- “Have we found someone to play our knight in the tournament?"
"Absolutely. He's a farmer from one of the outlying villages, and no one will recognise him.” - — Arthur and Merlin about Sir William[src]
Sir William of Deira was an unnamed farmer from an outlying village in Camelot. He was hired to pose as Arthur's alter ego during Camelot's annual jousting tournament.
Biography[]
When Arthur decided to prove himself by entering Camelot's jousting tournament in disguise, Merlin hired a farmer from an outlying to pose as Arthur's alter ego, Sir William of Deira. Sir William was taken to Gwen's house, where she and Merlin fitted him with armour and Arthur taught him how to act like a knight.
During the tournament, Sir William was tasked with greeting and acknowledging the crowd while Arthur did the actual competing. Arthur intended to reveal his true identity after the tournament was over and experience his moment of glory, but after winning the tournament, he opted to show humility by allowing Sir William to accept the trophy in his stead (The Once and Future Queen).
Trivia[]
- Merlin choosing the name Sir William for the farmer/Arthur's pseudonym may be a reference to his childhood friend William, who was killed during the Battle of Ealdor (The Moment of Truth).
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