Character guide

Hank Morgan

major

Also known as The Boss, Sir Boss, fair Sir Boss, the man, the stranger, my stranger, the curious stranger whom I am going to talk about, the Unknown

Hank arrives at Camelot with a mechanic's pragmatism and a factory boss's confidence, quickly installing himself as the king's chief minister and resident miracle-worker. His running tension is between genuine affection for the medieval people he meets and a smug certainty that his own century has all the answers. Watching him retrofit feudalism with telegraphs, schools, and patent offices is the engine of the book's early and middle chapters, and the source of its sharpest comedy and unease.

Sandy

major

Also known as XV Sandy, the Demoiselle Alisande la Carteloise, Alisande

Sandy rides into Hank's new life as the Demoiselle Alisande la Carteloise, demanding knightly help for her imperiled mistress and narrating every mile of the way in ornate, digressive Malorian prose. Hank finds her chatter maddening and her loyalty indispensable; she is at once the butt of his modern exasperation and the person who most humanizes his adventure. Her presence keeps the story anchored in the actual medieval world Hank keeps trying to reform.

Clarence

supporting

Also known as Clarence I

Clarence starts as a minor functionary of the court and rises fast once Hank recognizes his intelligence and appetite for new ideas. He absorbs telegraphy, journalism, and industrial discipline with a convert's zeal, embodying both the promise and the fragility of Hank's project. His loyalty gives Hank a native ally inside the very system he is quietly dismantling.

Merlin

supporting

Also known as old Merlin, Brer Merlin, Now old Merlin, John W. Merlin

Merlin commands the superstition of Camelot until Hank's practical miracles start upstaging him, and his wounded vanity curdles into a running feud. He is pompous, petty, and occasionally genuinely dangerous, a relic of the old order that Hank's technology is quietly making obsolete. Their rivalry gives the book a comic spine and a warning: the men who lose power to progress rarely go quietly.

King Arthur

supporting

Also known as Arthur, Art, Bessemers Ulsters King Arthur, Sir Arthur King, Sir Arthur

Arthur rules a realm of knights and pageantry with a sincere if sometimes bewildered sense of justice, and he takes to Hank with surprising openness. His willingness to travel disguised among commoners reveals both his decency and his blindness to how much of his kingdom's misery is baked into its institutions. His friendship with Hank makes the Yankee's reforms possible, and his limitations make them necessary.

Sir Launcelot

supporting

Also known as Sir Launcelot of the Lake, Sir Launcelot du Lake, this Sir Launcelot, Launcelot, the great Sir Launcelot, Sir Launcelot Slew Two Giants

Launcelot is the gold standard of Arthurian knighthood, celebrated for feats like freeing a castle by slaying two giants, and his reputation precedes him everywhere Hank goes. He represents everything glamorous and everything impractical about the world Hank has landed in, a living legend whose code of honor is both admirable and, to a Yankee engineer, faintly absurd. His shadow shapes how Hank understands the knights he must outshine without a sword.

Sir Kay

minor

Also known as Kay

Arthur's foster brother and seneschal, often portrayed as boastful and comedic.

Sir Sagramor

minor

Also known as Sir Sagramor Le Desiᴚous, Sagramor, the knight Sir Sagramor le Desirous, Sir Sagramor le Desirous

A knight who challenges Hank to a duel and becomes a key figure in the tournament.

Dowley

minor

Also known as brother Dowley, Brother Dowley

A blacksmith and freeman whom Hank debates about economics and social reform.

Sir Dinadan

minor

Also known as IV Sir Dinadan the Humorist, Sir Dinadan the Humorist

A knight known for his wit and humor, often providing comic relief.

Sir Mordred

minor

Also known as Mordred

Arthur's treacherous nephew who ultimately leads a rebellion against the king.

Queen Guenever

minor

Also known as Guenever

Arthur's queen, whose love for Launcelot contributes to the kingdom's downfall.

Morgan le Fay

minor

Also known as XVI Morgan le Fay, Morgan le Fay, Morgan, Mrs. le Fay

Arthur's sorceress sister who schemes against the king and Hank.

Marco

minor

Also known as Mrs. Marco, No Marco, Marcos, the Marcos, The Marcos

A peasant farmer who hosts Hank and Arthur during their incognito travels.

Sir Gawaine

minor

Also known as Sir Gawaine ware, Gawaine

A prominent knight of the Round Table, known for his strength and loyalty.

Sir Gareth

minor

Also known as Gareth

A knight of the Round Table, brother of Gawaine, known for his courtesy.

Sir Marhaus

minor

Also known as Marhaus

A knight of the Round Table who appears in tournaments and adventures.

Sir Dinadan the Humorist

minor

A knight known for his jokes and lighthearted demeanor at court.

La Cote Male Taile

minor

Also known as La Cote, La

A knight with a distinctive name who participates in the tournament.

Hugo

minor

A servant or minor character encountered during Hank's travels.

Sir Madok

minor

Also known as Sir Madok de la Montaine

A knight mentioned in the context of the Round Table.

Sir Uwaine

minor

Also known as Sir Uwaine le Blanchemains

A knight of the Round Table, son of Morgan le Fay.

Sir Bedivere

minor

A knight of the Round Table, often associated with Arthur's final battle.

Sir Ossaise

minor

Also known as Sir Ossaise of Surluse

A knight of the Round Table with a minor role.

Tom Jones

minor

Also known as Jones, brother Jones

A character from Hank's 19th-century life, briefly referenced.

Sir Bors de Ganis

minor

A knight of the Round Table, cousin of Launcelot.

Sir Galahad

minor

The pure knight who achieves the Holy Grail, briefly mentioned.

Sir Pellinore

minor

Also known as Pellinore

A knight of the Round Table, father of several other knights.

Smug

minor

A minor character, possibly a nickname for a servant.

Sir Ozana

minor

A knight of the Round Table with limited narrative presence.

Sir Breuse Sance Pite

minor

A knight known for his merciless nature, briefly mentioned.

Raphael

minor

A minor character or reference in the narrative.

Garry

minor

A minor character, possibly a servant or worker.

Sir Lionel

minor

A knight of the Round Table, brother of Bors.

Sir Lamorak

minor

Also known as Sir Lamorak de Galis

A knight of the Round Table, known for his strength.

King Uriens

minor

Also known as old Uriens

A king and husband of Morgan le Fay, briefly mentioned.

Sir Agravaine

minor

Also known as Agravaine

A knight of the Round Table, known for his treachery.

George

minor

A minor character, possibly a worker in Hank's modernization efforts.

Joseph

minor

A minor character, possibly a biblical reference or worker.

Satan

minor

The devil, referenced in oaths and religious contexts.