Derfel Cadarn (Warlord Chronicles)

Derfel Cadarn ("Derfel the Mighty") is a fictional character and the protagonist in The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. He is a straightforward and gifted warrior who is loyal and trustworthy. He is a highly fictionalized version of Saint Derfel Gadarn of Wales and of Sir Bedivere. Derfel is one of Arthur's closest advisers and friends, is one-handed (in Welsh legends) and in many versions of the legends, casts Excalibur into the sea after the Battle of Camlann.

Biography

Early life

Born of a Saxon woman named Erce and the Saxon warlord Aelle, Derfel and his mother were captured in a raid by Britons and enslaved. Their British captors were later raided by Gundleus, the British King of Siluria and his Druid, Tanaburs. Derfel was to be one of twelve sacrifices to the gods as a tribute from the victorious raiders. Derfel survived being thrown into the "Death Pit" and is henceforth considered by Merlin to be favoured by the gods. Having survived the failed sacrifice, he is also entitled to take the life of Tanaburs. Derfel was then adopted by Merlin into his community on the Tor at Ynys Wydryn (the isle of Avalon, modern Glastonbury) where he became friends with Nimue, otherwise known as Vivien, another child believed to be touched by the gods and Merlin's apprentice. Derfel eventually fell in love with Nimue, though she did not reciprocate his feelings.

The Winter King

He was present at Caer Cadarn for the birth of Mordred, and was sent to Morgan when Christian priests were unable to safely orchestrate the child's birth. He then traveled to the summit of the Kings at Glevum where Mordred's grandfather, Uther Pendragon, the High King of Britain, appoints Owain, the Champion of Dumnonia; Tewdric, King of Gwent; and Merlin as Mordred's guardians. He is forced to appoint Arthur, his own bastard son (whom he blames for the death of his heir, Mordred), as guardian after pressure from Morgan and Tewdric.

Following Uther's death, the Tor was attacked by Gundleus, and Derfel was forced to escape with Nimue, who had been raped by the Silurian king. While escaping, he took the sword of his dead swordmaster, Hywel, and later named it "Hywelbane". On the way to Caer Cadarn, Derfel killed his first man when the convoy was attacked by sentries and Derfel goes to attack them. Despite reinforcements from Owain, the Dumnonians are on the verge of being defeated when Arthur arrives with his horsemen, defeating the Silurians and taking Gundleus prisoner. Derfel joined Modred's guardian Owain's troops, as a reward for his actions during the escape from the Tor. Owain was left to rule un Dumnonia while Arthur took his forces north to confront Gundleus's ally, King Gorfyddyd of Powys, and bring peace to Britain. As Owain's man, Derfel aided in a collect of taxes throughout Dumnonia before participating in an illegal raid on miners from Kernow who had been mining in Uther's kingdom with his blessing. The massacre was led by Owain, in collaboration with a Dumnonian noble, Prince Cadwy of Isca, who seeks to control the mines. Arthur comes to suspect Owain and the two guardians fight each other in a duel for power in Dumnonia. When Owain is killed, Arthur wins complete power and Derfel joins his spearmen to spare him the reprisals from Owains's followers. Derfel accompanies his new lord to the north of Britain, to Powys, where Arthur is meant to wed Ceinwyn, King Gorfyddyd's daughter, to seal the peace. However, Arthur falls in love with Guinevere and war breaks out once again. During the visit, Derfel sees Ceinwyn for the first time and is struck by her beauty.

After several years, Derfel became one of Arthur's warlords and acquired the surname of Cadarn, which means "powerful". He is also inducted by Sagramor, Arthur's Numidian commander, into the mysteries of Mithras, a Roman god of soldiers which included fighters from all over Britain. Derfel took his troops to Brittany in place of Arthur in order to help fortify King Ban at Ynys Trebes (Mont Saint-Michel) against the Franks. Derfel met Lancelot and Galahad, and found Merlin in Ynys Trebes. When the city was taken and destroyed by the Franks, Galahad returned to Dumnonia with Derfel and Merlin on Merlin's boat. Lancelot also traveled to Dumnonia where he tried to take the credit for the helpless defense of the city whereas he had fled as soon as the city was breached. When Derfel and Galahad challenge his version of events before Arthur, a deep rivalry is born between Derfel and Lancelot. Upon returning to Dumnonia, Derfel rescued Nimue from the Isle of the Dead (Portland Bill), which is where the insane were exiled. After rescuing Nimue, they spent some time together as lovers but Nimue refused to leave the path of the gods for Derfel.

Arthur then led his levies north to Powys to end the war before Gorfyddyd can march south. Sent as an ambassador with Galahad to the enemy King's court, Derfel is only saved from Gorfyydyd's wrath by Merlin's intervention. He later meets Ceinwyn again and falls in love with her. He tells her as much and, although she doesn't answer him, his declaration seems to have surprised and pleased her. Derfel later fights against Gorfyydyd and his allies at the battle of Lugg Vale where the Dumnonians are only victorious when Merlin convinces the Black Shield Irishmen to betray Powys. Gorfyydyd is killed during the battle and peace is restored to Britain.

