AR’VALAN, the wicked son of Keha’ma, slain by Ladur’lad for attempting to dishonor his daughter Kail’yal (2 syl.).  After this, his spirit became the relentless persecutor of the holy maiden, but holiness and chastity triumphed over sin and lust.  Thus when Kailyal was taken to the bower of bliss in paradise, Arvalan borrowed the dragon-car of the witch Lor’rimite (3 syl.) to carry her off; but when the dragons came in sight of the holy place they were unable to mount, and went perpetually downwards, till Arvalan was dropped into an ice-rift of perpetual snow.  When he presented himself before her in the temple of Jaganaut, she set fire to the pagoda.  And when he caught the maiden waiting for her father, who was gone to release the glendoveer from the submerged city of Baly, Baly himself came to her rescue.

  “Help, help, Kehama! help!” he cried. 
  But Baly tarried not to abide
  That mightier power.  With irresistible feet
  He stampt and cleft the earth.  It opened wide,
  And gave him way to his own judgment-seat. 
  Down like a plummet to the world below
  He sank ... to punishment deserved and endless woe.

  Southey, Curse of Kehama, xvii. 12 (1809).

ARVI’DA (Prince), a noble friend of Gustavus Vasa.  Both Arvida and Gustavus are in love with Christi’na, daughter of Christian II. king of Scandinavia.  Christian employs the prince to entrap Gustavus, but when he approaches him the better instincts of old friendship and the nobleness of Gustavus prevail, so that Arvida not only refuses to betray his friend, but even abandons to him all further rivalry in the love of Christina.—­H.  Brooke, Gustavus Vasa (1730).

ARVIR’AGUS, the husband of Do’rigen.  Aurelius tried to win her love, but Dorigen made answer that she would never listen to his suit till the rocks that beset the coast were removed, “and there n’is no stone y-seen.”  By the aid of magic, Aurelius caused all the rocks of the coast to disappear, and Dorigen’s husband insisted that she should keep her word.  When Aurelius saw how sad she was, and was told that she had come in obedience to her husband’s wishes, he said he would rather die than injure so true a wife and noble a gentleman.—­Chaucer, Canterbury Tales ("The Franklin’s Tale,” 1388).

(This is substantially the same as Boccaccio’s tale of Dianora and Gilberto, day x. 5.  See DIANORA.)

Arvir’agus, younger son of Cym’beline (3 syl.) king of Britain, and brother of Guide’rius.  The two in early childhood were kidnapped by Bela’rius, out of revenge for being unjustly banished, and were brought up by him in a cave.  When they were grown to manhood, Belarius, having rescued the king from the Romans, was restored to favor.  He then introduced the two young men to Cymbeline, and told their story, upon which the king was rejoiced to find that his two sons whom he thought dead were both living.—­Shakespeare, Cymbeline (1605).