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Le Morte d’Arthur, Book II
Jan. 29th, 2023 09:20 amBook II of Le Morte d'Arthur deals with the adventures of Balin, an oft-neglected knight in modern adaptations (not sure I've seen him in ANY modern adaptations actually), possibly because he dies so early that most of the other knights haven't even shown up yet. What's the point of writing Arthuriana if you can't write about Gawain and Lancelot, am I right?
However, as it turns out, Balin's tale answers some Arthurian questions I had never thought to ask, chief among them "Who struck the Dolorous Stroke and why?" (The Dolorous Stroke is the stroke that created the Fisher King's unhealing wound and laid waste to his country, until, as Malory helpfully tells us - Malory does not foreshadow so much as tell you exactly what's going to happen - Galahad put it all right.)
Who struck the Dolorous Stroke? Balin! Why? WELL, that's a long story.
Balin was chasing the invisible serial killer knight Garlon, and Garlon went to the castle of his brother King Pellam, and in that castle Garlon dropped his invisibility so he could attend a feast, so Balin ALSO went to the feast, and when the attendants were all "You can't wear your sword into the feast" Balin was like "But it's the custom of my country to wear one's sword at all times!" so they let him wear the sword and then he slew Garlon with it.
Then King Pellam and Balin fought, and Balin's sword broke (swords and spears and shields just break ALL THE TIME in Malory), so Balin snatched up a spear that happened to be lying around, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY was the spear that the centurion drove into Jesus's side, so when Balin smote King Pellam with it he smote not only Pellam but all the countryside around (which also accidentally killed Balin's own damosel, who never did get a name). Oops. Then he has to ride away through this blasted landscape and it's EXTREMELY awkward.
In general Balin comes across as a hotheaded asshole frat boy. (He also slays the Lady in the Lake, in front of Arthur, because he has zero self-control. This leads to his banishment and kicks off his adventures) I suspect that this is another reason he doesn't get a lot of play in modern adaptations. Not that modern adapters object to assholes, but Balin is an asshole with the emotional depth of a puddle. Mildly sad his damosel died! Really doesn't feel bad at all about blighting the countryside! Nothing in his characterization suggests the kind of tortured psychological convolutions that a modern novelist can excavate from, say, a Lancelot.
Next up: we meet Guenever!
However, as it turns out, Balin's tale answers some Arthurian questions I had never thought to ask, chief among them "Who struck the Dolorous Stroke and why?" (The Dolorous Stroke is the stroke that created the Fisher King's unhealing wound and laid waste to his country, until, as Malory helpfully tells us - Malory does not foreshadow so much as tell you exactly what's going to happen - Galahad put it all right.)
Who struck the Dolorous Stroke? Balin! Why? WELL, that's a long story.
Balin was chasing the invisible serial killer knight Garlon, and Garlon went to the castle of his brother King Pellam, and in that castle Garlon dropped his invisibility so he could attend a feast, so Balin ALSO went to the feast, and when the attendants were all "You can't wear your sword into the feast" Balin was like "But it's the custom of my country to wear one's sword at all times!" so they let him wear the sword and then he slew Garlon with it.
Then King Pellam and Balin fought, and Balin's sword broke (swords and spears and shields just break ALL THE TIME in Malory), so Balin snatched up a spear that happened to be lying around, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY was the spear that the centurion drove into Jesus's side, so when Balin smote King Pellam with it he smote not only Pellam but all the countryside around (which also accidentally killed Balin's own damosel, who never did get a name). Oops. Then he has to ride away through this blasted landscape and it's EXTREMELY awkward.
In general Balin comes across as a hotheaded asshole frat boy. (He also slays the Lady in the Lake, in front of Arthur, because he has zero self-control. This leads to his banishment and kicks off his adventures) I suspect that this is another reason he doesn't get a lot of play in modern adaptations. Not that modern adapters object to assholes, but Balin is an asshole with the emotional depth of a puddle. Mildly sad his damosel died! Really doesn't feel bad at all about blighting the countryside! Nothing in his characterization suggests the kind of tortured psychological convolutions that a modern novelist can excavate from, say, a Lancelot.
Next up: we meet Guenever!
