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The legend of King Arthur is one of the most powerful, and fascinating, stories ever — and for many, many reasons. It has all the elements of a great story: drama, adventure, romance, conflict and betrayal, interesting characters — just to name a few — plus the magical elements (though the King Arthur legend would still be a great story ...
At Camelot, King Arthur held court with his loyal knights, fostering camaraderie and brotherhood. The Round Table signifies equality among them, a stark contrast to traditional hierarchies. Here, even the most humble knight could voice his opinion, making decisions for the kingdom a collaborative effort.
- Saviour of The Britons
- Historic Sources
- The Fire of Righteous Vengeance
- Salvation
- Fire and Brimstone
- He Was Victorious in All His Campaigns
- The Problem(S) with Nennius
- The Annuls of Wales
- The Death of Arthur
- An Historic Arthur
Arthur, according to the legend, emerged as a champion of the Britons at a time of great strife and turmoil. Out of the chaos of a dark age, he forged a magnificent kingdom, bringing order and peace to Britain. His famous knights of the round table acted as guardians of the realm, establishing a reputation as the very epitome of medieval chivalry. ...
When exactly Arthur lived is difficult to pin down but, in essence, we’re looking at the period between around 450 CE and 550 CE. If Arthur was a real historic figure, this is when we’ll find him. But what written sources do we have for this period? The answer is precious few. The only contemporary British writer we have is a monk by the name of Gi...
Let’s first consider Gildas, a polemical religious writer who preaches to us about how post-Roman Britain was devastated by a ‘fire of righteous vengeance’. Gildas may not have mentioned Arthur, but he provides us with a vivid picture of the disintegration of the Romano-British world after 410 CE. Gildas describes a country beset by Scots and Pict ...
Gildas makes no mention of Arthur, but he does mention one important Romano-British leader who came to the fore to fight the Saxons. This leader was a man of old Roman Imperial stock by the name of Ambrosius Aurelianus: The critical battle took place at Badon Hill. Here the Britons finally triumphed, and the Saxon tide was stemmed. Gildas claims th...
However, we must be a little cautious when it comes to Gildas. There is no escaping the fact that Gildas was a fire and brimstone preacher. Part of his purpose in writing his history was to castigate the Britons for their past sins and follies. The Saxon invasion and its bloody consequences were, in Gildas’ view, God’s righteous punishment for past...
This is where we need to turn to later writers. In Nennius’ account it is not clear as to whether Arthur is a king, but he certainly makes it plain that Arthur was a great war leader. According to Nennius, Arthur emerged to lead the Britons in the period following the initial wave of Anglo-Saxon invasions. He tells us that after Hengist, one of the...
Unfortunately, there are several issues and controversies surrounding Nennius’ account. The first is that Nennius wrote this in c.828 CE. That’s 300 years after the events he relates. Events which Gildas, writing within living memory of Badon Hill, describes without mentioning Arthur. The second problem is the sheer number of different battles Nenn...
The earliest copy of the Annuls that survive is a C12th Latin copy of a compilation that was originally completed in the C10th. Some historians believe that some of the earliest entries date back as far as 775CE. Others would argue it is unlikely any of the material pre-dates its C10th creation. It is significant for two entries that mention Arthur...
The Annuls, alone of these early sources, mention the death of Arthur. We are told he fell in the ‘strife of Camlann’ along with another individual called ‘Medraut’. In fact, Medraut is an early form of the name Mordred. Note we are not told whether Arthur died fighting Mordred or fighting alongside Mordred. All it tells us is that Arthur and Mordr...
These early sources tell us very little of Arthur. At best we might discern that he was a heroic Romano-British warlord. He became famous leading the British resistance against Saxon and possibly Pict or Scots incursions during the late C5th/early C6th. But when exactly he lived, where exactly and what exactly he did is shrouded in uncertainty. It ...
Jun 9, 2011 · But why is the legend of King Arthur such a compelling one in culture? For a man who may or may not have wandered Britain some 1,500 years ago, King Arthur retains the enviable knack of making his ...
Le Morte d’Arthur. PDF Cite. The Story: When King Uther Pendragon saw Igraine, the beautiful and chaste duchess of Cornwall, he fell in love with her. Since the obstacle to his desires was ...
Oct 25, 2024 · Simon Fraser University - The Legends of King Arthur (Oct. 25, 2024) Arthurian legend, the body of stories and medieval romances, known as the matter of Britain, centring on the legendary king Arthur. Medieval writers, especially the French, variously treated stories of Arthur’s birth, the adventures of his knights, and the adulterous love ...
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The Arthurian legend helped to bring the idea of what constitutes "just" leadership and helped to bring to light how leadership can help guide and propel the advancement of society. The mythology ...
