1.Introduction 2.

British Mythology

3.King Arthur The legend Etymology of the name King Arthur in literature 4.Aspects of Arthurian legend Camelot Excalibur The Holy Grail Knights of the Round table

5.Arthurian Characters Guinevere - Arthur's wayward wife Merin - King Arthur's magician Uther Pendragon The Lady of the Lake Nimue 6.King Arthur Death and burial 7.Looking for king Arthur 8.What the Historians and Writers Say About Him 9.King Arthur ,the Myth 10.References

The reason I chose this subject to talk about is because I like exploring the history that formed the countries and cities. Every place has its own history that made it become what it is now. Its also amazing what people believe in. Nowadays, people gave up believing in myths and somehow this is sad, because all the traditions have disappeared, leaving the globalization to take their place. I think also that a myth is real to the person who believes in it but is not able to be proven by science. To say myths arent real is like saying dreams arent real. Just because something doesnt exist on the physical plane, does not mean it doesnt exist elsewhere. A myth is based on a core principle of truth, that truth being the archetype of the mythology. While the myth itself may not be a fact of truth, the concept behind the myth is always a fact. Myths generally take place in a primordial age, when the world had not yet achieved its current form, and explain how the world gained its current form and how customs, institutions and taboos were established. By informing ourselves about the etymology of the word myth ( From Greek mythos speech, thought, story, of unknown origin),we can already define what a myth is. Definition: 1.Ancient story: a traditional story about heroes or supernatural beings, often attempting to explain the origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior; 2. Myths collectively: myths considered as a group or as a genre; 3. Idealized conception: a set of often idealized or glamorized ideas and stories surrounding a particular phenomenon, concept, or famous person; 4. False belief: a widely held but mistaken belief; 5. Fictitious person or thing: somebody who or something that is fictitious or nonexistent, but whose existence is widely believed in;

The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths, or to a body of myths. For example, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece. In the study of folklore, a myth is a sacred narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form. Many scholars in other fields use the term myth in somewhat different ways. In a very broad sense, the word can refer to any traditional story. Closely related to myth are legend and folktale. Myths, legends, and folktales are different types of traditional story. Unlike myths, folktales can take place at any time and any place, and they are not considered true or sacred by the societies that tell them. Like myths, legends are stories that are traditionally considered true, but are set in a more recent time, when the world was much as it is today. Legends generally feature humans as their main characters, whereas myths generally focus on superhuman characters. The distinction between myth, legend, and folktale is meant simply as a useful tool for grouping traditional stories. In many cultures, it is hard to draw a sharp line between myths and legends. Instead of dividing their traditional stories into myths, legends, and folktales, some cultures divide them into two categories, one that roughly corresponds to folktales, and one that combines myths and legends. Even myths and folktales are not completely distinct. A story may be considered true (and therefore a myth) in one society, but considered fictional (and therefore a folktale) in another society. In fact, when a myth loses its status as part of a religious system, it often takes on traits more typical of folktales, with its formerly divine characters reinterpreted as human heroes, giants, or fairies. Myth, legend, saga, fable, folktale are only a few of the categories of traditional stories. Other categories include anecdotes and some kinds of jokes. Traditional stories, in turn, are only one category within folklore, which also includes items such as gestures, costumes, and music. The main characters in myths are usually gods or supernatural heroes. As sacred stories, myths are often endorsed by rulers and priests and closely linked to religion. In the society in which it is told, a myth is usually regarded as a true

King Arthur King Arthur was a legendary ruler of Britain whose life and deeds became the basis for a collection of tales known as the Arthurian legends. As the leading figure in British mythology, King Arthur is a national hero and a symbol of Britains heroic heritage. But his appeal is not limited to Britain. The Arthurian story, with its elements of mystery, magic, love, war, adventure, betrayal, chivalry, and fate, has touched the popular imagination and has become part of the worlds shared mythology. King Arthur, who was he? Was King Arthur a real person or a folk tale? Depending on the source he might be a late Roman, a Celt; a king, a general, or a guerilla warrior fighting the Saxons, the Romans, or even the Picts in the north of England.

Arthur was the first born 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 egging out this sword of this stone is the right wise 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 Baden the Saxons advance was halted. Arthurs 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, Arthurs beautiful wife brought romance to the story while his equally beautiful half sister Morgan le Fay added a dark side. Unfortunately, as peace settled over the country things turned sour within the court of Camelot and civil war broke out. In the final battle at Camlin both Arthur and Mordred, Arthurs traitorous nephew, were mortally wounded. Arthur was set upon a boat and floated down river to the isle of Avalon. Here his wounds were treated by three mysterious maidens. His body was never found and many say that he rests under a hill with all his knights ready to ride forth and save the country again. Though Arthur is quite firmly established as an historical figure, there appears to be little evidence that he was the King of tradition. To quote Nennius.

