Sir Bedivere

Bedivere was called Bedevere by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Bedivere was the butler or the cup-bearer and the constable of King Arthur. Bedivere was the brother of Lucan the Butler.

In the Welsh myths, he was Bedwyr, the son of Pedrawd and the constant companion of Kai (Kay) and Arthur, in the story of Olwen and Culhwch. Bedwyr had a son named Amren.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, after the war against France, Bedivere was given the duchy of Neustia (Normandy). Boccus, king of Medes, ally of Lucius Hiberius, killed Bedivere in the war against the Romans. Kay rescued his body, and Bedivere was buried in Bayeux. In the Vulgate Merlin, he had fainted from a wound by Boclus (Boccus). His nephew thinking that Bedivere was dead, split Boclus' head down the middle with his sword.

According Malory's version (Book V), Bedivere did not die in the war against Rome. In fact, according to stanzaic Le Morte Arthur (c. 1350) and Malory's le Morte d'Arthur, Bedivere was one of the survivors in the war against Mordred, in the battle of Camlann, and attended Arthur who was mortally wounded. His dying king (Arthur) ordered him to throw Excalibur into the lake. Bedivere witnessed Arthur taken on a boat to Avalon. Bedivere then took a holy vow and became a hermit.

Originally, it was Girflet in la Mort le Roi Artu (Vulgate Cycle), who attended Arthur and threw Excalibur into the lake, before Arthur was taken to Avalon.