

It is interesting to note that Morien is but a youth when he comes to find his father “...he was taller by half a foot than any knight who stood beside him, and as yet was he scarce more than a child”, but already is so ferocious a warrior that he could cut a spear flung towards him in two with one great stroke, “as if it were a reed”, which reminds this equestrian historian of the Turkish mounted martial game of the Reed Chop, which we play in the SCA.

Sources:

1. All citations in italics were taken from this text, a modern retelling into prose. No obvious liberties taken with the text, but much more accessible to read in this format. Ancient Texts Library (Online): https://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/morien.html, by Jessie Weston.

Middle Dutch text, with side-notes. The Google-provided English translation is shaky for a quick read, but one can tease out more meaning if the time is taken. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_mor001mori01_01/_mor001mori01_01_0008.php

Online article listing several famous Medieval people of colour: https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/06/01/moors-saints-knights-kings-african-presence-medieval-renaissance-europe/

Image source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/not-all-knights-round-table-were-white-180949361/