Hi! Newbie here...

[mad-about-books.livejournal.com]

I just joined this community and I just want to say hi to everyone here.
(Random thought: Yaay!! I'm so happy to see other Arthur fans like me because there are nobody like that at school!)

I love Arthur, A LOT! And I am one of those people who think that politicians should be a little more like him... (noble, brave, wise, caring.. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?) and Merlin just because I think he is so cool!^^
I also love the female characters in the legends.. Guinevere and Morgan le Fay best of all.

Okay, I'm rambling.. Who's your favorite Arthurian character? 
Feel free to reply however you like, I love receiving comments and getting to know other people^^

Comments

[minstrel-ivare.livejournal.com]

My favorite character always depends on the particular version--because they all tend to have different motives (or even different backstories!) in different retellings. But, in Le Morte D'Arthur, I think my three favorites are...Sir Dinadan (the bard), Sir Mordred, and Sir Lancelot. Dinadan is wonderful because he's a legitimately good person (rare in these stories!) who isn't prideful at all. He isn't a particularly good knight but that's not what he's looking for. He seems to be friends with everyone--and brings out the best in them. Sadly, I've never seen him make it into a modern retelling--Le Morte D'Arthur is so huge that even a minor character can get lots of pagetime, but in terms of plot he's very easily removable.

Mordred I like for an entirely different reason--and I guess I feel like I should pair him up with his aunt Morgan, here. Both of them are perfect, cheerful villains--running around, screwing over Arthurs nobler knights just for the fun of it. After her exile, Morgan never tries to actually hurt Arthur (and she probably could choose to), because she's enjoying herself too much being the resident Evil Witch, seducing and imprisoning his stupider knights, all without any particular vindictive OR tragical motive. She just does what she wants, because it amuses her, or because she can. Mordred's the same way (at least until the very end of the story): he never does enough harm to damage anything, just amuses himself playing nasty jokes on people. For instance, there's a story about Sir Alexander who falls in love with a girl he meets on the road, and is staring at her so intently that he doesn't notice when Mordred comes riding along the road behind him. So Mordred steals his horse, just because he can.

And the best I saved for last. I love Lancelot very much because despite being the best knight in the world he is completely free of arrogance--unlike Tristran (who in the Morte at least is utterly insufferable). And his story is mostly serious--he has to deal with a lot, including Guenever's (fairly common, and almost always unwarranted) jealous fits--but he still manages to have fun. He makes (pretty terrible) puns at fancy dinners, he dresses up as a woman as a joke--and he's a good, wholesome person. (In a lot of retellings he comes across as very shallow, which is sad, because he's a much more interesting character if you can't help but love him. When I started the Morte I assumed I would dislike him, because I'd read so many negative interpretations of him.)

[seattleotaku.livejournal.com]

As an Eric, I have a bit of a gravitation toward Erec. ^_^

But I can tell you the names of some of the best of the knights who belonged to the Round Table and who were the best in the world. Before all the excellent knights, Gawain ought to be named the first, and second Erec the son of Lac, and third Lancelot of the Lake. [....]
(Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, c1170, translated of course)

[mad-about-books.livejournal.com]

I like Erec too, but Gawain and Lancelot always get the spotlight >.<

By the way, I'm a Seattle maniac too^^

[luna_puella]

I'm a fan of Nimue - a woman that can imprison such a great wizard as Merlin by means of his own magic is cool in my book!

[custodianiseed.livejournal.com]

She gets my vote also.

[mad-about-books.livejournal.com]

(Laughs) Oh yeah, even the great Merlin has a weakness...
Nimue is a powerful character but some versions don't really give her much cerdit, don't you think?

By the way, which version of her name is correct, Nimue or Niniane?

[luna_puella]

There is no 'correct' version, I think. There never is in Arthurian legend. I personally prefer Nimue, but there are plenty of medieval tales that use Niniane.

[bandersnatch42.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I'm going to have to go with Sir Gawain. He's a pretty cool guy. My favorite Arthurian legend is Gawain and Dame Ragnell. Good story!

[bandersnatch42.livejournal.com]

I should note that I really despise Lancelot, though. And Galahad is irritating, especially in The Once and Future King.

Love The Pearl Poet and Chrétien de Troyes, as far as authors are concerned.

[unclehyena.livejournal.com]

I really can't pick a favorite, just comparing stories; there are a few characters I dislike...

Though I suppose that, since I have MET the Lady Morgan, once upon a dreamscape, I ought to single her out... ::grin::

Uncle Hyena