Guerrehet and Gaheriet, who had come to the tournament that morning, and their brother Sir Gawain, had captured him and so beaten him with their swords and trampled him beneath their horse's feet that Mordred truly thought he could not escape with his life; he felt himself reduced to such a state that he truly believed he would die in their hands. Nonetheless, he was so courageous and also so wicked that he told himself he would rather die than consider himself defeated, and so he endured all he could. His helmet was so tightly laced on that Sir Gawain could not tear it from his head, and for that reason could not recognize him, and so went on treating him so badly it was a wonder that they did not kill him on the spot. But when they saw they could get no more of him and could easily kill him if they wished, they abandoned him to the horses' feet

The Vulgate Cycle