Quondam et Futurus
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Avarlan (in the French Mort Artu), known as an Irish knight named Pinel le Savage in Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, and simply as an unnamed squire in the English Stanzaic Morte Arthur, attempts to poison Gawain using some poisoned fruit. Instead another knight named Gaheris of Carhaix in the Mort Artu, just called the Scottish knight in the Stanzaic Morte Arthur, and called Patrise by Malory, eats the fruit and dies.

Extra Information[]

The French version of the tale does not indicate whether Avarlan is a Knight of the Round Table. Of course the squire in the English poem is not, but Malory includes his Pinel le Savage among the knights at the dinner party which implies that his Pinel is a Knight of the Round Table.

In the English Stanzaic Morte Arthur, the squires who served in the hall are put to torture until one of them confesses to the poisoning of the fruit. The squire who confesses is disemboweled, hanged, and burnt.

According to Malory, Niniane, the Lady of the Lake, revealed the truth about the poisoning and Pinell fled the country.

This character does not appear elsewhere in medieval texts.

The novel The Idylls of the Queen expands greatly on this tale, making it a murder mystery centered on the feud between the sons of Lot and of Pellinore

Some Name Variations[]

FRENCH: Avarlan; MALORY: Pynel, Pyonel, Pynnel, Pynell, Pyonell.

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