Hoel

Hoel was the duke of Brittany, also known as Hoel the Great. In some other tales, Hoel was seen as a king of Brittany. Hoel was the son King Boudicius and Anna.

There is some confusion by Geoffrey of Monmouth, on whether Hoel was Arthur's cousin or nephew. If Anna was Arthur's sister, then Hoel was his nephew, but most said that Anna was the wife of Lot and mother of Gawain. However, if Anna was the sister of Aurelius and Uther, then Hoel was Arthur's first cousin. Or else there were two women with the name of Anna.

Hoel took part in the war against Frollo, and later against the Roman Emperor Lucius. In the second war, a giant of Mont-Saint Michel abducted Hoel's niece, named Helena (by Geoffrey, Eleine by Wace, Elaine by Layamon). She died when the giant raped her. Arthur avenged her death by killing the giant.

When Arthur returned to Logres (Britain) to quell a rebellion by his nephew Mordred, Hoel was left in charge of Gaul (France).

See Life of King Arthur.

In Lancelot, a romance in the Vulgate Cycle, Hoel was also known by another name – Aramont. Aramont was the overlord of two brothers: King Ban of Banoic and King Bors of Gaunes. However, since there were a couple of Hoels in Brittany, I am not sure they were the same.

Later legend has it that Hoel was the father of Kaherdin and Isolde la Blanche Mains ("Isolde of the White Hands"), who was the unloved wife of Tristan. See Tristan and Isolde.