Dragonheart's Code: The Greatest of Codes of Chivalry - Inside the Table's Circle
Studying the First Line of the Code
“Inside the table's circle,
Under the sacred sword.
A knight must vow to follow
The code that is unending,
Unending as the table—
A ring by honor bound.”
These are the first words to the Old Code, from Dragonheart which is arguably the greatest fictional code of chivalry in literature. I do not say this lightly. the trouble is that there are not many codes of chivalry in literature sadly, a dire state of affairs considering the importance of knights and chivalry in literature.
Now what I’m hoping to do with these words is to dissect them and the subsequent two sections (yes there’s two more paragraphs) of the Code. What I’m going to do is analyse every individual line and go over the inspiration and the importance of each line of text.
The first line to look at (and the focus of this article) is ‘Inside the Table’s Circle’. At first glance it is a strange start to the Old Code. But as Dragonheart is rooted in a mythological version of Great Britain (or England to be more specific), with the Table’s Circle being of course a reference to the ‘Round Table’ of King Arthur. A purely mythological figure, Arthur has proven the most timeless, the most popular of all Franco-British fictional characters. Proving himself so, with good cause for he stands for the very best of the values of these civilisations.
Embodying the French notions of ‘Fraternity, Liberty & Equality’, by presenting himself as ‘Knight’ first before considering himself a King in some adaptations. In this way, he puts the brotherhood of sorts of the Knights of the Round before himself (this also proves his dedication to equality). As to Liberty well it goes without saying that Arthur does not ostracise and mistreat his subjects and rather liberates them from the oppression of his father’s serf-enforcing laws and vassals.
There is also the French notion from the old Regime era of ‘One Law, One King, One Faith’, so that there is a law to which all his subjects agree to, one king (duh) and one faith (Christianity in most depictions, though the ancient Welsh version had Arthur embody the very best of the Welsh pagan faith).
Where Scottish & Irish (I include the Irish as they share the same values as the Scots, as the two were once one people) values are concerned, Liberty is absolute followed by the ideal that the King or rather ‘High-King’ must be willing to fight to the death to act as a buckler for his people, which Arthur does in all the versions of the myths.
English values of putting the people first, of the King as servant and needing to consult with the most educated of men of the realm, and with the barons/those chosen by the people can be seen in the stories where he consults with the likes of Merlin, old hermits/wisemen/wise-women/clergymen and with his Round Table, which includes such good knights as Gawain, Bedivere, Cay and even at times his son Llacheu.
Now as to those within the ‘Table’s Circle’, that would be those who ought to be considered ‘Knights of the Round’. This could be extended to be a euphemism for the whole of the realm though, so that it extends to all knights.
The funny thing about tables is that they come with edges, typically. In this way one can be put at the head of the table, so that equality doesn’t really exist around it. But a round table is different. A round table has definitive edges and thus means that no man may claim the superior position.
This is perfectly consistent with all the ideals of Britain and France, so that all are equal within its boundaries. In this way, if it is supposed to be a ‘Kingdom’ it signifies a kingdom wherein the King is but ‘first amongst equals’. He is in the position of needing to honour always the ‘social-contract’ he has with his people, honour the values of the civilisation he is part of and cannot set about destroying his country.
Kings such as Uther & Mordred, Arthur’s father and nephew respectively are bad and do not believe in this first sentence as it limits their power and ability for excess. Because under the ideals of the more Celtic nations (those of Scotland, Ireland & France) the people are obligated to kill the king if he misbehaves. Treason is a charge that extends even to the monarch, who ought to be a knight and thus a man first and ruler second. No one is above the law, and the first law is ‘Inside the Table’s Circle’.
Thus we get a certain understanding of the legal thinking of Camelot, the cultural values of Logres (Arthur’s kingdom’s name in most lit) and of the ideals of knighthood. All are equal. You are no better, nor worse than the next or previous man, but you ought to aspire after those of a better moral character.
That is always the ideal; to better one’s moral character as to better contribute to those inside the circle’s table (to your fellow men/knights). As it is not only to the lady fair and God that a knight owes allegiance, but to his brothers (metaphorical and otherwise). It is important to note that though Christ bore his cross alone as it is said, we are not Christ and cannot bear the burden alone. That is to say that no matter what, in life men have brothers/friends whom they could turn to, they have their ‘fellow disciples’ they can turn to, to share the burden of life with.
This is not stated to preach but rather to point out that no matter where one goes, one may find friends, and that on the journey of life one could make eternal connections. The most forgotten part about chivalry is the aspect of brotherhood, of familial connection to fellow knights. One must bear in mind that Arthur has Gawain (his nephew yes) and that he also has Cay, his foster-brother so that was Arthur truly alone? Not really. He had men in the myths to whom he could turn to.
In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo has Merry, Pippin & of course Samwise. Aragorn Elessar has Legolas & Gimli (the most chivalric of all characters in Tolkien’s stories right alongside Merry & Eowyn). Eowyn had Merry and her brother Eomer.
The brotherhood is crucial to the knighthood, is crucial to surviving in life. So really this first phrase is also about friendship, and the importance of it. One is servant and partner in such bonds all at once; you are to serve your friends and always seek to cater to them even as they will try to cater to you. And being partners you are tied to one another, by the old Germanic/Japanese/Scandinavian/Celtic oaths of Brotherhood wherein one adopts another as sibling (I’ll write a separate article in the future on this phenomenon) but needless to say that once accepted within the Table’s Circle one becomes part of a family. A large family wherein service is law and none are better than the next, all are servants yet none are slaves.
These be the ideals of Arthuriana and of this first line of text within the Old Code.
This is why the Old Code is king really where codes of chivalry are concerned in literature. From the first line, it sets in black and white the ideal and brooks no argument regarding it. It sets a high standard, one with deep historic, mythical roots but also legal ones and constitutional ones if one looks at the real life precedent set by articles such as Magna Carta, The Declaration of Arbroath Abbey, the Napoleonic Code and even the Roman Law-Codes as set down by Justinian.
Inside the steaming mug's circle lies our hopes for more coffee
English values of putting the people first, of the King as servant and needing to consult with the most educated of men of the realm, and with the barons/those chosen by the people can be seen in the stories where he consults with the likes of Merlin, old hermits/wisemen/wise-women/clergymen and with his Round Table, which includes such good knights as Gawain, Bedivere, Cay and even at times his son Llacheu.
Our world no longer believes in these codes, at least not in the hallowed halls of power, where it's every man for his own pocketbook. Men who care about the liberty for all, rarely exist.