Feast of the Assumption

The Feast of the Assumption is a calendrical marker in the Arthurian court’s cycle of feasts and tournaments. In the account of the poisoning at Queen Guenever’s feast and the accusation against her, it fixes the date of a great tournament at Camelot, identified in that passage as Winchester, where King Arthur and the King of Scotland planned to joust against all comers.

A Date in the Court Calendar

After the poisoning of Sir Patrise was publicly attributed to Sir Pinel, an inscription on Patrise’s tomb recorded the circumstances of his death and the battle in which Sir Launcelot defended Queen Guenever against Sir Mador. The narrative then moves forward to the Feast of the Assumption: within fifteen days of the feast, the king proclaimed a tournament to be held on that day at Camelot, which the account also calls Winchester. The feast thus provides a precise seasonal occasion for the court’s return to public assembly after the queen’s accusation had been resolved.

Tournament and Attendance

The gathering was announced as a contest in which King Arthur and the King of Scotland would joust against any challengers. Its expected fellowship was exceptional: the queen remarked that the court had not seen such a company for seven years, except at Whitsuntide when Galahad departed. The announcement brought many knights, including the King of Northgalis, the King of Ireland, the King with the Hundred Knights, Sir Galahalt the Haut Prince, and the King of Northumberland, along with dukes and earls from various countries.

Absence and Narrative Function

Queen Guenever declined to accompany Arthur, saying that she was unwell and could not ride. Sir Launcelot also stayed behind, explaining that he had not recovered from the wound Sir Mador had given him. Their separate absences troubled Arthur, who was angry as he set out with his company. The date therefore marks not only a tournament but a moment when the public fellowship of the court is shadowed by the strained circumstances surrounding the queen and Launcelot.