Sir Hector ( Eng. Ector ; sometimes Hector , Antor or Ectorius ) is the father of Sir Kay and the adoptive father of King Arthur in Arthurian . T.H. White, in The King of the Past and the Future, refers to Sir Hector's possessions as The Castle of the Forest Sauvage , later writers also used this name.
Hector appears in the works of Robert de Boron and in the Lancelot Grail cycle , as well as in later adaptations such as Post-Vulgate and The Death of Arthur by Mallory . In these versions, Merlin takes Arthur from his biological parents, King Uther Pendragon and Igreina , and puts him under the care of Hector. Merlin hides the true origin of the boy, and Hector grows him along with Kay as his own son. When Kay reaches the age of knighting, Arthur, who is several years younger, becomes his squire.
Anticipating the death of Uther, Merlin, using magic, puts a sword (sometimes equated to Excalibur ) in stone (in some versions - in the anvil), and only the rightful heir to the throne can pull it out. When Uther dies, a tournament is held in London to bring together all potential heirs; Hector and his sons visit him. At the tournament, Kay breaks his sword and sends Arthur to find him a new one. He walks past the Sword in the Stone, not realizing its meaning, and easily retrieves it. Upon learning of this, Kay tries to appropriate Arthur's merit, but his lies are revealed, and in the end, Hector and Kay are the first to swear allegiance to the new king. Both become knights of the Round Table and faithfully serve Arthur throughout his reign.
In the early Welsh versions, the name of Kai's father (Kei) is Kineer ( Wall. Cynyr ) [1] .
Notes
- ↑ EBK: Arthurian Literature: Sir Ector (link not available) . Date of treatment March 22, 2013. Archived May 13, 2013.