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Gramercy!

If ye be among the best artists in the world, I have a perilous quest for thee.

The Dream

Ideally, in the long term, I would like to have a page or two of comic/manga produced of a few scenes from Le Morte D'Arthur. I believe the story itself lends itself very well particularly to the manga/anime medium as it features many of the same tropes and scenes. While I likely cannot (yet) fund an entire production of such a thing, I would like to build up a little gallery here with ideas, examples, and just generally more Le Morte D'Art in a variety of styles and interpretations for the world to enjoy. See existing works here.

Adventures

The Chapel Perilous

I'd like there to exist some more art with Launcelot and Hellawes and the chapel perilous.

Context: Launcelot is a powerful knight (considered to be the best in the world at the time). His appearance isn't described over-much in the source text, but it's pretty tall, well armored, etc (typical protagonist, outwardly perfect and generally attractive). Hellawes is a necromancer who seems to keep victims of her charms as thralls. She gives off yandere vibes as she wishes to kill Launcelot so that she can keep him with her forever. Again, not much is given for the appearance, so mostly up to your imagination. The setting is a rather dark, supernatural, cursed, gothic vibe from my reading. I will happily pay for your renderings of the scene, characters, etc.

Here is a description of the scene given by an ChatGPT. The actual text can be found at chapel.perilous.dev.

The Death of Arthur

One of the more striking and desperate battles found within the story, the titular end of Arthur here is a sad scene.

Context: The final battle in which Arthur and Mordred's force have both more or less faltered and just a handful of wounded individuals remain. Both Arthur and Mordred are weak from the conflict, but Arthur, in a blind rage, attempts to finally kill his traitorous son Mordred. In this last desperate strike, despite mortally wounding Mordred, Arthur is struck as well; a blow which will eventually lead to his death. The characters in this scene are armored, but ragged at this point, covered in the dirt, wounds, and gore of a long battle.

Then the king gat his spear in both his hands, and ran toward Sir Mordred, crying: Traitor, now is thy death-day come. And when Sir Mordred heard Sir Arthur, he ran until him with his sword drawn in his hand. And there King Arthur smote Sir Mordred under the shield, with a foin of his spear, throughout the body, more than a fathom. And when Sir Mordred felt that he had his death wound he thrust himself with the might that he had up to the bur of King Arthur’s spear. And right so he smote his father Arthur, with his sword holden in both his hands, on the side of the head, that the sword pierced the helmet and the brain-pan, and therewithal Sir Mordred fell stark dead to the earth; and the noble Arthur fell in a swoon to the earth, and there he swooned ofttimes. And Sir Lucan the Butler and Sir Bedivere ofttimes heaved him up. And so weakly they led him betwixt them both, to a little chapel not far from the seaside. And when the king was there he thought him well eased.

Character Studies

If you are more interested in a solo study, I am looking to get some individual works done of a few different characters from Le Morte D'Arthur and related works.

Characters:

The fashion of the knight

For he was clad all in green, with a straight coat, and a mantle above; all decked and lined with fur was the cloth and the hood that was thrown back from his locks and lay on his shoulders. Hose had he of the same green, and spurs of bright gold with silken fastenings richly worked; and all his vesture was verily green. Around his waist and his saddle were bands with fair stones set upon silken work, ’twere too long to tell of all the trifles that were embroidered thereon—birds and insects in gay gauds of green and gold.

The knight was thus gaily dressed in green, his hair falling around his shoulders, on his breast hung a beard, as thick and green as a bush, and the beard and the hair of his head were clipped all round above his elbows. The lower part of his sleeves were fastened with clasps in the same wise as a king’s mantle.

The knight bore no helm nor hauberk, neither gorget [neck armor] nor breast-plate, neither shaft nor buckler to smite nor to shield, but in one hand he had a holly-bough, that is greenest when the groves are bare, and in his other an axe, huge and uncomely, a cruel weapon in fashion, if one would picture it. The head was an ell-yard long, the metal all of green steel and gold, the blade burnished bright, with a broad edge, as well shapen to shear as a sharp razor. The steel was set into a strong staff, all bound round with iron, even to the end, and engraved with green in cunning work. A lace was twined about it, that looped at the head, and all adown the handle it was clasped with tassels on buttons of bright green richly broidered.

The knight halted in the entrance of the hall, looking to the high daïs, and greeted no man, but looked ever upwards; and the first words he spake were, “Where is the ruler of this folk? I would gladly look upon that hero, and have speech with him.” He cast his eyes on the knights, and mustered them up and down, striving ever to see who of them was of most renown.

If you are interested in this or creating any other art related to Le Morte D'Arthur, let me know @Sir_Palomides@pm.me