Evelake
King of Sarras in Le Morte d'Arthur, converted by Joseph of Aramathie, who lived three hundred years.
King Evelake is a prominent figure in the Grail narrative of Le Morte d'Arthur, appearing as the king of Sarras who was converted to Christianity by Joseph of Aramathie's son and became one of the earliest guardians of the holy shield. When Joseph arrived in Sarras, Evelake "had great war against the Saracens, and in especial against one Saracen, the which was King Evelake's cousin, a rich king and a mighty, which marched nigh this land, and his name was called Tolleme la Feintes" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X).
Joseph's son warned Evelake that "he should be discomfit and slain, but if he left his belief of the old law and believed upon the new law" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X). Joseph then "shewed him the right belief of the Holy Trinity, to the which he agreed unto with all his heart; and there this shield was made for King Evelake, in the name of Him that died upon the Cross" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X). The shield's power was demonstrated when one of Evelake's men, whose hand had been struck off, was healed by touching the Cross with devotion (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X). Following this, "King Evelake was baptised, and for the most part all the people of that city" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X).
When Joseph prepared to depart, "King Evelake would go with him, whether he wold or nold" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X). Evelake's attachment to Joseph was deeply personal: "For thy love I have left my country, and sith ye shall depart out of this world, leave me some token of yours that I may think on you" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XI). Joseph made a cross on the white shield with his own blood, and Evelake asked where the shield should be placed so that "this worthy knight may have it" — referring to the future Grail knight (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XI).
Evelake's extraordinary longevity is attested later in the text: "King Evelake, and this same king hath lived this three hundred winters this holy life, and men say the knight is in the court that shall heal him" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter IV). A final reference confirms his place in the Grail chronology: "After the passion of Jesu Christ forty year, Joseph of Aramathie preached the victory of King Evelake, that he had in the battles the better of his enemies" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XV, Chapter IV).
The ten citations construct Evelake as a conversion narrative centred on faith, warfare, and miraculous proof. His initial situation — besieged by his own Saracen cousin — provides the temporal pressure that makes conversion urgent rather than contemplative. The sequence of events follows a precise logic: military threat, prophetic warning, theological instruction, miraculous demonstration, baptism, and personal devotion (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapters X–XI).
What distinguishes Evelake from other converted kings in Arthurian romance is the depth of his attachment to Joseph. His insistence on following Joseph and his plea for a personal token elevate him beyond a mere recipient of grace into a figure whose conversion produces genuine emotional transformation (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XI). The three-hundred-year vigil that follows — waiting for the Grail knight who will heal him — extends this devotion across centuries, making Evelake a living bridge between the age of Joseph and the age of Galahad (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter IV).
The shield itself functions as the material link between Evelake's story and the Grail quest proper, passing from Joseph's blood-marked creation to Galahad's eventual possession. Evelake's question about where to place the shield "that this worthy knight may have it" projects his faith forward in time, trusting in a fulfillment he will not see for centuries (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XI).
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition