Etymythology of Lancelot: Lance, Servant.

Speranza

LANCELOT.  

Arthurian. 

From French Ancelot ("the servant"), a translation of Celtic

"maélwas" ("a servant boy").

Malory introduces Lancelot into Arthur's court abruptly, as a full-grown knight, and makes no mention of his birth and parentage, beyond stating that he was the son of King Bans of Benwicke and Elayne (ELENA) his wife. (Oddly, Lancelot's wife is is also ELENA -- vide Tennyson).

Malory thus sadly ignores the account of Lancelot's capture while an infant by the Lady of the Lake (Lancelot du Lac, Lancillotto dal Lago).


Malory does, however, mention that his name was originally Galahad, and that the Lady of the Lake only "confirmed" him as "Launcelot du Lak"  (or "Laik")

One of the earliest accounts of "Lancelot" is to be found in a German poem, translated in the twelfth century from a French original, since lost. 

In the poem we are told that Lancelot's father, King Pant of Genevis and Clarine his mother were besieged in their castle by rebellious subjects.

The father was mortally wounded,
and, just previous to the capture of
the Queen, a fairy
rose in a cloud of mist and
carried away the infant
Lancelot from where he
had been left under a tree. 

The fairy took him to her own land, an isle
surrounded by impassable
walls in the middle of the sea,
whence the fairy derived
her name of la Dame du Lac or the
Lady of the Lake, and her foster
son that of

Lancelot du Lac,

while her kingdom was called Meide lant, or the Land of Maidens. 

The object of the Lady of the Lake in appropriating Lancelot is to bring him up to be the deliverer of a son of hers named "Mabus", who was oppressed by a giant called Iwert of Dodone. 

When grown up, Lancelot does kill the giant Iwert of Dodone, receives rich presents from the Lady of the Lake, learns from her the story of his kingly origin, and becomes one of Arthur's knights. (Lancelot and Elaine, Tennyson-Rowe, 1895)