hey awhile ago you posted like a reading list for stuff about Galahad and I was wondering if you had anything similar about Dinadan? I'm reading Malory at the moment and have been entranced by his normal guy swag
Hello there!
I’ll list out some recommendations of medieval literature, modern retellings, even some screen appearances for Sir Dinadan!
Medieval Literature
La Tavola Ritonda (Tristan & The Round Table)
This is an Italian rendition of the Prose Tristan (where Dinadan originates from). I prefer it in every way to the Prose Tristan. I love it so much that I scanned it myself! It predates Le Morte D’Arthur! So while Dinadan’s brothers Daniel & Brunor are in it, Brunor is not yet nicknamed La Cote Male Taile, that doesn’t come until Malory. Dinadan’s apparent queerness (whether that be interpreted as aromanticism & asexuality or something else) shines here. There’s even a part where Tristan plays a prank on him by sneaking into his bed & kissing him, pretending to be their host who was interested in Dinadan earlier, & Dinadan not only freaks out in the moment (duh) but then refuses to forgive Tristan & gives him the silent treatment for several chapters. I find this compelling that Dinadan is given an emotional depth here he’s rarely afforded, & sticks to his guns, even though Tristan whines that he wants Dinadan to talk to him, (without really apologizing…). All names are in Italian, so while “Dinadano” is recognizable as Dinadan, others are harder to place. Here’s a name guide I made in case you need it!
Tristano Panciatichiano
Another Italian story, albeit incomplete, has a lot of great Dinadan & zeroes in on his friendship with everyone very closely. Dinadan's platonic bonds with Tristan & Palomides are explored at length here & there's lots of interesting allegorical philosophy from Dinadan that left a lasting impression.
Byelorussian Tristan
Divdan [Dinadan] makes a small appearance in this text during a joust. It's said he's "more pleasing to the maidens than to the other knights." What did the Russian storyteller mean by this?
Le Román de Tristan le roman de Palamede (in French)
This story is in French & has yet to be translated into English. But I’ll put it here anyway just in case you’re able to read that or as a reminder for later when it does get translated. Anyway Dinadan is here as a good friend of Palamedes.
Retellings
The Fortunate Island by Max Adeler
Really whacky story. I haven't finished reading it yet, but it's full of crackships, including a version of Dagonet interested in Ysolt, who in turn loves, Bleoberis who is too poor to marry anybody. Shenanigans. Anyway Dinadan is interested in this girl Matilda only for Agravaine, of all people, to propose to her immediately after being introduced. Hilarious. Someone should remind these guys they're both queer. In any case Matilda slaps him because she really is interested in Dinadan. The story is more reminiscent of the 1880s culture than medieval, with Dinadan sharing a smoke with Matilda's father then offering her a drag. Dinadan continues to have a weird rivalry with Agravaine for her affection as Agravaine apparently cannot tell she's uninterested. Typical Orkney bro behavior to interpret violence as love. So even though this story depicts Dinadan differently than his "allergic-to-love" medieval counterpart, he remains the most sensible of the characters. Which is close enough.
The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey
Dinadan first appears in this drama after he’s rescued from his imprisonment at the hands of the enemy Roman forces. He’s listed in the cast as “friend of Tristram of Lyonesse” which is cute but made funny as Dinadan complains about having to bring reinforcements to the war while Tristram stayed home. Dinadan whinges about Tristram’s tryst with Iseult. Meanwhile nobody who's been away since the start of the war has even heard of her yet, while Launcelot claims he knows nothing. Dinadan's loose lips get a pass here, he was a prisoner of war for who knows how long. They beat his manners right out of him!
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Dinadan doesn’t play a huge part in this novel, but chapter 4 is named for him, “Sir Dinadan the Humorist.” He has the characterization of a washed up jester/failed comedian. The main character Hank is kind to him though & tries to laugh at his jokes, if only because Dinadan had spared him the scrutiny/mockery he affords some other knights.
The Song of Dinadan by Ernest Rhys
This collection has a short lay dedicated to Dinadan which is reminiscent of his discussion regarding love he has with Isolde in Le Morte d'Arthur.
The Merriest Knight by Theodore Goodridge Roberts
This is a short story collection with tons of Dinadan adventures which exemplify the traits we know & love about him! It's very sweet & you can really feel the author's love for the character shining through.
