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King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Britain. He is the central character in Arthurian legends (known as the Matter of Britain), although there is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever lived.

The Arthur of History

One school of thought believes Arthur to have lived some time in the 6th century, to have been of Romano-British origin, and to have fought against the Saxons. His power base was probably in either Wales or the west of England, but controversy over the possible location of his court continues to rage.

Another school of thought believes that Arthur is at best a half-forgotten Celtic deity devolved into a personage as had the sea-god Lir became King Lear, or a fictive person like Beowulf. Subscribers to this school of thought argue that another Roman Briton of this period led the forces battling the Saxons at the battle of Mons Badonicus, for example Ambrosius Aurelianus.

Earliest Traditions of Arthur

Arthur first appears in Welsh literature. In the earliest surviving Welsh poem, the Gododdin, the poet Aneirin (c. 575 - 600) writes of one of his subjects that 'he fed black ravens on the ramparts, although he was not Arthur' -- but this poem as it currently exists is full of interpolations, and it not possible to decide if this passage is an interpolation from a later period.

Another early reference to Arthur is in the Historia Brittonum, attributed to the Welsh monk Nennius, who is said to have written this compilation of early Welsh history around the year AD 830. In this work Arthur is referred to as a 'warrior' rather than as a King.

Arthur also appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, a narrative that is usually associated with the Mabinogion.

King Arthur is sometimes depicted as the leader of the Wild Hunt in not only the British Isles, but in Brittany, France and Germany.

The Arthurian Romance

In AD 1133, Geoffrey of Monmouth produced a manuscript called the Historia Regum Britanniae. This work was the medieval equivalent of a 'best seller' and helped draw the attention of other writers to these stories, who then expanded and rewrote these legends of Arthur.

The French medieval writer, Chretien de Troyes, recounted tales from the mythos during the mid-12th century, as did Marie de France in her narrative poems called lais. These stories appear to be independent of what Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote.

In these versions, which gained popularity beginning in the 12th century, Arthur gathered the Knights of the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and others). At his court, Camelot, could also be found the magician Merlin. These knights engaged in fabulous quests as for example the Holy Grail. Other stories from the Celtic world came to be associated with Arthur, such as the tale of Tristan and Isolde. The romance between Arthur's champion, Lancelot, and the Queen, Guinevere, is at the centre of the fall of Camelot.

Arthur had in his possession the wondrous sword Excalibur given to him by The Lady of the Lake. In some accounts, Arthur obtained the sword by pulling it from a stone or from an anvil atop a stone. In these accounts, this act could not be performed except by "the true king," meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of the throne via Uther Pendragon.

His son Mordred, also a Knight of the Round Table, was the result of an incestuous union between Arthur and his sister, Morgan La Fay, a sorceress. According to some accounts, Arthur is eventually killed in a conflict with Mordred. In most accounts, however, Arthur is not killed but is instead critically wounded; he is taken away to Avalon (often identified with Glastonbury in Somerset, England) to have his wounds healed. Legend had it that he would return in the hour of Britain's greatest need.

The Arthurian mythos permeated to the continent. An image of Arthur and his Knights attacking a castle was carved into an archivolt over the north doorway of Modena Cathedral in Italy sometime between 1099 and 1120. A mosaic pavement in the cathedral of Otranto, near Bari also in Italy was made in 1165 with the puzzling depcition of Arturus Rex bearing a sceptre and riding a goat. 15th century merchants set up an Arthurian hall in his honour in Danzig, Poland.

Retellings of the Arthurian cycle include the works of Gottfried von Strassburg, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur.

Arthur in Modern Literature, Film, and Television

There are many number of books written about King Arthur and the court of Camelot.

• Alfred, Lord Tennyson's The Idylls of the King
• Marion Zimmer Bradley: The Mists of Avalon
• T.H. White: The Once and Future King cycle, the first volume of which is The Sword in the Stone, well-known for the Disney adaptation.
• The several books by Norma Lorre Goodrich are very popular and according to Arthurian scholars not to be taken at all seriously. Goodrich is supposedly a fair scholar of literature but a very poor one of history. Reader take caution.
• The Merlin books of Mary Stewart: The Crystal Cave sets up the background for the Arthurian legend, but has only a baby Arthur. The Hollow Hills encompasses most of Arthur's lifespan, including his childhood with Merlin as his tutor.
• Helen Hollick
• Persia Woolley

A number of films have been made as well, including the irreverent Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Others include Camelot, Excalibur, Lancelot du Lac and First Knight. The Disney animated feature The Sword in the Stone portrays the early life of Arthur and his ascension to the throne and draws extensively from T.H. White's novels. The 1970's British television series, Arthur of the Britons, sought to create a more "realistic" portrait of the period and to explain the origins of some of the myths about the Celtic leader.

The Arthurian myth makes an appearance in many stories:

• Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence
• Babylon 5 explicitly mentions Arthur in one episode, but the entire television series contains references

See also: Sites and places associated with Arthurian legend

External link

• http://www.caerleon.net/history/arthur/page2.htm