Gingalin
Gingalin (also Gingaline) is a knight in Le Morte d'Arthur who appears in the episode of Sir Tristram's departure from Tintagil.
Gingalin (also Gingaline) is a knight in Le Morte d'Arthur who appears in the episode of Sir Tristram's departure from Tintagil. His two citations present a brief martial encounter with Tristram and a subsequent interaction with King Mark.
Both citations come from a single passage. Gingalin "put his spear in his rest, and ran upon Sir Tristram and brake his spear," but Tristram, armed only with a sword, responded with such force that he "gave him such a buffet upon the helm that he fell down from his saddle, and his sword slid adown, and carved asunder his horse's neck" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XVII). The disparity -- Gingalin with a lance against Tristram with only a sword -- underscores Tristram's martial superiority.
The aftermath is courteous rather than violent: "when King Mark wist that it was Sir Gingalin he welcomed him and gave him an horse" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XVII). Mark's recognition and generosity suggest that Gingalin is a knight of sufficient standing to warrant royal attention, despite his defeat. His role in the narrative is to demonstrate Tristram's prowess while remaining himself a figure of courtly respectability.
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition