Malory's Morte Darthur

Time-Line

This time-line has been assembled from clues in the text, and makes the following main assumptions:

• "The passion of our Lord Jesu Christ" = AD 33 (his crucifixion)
• The Sangreal Quest begins in AD 487 (454 + 33)
• The 24 years of Launcelot's adultery with Guenever mentioned in book 17 are being counted in the 2nd year of the Sangreal Quest, and began at the beginning of book 5 when Launcelot is first mentioned as being in Arthur's court.
• The un-chronicled period between books 4 and 5 is twenty years long. This seems reasonable because Sir Uwaine is a very young knight at the end of book 4, but has a son who is a young knight at the beginning of book 5.
• Arthur draws the Sword in the Stone at age 16.

• Merlin & Nimue meet "the child Launcelot" when he is 5 years old.

The Early Years

Book

1

2 + 3

4

Book

Year

418

419

420

421

…13 years…

435

436

437

438

439

440

441

442

Year

Arthur

Born

Fostered by Sir Ector

Pulls Excalibur

Crowned

Shags Margawse

Marries Guenever

Defeats Sir Accolon

Arthur

Main Events

Uther = Igraine

Gawaine knighted

Nimue imprisons Merlin

Bagdemagus' adventure

Gawaine, Uwaine & Marhaus in Arroy

Main Events

Battles

Carlion

Bedegraine & Cameliard

Terrabil

Humber

Battles

Births & Deaths

Arthur born

Gawaine born

Launcelot born

Mordred born & lost at sea

Births & Deaths

The Un-Chronicled Interregnum

Book

Interregnum

Book

Year

443

…5 years…

449

450

451

452

453

454

455

456

…5 years….

462

Year

Arthur

Arthur

Main Events

Solomon's boat off coast of Ireland, then Logris

Mordred found

Mordred joins Round Table

Main Events

Battles

20 years of peace

Battles

Births & Deaths

Gawaine slays Pellinore

Births & Deaths

The Middle Years

Book	5		6,7,8,9,10						11							12									Book
Year	463	464	465	466	467	468	469	470	471	472	473	474	475	476	477	478	479	480	481	482	483	484	485	486	Year
Arthur													In France												Arthur
Main Events			Adventures of Lancelot, Tristram, Isoud, Palomides, Gawaine, Lamorak, Dinadan, & the many noble Knight of the Round Table								Bors meets baby Galahad & has adventure in Corbin														Main Events
Battles	War with Rome in the Vale of Sessoin												Arthur vs Claudas												Battles
Launcelot	Joins Round Table								Is raped by Elaine							Goes mad	Lives wild in woods	Is rescued by Sir Bliant	Rescues Sir Bliant	Unchained until boarhunt	Village idiot in Corbin until cured by Sangreal	Becomes the Chevalier Mal Fet in exile		Returns to Camelot	Launcelot
Births & Deaths									Galahad born																Births & Deaths

The Quest for the Sangreal

Book	13, 14, 15, 16	17				Book
Year	487	488	489	490	491	Year
Main Events	All 150 Round Table knights embark on quest	Galahad, Percivale & Bors achieve Sangreal at Castle Corbin	Galahad, Percivale & Bors imprisoned in Sarras	Galahad is made King of Sarras	Percivale becomes a white monk. Bors returns to Camelot	Main Events
Births & Deaths		Gawaine accidentally slays Uwaine Percivale's sister bleeds to death		Galahad dies in Sarras	Percivale dies in Sarras	Births & Deaths

The Death of Arthur

Book

18

19

20

21

Book

Year

492

493

494

495

496

497

498

499

500

501

502

503

504+

Year

Arthur

Goes to war with Launcelot over Guenever

Usurped by Mordred, injured at Salisbury, taken by 3 queens to Avelion

True location unknown…….

Arthur

Main Events

Launcelot rescues Guenever from burning for false accusation of murdering Sir Patrise

Launcelot rescues Guenever from Sir Meliagrance, and from burning for treason

Launcelot heals Sir Urre

Launcelot rescues Guenever from burning for treason again

The Siege of Benwick in France

Launcelot, Bors & Bedivere abide in Glastonbury. Guenever is a nun in Almesbury. Ector is searching for Launcelot

Ector arrives at Launcelot's funeral

Main Events

Battles

The Battle of Joyous Gard

The Battles of Dover, Barham Down & Salisbury

Battles

Births & Deaths

The death of the Fair Maiden of Astolat

Launcelot slays Sirs Gareth & Gaheris & many more

Gawaine dies of 3 head wounds at Dover. Mordred slain by Arthur at Salisbury. Arthur "dies" aged 76

Sir Lionel dies in a skirmish in London

Guenever dies aged 81, followed by Launcelot aged 67

Ector, Bors, Blamore & Bloeberis die fighting Turks in the Holy Land "for God's sake"

Births & Deaths

Observations

• When Arthur shags Margawse in book 1 (the wife of his enemy King Lot) her son Gawaine is nearly Arthur's age, therefore she must be old enough to be his mum.
• Launcelot is about 15 years younger than Guenever.
• When the Fair Maiden of Astolat falls lethally in love with Launcelot in book 18, he is nearly 60 ! (mind you, he is French)

Moral: Marry your own age.

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