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Father of Guinevere in Arthurian legend
King Leodegrance
, sometimes
Leondegrance
,
Leodogran
, or variations thereof, is the father of Queen
Guinevere
in
Arthurian legend
. His kingdom of
Cameliard
(or Carmelide) is usually identified with Cornwall but may be located in Breton
Cornouaille
near the town of
Carhaix-Plouguer
, which is the Carhaise of
L'Histoire de Merlin
(13th century).
Leodegrance had served
Uther Pendragon
,
King Arthur
's biological father and regnal predecessor. Leodegrance was entrusted with the keeping of the
Round Table
at Uther's death. When Guinevere marries Arthur, Leodegrance gives the young king the table as a wedding present. In later romance Leodegrance is one of the few kings who accept Arthur as his overlord. For this, his land is invaded by the rebel king
Rience
, but Arthur comes to his rescue and expels the enemy. Arthur meets Guinevere for the first time during this excursion, and they develop a love that eventually results in their fateful marriage.
According to the
Lancelot-Grail
prose cycle, Leodegrance fathered a second daughter out of wedlock; he also names this child Guinevere. The "False Guinevere" later treacherously convinces Arthur's court that she is his real wife and her sister is an impostor, forcing the real queen and her lover
Lancelot
into hiding with their friend
Galehaut
. Guinevere eventually returns and reclaims her throne.
In
Welsh mythology
, the father of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) is the giant
Ogyruan
/
Ogyrvan
or
Gogyrfan
, who is mentioned in a number of
Middle Welsh
texts.
[1]
In popular culture
[
edit
]
Leodegrance was portrayed by
Patrick Stewart
in the 1981 film
Excalibur
and by
Daragh O'Malley
in the 2011 television series
Camelot
.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Bromwich, Rachel (ed.).
Trioedd Ynys Prydein
. Cardiff, revised ed. 1991.