In giving his men the opportunity esatto renounce their ties preciso him before he vows fealty esatto Gawain, Golagros acknowledges his people’s right esatto political freedom. In return, his people respond with verso heart-warming and, one could argue, equally Scottish medieval trait of loyalty preciso their own royal line ‘for chance that may cheif’ (line 1193).

Conclusion It has been observed that ‘the stories of Wallace and Bruce were more central preciso the Scottish imagination than were the stories of Arthur’.40 The Golagros-poet’s treatment of his Arthurian material seems sicuro bear this out. Per ‘scotticizing’ his 38

Malory seems to have believed that the Scots were the greatest threat facing the English con the fifteenth century; sopra direct contrast with English opinion during the reign of Edward I, Malory saw the Scots as neither despicable nor easily conquered

Gillian Rogers, ‘ “Illuminat with lawte, and with lufe lasit”: Gawain gives Arthur a Lesson con Magnanimity’, mediante Romance Reading on the Book: Essays on Medieval Narrative Presented onesto Maldwyn Mills, ed. J. Fellows, R. Field, G. Rogers and J. Weiss (Cardiff, 1996), pp. 94–111 (p. 111, note 13). Fergusson, Declaration, p. 9. Elizabeth Walsh, ‘Golagros and Gawane: A Word for Peace’, per Bryght Lanternis: Essays in the Language and Literature of Medieval and Renaissance Scotland, di nuovo. D. McClure and M. R. G. Spiller (Aberdeen, 1989), pp. 90–103 (p. 92).

And these were their namys: sir Collgrevaunce, sir Mador de la Porte, sir Gyngalyne, sir Mellyot de Logris, sir Petipace of Wynchylse, sir Galleron of Galoway, sir Melyon de la Mountayne, sir Ascamore, sir Gromeresom Erioure, sir Curselalyne, sir Florence, and sir Lovell

French material, he not only aligns it with Scotland’s particular branch of the Advice onesto Princes tradition, but he transforms his source material’s demonstration of courtesy into a subtle study of the nature of sovereignty and the practical role of courtesy in maintaining it, deliberately invoking the stories of Bruce and Wallace and the national sovereignty that they stand for mediante Scottish eyes. By giving Arthur the curious dual role of exemplary well-advised king and greedy attacker of per noble independent nation, Golagros satisfies fans of the most anglophobic of the Scottish chronicles, as well as those (and they ed people) who prefer their Arthur as verso representative of ideal kingship. Given that part of Arthur’s role durante this text is esatto represent the English monarchy, we may detect here per faint shadow of the uncomfortable dance of negotiation and compromise performed by Scotland and England throughout this period, resulting sopra, among other things, the es IV onesto Margaret Tudor sopra 1503. Far from merely translating verso French Arthurian romance or tamely following English Arthurian tradition, the author of Golagros and Gawane weaves together international Arthurian tradition with local Scottish interests to cover the entire spectrum of Scotland’s uniquely complex reception of Arthurian legend.

When Malory’s Aggravayne and Mordred are recruiting per few good men esatto help them trap Lancelot mediante the queen’s bedchambers, they find willing allies among one particular group, the Scottish: Than sir Aggravayne and sir Mordred gate esatto them twelve knyghtes and hyd hemselff con verso chambir durante the castell of Carlyle. So thes twelve knyghtes were with sir Mordred and sir Aggravayne, and all they were of Scotlonde, other ellis of sir Gawaynes kynne, other [well]-wyllers sicuro hys brothir. (1164.8–17)

Malory’s French source leaves most of these knights nameless (and, perhaps coincidentally, alive).1 For Malory, however, naming these knights and associating them with the Scots seems esatto be important; bound sicuro Gawain and Aggravayne by ties of blood and friendship, Aggravayne’s twelve allies divide Arthur’s trapu through precisely that kind of loyalty, suggesting that ethnic divisions are a greater ciò che è ourtime concern for Malory than they had been for the anonymous author of the French prose Mort Artu. This concern with ethnic division, and particularly with the Scots at Arthur’s courtaud, colours Malory’s portrayal of a number of traditional characters and events. They were dangerous.