#sir cai

[onepuzzledpigeon]

#2 for @caer-gai 's Arthuriana August

Dagonet got hold of some anachronistically exotic fruit (and he's about to be kicked into the fire again.) (Aka the first thing that sprang to my mind for the "Comedic" box.... not my strength......)

[queer-ragnelle]

what do you love most about kay which you would love to see in a story, like what would you find would make a good depiction of sir kay into a great depiction of kay

In order for Kay to be adequately sharp-tongued he needs to be sharp-minded.

Far too many Kays in retellings are just mean or crass in the basest sense. Phobic, cussing, and frankly come off as a dumb bully with no depth. Even when medlit Kay borders on a bully, he’s never stupid. He needs to be clever enough to have a quick clap back, to invent a witty nickname on the spot, call out Gawain or Gareth or Lancelot on their hypocrisy when no one else will.

Unintelligent Kay holds no interest for me and it’s a lazy way to write him that’s become all too common (not on tumblr, thankfully). It started with The Sword in The Stone (1963) movie and it’s gotten worse from there.

Other than that, I want to see Kay resembling his Mabinogion characterization with the powers and stuff. He does have Otherworld powers in the Lavinia Collins books, but then, that requires reading the Lavinia Collins books but I don’t recommend whatsoever. There are many historical fiction examples from Henry Treece or Edward Frankland, but they don’t have magic. I want the magic!

Additionally I want Kay who is both Arthur’s foster brother and his seneschal, simultaneously. This is more common in books, retellings are pretty good about that. Movies are slacking! Only a handful where he gets to be both!!

Lastly I want his close relationship with Bedwyr restored. Again, there are a decent amount of retellings I could point to as examples that do a great job with that. But I want Gawain too! And Lancelot! And Guinevere! And Ragnelle! Even Gareth!! The dream team. Kay can’t just be this outsider with no friends, that’s not true to medlit at all. They love him! Arthur loves him!!!!! SHOW IT TO ME!!!

This type of Kay is definitely here on tumblr. Seems bloggers understand the assignment! I see this Kay frequently in art and stories passed around here and that’s great. I’ve also attempted to include this sort of Kay in my books. But I want even more of him! He is the character ever!!!

[cesarescabinet]

🌻Seneschal Celebration🌻

"Prince of the plunder, the unrelenting warrior to his enemy; Heavy was he in his vengeance; Terrible was his fighting." (Pa Gur-Black Book of Carmarthen)

POV you're waiting for your kid brother to bring you back a sword, completely oblivious to either of your fates.

A doodle for @queer-ragnelle's May Day Parade! The more I think about Sir Kay/Cai, the more I like him; loyal to his baby brother, has cool powers, and can cook. What else can I say? Except maybe that I'd like to listen to a heavy metal album of his Welsh exploits.

[gingersnaptaff]

I absolutely do find it hilarious that under Welsh law Gwenhwyfar has numerous reasons she could divorce Arthur, but instead, she just has numerous affairs. A problematic queen.

(It's easier to list who she doesn't have an affair with but, off the top of my head, Cai, Gwalchmai, surprisingly NOT Bedwyr although I know authors use him as a stand-in for when Lancelot doesn't fit in with their work, Melwas (as previously discussed, who was almost certainly a fae lord in the earliest tradition), Edern ap Nudd (Gwyn ap Nudd's brother), and Medrawd, when he isn't married to her sister, I assume.) And Enid if you are like me and believe that their sleepover in Geraint ac Enid was sapphic. She really was living her best life.

Tbf Arthur has like three (maybe four?) mistresses according to Welsh tradition so y'know, it wasn't like he was slacking either.

Not that I condone cheating. I just find it very v very funny that there was a legitimate way out and she utterly refused to take it. I recommend this paper if u wanna learn more about Welsh divorces:

[amashelle]

Shout out to Arthurian fans.

Can anyone think of a modern adaptation that treats Cai/Kei/Kay as a/the hero of the story? Seriously, I'm combing through my collection, and I can't find anything outside of the old Welsh fragments.

[winter-at-himring]

Arthur: I don’t care what anyone says; the black cookie part is the best part of an Oreo.

Bedivere: Dark without light is an abyss, light without dark is blinding. You cannot have one without the other.

Cai: Yo, Socrates, it’s a cookie.

[curiooftheheart]

If Sir Kay were made a summonable servant what do you think his kit would be like? (what skills, how many stars ect) I mean outside of the fact that his oratory skills put Artoria's to shame and that he was the best swimmer among the Knights of the Round Table we don't know much about his abilities. (and Artoria was the better swordsman) I remember hearing that he liked to carve little wooden figures but wasn't very good at it.

I assume as a rather basic knight he has a triple buster deck, and a Saber likely 5 star as one of Arthur’s oldest allies.

Apparently Sir Kay was what is called a seneschal which is a sort of administrative official, so I imagine he’d have party support. Let’s say starts with Charisma B but after an interlude it becomes Seneschal’s Watch which also has Military Tactics B wrapped in (maybe C).

The rest depends on is he’s more Cai or Kay as Cai is a mighty warrior and one of the best with a multitude of powers while Kay was…watered down is a nice way to say it. Buffoon is probably more accurate to the way Arthurian legend treated him. Either way likely an ability with an extra wffect on Arthur/Artoria servants

[queer-ragnelle]

what are some of your favorite portrayals (medieval or retellings it doesn't matter) or sir kay?

Hi anon! Why, I'm so glad you asked. I love Sir Kay in all his forms. :^) I'll write out a complete list of my favorite portrayals of him across the board from Medieval Literature to Modern retellings, movies, and TV shows, that way everyone can find what medium suits them best. Links to read and watch everything are provided.

Medieval

The Black Book of Carmarthen

The first mention of Cei's existence! "Cei the Fair," a tall knight, is described battling a giant cat.

Cullhwch and Olwen

An obvious banger. Cai has his supernatural powers of growing as large as a tree, holding his breath for nine days, & "hot hands." He apparently uses this for blacksmithing. He & Bedwyr are inseparable.

The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Caius helps Arthur & Bedevere kill the giant of Mont St Michael. After Bedevere is slain in battle, Caius suffers a mortal wound while retrieving his body from the field.

Peredur, Perceval, Parzival, & Didot Perceval

Peredur/Perceval/Parzival breaking Cai/Kay’s collarbone/arm is iconic. His pain is so funny to me.

Owain, Yvain, Iwein, & Ywain

Without Cai/Kay hadn't been busting Cynon/Calogrenant/Kalogreant's balls about his failed quest, Owain/Yvain/Iwein/Ywain wouldn't have met his wife. The seneschal is silly with it.

The Crown by Heinrich von dem Türlin

Keii is the ultimate seneschal. Arthur values him highly & sends him on important errands. He’s insanely melodramatic & kisses Gawain’s severed head. Repeatedly. His grief covers many pages.

Jaufre

Another silly ass Kay. He gets the first line in the story & immediately squabbles with Arthur. Brother behavior.

The Vulgate

Kay is important as Arthur's foster brother & seneschal. Lots of scenes repeated from the previous stories like fighting the giant of Mont St Michael, butting heads with Perceval, etc. but expanded upon. He's worsties with Mordred & just all around a fun guy.

La Tavola Ritonda

Chieso is such a guy. He isn't even mad when Tristan beats him up because it was so cool then his nephew Agravano patches him up.

Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

You know this is because of the kitchen boy storyline. It's peak. Beaumains is Kay's little guy. He was mean to him to make him grow they're besties later I swear.

Middle English Poems

These are about Gawain but Kay & Gawain go together like bread & butter. I especially like Kay's involvement in Gawain's marriage to Ragnelle, becoming her friend after the curse is broken.

Retellings

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle (1903)

The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle (1905)

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle (1907)

The Story of The Grail and The Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle (1910)

Howard Pyle's series is near & dear to me, highly recommend. The illustrations are great & Kay feels nuanced. He can be a curmudgeon, but especially in the case with Beaumains, he was responding to Gareth's impudence toward Arthur. Basically he didn't start it, but he's going to finish it.

Arthur the Bear of Britain by Edward Frankland (1944)

Kai is Arthur's standard bearer & one of his toughest warriors throughout the wars. He's described as "having the wits of five men and the strength of ten."

The Eagles Have Flown by Henry Treece (1954)

The Great Captains by Henry Treece (1956)

The Green Man by Henry Treece (1966)

Treece wrote the same story three different ways, with Kai & Bedwyr as Arthur's closest companions, & Medraut as the wedge between them. Each book stands on its own as a complete story. The Eagles Have Flown is an illustrated chapter book for a younger audience so it has less of the darker themes the other two contain (such as incest & torture).

The Queen’s Knight by Marvin Borowsky (1955)

Kay is Arthur's foster brother & seneschal, described as "self-important as a little terrier." Later he gets mixed up in Mordred's schemes but ultimately backs down, while still protecting Mordred's homosexuality from the scrutiny of the court. Fascinating character.

Arthur of the Britons by Rex Edwards (1975)

Novelization of the 1972-1973 tv show. It opens like a prequel with Arthur & Kai as orphans newly adopted by Llud before catching up in time to the show where it adapts the encounters with Mark & others.

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (1976)

One of my favorite books ever. Steinbeck understood the assignment. Has the Kay quote which sets the standard by which all other Kays are measured: "Kay must be mean so the king can be generous."

Hawk of May by Gillian Bradshaw (1980)

Kingdom of Summer by Gillian Bradshaw (1981)

In Winter’s Shadow by Gillian Bradshaw (1982)

Be prepared to feel every emotion. Cei is great here 10/10 no notes.

Idylls of The Queen by Phyllis Ann Karr (1982)

The Coming of the Light by Phyllis Ann Karr (1992)

The Follies of Sir Harald by Phyllis Ann Karr (2001) [Going to scan soon!]

Arthurian Tales by Phyllis Ann Karr (2022)

Everything Karr writes is gold. Kay features prominently in all of them. Idylls of the Queen is first person Kay perspective retelling the apple poisoning incident from Malory, Arthurian Tales also has a lot of Kay focus, although it's an anthology with several different povs including Mordred.

Sir Gawain and The Loathly Lady by Selina Hastings & Juan Wijngaard (1985)

Illustrated picture book of the Wedding poem, including Kay looking really dapper.

The Quest for Olwen by Gwyn Thomas, Kevin Crossley-Holland, & Margaret Jones (1988)

Illustrated picture book of Culhwch & Olwen, two page spread of Cai & Bedwyr riding the giant salmon to rescue Mabon.

The Knight with The Lion by John Howe (1996)

Illustrated picture book of Yvain's story which includes a gorgeously rendered joust with Kay donning his key-shaped regalia.

The Hunt of the Hart Royal by Cherith Baldry (1996)

The Trial of Sir Kay by Cherith Baldry (1997)

Exiled From Camelot by Cherith Baldry (2001)

The Last Knight of Camelot by Cherith Baldry (2024)

Everything Baldry writes is also gold. Exiled From Camelot is a retelling of Perlesvaus with Kay, Gawain, & Gareth povs. The Last Knight of Camelot is a new anthology with many stories, mostly Kay.

 In Camelot’s Shadow by Sarah Zettel (2004)

For Camelot’s Honor by Sarah Zettel (2005)

Under Camelot’s Banner by Sarah Zettel (2006)

By Camelot’s Blood by Sarah Zettel (2012)

Old man Kai acts as a frame story retelling the events of his nephews, Gawain, Agravain, Geraint, & Gareth's, & their lives with their wives, Ragnelle, Laurel, Enid, & Lynet. Kai is present throughout but especially book 3, Gareth/Lynet.

