Has anyone read Le Morte Darthur?

Question

There's a bit when Arthur kills some sort of monster/creature. It's referred to as a devil (in Caxton's version) but is it a giant or something?

Answer 1

He was called a devil and a giant and a gutton. Here is the section with the final battle (I assume you don't want the whole thing:

When King Arthur beheld that piteous sight he had great compassion on them, so that his heart bled for sorrow, and hailed him, saying in this wise: He that all the world wieldeth give thee short life and shameful death; and the devil have thy soul; why hast thou murdered these young innocent children, and murdered this duchess? Therefore, arise and dress thee, thou glutton, for this day shalt thou die of my hand. Then the glutton anon started up, and took a great club in his hand, and smote at the king that his coronal fell to the earth. And the king hit him again that he carved his belly and cut off his genitours, that his guts and his entrails fell down to the ground. Then the giant threw away his club, and caught the king in his arms that he crushed his ribs. Then the three maidens kneeled down and called to Christ for help and comfort of Arthur. And then Arthur weltered and wrung, that he was other while under and another time above. And so weltering and wallowing they rolled down the hill till they came to the sea mark, and ever as they so weltered Arthur smote him with his dagger.

Hope this helps. . .

Answer 2

Do you mean in Book 5, Chapter 5?

That's a giant. The widow says "devil" as an exaggeration

Answer 3

It's the bit where parsifal kills a 'serpent, which is fighting with a lion. In his reverie he sees two ladies one riding the lion, representing the true church of christ and the other, an old hag riding the serpent representing the devil. It is symbolic as his being the true defender of the holy church in his quest for the grail.

Answer 4

I have. The" OLDE" English gets misunderstood. Arthur was a dog and Merlin was a devil! All the romanticism won't change that.