Erec (French Erech, Eric, Herec, Heret; German Eres; Italian Arecco; Middle English Errake; Norse Erex), the son of King Lac, is an Arthurian legend character. He is most famous as the protagonist in Chrétien de Troyes' first romance, Erec and Enide, that was later retold in Erec and other versions.
Because of Erec and Enide's connection to the Welsh tale Geraint and Enid, Erec and Geraint are often conflated or confused. Erec's name itself may be derived from Guerec, the Breton version of Gweir, the name of several of King Arthur's warriors and relatives in the different early Welsh tales (possibly the prototype of Gaheris and consequently also of Gareth).
In Chrétien's story, Erec meets his future wife, Enide, while on a quest to defeat a knight who had mistreated one of Queen Guinevere's servants. The two fall in love and marry, but rumours spread that Erec no longer cares for knighthood or anything else besides his domestic life. Enide cries about these rumours, causing Erec to prove his abilities, both to himself and to his wife, through a test of Enide's love for him. Erec has her accompany him on a long, tortuous trip where she is forbidden to speak to him, after which they reconcile. When Erec's father Lac dies, Erec inherits his kingdom. The Norse version Erex saga gives him two sons, named Llac and Odus, who later both become kings. The story of Erec and Enide is also retold within the Prose Tristan.
Enide is entirely absent from the Prose Erec segment of the Post-Vulgate Cycle (beginning in La Folie Lancelot and concluded in the P-V Queste), in which Erec's mother's enchantment makes him immune to magic. His acts include saving Bors from the enchanter Mabon; he also has a cousin named Driadam, whose death begins Erec's feud with the young Mordred. In the Post-Vulgate Quest of the Holy Grail, Erec unwillingly murders his sister and is later slain by Gawain in revenge for the death of Yvain of the White Hands, and does not regain his father's kingdom; his seat at the Round Table is taken by his friend Meraugis, who had buried him. In the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Erec dies during the final battle between the forces of Arthur and Mordred.
In Lanzelet, Erec and Gawain agree to be delivered as prisoners to the great wizard Malduc (whose father was killed by Erec), so that Guinevere can be rescued from King Valerin's castle; they are then tortured and almost starved to death in Malduc's dungeon, until they are eventually themselves rescued. In Le Morte d'Arthur, a knight called Sir Harry le Fyse Lake (or Garry le Fitz Lake, Malory's corruption of the French Herec le Fils Lac) participates in Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere from the stake.