After the battle, Derfel and Nimue are sent by Arthur to kill Gundleus. Derfel overcomes Tanaburs and his spells, and Nimue kills Gundleus by slowly torturing him to death

Enemy of God

After Arthur's victory at Lugg Vale, Derfel is sent to Caer Sws, Powys's capital, to witness the acclamation of Cuneglas, Gorfyydyd's son, as King of Powys. Cuneglas shares Arthur's desire to wage war on the Saxons, to reclaim the Lost Lands of Lloegyr, and Derfel is instructed to defend his new ally against any challenge to his ascension. Arthur also shares with Derfel his plan to make Lancelot the new King of Siluria and wed him to Ceinwyn to cement the alliance between the British kingdoms. Arthur also plans to make Derfel the Champion of Dumnonia and Mordred's tutor, to remove the young King from the influence of a growing Christian faction in Dumnonia, which opposes Arthur (after he forced the Church to give him a loan on their shrines to finance the war). In order to reward Derfel further, Arthur wants him to marry Guinevere's sister, Gwenhwyvach.

Unhappy with this idea, as he loves Ceinwyn, Derfel is persuaded by Merlin to use magic to bind Ceinwyn to him. In exchange, Merlin wants Derfel and his sworn men to aid him in recovering the lost Cauldron of Clyddno Eiddyn, one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, which if combined would allow Merlin to bring back the old Gods to Britain. On the night of Lancelot and Ceinwyn's betrothal feast, Ceinwyn forsakes her arranged marriage and pledges herself to Derfel, to the surprise and anger of many.

Under oath to Merlin, Derfel, Galahad, a small contingent of his warriors (who would later be known as the 'Warriors of the Cauldron') and Ceinwyn aided the Druid and Nimue in a successful quest for the Cauldron. Returning to Powys, Derfel remains there with Ceinwyn until spring comes, during which time the Princess becomes pregnant with their first child. Arthur came to them during that spring as he had come to Powys to meet with Cuneglas: the war with the Saxons had come. At the High Council convened in Corinium to discuss the upcoming war, Arthur convenes a gathering of Mithras to induct Lancelot into the order. Derfel refuses to support his rival's election as he knows that Lancelot is no warrior. He is supported in this action by Agricola, a fellow Mithraist and a warlord of Gwent. However, Lancelot avoids the humiliation of Mithras's rejection by publicly converting to Christianity and being baptised by Bishop Sansum.

After the victory against Aelle's forces, Lancelot arrives with Cerdic's (the second and weaker Saxon king of Lloegyr) army and claims to have made an ally of their enemy. Arthur, furious at Lancelot's initiative which has strengthened Cerdic, sends Derfel to find Aelle and bring him to London to negotiate peace. Derfel also makes the acquaintane of Dinas and Lavaine, Lancelot's Druids and Tanaburs's grandsons, who swear revenge on him for the death of their grandfather. When Merlin finds the last of the Treasures of Britain in London's Hall of Mithras, Derfel witnesses Cerdic stealing a piece of the Druid's bear which he gives to Dinas and Lavaine, who could potentially use it to weave powerful spells against Merlin. The loss of his beard shakes Merlin to his core, leaving Derfel worried about him.

Derfel becomes the champion of Dumnonia and serves as Mordred's guardian until his fifteeneth birthday, at which time the King would be acclaimed. Ceinwyn gives Derfel three daughters during this time, Morwenna, Seren and Dian. They also have two sons who die in childbirth, one of them nearly killing Ceinwyn. Merlin lives with them at Lindinis, the royal villa, after his Hall is burnt and the Cauldron is stolen. The Druid apparently loses his will to continue his fight and contents himself with his new life at Lindinis. Derfel becomes close friends with his former master and Merlin grows fond of Ceinwyn and their daughters. However, all are united in their loathing for Mordred, who is a wicked child (Merlin believes him to be possessed by a demon).

Derfel continues his warlord duties to Arthur, remaining loyal to him even after Mordred is acclaimed King on his fifteenth birthday. When Derfel and Arthur are sent north to apprehend Ligessac, the traitor responsible for the death of Mordred's mother, Norwenna, Derfel uses the excuse to go into Siluria and find his mother, whom he had learnt was still alive thanks to Tanaburs. When he meets Erce, Derfel learns that his father is none other than Aelle, the Saxon King. Shocked by this discovery, he is even more shocked when he returns to Dumnonia to find it under attack by Lancelot and Cerdic. Declaring Mordred was dead (killed by the father of a girl he had raped), Lancelot claims Dumnonia for himself with the support of Bishop Sansum and his Christians, who have come to see Lancelot as their saviour (due to the fish on his banner, the fish being a Christian symbol). Christians are hunting down pagans all across Dumnonia. Derfel heads for his hall where he finds Dinas and Lavaine trying to capture Ceinwyn and Merlin, the former for her humiliation to Lancelot (for which he wants her paraded naked until she reaches him) and the latter for his knowledge about the Cauldron. Derfel intervenes before the brothers can accomplish their goal but, in the fight, his youngest daughter Dian is killed.

