King Arthur (legendary British king)
King Arthur is a legendary figure in British folklore, often regarded as a noble king and valiant warrior central to Celtic mythology. His stories, originating from the fifth century CE, emphasize themes of chivalry, honor, and national unity, with Camelot being the famed court where he and his knights gathered. Arthur is known for his emblematic sword, Excalibur, bestowed upon him by the Lady of the Lake, and his association with the wise wizard Merlin. The tales depict Arthur's extraordinary adventures, including his establishment of the Round Table, symbolizing equality among his knights, and his quest for the Holy Grail, a revered Christian relic. His life is marked by his marriage to Guinevere and the betrayal by his knight Lancelot, which foreshadows the eventual downfall of his reign. The mythology surrounding Arthur suggests historical roots in the struggles of early Britain against invaders, with references to him appearing in medieval literature, notably Geoffrey of Monmouth's writings and Sir Thomas Malory's *Le Morte d'Arthur*. Today, Arthurian legends continue to captivate audiences, inspiring various adaptations in literature, theater, and film, and serving as a symbol of an idealized past amidst modern transformations.
King Arthur (legendary British king)
Symbols: sword Excalibur; Holy Grail
Country: Britain
Mother: Igraine
Father: Uther Pendragon
Siblings: Anna; Morgan le Fay; Morgause; Elaine
Children: Loholt; possibly others
King Arthur was a legendary leader of Britain, a knight and warrior whose life and deeds were at the core of Celtic myths. Tales of Arthur and his court at Camelot evolve from the fifth century CE on. They still hold an important place in British literature with their themes of chivalry, courtly love, courage, honor, and national unity. King Arthur was known for his bravery, his pursuit of glory, and his concern for justice. He had a magical sword named Excalibur, which he received from the mysterious Lady of the Lake with the help of the wizard Merlin. Arthur and his knights had superhuman strengths and lofty characteristics. They slayed giants, faced witches and monsters, rescued maidens in trouble, and engaged in numerous adventures. Among Arthur’s knights were Sirs Kay, Bedivere, Gawain, Lancelot, Percival, and Galahad. In later versions of the legends, Arthur established the Round Table to promote equality and harmony among his knights. In the twelfth century, Arthur was presented as a Christian hero when he and his knights followed a divine quest to find a vessel known as the Holy Grail. According to tradition, Jesus Christ used this vessel at the Last Supper.
In Mythology
According to legend, Arthur’s father was a king named Uther Pendragon, and his mother was Igraine. In the story, Uther was enamored of Igraine, but she was married to Gorlois of Cornwall. Through the magic of his counselor Merlin, Uther was transformed into a likeness of Gorlois and so won over the unwitting Igraine. From this union, Arthur was born. His name may have been a derivation of the Celtic word art, which means "bear." Another theory suggests that Arthur is the Welsh form of the Roman name Artorius. (Although the Roman Empire had withdrawn its forces from Britain early in the fifth century, some people still followed the custom of using Roman names.)
Upon the death of his father, Arthur became king at the age of fifteen. In one version of the tale, Arthur proved his worthiness for this role by pulling a sword from a stone, a feat no other man could accomplish. After performing with great courage in various battles, including that of Mount Badon, Arthur married Guinevere, a noble lady. He then conquered Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and the Orkney Islands. With these battles behind him, Arthur returned to Britain and reigned in peace. The tales recount hunting expeditions, jousting tournaments, and magnificent banquets.
At some point, a fairy brought a young man named Lancelot to Arthur’s court as a candidate for knighthood. Lancelot became a valiant and courtly knight who fell in love with Guinevere. Their adulterous affair was the first of two significant betrayals in Arthur’s life and was the introduction of evil to his court. After twelve years, Arthur set about expanding his empire, taking over the lands of Norway, Denmark, and Gaul. Because Gaul was still part of the Roman Empire, Arthur soon was at war with Lucius, the Roman emperor.
Departing for Rome, the king left his kingdom and queen in the care of Mordred, his nephew. On the journey, Arthur heard of a child-eating giant on St. Michael’s Mount. With the help of Sir Kay, he killed the giant and caused a church to be built on the mountain. When Arthur reached Rome, he learned that Mordred had seized his kingdom in Britain and planned to marry Guinevere. The betrayed king returned to Britain where he and Mordred met in a battle at Camlann. After fighting for a day, Mordred was slain, and Arthur, also mortally wounded, was taken by boat to the magical island of Avalon. There, according to one version of the myth, the promise that Arthur would return was inscribed on his tombstone: "Here lies Arthur, the once and future king." When Guinevere heard of Arthur’s death, she retreated to a nunnery to live in fasting and prayers. Thus the treachery of Mordred led to the downfall of Arthur’s kingdom.
Origins and Cults
Some scholars believe there is evidence that the legends of King Arthur are rooted in history. After the Romans left Britain in the fifth century, the British struggled against Saxon invaders and other enemies, and a British leader achieved a victory over these forces. Some scholars posit that the Arthurian legends may have originated from these struggles. In the tales, King Arthur leads a group of heroic knights to win fierce battles against the Saxons and other enemies. Although Arthur’s name is not mentioned in the historical records, at least one of these battles, the siege of Mount Badon, was written about in the sixth century by a Celtic monk named Gildas.
The earliest mentions of Arthur probably date to the seventh century in oral traditions of narrative poetry in Wales and Cornwall. Over the succeeding centuries, the legends were expanded and popularized by many writers. The writer Nennius mentioned a "king of war" called Arthur in Historia Brittonum, a work written in 830. In the twelfth century, a Welshman named Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote The History of the Kings of Britain in which he included Arthur’s life story. This fanciful work, which mentioned Merlin for the first time, was influential in both Britain and the rest of Europe. A French writer of the twelfth century, Chrétien de Troyes, created five Arthurian romances focusing on members of Arthur’s court and introduced the motif of the Holy Grail. The quest for the grail became a symbol of human endeavors, a "yearning for something beyond, desirable and yet unattainable" (Wood). What is perhaps the best-known Arthurian work, Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory, was published in the late fifteenth century. In this work, the stories were presented in the context of medieval pageantry and the Age of Chivalry; King Arthur became a British hero and symbol.
In Popular Culture
The stories of King Arthur continue to appeal in modern times. Numerous books for all ages and audiences retell the tales. In the nineteenth century, when the Industrial Revolution brought great changes to Britain, the legends of Arthur provided a comforting and symbolic memory of stability in a time of uncertainty and transformation. Based on the myths, works such as Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Idylls of the King, published in 1859, proved extremely popular.
The American writer Mark Twain published his version of the tales in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court in 1889. T.H. White retold the tales in a series of books called The Once and Future King in 1958. One of White’s books was adapted for the stage as the musical Camelot in 1960 and as a film by the same name in 1967. Productions of the show continue to engage audiences in the twenty-first century, as do printed versions of the legends.
Bibliography
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