Mark of Cornwall (Latin Marcus Cunomorus, Cornish Margh, Welsh March or Cynfawr) was a king of Kernyw (Cornwall) in the early 6th century AD. He is most famous as the uncle of Tristan and husband of Iseult, who engage in a secret affair behind his back. In most versions of the story Mark's sister is the Tristan's mother Blancheflor, but some later versions have him related to Tristan's father Meliadus instead. The inscription on a 6th century gravestone in the Cornish town of Fowey memorializes a certain "Drustanus", son of "Cunomorus"; considering that Drustanus and Cunomorus are early forms of the names Tristan and Mark, it is often assumed the reference is to the legendary characters, though it is interesting that they are referred to as father and son. It has been suggested that History of the Latin language be merged into this article or section. ... The Cornish language (in Cornish: Kernowek, Kernewek, Curnoack) is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages that includes Welsh, Breton, the extinct Cumbric and perhaps the hypothetical Ivernic. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... The Kingdom of Kernyw existed during the Dark Ages in Britains southwestern peninsula. ... Motto: Onen hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Iseult of Ireland as portrayed in the 2006 Tristan and Isolde (film) In the Arthurian Legend of Tristan and Iseult (alternatively Isolde, Yseult, Isode, Isotta, etc. ... Blancheflor of the House of Cornwall, was the daughter of King Felix, sister to King Mark of Cornwall, and mother to Sir Tristan. ... Meliodas or Meliadus is a figure in Arthurian legend, famous as the father of Sir Tristan in the Prose Tristan and subsequent accounts that draw material from it, including the Post-Vulgate Cycle, Malorys Le Morte dArthur, and the Compilation of Rustichello da Pisa. ... Location within the British Isles. ...

Mark sent Tristan as his proxy to fetch his young bride, the Princess Iseult from Ireland. Tristan and Iseult fall in love, and, with the help of a magic potion, proceed to have one of the stormiest love affairs in medieval literature. Mark suspects of the affair and eventually, his suspicions are confirmed. In some versions, he sends for Tristan to be hanged, and Iseult to a leper colony. Tristan escapes the hanging and rescues Mark's bride from her confinement, later to be discovered by Mark. Mark eventually forgives them, with Isolde returning to Mark and Tristan leaving the country. A leper colony is a place to quarantine people with leprosy from the rest of the population. ...

In the Prose Tristan, Mark's character deteriorates from a sympathetic cuckold to a downright villain. He rapes his niece and then murders her when she produces his son, Meraugis, and he murders his brother Baldwin as well. In earlier versions of the story Tristan dies in Brittany, far away from Mark, but in the Prose Tristan Mark stabs Tristan while he plays the harp under a tree for Iseult. Though this version of Mark's character was popular in other medieval works, including the Romance of Palamedes and Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, modern versions of the Tristan and Iseult legend tend to take their inspiration from the older poetic material, and Mark becomes a sympathetic character once again. The Prose Tristan is an adaptation of the Tristan and Iseult story into a long prose romance, and the first to tie the subject entirely into the arc of the Arthurian legend. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical kingdom, duchy and French province, as well as one of the Celtic Nations . ... Palamedes, (also called Palamede, Palomides or some other variant) was a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. ... Sir Thomas Malory (c. ... Le Morte dArthur (The Death of Arthur)—the title is actually spelled as Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions—is Sir Thomas Malorys compilation of some French and English Arthurian romances. ...

In various media

In the 1970s TV show Arthur of the Britons, Mark was played by Brian Blessed, and in the 2006 film Tristan & Isolde, he was played by Rufus Sewell. Arthur of the Britons was a short-lived (1972–1973) but fondly remembered British television show about the historical King Arthur. ... Blessed (centre) as Exeter in Henry V Brian Blessed (born October 9, 1937) is an English actor. ... Tristan & Isolde is a 2006 American film based on the medieval romantic legend of the same name: Tristan & Isolde. ... Rufus Sewell in Extreme Ops (2002) For other people and things named Rufus, see Rufus (disambiguation) For other people and things named Sewell, see Sewell (disambiguation) Rufus Frederick Sewell (born October 29, 1967) is an English actor. ...