Mordred was the illegitimate son of King Arthur and his half-sister Morgause (pronounced mor-GAWZ). Mordred is best remembered for his betrayal of Arthur and for launching the battle that led to Arthur’s demise. He appears in even the earliest versions of Arthurian legend, though the specifics of his life vary widely.
According to legend, Morgause and Arthur shared the same mother, though they did not know it. Mordred was conceived when the two had an affair, and was raised by his mother and her husband, King Lot, along with her other children. Another of her sons, Gawain (pronounced gah-WAYN), was admired for his bravery and became a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. Mordred used the connections of his brother Gawain to secure himself a position as one of Arthur’s trusted knights as well. Though Mordred developed a reputation for womanizing and treachery, Arthur—who by then knew himself to be Mordred’s uncle, but not his father—left Mordred in charge of his kingdom while he ventured on a campaign against Roman forces.
Mordred immediately seized control of Arthur’s kingdom and attempted to take Arthur’s wife Guinevere (pronounced GWEN-uh-veer) as his own. Guinevere fled to the Tower of London, and Arthur immediately returned to reclaim his throne. Mordred and Arthur’s armies clashed in battle at Camlann, where Arthur killed Mordred—but not before being mortally wounded by him. According to legend, Arthur did not die but was taken from the battlefield to recover on the island of Avalon, where he still remains. Arthur’s battle against Mordred Marks the fall of Camelot, and with it the end of the Knights of the Round Table.
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