Helius
Treacherous brother who murdered King Hermance and was beheaded by Sir Palomides, attested in 1 source.
Sir Helius and his brother Sir Helake are attested in Le Morte d'Arthur as the treacherous murderers of King Hermance. Their story spans three chapters in Book X, culminating in their defeat and death at the hands of Sir Palomides. When King Hermance alighted, "by the assent of these two traitors, that one that hight Helius he suddenly smote our king through the body with a spear, and so they left him there" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Ch. LXI).
The brothers arrive at the city as men "of great prowess" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Ch. LXIII), and their defiance is direct: "Wit thou well, said Sir Helius and Sir Helake, that we are the same knights that slew King Hermance; and wit thou well, Sir Palomides Saracen, that we shall handle thee so or thou depart that thou shalt wish that thou wert christened" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Ch. LXIII).
In the combat itself, Helius's pride proves his undoing. "All this while Sir Helius held up his spear, and for pride and orgulite he would not smite Sir Palomides with his spear" until his brother lay defeated on the ground (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Ch. LXIV). "Sir Helius rode over Sir Palomides twice or thrice" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Ch. LXIV), but Palomides prevails: he smites Helius to the earth, races off his helm, "and there he smote him such a buffet that he departed his head from the body" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Ch. LXIV).
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition