FARAMON, KING OF FRANCE and DAUGHTER
Faramond, Ferramonte, Peremont, Pharamon, Pharamond

King of France or Gaul who held his land from Uther Pendragon. He may be the same character as Aramont. He is based on a semi-legendary fifth-century Frankish king.

According to the French Palamedes, he was born a serf but was freed by his master. He later usurped the French throne, which actually belonged to the lineage of Guiron the Courteous, and became Arthur’s enemy. Tristan, as a youth, took service in his court. (Faramon had been an ally of Tristan’s father, Meliadus). Faramon’s daughter, Belide, fell in love with Tristan and accused him of rape when he rejected her. Faramon prepared to execute Tristan, but eventually learned the truth. He offered his daughter and half his kingdom to Tristan, but Tristan left his court for Cornwall. According to the Serbo-Russian Povest’ o Tryshchane, he later threw a tournament at which Lancelot and Tristan championed a poor woman. They won, and their lady married Faramon’s son.

Malory mentions this monarch only in VIII, 5, where the dauther of King Faramon of France, being in love with Tristram, sends him letters and "a little brachet that was passing fair." Receiving no regard from the knight, the princess dies of love for him. Tristram keeps the brachet.

Faramon may have been a kind of high king of France in Uther Pendragon's time, for in Vulgate V, when Frolle of Alemaigne tries to seize Gaul, Arthur maintains that his own claim is stronger than Frolle's, since his father Uther was suzerain of Faramon in King Ban's day.