The Enchanted Cup by Dorothy James Roberts
A retelling of Tristram/Isoud’s romance. Dinadan takes on a slightly different role here as he’s older than Tristram & more of a mentor. (Gouvernail is still here; Tristram is collecting father figures in this one.) But Dinadan is the first member of the Round Table that Tristram meets & he finds his quick wittedness endearing. Tristram also finds him fascinating because he’s so short & “prefers eating to fighting,” as Andret said, so Dinadan challenges what Tristram expected a knight to be. Dinadan has his usual “I’d rather not fight unless I have to” attitude & still holds fast to his opinions about love, although he’s less animated about it here compared to other stories where he’s combative. He comes across as wise rather than spirited in his opinions, particularly because Tristram’s prepared to risk it all for Isould, & Dinadan finds himself in Tristram’s corner when it comes time to choose sides. Anyway I really love the prose & banter in this book. Great dialogue, really feels natural & holds my attention. It’s extremely 1950s in its handling of Palamides, not kind to him at all, but barring that, it’s really solid.
Child of the Northern Spring by Persia Woolley
Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley
Guinevere: The Legend in Autumn by Persia Woolley
Dinadan is present in all three books of the trilogy, but mostly the second one. He's Tristan's best friend & right hand man. Dinadan reminds Tristan of his manners & formalities his hastier companion often neglects. They're both musicians & bond over a love of music. My biggest warning with this series is that Isolde is a child bride, so every plot line surrounding her, including Dinadan's criticisms of her relationship with Tristan, hit different. The whole Prose Tristan gang is here though, including Branwen, Palomides, & Lamorak.
The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris
Dinadan is the main character! Woo hoo! He’s the less popular brother of Tristan. The book emphasizes Dinadan’s queerness which is enjoyable to read. He’s in his early twenties so he’s just heading out into the world & exploring himself at the same time. He goes on many adventures, including joining Kai & Bedivere to aid Culhwch in his tasks so he can marry Olwen, developing a deep friendship with Brangienne & Palomides, & having to come to his brother Tristan’s aid whenever his fragile mental state gets him into trouble out in the wilderness. All the while Dinadan connects with those around him through a love of music. He plays the rebec! He reappears in later books for the resolution of the Squire’s Tales series. Even though this book is in the middle of the series, it can be read independently, although I do recommend the entire thing.
Arthur King of Time and Space by @paulgadzikowski
In this webcomic series, Dinadan appears throughout as comic relief & sometimes as the "straight man" character for other characters to point out. Across the many timelines, he's consistently associated with Tristan, Palomides, & Isolde, with whom he was roommates/neighbors with at the same apartment complex. They're in a band together & Dinadan is shown to be proficient in many instruments. In the Medieval timeline, he mostly has a lute & also sings. He's very cute. I love that his armor is pink/red, as Palomides wears pink & Tristan wears red. Which could mean nothing.
Sir Tristan is Just Awful by Jeffrey Wikstrom
This is the third book in a five book series that parodies Le Morte d'Arthur. I haven't read this series in full yet as someone only recently made it into PDFs for me to share, but Dinadan retains his sarcastic humor & queer swag. It's implied he & Palomides have sex, so make of that what you will!
Lancelot by Gwen Rowley
Gawain by Gwen Rowley
Two romance books in a series, one about Elaine/Lancelot & the other Ragnelle/Gawain. However, Dinadan is a prominent side character. Lancelot technically came first, but they can be read in either order. The whole incident with the dress from Le Morte d’Arthur is in both books, as their timelines overlap a bit from the respective points of view. Dinadan is a friend of Gawain’s that shows up again in the Lancelot book many years after the events of the Gawain book ended. I really enjoy his character here, he’s pretty funny.
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
Brand new book that just came out in 2025. The true main character is an OC named Collum, but Dinadan is one of the last surviving members of the Round Table, & several chapters are dedicated to his backstory from his own perspective. Without spoiling too much (since it’s so new), Dinadan is explicitly queer here, as well as some other characters. He’s friends with Palomides here who evidentially knows the secret of his queerness before any others. I will say, Dinadan doesn’t feel very much like his medieval counterpart in terms of characterization, he doesn’t express any negative opinions about love. He feels more like a guy the author happened to call Dinadan. However, I still enjoyed the book!
Movies
Camelot (1967)
In this musical, Guinevere recruits three champions in the hopes of defeating Lancelot, including Lionel, Sagramore, & Dinadan! She has a duet with each of them. Dinadan is present for the Lusty Month of May song as well. He gets a whole joust with Lancelot that turns bad. Winds up a super important catalyst character for the plot!
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1970)
Animated adaptation of Mark Twain’s book of the same name. The most faithful one too. It adapts the "Sir Dinadan the Humorist" chapter from the book. Dinadan rides through during a joust after the first bout ends to crack jokes with Arthur & Hank. He then falls off his horse. This movie also includes Dinadan’s brother, La Cote Male Taile.
And that's all I have for you! Unfortunately, Dinadan doesn't appear in any Tristan/Isolde movies at all, which is a huge bummer. Ironically, the movies he does appear in lack Tristan/Isolde entirely! But he's got some great literary appearances I think you'll enjoy.
Hope that gives you plenty of Dinadan to enjoy. Take care!
