Sir Gringamore

Sir Gringamore is the brother of Dame Liones and lord of a castle near the place where Sir Gareth rests. At Liones’s request, he abducts Gareth’s dwarf to discover Gareth’s name and family; when the dwarf reveals that Gareth is a king’s son and Sir Gawaine’s brother, Gringamore’s seizure gives way to reconciliation. His brief role links Gareth’s concealed identity to the recognition and love awaiting him at Liones’s castle.

Identity and Connection to Liones

Gringamore appears as Liones’s brother and the master of a castle where she and her sister Linet can question Gareth’s dwarf. Liones trusts him to help discover the identity of the knight she loves. She asks him to follow Gareth, wait until he is asleep, and bring the dwarf to the castle so she can learn Gareth’s proper name and lineage. Gringamore agrees, acting on his sister’s request rather than on a dispute of his own.

The Seizure of the Dwarf

Gringamore follows Gareth through the day and night until he finds him asleep beside a body of water, his head resting on his shield. His own arms and equipment are described as black. Moving quietly behind the dwarf, Gringamore takes him under his arm and rides away toward the castle. The dwarf calls for help, waking Gareth, who sees Gringamore carrying him off but cannot prevent the knight from riding out of sight.

Gareth immediately pursues. He rides through marshes, fields, and valleys, taking the shortest route without knowing the way and at times plunging into deep mire. A local poor man identifies the knight as Sir Gringamore, describes him as perilous, and warns Gareth that his castle is only two miles away. The warning frames the rescue as a hazardous challenge, but Gareth continues toward the castle to recover his companion.

Gareth’s Identity Revealed

At the castle, Liones and Linet question the captured dwarf about Gareth’s birth and lineage. Liones threatens to keep him imprisoned unless he answers. The dwarf says Gareth is a king’s son, his mother is King Arthur’s sister, and he is Sir Gawaine’s brother; he also gives Gareth’s proper name, Sir Gareth of Orkney. The dwarf then asks to be allowed to return to his master, warning that Gareth will not leave the country without him and may cause damage if angered.

Linet supports the newly revealed lineage with her own experience of Gareth’s conduct. Though she has repeatedly rebuked him, she says he answered her with courtesy and meekness. The account thus sets noble birth alongside demonstrated character: the dwarf discloses who Gareth is by descent, while Linet recalls the patience and courtesy by which he has already made himself known.

Reconciliation and Narrative Role

Gareth arrives at the castle with his sword drawn and demands that Gringamore return the dwarf. Gringamore initially refuses, but Liones intervenes. She says Gareth has already delivered her from the Red Knight of the Red Lawns, that she owes him service before all other knights, and that she loves him above all others. She also asks that Gareth not learn her identity. Her appeal changes Gringamore’s course: he goes down to Gareth, asks pardon, offers to make amends, and invites him into the castle.

Gringamore explains that the dwarf’s account of Gareth’s birth, noble blood, and deeds in the marches has made him regret his actions. He returns the dwarf, who takes Gareth’s horse, and welcomes Gareth into the hall. The episode resolves the abduction without the battle Gareth had demanded, while bringing him back into Liones’s company. Gringamore’s actions therefore serve the plot’s recognition pattern: a concealed heir is named, his deeds are acknowledged, and a family member’s intervention turns a potential fight into hospitality.