The Battle of Bedegraine or the Battle Against the Eleven Kings was a conflict between Arthur at the start of his reign and an alliance of rebels. Mallory writes that the eleven kings are supposed to have arrayed over 50,000 warriors against Arthur's force.
Arthur's forces fell on the eleven king's encampment near midnight. One fifth of the enemy forces are killed but the eleven kings rally. At daylight, Arthur's forces are arrayed in the forest, where Merlin has secret brought the armies of King Ban and Bors. The eleven kings move into the trap attacking Arthur's main force. Ulfius and Brastias are given charge of the first assault and fiercely fall on the enemy. Ban and Bors entry in the battle wreaks such havoc on the enemy forces that the eleven kings are forced to retreat to a wooded area across a small river where they regrouped and repelled Arthur's forces.
Nighttime was coming on and the eleven kings make a pact to withstand Arthur to the last man and kill any warrior that tried to retreat. The infantry forces of the kings are released to escape through the woods while the mounted forces of the eleven kings prepared to meet Arthur's forces. Arthur leads a force across the river and great slaughter is inflicted on his enemies but the eleven kings managed to push Arthur's forces back across the river. At this point, Merlin arrives and reproaches Arthur. Malory again changes his numbers stating the eleven kings' forces were three score thousand and that Arthur has inflicted death on half of them. Merlin informs Arthur that he will have peace for three years as the eleven kings will have problems enough to deal with, namely that the Saracens have landed in the enemy kings' lands with forty thousand and have besieged the castle Wandesborow. Wandesborow contains the structures of the English borough but I am unclear whether the location is along the areas of the western coast of Rheged and the Saracens are Scotti raiders or the Northumberland area with its Anglian expansion. Since Urien was ruler of Rheged and fought against the Anglians of Bernicia in the future Northumberland, either is possible. Merlin has Arthur withdraw his forces and celebrate his victory. The enemy forces withdraw to their lands and Arthur withdraws to the castle of Bedegraine.
Knights that fought alongside Arthur at Bedegraine
- King Ban of Benwick
- King Bors of Gaul
- Sir Ulfius
- Sir Brastius
- Sir Kay the Seneschal
- Sir Griflet le Fise de Dieu
- Lucan the Butler
- Melot de la Roche
- Gwimiart de Bloi
- Clariance de la Forest Savage
- Sir Ector
- Moris de la Roche
- Bloias de La Flandres
- Sir Gwinas de Bloi
- Briant de la Forest Savage
- Bellias of Flanders or Bellaus
- Lionses
- Phariance
- Bleoberis
- Mariet de la Roche
- Morians of the Castle of Maidens
- Flanedrius of The Castle of Ladies
- Annecians
- Ladinas de la Rouse
- Emerause
- Caulas
- Graciens le Castlein
- Blois de la Case
- Sir Colgrevaunce de Gorre
Fought against Arthur at Bedegraine
- Duke Eustace of Cambenet
- King Brandegoris of Stranggore
- King Clariance of Northumberland
- King Lot
- King Uriens of Gore
- King Idres of Cornwall
- King Cradelment of North Wales
- King Agwisance of Ireland
- King Nentres of Garlot
- King Carados
- King of the Hundred Knights
- Sir Morganore
- Pinel