250:

Gareth and Rede Knight of the Rede Laundes exchange words.

249:

Lady warns him not to blow the ivory horn until noon, otherwise the knight’s strength (Rede Knight of the Rede Laundes) will be 7 times stronger that of a normal man. He doesn’t listen. This is similar to the enchantment that Gawayne has from 9-12 everyday where he is nearly invincible.

248:

The Rede Knight of the Rede Launde doesn’t care who this is, he’s confident he’ll kill whomever. We learn of the 40 knights this Rede Knight of the Rede Laundes has hung.

247:

Dame Lyones prepares Gareth a proper greeting. The Rede Knight of the Rede Launde thinks a truly great knight, like Launcelot is coming …. nope, it’s “just” Gareth.

246:

The besieged lady inquires about Gareth

245:

Damesell requests that Gareth be made knight by Persaunte, but Gareth tells how Launcelot already made him a knight. This impresses Persaunte. Gareth revels his name (identity)

244:

Gareth won’t sleep with his Persaunte’s daughter. We leard of the Rede Knight of the Rede Launde who is the tyrant that started this adventure in the first place. He’s laying siege to the damesell’s sister and that’s the whole goal here to defeat him.

243:

Gareth wins. He defers mercy to the damesell again, She agrees again. Persaunte offers service of his 100 knights to Gareth. All these knights thus far have been brothers: Rede, Green, Black, Inde – Gareth has basically built an army by fighting and defeating these knights. Persaunte also gives Gareth his 18 year old daughter for the night.

242:

Gareth tells her his kitchen duties were really to see who his friends truly were. She finally relents and is won over. Gareth fights Persaunte well over “too owres”.

241:

“ye shall cacche som hurte” = a very Malory thing to say. Love it!

By the way, “and” usually means “if” in this book.

Parsaunte isn’t even as tough as the knights we’ve really come for. She finally recognizes Gareth’s good blood.

Blood = lineage (as in this case)
Blood = sin (as in Gwenyvere’s bedroom and Launcelot’s hand)
Blood = healing (staunche the blood)
Blood = Christ (Grail, communion)

240:

lady still berates Gareth, but he’s getting a little tired of her. They come upon a pavilion of knights. She talks up Sir Parsaunte of Inde, “the moste lordlyest knyght that ever thou lokyd on”

239:

Gareth is victorious, Rede begs for mercy. Gareth puts it to the lady again and she agrees to show mercy. They all celebrate and submit to Arthur, though it’s really Gareth where the stronger loyalty lay.

238:

They finally get to the Rede Knight, who is brother to the Green and Black Knights. Gareth and Rede fight and the lady is encouraging Rede Knight, who is her enemy, to win.

237:

Gareth is now protected by this Green Knight (first of many knights who will be loyal to him within the larger state structure of Arthur’s court – state within a state). This Green Knight has 30 men under him (who are thus under Gareth now, too).

236:

She relents and orders him not to kill the Green Knight. Green knight tries to talk sense into the lady about her terrible treatment of Gareth.

235:

Gareth and the Green Knight fight. Green Knight begs for mercy, but Gareth leaves mercy up to the lady’s discretion.

234:

After 1.5 hours the black knight dies. Lady is still not happy. Now there’s a Green Knight, brother of the Black Knight. Gareth says he killed the Black Knight honorably.

233:

She tells the black knight to fight Gareth. They fight.

232:

She still insults him, he’s not giving up. They come upon a knight all in black.

231:

The lady houses with the newly rescued knight. They all party, but she still despises Gareth. He fights 2 knights at a river crossing. Wins. Lady is totally unimpressed.

230:

Gareth helps a man who is fleeing 6 thieves. He kills them but asks no no reward in return.

229:

Launcelot does make him a knight. This damesell does nothing but insult him up one side and down the other. She wants a “real” knight.

228:

“Beawmaynes” (Gareth) insults Kay right back then knocks Kay off his horse, takes his shield and spear. He now fights with Launcelot.

227:

The new knight asks to take on this damesell’s adventure to deal with the tyrant. He also asks that Launcelot make him a knight.

226:

Launcelot and Gawayne give this knight gold for new clothes while Kay still mocks him. A damesell arrives at court requesting help with a tyrant. She does not give her name and Arthur refuses to help her.