Movies

Sword of Lancelot (1963)

Kay is the old, hard of hearing seneschal of Arthur's court. He's funny & nice to newcomer Tor & the kids at Arthur & Guinevere's wedding.

Lancelot du Lac (1970)

Pretty much identical to his Knight of the Cart counterpart. Running his mouth a lot & advising Arthur, sometimes shushed by Gauvain or Yvain.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1970)

Animated movie in which Kay is the one to discover Hank & bring him to Arthur. Present at Arthur's side throughout the film.

Perceval (1978)

An adaptation of Chretien's Perceval, so Kay is knocking jesters into fires, slapping maidens, & getting his arm broken by Perceval.

Excalibur (1981)

The Kay ever. Raised alongside Arthur, tries to claim he pulled Excalibur from the stone, then stays at Arthur's side as seneschal the rest of his life. Trains Percival in the kitchens & to be Lancelot's squire, tends to Arthur's health during the grail quest & protects him from Mordred, then follows Arthur into the battle at Camlann.

Knightriders (1981)

Kay is an early opponent of Mordred, they "joust" on their motorcycles so Mordred can test his new weapon, Kay has an axe.

Merlin and The Sword (1985)

Kai is Arthur's seneschal, unclear if they're brothers but certainly great friends. Arthur hugs him immediately on his return. Kai talks about managing the household, finding suitable rooms for the guests like Pellinore. Later he challenges Mordred's authority when he attempts to usurp. Gawain leaves Ragnelle in his charge while he returns to the dungeon to help Lancelot bring Guinevere home. Kai is the last one to see Arthur alive before he's slain by Mordred & shown mourning at the funeral.

Sir Lanval (2011)

Colorful indie movie retelling Marie of France's Sir Lanval, Kay is Arthur's foster brother & seneschal, who's forced to play middle man between Guinevere, Arthur, & Lanval. He's both the prosecutor & the defense team in the trial. Fun hat!

King Arthur: Excalibur Rising (2017)

This movie is bad. But Kay & Bedivere are shown kicking ass in the intro depicting the battle of Camlann. Later after Owain, one of Arthur's bastards & the main character, is grown up, we see that Bedivere is caring for an ailing Kay, still using his title to honor him.

TV Shows

The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)

Kay is Arthur's seneschal & keeper of the sword Excalibur. He explains to all newcomers, including Galahad, the origin story of how Arthur obtained it from the lady of the lake & then charges the new knights to stand guard overnight. After Galahad is drugged & the sword is taken, Kay & the others set out to try & find it. Kay is often shown to side with Mordred's harsher approach, but can be talked down by Lancelot into Galahad's favor. In the end his motivation is always to serve Arthur the best he can.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-1957)

Kay is Arthur's seneschal & right hand man seated beside him at the Round Table. He's largely a comedic character who resists change, such as letting Brian the kitchen boy into the fellowship of the Round Table. He's not a bad guy though, more like Devil's advocate, who eventually gets proven wrong. He sometimes accompanies Lancelot on his adventures.

Arthur of the Britons (1972-1973)

Kai is Arthur's adopted Saxon brother, both were raised by Llud after they were orphaned. Kai is often used to conduct secret missions regarding the Saxons since he can blend in with them. He loves Arthur but they also fight a lot & Kai is secretly very good with kids. A balanced & wonderful portrayal.

BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)

BBC produced mini series covering the entirety of Arthur's story. Kay is only in the first episode as Arthur's foster brother, both beloved by their father Ector.

Knights of the Round Table anime (1979-1981)

Kay is Arthur's foster brother & later knighted & put in charge of the castle while Arthur ventures out with Lancelot, Tristan, Galahad, & Percival. Toward the end of the series, Kay is slain in battle & dies in Arthur's arms.

Starz Camelot (2011)

Babygirl. Played by the dreamy Peter Mooney, Kay is Arthur's foster brother & made marshal of the realm after Arthur's crowning. He's the sweetest ever, teaching Gawain to read, & speaking of Ector so fondly all the time, using his love of books to help people. He's a solid fighter & goes on all the missions.