Galis and Norgalis in Malory’s Morte: Welsh Regionalism, Celtic Menace, and the Round Table as Assimilationist Metaphor

In Le Morte Darthur, Thomas Malory draws on a long-standing tradition of anti-Welsh sentiment to create an image of Wales as an obdurate land, haunted by giants and ruled by tyrants in beard-trimmed coats. Malory, not content to merely rehearse the inherited anti-Welsh prejudice of the era, allows for nuance reflective of the contemporary sociopolitical circumstances by creating a clear distinction between Wales (Galis) and North Wales (Norgalis). The former, centered on the court in Caerleon, is fully integrated into Arthur’s kingdom and plays a pivotal role in its defense. The latter, rooted in fantasy and lacking a clearly defined geography, is a latent threat to Arthur’s rule. Key to understanding the distinction between these two realms is the Round Table itself, which Malory proposes as a framework for assimilation. This model minimizes regional or national identity in favor of its emphasis on the importance of the homosocial bonds of the men united under the banner of Arthur’s Pentecostal Oath. The centralizing pull of these chivalric ideals mirrored the pressures of the economic, legal, and social landscape of Malory’s day, where Welsh people were prevented from participation in public life, but could formally renounce their Welshness as a sign of fealty to the English state. Ultimately, Malory’s vision of a bifurcated Wales suggests the increasing irrelevance of the North and the futility of their resistance to the centralizing pull of the Round Table, while elevating the virtue and valor of those Welshmen who serve Arthur’s cause.