THE ROUND TABLE65 Ebrauke and the Politics of Arthurian Geography RICHARD J. MOLL Medieval tradition gives us three possible locations for Dolorous Garde, the castle in which I.ancelot protected Guinevere from Arthur's vengeance. The Auchinleck version ofrhe ShortEnglishMetrical Chronicle tells us that the pair resided in Nottingham, while Thomas Malory suggests that the castle was either Alnwick or Bamburgh. It has been proposed that both of these statements are inspired by contemporary political issues, and indeed an association between Alnwick and Dolorous Garde does seem to be invented to echo cuttent events. Both Nottingham and Bamburgh, however, had long been associared with King Ebrauke's foundation ofa castle called either Mount Dolorous or Dolorous Garde. Rather than inventing the tradirion, therefore, both the anonymous chronicler and Malory adapted existing traditions concerning Ebrauke to their own thematic concerns. The ultimate source for rhis confusing srate of affairs is, of course, Geoffrey of Monmourh's Historia regum Britannie, where Ebrauke is a minor figure. The fourth king after Brurus, Fibrauke is known for his many children and his city-building activities. Most famously, he establishes York, 'id est ciuitas Ebrauci' [rhat is, the city ofEbrauke], but he also founds 'oppidum montis Agned, quod nunc Castellum Puellarum dicirur, et Montem Dolorosum' [the fort at Mount Agned, which now is called the Castle ofMaidens, and Mount Dolorous]. Several latet chroniclers felr rhat Mount Dolorous was an alternative name fot the Castle of Maidens, while others attempted to identify it, just as the Castle ofMaidens was identified as Edinburgh. The first author to claim that Ebrauke founded Bamburgh was Geffrei Gaimar in his mid-twelfth-century Estoire des Engleis. Gaimar had also translated Geoffrey's Historia as the Estoiredes Bretuns, but that work is now lost. In the EstoiredesEngleis Gaimar writes of Ida, the king of Bernicia, who reigned twelve years ? Baenburc bien restotad, / Dechaette ctt e mult defraite / De si cum Eubrac Tot ainz faite' [and well restored Bamburgh, which was in ruins and falling down from when Ebrauke had earlier esrablished it]. The detail about Ebrauke's foundation of Bamburgh is an addirion to Gaimat's source. Gaimar does not specifically associate the castle with Mount Dolorous, but, given the later Traditions discussed below, it seems a fair assumption that he had included a full account ofEbrauke's foundations in his translation of Geoffrey and that pethaps he had there identified Bambutgh with Mount Dolorous. The association between Ebrauke and Bamburgh was not universal, however, and Raufde Boun's Le Petit Bruit (c. 1309) srates that King Ebrauke founded 'Ie chasrel Sidemound Dolorous qe homme appelle ore le chastel de Notyngham' [the Castle of Sidemound Dolorous, which men now call the castle of Nottingham].4 Rauf suggests that the castle was called 'Dolorous' because Ebrauke's wife and children 66ARTHURIANA were killed thete by Gog and Magog. It is unclearwhy rhese authors add Nottingham and Bamburgh ro the list ofEbrauke's foundations. They may merely be supplying information missingin the Historiabyassigning northern castles to Geoffrey's cryptic reference to Mount Dolorous. These identifications could be based on local oral Tradition or, perhaps, simply the whim of rhe chronicler. Ir is only after Ebrauke had been credited with founding both Bamburgh and Nottingham that the firsr Arthurian association is made in the Auchinleck version of the ShortEnglish Metrical Chronicle (c. 1330s). Other versions ofthis chronicle give a typical précis ofArthur's reign, but this manuscript presents an unusual picture. It is, in fact, the only English chronicle to deviate from Geoffrey of Monmourh's narrative and include a romande relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere. After a brief passage of praise for the king, the Arthurian section quickly turns to internal conflict: bcrafter aros wer strong burch he quen in his lond. Launcelot de Lac held his wiif, Forjji bitven hem ros gret striif. Lancelot was a qucynt man: For \>c quen sake he made Notingham, be castcl wip mani selcou]3c wonder, Caucs mani he made pervnder. Ri;5t in \>e hard ston Chambers he made mani on !•at ))c quen mißt in wone, ;^ifhe king wald |)ider come. After the couple has resided in Nottingham for almosr fouryears, Arrhur...