Meliodas
Meliodas is the King of Liones and father of Sir Tristram, attested in Le Morte d'Arthur with 19 citations across the early chapters of the Tristram narrative.
Meliodas is the King of Liones and father of Sir Tristram, attested in Le Morte d'Arthur with 19 citations across the early chapters of the Tristram narrative. His story intertwines with the origins of one of Arthurian literature's great tragic figures, and his own life is marked by enchantment, loss, and a second marriage poisoned by jealousy.
The record establishes Meliodas as a devoted husband to his first wife, Queen Elizabeth, sister of King Mark of Cornwall. "So when this King Meliodas had been with his wife, within a while she waxed great with child, and she was a full meek lady, and well she loved her lord, and he her again" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. I). A lady of the country who had "loved King Meliodas long, and by no mean she never could get his love" resorts to enchantment to lure him away (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. I). Elizabeth, heavily pregnant, runs into the forest searching for her husband and dies giving birth. Her dying wish is that the child be christened Tristram -- "that is as much to say as a sorrowful birth" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. I).
Merlin delivers Meliodas from his enchanted imprisonment the day after Elizabeth dies (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. II). After seven years as a widower, Meliodas remarries, wedding King Howell's daughter of Brittany. The new queen, resentful that young Tristram might inherit Liones over her own children, attempts to poison him. The plot miscarries when Meliodas himself nearly drinks from the poisoned vessel (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. II). Discovering the treachery, Meliodas condemns his wife to burn, but young Tristram -- the intended victim -- kneels before his father and begs for her life. Meliodas protests: "That is unrightfully asked, for thou ought of right to hate her, for she would have slain thee with that poison" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. II). He relents, but afterwards "would never have ado with her, as at bed and board" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. II).
When Tristram returns from his education in France, Meliodas supports his son's ambition to fight for Cornwall's freedom from truage: "I will well that ye be ruled as your courage will rule you" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Ch. V).
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition