King Arthur was a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The details of Arthur’s story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians.
The sparse historical background of Arthur is gleaned from various sources, including the Annales Cambriae, historia Brittonum, and De Excidio Britanniae. These sources post-date the period of Artur’s life by more than a century and show no evidence that he ever existed as a historical figure.
Arthur’s name also occurs in early poetic sources such as Y Gododdin. Arthur is a central figure in the legends making up the Matter of Britain. This body of material includes such works as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, Layamon’s Brut, the Welsh Triads, and the Celtic folklore collections. Although these texts do not contain an account of Arthur’s life, they do include episodes that have been interpreted as referring to his career.
The legend of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table has been retold countless times throughout history. In this version of the legend, King Arthur is a brave and noble leader who leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail. Along the way, they must face many challenges and overcome great obstacles. But in the end, King Arthur and his knights are victorious and the world is a better place because of their heroic deeds.
The tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a hodgepodge of historical facts and embellished fiction. The legend of King Arthur, also known as the Arthurian Legend, originated in medieval times and is both fact and fiction. There was a real KingArthur who ruled over the Britons. He was a military leader opposed to Germanic invasions who became king of the Britons. To legitimize their claim to the throne, most Tudor rulers claimed descent from King Arthur. Most information about Arthur is based on folklore rather than truth.
King Arthur was the son of King Uther Pendragon and heir to the throne. However these were very troubled times and Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place and that none should know his true identity.
As Merlin feared, when King Uther died there was great conflict over who should be the next king. Merlin used his magic to set a sword in a stone. Written on the sword, in letters of gold, were these words: “Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise born king of all England.” Of course all the contenders for the throne took their turn at trying to draw the sword, but none could succeed. Arthur, quite by chance, withdrew the sword for another to use in a tournament. Following this he became King.
He gathered Knights around him and fought back against the Saxons who, since the Romans left Britain, were slowly but surely taking the country over. After many great battles and a huge victory at Mount Badon the Saxons’ advance was halted.
Arthur’s base was at a place called Camelot. Here he built a strong castle. His knights met at a Round Table. They carried out acts of chivalry such as rescuing damsels in distress and fought against strange beasts. They also searched for a lost treasure, which they believed would cure all ills – this was the ‘Quest for the Holy Grail’.
Under the guidance of Merlin, Arthur had obtained a magical sword from The Lady Of The Lake. This sword was called Excalibur and with this weapon he vanquished many foes.
Queen Guinevere, Arthur’s beautiful wife brought romance to the story while his equally beautiful half sister Morgan le Fay added a dark side.
The legend of King Arthur and his knights is one of the most popular tales of all time. It has been retold in countless books and films. The story has captured the imagination of people for centuries and shows no signs of abating.
Sir Kay’s son, Arthur, was raised alongside Ector’s. However, he had no knowledge of his royal lineage. One day there was a tournament for the knights. Sir Kay had forgotten his sword and sent him back to get it.
When Arthur got back to Ector’s castle he found that the sword was missing, so he took one he found in the forest stuck in a stone. (Arthur 1) This sword was known as Excalibur and only Arthur could remove it from the stone. All of the knights including Kay tried to remove it but failed. (Arthur 1) King Arthur had unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy that Merlin had set forth years before. (Ackerman 757)
After Arthur became King, he married Queen Guinevere, who brought with her a large dowry, which included King Leodegrance’s daughter, Camelot. (Ackerman 758) King Arthur built a strong army and conquered most of Britain. (Arthurian 1-5) He also established the Knights of the Round Table, a group of noble knights who would go on quests and fight for justice. (Arthurian 1-5) The most famous quest that the knights went on was finding the Holy Grail. The grail was originally a platter in French literature but later became associated with the cup of Christ. (Ackerman 759)
King Arthur’s reign was a time of peace and prosperity, but it was not to last. Guinevere ended up having an affair with one of the knights, Sir Lancelot. (Ackerman 760) This caused a rift between Lancelot and Arthur, and eventually led to a civil war. In the final battle, Arthur was mortally wounded and was carried off by Sir Bedevere. (Arthur 1) Guinevere retired to a convent and Lancelot to a hermitage. All of the other knights of the Round Table died in the battle. King Arthur was said to have been taken to the isle of Avalon, where he rests to this day. (Arthur 1)