Filled with grief and rage at his daughter's death, Derfel sends Ceinwyn, Morwenna and Seren north to Powys to keep them safe and rejoins survivors of Arthur's army. There, they are joined by Cuneglas and his Powysian spearmen, and Arthur himself. Mordred is also revealed to still be alive despite an attempt by Lancelot to have him killed. However, when Merlin gets Mordred to confess that the mission to capture Ligessac was designed to cause the deaths of Arthur and Derfel, Arthur decrees that the King has broken his acclamation oath to protect his kingdom. As such, his Council would rule in his stead as long as Mordred was granted all the honours of his position. Derfel and Arthur, assisted by Nimue, then lead a mission to save Guinevere and Arthur's son, Gwydre, from Lancelot. However, they discover Guinevere committing adultery with Dinas and Lavaine. She also admits to having slept with Lancelot, to Arthur's fury and despair. Derfel and Nimue execute Dinas and Lavaine in a slow and painful fashion for Dian's death, recovering the Cauldron and Merlin's beard at the same time. Lancelot's rebellion fails as the Christian frenzy dissipates and spearmen loyal to Arthur regroup. The Belgic retreats to his capital, Venta, and Arthur assumes complete power in Dumnonia with Derfel at his side.

Excalibur

Derfel plays a crucial role at the battle of Myndd Baddon. In this battle Derfel slays his father Aelle, following the prophecy "that a son will kill his father". His final action was at the Battle of Camlann in which Arthur was taken away in an enchanted boat after being, apparently, mortally wounded. This was the epic battle between Arthur and Mordred, the latter one to be killed in this battle. At this point Derfel only had 40 of his warriors left.

In his old age, Derfel retires to a monastery in Powys where he befriends the queen of Powys, Igraine, wife of King Brochvael of Powys who also happens to be the grand nephew of Derfel's life partner, Ceinwyn. The queen asks him to write his story for her, and Derfel writing his memoirs forms the frame of the series. Sansum, the Christian bishop in charge of the monastery, was an enemy of Derfel's for many years who wanted Derfel to convert to Christianity. Sansum hates paganism and is particularly antagonistic towards the story of Arthur, so Derfel pretends that he is writing the Gospel in Saxon when he writes down the story of Arthur for Igraine. Derfel only converted to Christianity under duress - he had to sever his connection with Nimue and convert in order to save Ceinwyn from a deadly curse - and became bound to obey Sansum. As Derfel writes his story he begins to re-convert back to paganism, revealing that he organised a pagan burial for Ceinwyn (who converted to Christianity with him) and through his writings requests that Igraine will also grant him a pagan burial. As the novels progress it becomes apparent that the Saxons are approaching Derfel's monastery. As an ex-warrior, Derfel is ordered by the bishop Sansum to defend the monastery. It is at this point that Sansum gives Derfel his old sword 'Hywelbane' back. Although it is not written, it is reasonable to surmise that Derfel dies a warriors death and "crosses the bridge of swords" to meet his family and his spearmen in the Otherworld. As Merlins says, "fate is inexorable."

Relationships

Throughout the story, Derfel is involved with numerous women, but three are featured most prominently.

Lunette

His youthful relationship with an Irish girl named Lunete rapidly becomes unhappy and they part company but remain civil in later meetings. Lunete becomes a member of Guinevere's entourage and is later killed by Arthur in his rage when he learns of his wife's infidelity. Derfel feels a pang for Lunete after leaning of her death, despite having no more feelings left for her.

Nimue

Derfel had, during most of his youth, a burning love for Nimue that was mostly not returned and, in his old age, he admits that he tried to preserve her memory as the young and wild girl he loved, not the harsh and miserable woman she became as result of her obsession with magic power. The two shared a brief love affair after Derfel rescued Nimue from madness and the Isle of the Dead. However, she refused to leave the path of the Gods for him and this ended their relationship. His love for her eventually turned to hatred when she caused Ceinwyn's illness to force him to bring her the necessary tools to bring the Old Gods back to Britain. Derfel was the one to foil her plans when he threw Excalibur into the sea, preventing her from accomplishing the ritual.

Ceinwyn

He later fell in love with Princess Ceinwyn of Powys, and eventually they lived as husband and wife, and she became the mother of all his children (three daughters, Morwenna, Seren and Dian, and two stillborn boys), although they never formally married. When she chose him over her arranged marriage to Lancelot, Ceinwyn told Derfel that she would never marry and that she would give him 'everything but marriage.' Derfel remained faithful to Ceinwyn during the rest of their lives. He agreed to convert to Christianity in order to save Ceinwyn from Nimue, and she followed him in renouncing the old faith. After her death and her Christian burial, Derfel dug up her body and burn her according to the ancient rites, allowing her to join their family and friends in the Otherworld. His own wish was to be burnt upon his death to join Ceinwyn in the Otherworld so they could be together forever.