The Ferryman of the Severn
A ferryman who carries knights across the Severn without asking their names, and what the court came to believe about him.
Who he is
The ferryman works a crossing on the Severn below the old Roman road. He is never described as young or old, only as quiet. He carries anyone who asks, and he never asks who they are.
What the court says about him
- Knights who cross with him on the way to a quest usually return. Knights who refuse his boat and ford the river themselves are said to have worse luck.
- He will not take payment from a wounded man.
- Several knights have claimed that he knew their names without being told, and that he said something about their future which later came true.
- Merlin is said to have crossed with him once, and to have been the only passenger the ferryman ever spoke to first.
His son
According to The Knight of the Empty Seat, his son Ederyn became a knight of the Round Table when the table itself chose him.
Open questions
Who the ferryman really is has never been settled. Some at court think he is one of the fairy folk, others an old knight doing penance. Stories that answer this should stay consistent with the canon above.
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