With that, Lancelot leapt into the choir, and they charged at him, for they thought they would make him jump back for fear of death. They hit him wherever they could lay their hands on him, but he had his bare sword in hand. He delivered great, heavy blows and struck the first knight he met so hard that neither the helmet nor the iron mail coif prevented him from driving the sword right through his head. He knocked him with his body and struck him down the ground.

And then all the others leapt forward in anger, shattering his shield, his helmet, and his hauberk, and wounding him in several places. But Lancelot was not bothered by anything they did to him, because he was already more upset than anyone could possibly be. He rushed into them in his great fury and dealt such mighty blows that he made them all recoil in front of him. Next he eyed the large knight who was hurting him more than the other three; the knight was very large and strong. Lancelot, overtaking him, delivered such a great blow squarely on his helmet that he sent sparks fling. His sword which had not struck squarely, slipped and landed beneath the left shoulder. The blow was heavy, delivered in great fury, and the sword appeared to plunge through the knight's shoulder in  such a way that his arm and whole shoulder fell down on the paved floor.

The Vulgate Cycle