Knight-errant
A
knight-errant is a figure of
medieval romantic
chivalric literature.
"Errant" meaning wandering or roving, indicates how the knight-errant would typically wander the land in search of adventures to prove himself as a knight, such as in a
pas d'Armes. Many knights-errant fit the ideal of the "knight in shining armor". A knight-errant performed all his deeds in the name of a lady, and invoked her name before performing an exploit.
In the
romances, his adventures frequently included greater foes than other knights, including
giants,
enchantresses, or
dragons. They may also gain help that is out of ordinary; Sir
Ywain assisted a lion against a serpent, and was thereafter accompanied by it, becoming the
Knight of the Lion. Other knight-errants have been assisted by wild men of the woods, or, like
Guillaume de Palerme, by wolves that were, in fact, enchanted princes.
Famous examples include:
* Sir
Gawain* Sir
Lancelot*
Amadis de Gaula*
Don Quixote*
Paladin*
Romance (genre)*
Chivalry
