Work Text:
Arthurian legends maintain a vibrant footprint across popular culture with feature films like Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) with its well-researched jokes, or A24’s The Green Knight (2021) with its depiction of the struggle with balancing consequences, or even popular TV shows like BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012) breathing a new life into the legends. Each of these medias, though, focus on iconic knights of Arthur’s court—Sir Galahad and his quest for the Holy Grail; Sir Gawain in his game with the Green Knight and his time as the Knight of Maidens; Sir Lancelot du Lac and his accomplishments as Queen Guinevere’s champion. These three knights enrapture their audiences with their romanticized chivalry and acts of heroism. However, there is a knight whose chivalry should allow him to stand among his peers, yet his short time within Arthurian legend has cost him this place—Sir Balin le Savage.
Chivalry is built on six tenants that are accepted across orders of knights, though the specifics may change from one to the next—Piety, martial prowess, courtesy, good breeding, noble manners, and generosity. Each aspect of chivalry builds the strong foundation of what is expected of each knight. Sir Balin le Savage demonstrates all the qualities of a chivalrous knight and thus should be considered one of Arthur’s most chivalrous knights alongside these more popular figures.
For the Sake of Clarity
Throughout this paper, there are a few terms and names that are not found in Malory’s work that must be made clear. I utilized an article written by Mark Cartwright in May of 2018 to establish the names of some of the aspects of chivalry used, namely: martial prowess, courtesy, good breeding, noble manners and generosity. The article itself does not go into detail on exactly what these traits are. This is where Sir Geoffroi de Charny comes into play as a vital resource. A Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry is a resource that “is as close to the genuine voice of knighthood as we are likely to get” (Kaeuper 1). Charny’s voice on the matters of knighthood and chivalry were seen as “highly practical advice in a time of crisis for French chivalry” as many of the orders were having to be rebuilt at this time (Kaeuper 18). Kaeuper’s introduction poses the reasonable nature of this resource to pull definitions for the above terms from Cartwright. In exploring this text further, a sixth trait came to relevance—a knight’s piety. From here, the definitions of these terms can now be established.
Piety, as proposed by Charny, can be seen as a representation of minding one’s own rituals. While for many knights, these could be religious rituals (such as going to mass every Sunday), it would not be fair to assume that they must be religious in nature. He does express that they will continue to grow and maintain their skills which requires dedication to their craft as men-at-arms. This will be the metric to which piety is measured—the ability to maintain one’s ideals and rituals. Both Charny and Cartwright express the importance of martial prowess. This prowess can be seen in tourneys with jousts and melees, or in war itself. These abilities are expected to be grown and honed well, both in peace and in war. Noble manners and courtesy seem alike in their definitions, representing two sides of the same coin. Noble manners, though, can be seen “in relation to deeds of arms or in relation to other forms of behavior appropriate to their rank” (Charny, 16.24-25). Noble manners, with their relationship with rank, can be changed from situation to situation. They tend to be more flexible than courtesy. Courtesy is that knights are expected “to conduct themselves most honorably in all circumstances” (Charny, 16.25-26). A respect for courtesy is a nod to broader social understanding, regardless of rank or table. These expectations are level to everyone, not just to the chivalrous knight. Generosity’s importance is the last that is agreed on by both Cartwright and Charny, being dictated by knowing "what is right and [sparing] neither themselves nor what they own in their effort to achieve it” (Charny, 16.26-27). This giving of oneself, in body, mind, and emotion, is a complete act of generosity. Finally, there is the concept of good breeding, as put forth by Cartwright, being vital for a chivalrous knight; Charny does come to express that this metric is not completely about the family tree a knight comes from, but rather that it is also representative of their standing in the court. Thus, having both good standing and a strong family tree can be proof of good breeding regardless of a knight’s amount of funds. Charny does not establish that this is of supreme importance, but that it is a feature of note. Within this paper, it will be handled as such.
This leaves one more point of order that lends to clarity within the rest of this work—names. Throughout Book II of Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, there is a trend of places and people going unnamed. Utilizing an online database of general Arthurian legend, called Nightbringer.se, and with the assistance of a discussion with R. Forrester, there are names of use within these works. This tale features three women only referred to as “damsoels” within the text, but two come up with enough frequency with this analysis that it would help to give them names. The first damsel within the text will be called “Malvis” as Nightbringer utilizes this name in its pages, as giving credit to author Phyllis Ann Karr for its usage in the archive. As for the second damsel, in talks with Forrester, we chose to call her “Amice” (R. Forrester. Phone call. 26 Sept. 2023). With her lover appearing to have a French name, this logic made sense for Forrester to choose a name from a similar region. With these clarified, both in origin and purpose, we can begin to establish how they relate to Sir Balin le Savage and his own chivalry.
Noble Breeding, Courtesy, Martial Prowess and Piety in Chapters 1-11
At the top of Sir Balin’s time as the protagonist, he is welcomed with a seemingly straightforward game–be “a passing good man of his hands and of his deeds, and without villainy or treachery, and without treason” with “a gentle strain of father side and mother side” (Malory 2.1). Between these statements, the rules are clear and emphasized twice over, the knight must be of good breeding and of good character. As established previously, to be of good character the knight should have a handle of noble manners and of courtesy. Sir Balin’s standing within the court was clarified as “by good means of the barons he was delivered out of prison”, showing that despite the crime he was previously assumed to have committed, the barons of King Arthur’s court still hold him in high regard, thus proving that he maintains his good breeding (Malory 2.2).
Malvis remains wary of Sir Balin making an attempt at the sword as his first presentation to her would imply that he meets none of the above features as he is poorly dressed and fresh out of prison, expecting “an aesthetic ideal assuming the appearance of an ethical idea” (Huizinga 58). Balin’s words echo the flaw in her rules, as he states that the exterior of a man should not be the metric for which these traits are measured. Succumbing to this point, Malvis allows him the attempt with which he draws the sword easily. Once the sword is drawn, Balin is hailed as a knight meeting the ideal of her game, but she turns quickly to demand the sword back.
Three times within the confines of chapter one are the rules of Malvis’ game established, and she confirms here that Sir Balin le Savage meets these metrics, yet she demands the sword back. This is the first time that it is mentioned that the sword is to be returned to the scabbard at the end of the game. This change in the rules poses an issue in relation to how medieval games are meant to be held. Such games serve two purposes: “to educate and to entertain” (B. Ray. Phone call. 25 Sept. 2025). Malvis’ game, at once, meets these two purposes. She states that initially this game was performed in the court of King Reince, where no one was able to draw the sword, before she brought it before King Arthur. Her intention initially could be seen as a way to entertain through a bit of humiliation, which happens often within other Arthurian texts[1], as well as to educate that no side of this brewing war is more righteous than the other. This assumption is maintained until Malvis demands the sword back and when Merlin reveals the farce in chapter 3. This initial demand changes the rules of the game, which Balin had otherwise abided. In it being a demand and not a request, Balin’s honor comes into question here, putting forward a challenge of noble manners and courtesy.
Courtesy dictates that Balin should return the sword, as a lady demanded as such. However, in Malvis’ emphasis on the rules, she has put forth the rules of noble manners within the context. Noble manners dictate that Sir Balin has won the prize rightfully and that, in demanding the sword back, Malvis is challenging his honor. With his honor in question, Balin chooses here to take a stand for the rules she set forward once more and refuses to return the sword to her. Even under her threat of misfortune, he chooses instead to maintain the course and goes to prepare to go on an adventure. Before departing the court, King Arthur takes the moment to apologize to the knight, stating that he had misjudged Balin and welcomes him as part of the court itself. In the time away, however, Lady Lile of Avelion comes before Arthur and makes her request for either Balin’s head or Malvis’ head. Once more, Balin faces another slight as he had played the game as Malvis had put forward, and again a demand was made. In his hunting for Lady Lile, Balin had sworn revenge against her, and in having this opportunity took the chance to kill her to restore the honor with revenge. However, Arthur deepens the slight from Malvis by banishing Balin from his court as Lady Lile had been under Arthur’s protection. Without question or quarrel, Sir Balin takes his leave of Arthur’s court, planting the initial seeds of the piety that he shows in his loyalty as a driving force behind his actions.
With Balin’s understandings of the conflict of noble manners—with its roots in honor and worship—against courtesy—a matter of overarching social customs—to form a basis of good character, he can understand the rules of a given court or game and ensure he does not pay an undue price. While his act of vengeance may have left a mark on his standing in King Arthur’s court, he is able to make up for it through other acts, as seen with his proof of strength over Sir Lanceor. While Malory could choose to lean into simply stating that Balin is a skilled knight, he chooses to show it here when the knights come to blows. Malory chooses to have Sir Lanceor make the request of King Arthur to pursue the Balin, looking to prove his own honor and skill as a knight in besting the man who won the sword while maintaining his standing within Arthur’s good graces. Merlin takes a moment to warn Arthur about this decision as “there liveth not a knight of more prowess than” Balin, as he is unworried for him but rather for Sir Lanceor (Malory 2.5). These observations around Balin’s prowess, when spoken, tend to come from Merlin and carry a weight with them, but this weight will be expanded on in a later section.
The clash itself continues to expand on this skill, impressing itself within Charny’s assessment of men-at-arms in war. He states that this show of prowess is honorable “especially in relation to armed exploits in war, in whatever region, provided that they are performed without reproach” (Charny 7.3-5). Balin does not show hesitation regarding the joust with Lanceor, rather a willingness to accept that this would be how it had to end. His only question to his opponent is which court he came from. When told that he was from the court of Arthur, Balin recounts the crime that brings Lanceor here without pause. As the two make their single pass, Balin’s strength is put firmly on display as his lance passes through each piece of protection and even through the other knight’s mount, while Lanceor’s blow grazes his shield. He turns to return for another pass, but gives pause here as the joust was finished as quickly as it had started. This show of martial prowess is brief and impactful, demonstrating both power and accuracy. Other acts of violence from Balin carry these same traits within these chapters—from striking Lady Lile’s head from her shoulders in one swipe, to piercing a lance through Lanceor, even into his actions on the battlefield around King Reince and the other warring kings.
King Reince and the War of Twelve Kings lends itself to proving these traits further through the lenses of an outsider. They are on full display for the courts present during the war. Despite being banished from King Arthur’s court, Balin makes a point to maintain his loyalty as though he was still in good standing. He is still one of Arthur’s knights and he carries himself as such in his search for King Reince. This man is a threat to Arthur’s rule and thus is a threat worth Balin’s attention. He knows that bringing Reince back as a prisoner to Camelot would restore his honor for his violence against Lady Lile, thus would be within the right of any knight to pursue—though he does have more room to act as his honor is already besmirched in the eyes of Camelot’s court. His act of violence would have been within the lines of noble manners, too, had she not been under the protection of her interactions and relation to King Arthur’s kingship. He follows his oath as demanded by his role—to bring worship to his kingdom through his actions as a knight.
As Balin’s journey brings him across his brother Balan, their relationship becomes worthy of note. The brothers quickly establish a dedication to one another despite the circumstances. Upon Balin’s admitting what had brought him to this point, fresh out of prison and now back in trouble with King Arthur, Balan does not hesitate to lend his assistance as “brethren ought to do” and the pair set out to bring back King Reince (Malory 2.6). The brothers are rarely separated from each other for the remainder of this section of Balin’s journey, even in Merlin’s observations being voiced to Arthur later on in the chapters. Balan, in following the loyalty to Arthur that Balin shows, is able to gain honor and worship through his brother. Balan’s lacking hesitancy lends to showing the emphasis of loyalty between them, while building the basis of this feature of Balin’s piety. Loyalty is one of the firmest influences to pushing Balin forward to go on with his journey. Balan’s agreement to follow his lead, though not Balin’s words directly, sets this precedent.
This precedent does continue to have its influences on the actions of Balin as the story goes forward. Beyond the capture of Reince, Balin returns to Camelot on the same day that King Lot and King Nero have chosen to make their move against Arthur. He is not alone, as he has Balan at his back despite not being one of Arthur’s knights personally. He arrives at this battle, unaware that his offering of Reince had brought him back into King Arthur’s good graces. After the the two proved their prowess—being described as being “send from heaven as angels, or devils from hell” (Malory 2.10)—Arthur finds that despite Balin’s seemingly impulsive actions, that he is a loyal knight and Arthur is “much beholden undo him, and I have ill deserved it unto him for his kindness” (Malory 2.9). As it stands, neither brother is obligated to appear and fight on Arthur’s behalf, but Balin is insistent on being there and taking part on behalf of Arthur. Balan goes with him as he had expressed the same notion previously with King Reince, and is able to gain honor in the meantime.
Chivalry through piety, noble manners, and courtesy are all present here. While Balin’s damaged honor due to his killing of Lady Lile of Avelion is repaid in bringing Reince back to King Arthur as a prisoner, his clashing with Malvis over the rules of the game is not resolved. This loose thread will return within the confines of a later section. While his violence against Lady Lile and Sir Lanceor are acts made within his own oath’s rules, as at this time he is still beholden to the older Utherian version of chivalry that is suggested by Farough. Balin understands “the disjunction between the ideals of violence with which [he] is familiar and those that will become associated with Arthur’s court”, he will carry on with his task and carry the burden of his actions for the remaining chapters (Farough 24).
Piety, Noble Manners, and Courtesy in Chapters 12-15
Balin is allowed to act once more as one of King Arthur’s knights after the capture of Reince and his assistance in the war. His loyalty is rewarded here in Arthur’s commanding him to go after the knight, Sir Herlews le Berbeus. He goes without question and is willing to fulfill his king’s orders, even being willing to risk threatening violence to bring the knight back with him. His piety is on full display here, loyalty to his oaths being the power he answers to above anything else as “a loyal man was steady and predictable in following the chivalric ideal, not false and changeable” (Kaeuper 39). In threatening Sir Herlews, he does risk putting his honor on the line, but he offers it freely in swearing to protect him instead. This oath is made several times over the course of this section – swearing that harm will not come to Amice, Sir Herlews, and Sir Peryn while he still lives. Unfortunately, Sir Garlon’s actions in killing Herlews and Peryn while they were under Balin’s protection does end up putting him a difficult position as their deaths risk greater dishonor if he is unable to avenge them.
Vengeance was taken on their behalf with more care than Balin had shown previously when it came to Lady Lile and his mother. At the feast, he chose to weigh what he was willing to risk to keep his oaths to the victims of Sir Garlon, stating “if I slay him here I shall not escape, and if I leave him now, peradventure I shall never meet with him again at such a steven, and much harm will he do an he live” (Malory 2.14). This moment of hesitation demonstrates a lesson learned from dealing with King Arthur’s favor and the death of Lady Lile. He risks dishonor either way, though Sir Garlon makes the choice easier by striking out at Sir Balin first. This single action tips the scales in Balin’s mind so that he is willing to risk spilling blood of a protected guest in the home of another king in the name of vengeance. In this moment, “he has devoted himself to bearing this responsibility on his shoulders, and in one brief moment he may fall and lose everything”, balancing his piety with his generosity in equal measure (Charny 19.6-7). He does not hesitate further, nor does he act in rage as he had before and risk dishonor. One strike befell him, and so one strike is given in kind, though this proves lethal to Sir Garlon.
Fortunately, Sir Balin is aware of the risk to his life that this action had, as King Pellam’s lashing out at him did not come as a surprise. This allowed him the chance to put a sword between himself and King Pellam, though it shattered in the process. Balin follows his training and knows that he must seek out a weapon as to keep himself alive to fight another day and return to Arthur’s court with his honor intact. This leads him into the room with the Spear of Longinus. While thinking quickly, the balancing act of noble manners and martial prowess are put on full display. From situational awareness, to seeking out any manner of keeping himself alive, Balin’s strike with this spear should be a mark of strength and power that proves his worth as a knight of the Round Table, and yet it leads to a catastrophic blow to not only the nations that surround the King Pellam’s castle, but to the manner in which Balin is able to maintain his rituals and causing his piety to suffer for the remaining chapters.
It could be proposed that if Balin was a god-fearing man, he might recognize the spear in question. Forrester suggested to me that due to the highly religious environment that has a place in the medieval tellings of Balin’s story, he would have been a Catholic man and thus likely could have identified this sanctified item. However, Kaeuper discussed briefly that it was likely that Charny—who claimed to have the Shroud of Turin—was in possession of a fake. Even if there was a suspicion of it being a replica, “fakes of relics were so commonplace at various times in the Middle Ages that a false shrine would not have been terribly unusual” so there would not have been any way for Sir Balin to make the guess in the moment, especially when he was seeking out any weaponry to preserve his own life (C. Flavin. Email. 3 Oct. 2025). This means that the dolorous stroke, while being prophesized by Merlin to happen due to Balin, could have been between King Pellam and any other knight as the spear was present as an option for one’s own protection. It is this act of self-preservation take leads to the final spiral of events of Sir Balin’s quest.
Piety, Courtesy, Noble Manners and Martial Prowess in Chapters 16-18
In the shadow of the Final Castle, courtesy, noble manners, and piety clash against one another in another game that Balin must partake in. The game is not as clearly stated here, as much like with Pellam’s servants, the rules of noble manners and the rules of courtesy come to form these two separate factions. Noble manners would dictate that Balin should not give up his shield or any piece of his kit. Courtesy, however, dictate that he should do as the household commands. Rather than trying to be clever as he had been with Pellam, he instead gives in and hands over his shield. He is willing to give this up as previous attempts at railing against such rules has not been beneficial to him. With this regrettable action, Balin has given up his identity in both a literal and metaphorical way.
For knights, their shields are the best way to identify them while in full kit. Aspects of values seen in the holder of the coat of arms are reflected in their heraldry as much as familial relations. Families may possess shields that feature similar traits, with some minor differences that would differentiate them from their brothers or family members. For Balin, his own coat of arms is “a boar passant sable armed and unguled gules between three molets azure” on an argent field (Scott-Giles para 16). As for Balan, his coat of arms is much the same as Balins, though without the azure molets. Every aspect of these shields carries a different meaning — the colors, the animal, the symbols, even in the posing of the animal itself. These coats of arms appear to be one of a kind, as they are the best way to identify the knights wielding them as well as to gain a sense of what to expect when meeting its bearer.
In giving up his own coat of arms, Balin resigns himself to giving up his identity to appease the rules of the Final Castle. With his values and identity held on his coat of arms, Balin gives himself completely to playing by the precise rules set forth by the ladies of the castle. In the face of the champion, Balin does not state that he is able to identify the red knight here as his brother Balan, though Balan is clearly unaware of who his opponent is before him. It is this moment where Balin’s final act of desperation becomes evident.
In previous challenges to Balin’s honor and identity, he faces it with a head held high and a mind prepared for what comes next. He challenges the rules of Malvis’ game and he gambled his life in the face of King Pellam and Sir Garlon. Yet here, in the face of a champion with whom he has no information and no reason to challenge beyond the rules of a new game, Sir Balin le Savage chooses to play completely by the rules set before him without question or challenge. He is doing anything he can to maintain his piety, his rituals and is fighting for his life to be a knight. This piety is what drives him forward, and it is here that chivalry is seen failing him, and thus failing himself. Where other knights in his position are seen still attempting to bend the rules of their games, trying to find a way back out—as Ray mentioned in his work with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, with Gawain still flexing against the rules set forward by both the Green Knight and Lord Bertilak even as he faces the Green Chapel—Balin has faced such recourse for fighting the rules, that he has chosen instead to give up his own noble manners in the face of salvaging his piety (B. Ray. Phone call. 25 Sept. 2025). While he wins his fight with Balan, he loses everything else along the way. He lost the man he loves best, of all the games to lose.
A Brief Look at Merlin
Merlin’s place in this tale is one of exposition and warning for the audience. He takes his moments within Balin’s narrative to preface not only prophecies that apply to Balin directly but also go on to preface future events in regard to other knights. His influence carries further weight in every room he finds himself in.
While primarily seen at the side of King Arthur, we do see the respect garnered from the other members of Arthur’s Court. Balin, when seeking out King Reince, defaulted to being “ruled by [Merlin’s] counsel” to ensure that the capture went as smoothly as it could (Malory 2.8). Merlin’s own arrival back with Reince carries praise for Balin’s work on the road, earning Arthur’s being “much beholden unto him, and I have ill deserved it unto him for his kindness” (Malory 2.9). Merlin does not take credit for the adventure, allowing the worship to go back to Balin’s work. His words do not lose their weight with Arthur here, as in allowing Balin the praise, Arthur’s own opinion sways from being unwilling to forgive the knight’s actions in with Lady Lile to him speaking highly of Balin. In his return after the events of chapter 18 and recounting the whole of what led to the death of Balin and Balan, Merlin speaks highly of the skill shown in that final battle. King Arthur agrees, expressing grief over the loss of “two… good knights” (Malory 2.19).
On Generosity
Generosity is an aspect of Sir Balin le Savage that is depicted as a strong pillar of his character beyond the means of being a knight. His demonstrations of this tend to appear in two ways, his giving of himself at risk of sacrificing his mental and/or physical well-being, or in the way he carries his grief and allowing it to be both lesson and information for his decisions going forward. Beyond his desire for his rituals, bending and maintaining rules both for his standing court and in society, and his skills with a blade, Balin’s motivations can be found most deeply through how he gives pieces of himself repeatedly until there is nothing left to give but the grief he carries.
Giving of Oneself
Starting with his run-in with Lady Lile of Avelion, Balin is shown to make quick and decisive choices. On the surface, he can initially read as headstrong and haughty, but his actions are seen quickly to be justified as Lady Lile, though not explained how, is the cause of the death of Balin’s mother. This is an early slight on his honor that must be rectified, and his choice to act first sets this precedent that what debts are owed are quickly paid. Setting aside that he is acting out of vengeance, there is a second slight to his honor within the discussion of what she demands of King Arthur. In demanding “the knight’s head that had won the sword, or the maiden’s head”, Lady Lile put both King Arthur and Sir Balin in a hard spot (Malory 2.3).
While in talks with Ray, there was the idea proposed that Balin’s game with Malvis was not so different from that of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Here, he reminded me of two separate issues with regard to thinking about it through that lens—Sir Gawain did not outsmart the Green Knight, nor was the Green Knight’s challenge proposed directly to King Arthur (B. Ray. Phone call. 25 Sept. 2025). Sir Balin’s action here is brash due to the lady’s protection in Arthur’s court, which thus led quickly to his exile. I stated that this would mean that there remained a debt with regard to the cursed sword Balin received in the game. Ray responds that there is no debt owed as Lady Lile’s demanding the sword and his head were both slights against Balin’s honor and life. He is not in the wrong here for this act of chivalric violence. I proposed in return that the original debt that was owed, and thus paid, came from Malvis’ choice to change the rules of her game with Balin by requesting the sword back. Between these three slights, we concluded that the debts owed between Sir Balin, Lady Lile, and Malvis, are all paid in full with his killing of the false Lady of the Lake (B. Ray. Phone call. 25 Sept. 2025).
This repayment of multiple slights against Balin’s honor coming to be paid in one action can be seen again in his decisive choice to kill Sir Garlon at the end of the Invisible Knight Quest. As mentioned in a previous section, Sir Garlon is the cause of the death of two knights in Sir Balin’s sworn protection—Sir Herlews le Berbeus and Sir Peryn of Montbeliard. These slights and their payment are much clearer within the confines of the text than that of Lady Lile, as he directly stated both men were under his protection while he was still alive, only for Sir Garlon to kill both shortly thereafter. His action is more thought out, weighing the choice of killing Garlon here and risking being exiled as he had been with King Arthur, or letting Garlon live for now and risk losing him which put his honor at risk of never being righted. Sir Garlon choosing to strike Balin first does make this choice much easier leading to the death of the Invisible Knight, but still a debt was caused here with King Pellam. This leads to the events around the dolorous stroke, which is not repaid until after the events of the Grail Quest. The dolorous stroke causes irreparable damage to the way that Balin carries himself, yet he continues to put his honor and physical safety on the line.
When he comes to meet with Sir Garnish, a few days after striking King Pellam with the Spear of Longinus, Balin has been followed by plague and is running low on what aspects of chivalry he is able to maintain on his own, only able to offer his piety and his generosity to this mourning knight. He chooses to stop Garnish from killing himself, hoping that he has the chance to help find the lost lady. This is a classic quest, something that befits any knight. He promises his “help to get you your lady, an ye will tell me where she is” and fulfills his promise to Sir Garnish, though finding the lady in the arms of another knight (Malory 2.16). It is here that Sir Balin comes face to face with something that he could not resolve, as no part of it was a slight to him directly. Sir Garnish’s choice to kill his lady, the other knight, and then himself do all occur after Balin’s part in this task is complete. He did as he stated he would—finding the lost lady and bringing Sir Garnish to her. This has impacts on Balin still, though not to his honor in a formal sense. This will come back in a later portion of this section.
Finally, there is how he comes to face the champion at the Final Castle, Sir Balan. Sir Balin makes his way to the castle, broken in spirit and physically exhausted. Despite having little left to give when faced with yet another game, just for the pleasure of spending the night at the castle, Balin meets this challenge willingly. He asks no questions, makes no plans, and pushes himself toward this challenge. He believes that he is a dead man, having heard the horn of death. He fights with all he is against Sir Balan as he will not go down easily, clinging to his last vestiges of being a knight. This is not a debt to be repaid, but rather one final game that he never had a chance to win, even playing by every rule and giving his very life to try to win.
Carrying Grief
Sir Balin le Savage’s generosity does not end with what he can do for someone in the moment, but rather the manner in which he chooses to carry them with him throughout the remainder of his story. His remorse is as powerful as his swords are, allowing him to press on when any other knight would have succumbed to the weight of his actions.
Early in his book, Balin’s motivation is seen in repaying the shame he brought on King Arthur for his actions with Lady Lile. While this slight is repaid in Balin bringing King Reince back to Camelot, he continues to reference how he “was sorry he had displeased King Arthur” (Malory 2.3). Each action he takes within the War of Twelve Kings, Balin’s loyalty to Arthur is paramount in guiding his actions, guiding him to self-imposed exile as Arthur “is the most worshipful knight that reigneth now on earth, and his love will I get or else I will put my life in adventure” (Malory, 2.6). This initial warning of self-imposed exile does continue to carry weight as adventure seeks out Balin regardless.
The rest of Balin’s adventure leads to a string of deaths, both directly and indirectly at his hands. He carries each with him in turn, leading to more thought going into each action as the story progresses. With thought to clarity, these will be addressed in order of their appearance as each compounds on the last. The death of Lanceor and Colombe “grieved [him] passingly sore” as he “repenteth sore the death of this knight, for the love of his damosel, for there was much truly betwixt them both, and for sorrow might not longer behold him” (Malory 2.6). Lanceor had been trying to hunt him down for the wrong that was done to King Arthur, meeting Balin in combat that would end in one of their deaths regardless. Other knights rarely considered their opponents twice after the success in a joust such as this, yet Balin was already mourning what he had done to Sir Lanceor when Colombe came to see the scene. He tried to stop her from hurting herself, but is halted by courtly manners to hurt her in any way. This might have prevented her death, had he been willing to risk a smaller hurt to get the sword from her. This leads to his promise that he “shall owe all women the better love”, aiming to protect the ladies in his care with more vigor than he had acted with here (Malory 2.7). As he tells his tale to King Mark and Sir Balan, Merlin’s arrival comes with embittering words, “thou hast done thyself great hurt, because that thou safest not this lady that slew herself, that might have saved her an though wouldest”, blaming Balin outright for not saving Colombe from herself. Balin takes this accusation to heart, knowing that he could have done more but hesitated to risk her harm to wrench the sword away from her. Later, we see that he does not maintain this same hesitation due to the promise he makes with this pain.
The Invisible Knight Quest features the bulk of this weight falling onto Sir Balin’s shoulders. At Arthur’s behest, Balin seeks out the distressed knight—Sir Herlews de Berbeus—to find out what has upset him so. Already, he is working to maintain the goodwill put forward by King Arthur after the events with Reince. He will do anything to stay in the good graces of Arthur, even warning that he would take Herlews back to Arthur by force though he would “loathe to do” (Malory 2.12). Instead of force, which has not been the most reliable tool in Balin’s toolkit as of late, he is able to convince the frantic knight and his lady to accompany him back to King Arthur with the promise that no harm would come to them while he breathes. Upon the slaying of Herlews by Garlon’s hands, the knight asks Balin to avenge him, to which Balin makes this “bow unto knight hood; and… departed from this knight with great sorrow” (Malory 2.12). As previously established, Balin would have been willing to do so for the slight on his honor for being unable to protect his charges, but now he chooses to take on the wish of a dying man which gives greater weight to the vow made here. He leaves in sorrow from the side of his dead charge to seek out the Invisible Knight.
While his time working with Balin is short, the death of Sir Peryn of Montbeliard fuels the fires of grief caused by the Invisible Knight. He was willing to lend his aid to Balin’s quest, even for having nothing to do with it but passing a distressed knight. However, Sir Garlon’s killing him in the same cowardly way that he’d ended Sir Herlews, only strengthens Balin’s resolve to hunting down this threat as “it is not the first despite he hath done me”, and it will not be the last stone cast unto Balin’s shoulders before this quest is done (Malory 2.13).
While the dolorous stroke is not the fault directly of any of the parties involved, Balin is the only member of the incident who remains alive to carry the sin committed. He rides through three nations, surrounded by death and anguish where the people blame him at every turn for the plagues. With only a small nudge from Merlin at the top of this section, the Knight with the Two Swords puts himself into a self-imposed exile, as he had threatened to do several times during the initial sections of the text. He could not risk bringing the plague to Camelot, bring the blood on his hands to Arthur’s court, or face the shortcomings that came with losing every other aspect of his knighthood. He could hardly maintain his rituals, no rules to bend nor obey beyond his own codes, and his standing in court is good as gone. Balin only has the grief he has been allowed to carry and his sword to lend as he faces this exile.
In his brief quest for Sir Garnish, Balin’s remorse seems to be absent. He is blunt in showing Garnish the truth about his lady, only stating that he would have wanted the same if the roles had been reversed. However, the promises that Balin made and the actions he took after the death of all three people serve their purposes here. Balin makes good on his vow made previously to Merlin, risking harm to Sir Garnish on their meeting as to keep the other knight from killing himself. He does not stop it after Garnish kills the lady and the knight that was with her, as a just action for the crime committed before Balin. He chooses to, instead of lingering to mourn, only stay long enough to “[dress] him thenceward, lest folk would say he had slain them” as this was not blood that could, or should, be put on Balin’s hands. Garnish made his choices and Balin would not intervene again as he understood that Garnish had a reason to follow through this time. This is one of the final times that his piety is able to win out against the grief that he carries into his final encounter.
The Final Castle is a place of releasing this grief for a level of acceptance that so few knights find within their own tales. Upon Balin’s arrival, he hears the horn that “is blown for me, for I am the prize and yet am I not dead” (Malory 2.17). He steps forward still to meet the challenge of the castle, even as he is exhausted, as he chooses to not fight against the rules put forward by the Lady of the Castle as he “may not turn now again for shame, and what adventure shall fall to me, be it life or death, I will take the adventure that shall come to me” as his exile dictates (Malory 2.17). He gives up his identity with his heraldry and prepares to fight with all he has left to just push through another day, seeking out what little comforts he could allow himself.
The love Balin holds for his brother is palpable within the battle at the Final Castle. It’s here that the grief bubbles up further before Balin allows himself to rest. While the combat itself is finally a challenge for Balin, it is the deception that leads him to killing his brother, and his brother killing him in return. Balin does not speak with much fluff to his words until these later chapters, choosing to be straight-forward and honest instead. In final moments with his brother, he chooses to be more tender. He talks on dreams and soft wishes, even as the two lay beside one another.
… O Balan, my brother, thou hast slain me and I thee, wherefore all the wide world shall speak of us both … we came both out of one tomb, that is to say one mother’s belly, and so shall we lie both in one pit … when we are buried in one tomb and the mention made over us how two brethren slew each other, there will never good knight nor good man, see our tomb but they will pray for our souls. (Malory 2.18)
These final moments, Balin chooses to focus on words of comfort, sad and dour as they might be. He has come to terms with the grief he has felt and carried for weeks of travel, shame he has had to come to terms with before ever coming to the Final Castle, and now the burden of slaying his brother—the man he loves best. Balan does not speak much in between these lines, taking in the comfort of the careful words. Both would not be apart again, and they would die known as good knights. Balin holds onto his life, only dying hours after Balan does, acting as a shepherd for one last soul.
In Conclusion
Balin demonstrates the qualities of a chivalrous knight throughout his story and should be considered among Arthur’s most chivalrous knights alongside other more well-known figures. His piety shines with his loyalty to King Arthur; to his brother, Balan; and to the codes that a knight must maintain. He is able to balance the ever-changing noble manners with the stalwart courtesy on a razor’s edge, maintaining his good breeding within Arthur’s court. He defends them all with feats of martial prowess. Balin’s strongest quality is his generosity, carrying the grief of others and taking on their requests even in his lowest moments. With each of these tenants supporting his actions at each turn, Balin proves himself to be no one’s prototype.
Works Cited
“Balin Le Savage.” Nightbringer.Se, nightbringer.se/the-legend-of-king-arthur/arthurian-characters/b-persons-in-the-arthurian-legends/balin-le-savage/. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.
Cartwright, Mark. “Medieval Chivalry.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, 14 May 2018, www.worldhistory.org/Medieval_Chivalry/.
Charny, Geoffroi De, et al. A Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry: Geoffroi de Charny. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005.
Farough, Theodore J. “A Double-Edged Sword: Chivalric Violence in Arthurian Literature.” University of Manitoba, 2023.
Flavin, Christopher. Email Exchange “False Weaponry”. 3 Oct. 2025
Forrester, R. Personal Conversation “Amice”. 26 Sept. 2023
Huizinga, Johan. The Waning of the Middle Ages. Dover Publications, 2013. See esp. chap. 4, “The Ideal of Chivalry,” chap. 6, “Orders of Chivalry and Vows,” chap. 7, “The Political and Military Value of Chivalrous Ideas,” and chap. 11 “The Vision of Death.”
Internet Sacred Text Archive. “Le Morte d’arthur Book II: Sacred Texts Archive.” Internet Sacred Text Archive, sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/book01.htm. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.
“Malvis.” Nightbringer.Se, nightbringer.se/the-legend-of-king-arthur/arthurian-characters/m-arthurian-characters/malvis/. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.
Ray, B. “A Critical Review on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Northeastern State University, 2024.
Ray, B. Personal Conversation “Medieval Games”. 25 Sept. 2025
Ray, B. Personal Conversation “Saga of the Mantle and Riddle of the Key”. 26 Oct. 2025
Scott-Giles, C.W. “Some Arthurian Coats of Arms.” The Heraldry Society, 3 Mar. 2018, www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/some-arthurian-coats-of-arms/.
[1] In a conversation with B. Ray on Oct 26th, 2025, he mentioned that two such examples he had used in working with “Gawain and the Green Knight” were the “Saga of the Mantle” and the “Riddle of the Key”.