225:

Kay mocks this new knight who sleeps in he kitchen with the servants.

224:

New knight asks for 4 gifts – 1 now, the rest later. This knight wants a year’s worth of food. He won’t say his name.

223:

Gareth = Beawmaynes = “fair hands” or “pretty hands”. Tis is Kay’s insult of Gareth.

Custom for the king not to go to mete (eat meat) until there is a great marvel.

The knights gather, a new knight enters.

222:

Launcelot is renowned the world over.

Beowulf was also eager to gain fame, and was also generous to his kinsmen (the old myth hero). Also like Heracles in that he’s divine and undertook labors / adventures. All this is civilization building and Launcelot’s role in the greater myth cycle is that he’s bringing justice to Arthur’s court and the realm. He’s the strong arm of the law.

221:

The knight turns good and becomes a hermit (we’ll see this happen again at the end of the book). Everyone recalls Launcelot’s deeds at court.

220:

The knight tricks Launcelot to look away so that he can chop of his wife’s head. He then begs for mercy. Launcelot makes him wear the head and then go to see the Pope in Rome and beg forgiveness.

219:

Launcelot sees a knight chasing a lady (his wife) with his “naked sword”. She loves her cousin.

218:

Launcelot was tricked to remove his armor. He fights Phelot with just a tree branch. Killing an unarmed knight is an act of treason as well as dishonorable.

217:

Everyone is cheered! He sees a falcon trapped in a tree and a lady begs him to rescue it. Launcelot admits to being a terrible climber. Launcelot removes his armor to climb this tree.

216:

The price for the sword is 1 kiss which he refuses. She dies of grief 2 weeks later. He returns to the wounded knight.

This sword is a power sword. The castle is a castle of death, Castle Nygurmous (necromancy) and she’s a necromancer who will gladly take him alive or dead.

215:

Launcelot heads to the chapel to retrieve the cure. 30 knights are there, but they step aside. He takes the cloth and the sword.

214:

Launcelot comes upon a wounded dog, dead knight, and a mournful lady (enchantress). But he decides to help another knight?

213:

Launcelot beats them up good and sore.

212:

Launcelot wins (well, duh) and makes them swear (again) to go to Gwenyvere. Raynolde (one of these knoghts) knows Launcelot is not Kay, but in Kay’s armor Launcelot is giving Kay the authority of state and force. There is no fighting the brotherhood of the Round Table.

Still in Kay’s armor he fights Ector, Gawayne, Uwayne, and Sagramoure – who are part of the Round Table so there is still in-fighting.

211:

Launcelot strikes 1 ofthe 3 knights down, the other 2 charge in so now Launcelot is fighting all 3.

210:

Launcelot dones Kay’s armor. He comes upon the three knights again to see if they’re doing what they should be. Kay would thus be in Launcelot’s armor – thus continues the book long theme of identity / glory.

209:

Launcelot defeats the 3 knights without Kay’s help – forces them to yield to Kay, not himself. Sends the three to “see” Arthur. Sending people to “see” Arthur is really just about submission to the authority of the state.

208:

Launcelot does not take the treasure of Arthur’s mother’s/father’s castle. Launcelot helps Sir Kay who is perused by 3 knights.

207:

Launcelot fights 2 giants and wins. Prisoners had been here 7 years – Giants are a metonomy for enclosers, rapists, outside the law (inhuman) to the values of chivalry.

206:

The damesell says she knows Gwenyvere has enchanted Launcelot to be only hers. I forgot about this part, but it seems unlikely this is the truth since the story wouldn’t work if Launcelot had been tricked – this must just be the damesell’s jealousy because Launcelot will only love Gwenyvere – the 2 Elaynes will come later, however.

Launcelot kills a castle porter at the bridge.

205:

Launcelot has the damesell ride ahead to trick the thief knight; Launcelot kills this knight.

I like the line that describes their leisurely speed “souffte amblynge pace”

204:

Launcelot heads off with the damesell, Gaherys frees the prisoners. They all eat dinner then go after Launcelot.

203:

Launcelot reveals his identity, defeats Terquin, tells Gaherys to free the prisoners.

202:

Terquin is looking to kill Launcelot but doesn’t know he’s actually fighting him. One of many fights that lasts 2 hours in this book.