Arthur fought...together with the Kings of the British; but he was Dux Bellorum. This would seem to confirm the popular view today that Arthur was a professional soldier: a brilliant military leader employed in an official capacity by an alliance of British Kings to carry out their warfare against all coming enemies.This would seem to confirm the popular view today that Arthur was a professional soldier: a brilliant military leader employed in an official capacity by an alliance of British Kings to carry out their warfare against all coming enemiesDux Bellorum translates literally as Duke of Battles. This might be comparable to the Roman Dux Britannorum in charge of the Northern British defenses. Though many think the Roman Comes British History Clubrum a better fit, for he led mobile cavalry forces across the country, as perhaps indicated by Arthurs supposed widespread battles. None of this, however, precludes Arthur from also being a King. Nennius may have intended his phrase to imply that Arthur was one of the Kings alongside whom he fought, yet he was the greatest warrior among them. If the more formal title of Dux or Comes was meant, then perhaps a HighKingship is implied as tradition would suggest. Early sources, no doubt, assumed that everyone already knew Arthur was a King, as with most Royal entries in the Annales Cambriae. There was no need to announce it.

The origin of the name Arthur remains a matter of debate. Some suggest it is derived from the Roman nomen gentile (family name) Art rius, of obscure and contested etymology (but possibly of Messapicor Etruscan origin). Some scholars have suggested it is relevant to this debate that the legendary King Arthurs name only appears as Arthur, or Arturus, in early Latin Arthurian texts, never as Art rius (though it should be noted that Classical Latin Art rius became Arturius in some Vulgar Latin dialects). However, this may not say anything about the origin of the name Arthur, as Art rius would regularly become Art(h)ur when borrowed into Welsh. Another possibility is that it is derived from a Brittonic patronym *Arto-r g-ios (the root of which, *arto-r g- bear-king is to be found in the Old Irish personal name Art-ri) via a Latinized form Art rius. Less likely is the commonly proposed derivation from Welsh arth bear + (g)wr man (earlier *Arto-uiros in Brittonic); there are phonological difficulties with this theory notably that a Brittonic compound name *Arto-uiros should produce Old Welsh *Artgur and Middle/Modern Welsh *Arthwr and not Arthur (in Welsh poetry the name is always spelled Arthur and is exclusively rhymed with words ending in ur never words ending in wr which confirms that the second element cannot be [g]wr man).

An alternative theory, which has gained only limited acceptance among professional scholars, derives the name Arthur from Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Botes, near Ursa Major or the Great Bear. Classical Latin Arcturus would also have become Art(h)ur when borrowed into Welsh, and its brightness and position in the sky led people to regard it as the guardian of the bear (which is the meaning of the name in Ancient Greek) and the leader of the other stars in Botes. A similar first name is Old Irish Artr, which is believed to be derived directly from an early Old Welsh or Cumbric Artur. The earliest historically attested bearer of the name is a son or grandson of edn mac Gabrin (d. AD 609).

The earliest full stories concerning King Arthur and his exploits appear to be the little known Welsh tales of Culhwch and Olwen and the Dream of Rhonabwy. Though dating from before the 11th century, these two stories became a late attachment to a collection of Welsh mythological tales taken from the 14th century White Book of Rhydderch and Red Book of Hergest. Together, they are known as the Mabinogion: an introduction for aspiring poets. Though the stories have a mythological slant, a certain amount of bardic poetic license is to be expected. Their background, however, is clearly an unfamiliar Dark Age society that gives us some idea of what the real Arthur was probably like. The much-maligned Geoffrey of Monmouth, Archdeacon of Monmouth and later Bishop of St. Asaphs, first popularized King Arthurs story, around 1136, in his History of the Kings of Britain. Though he was writing some six hundred years after Arthurs death, there is no reason to suppose that Geoffreys history was made up...from an inordinate love of lying as both contemporary and modern historians almost universally insist. Geoffrey claimed he had taken most of his information from an earlier British source (he referred to it as a certain, very ancient book written in the British language; ed.), unknown to us today.

The early portion of his history clearly relates the mythology of the Celtic peoples and the stories of their gods, whom his source had turned into early Kings: Bladud, Leir, Belenus, Brennius and so on. Later in his account, however, he turns to real history. From the time of Julius Caesars invasion of Britain in 55 BC, which both Geoffrey and the great man (Caesar), himself, relate at great length, we can no longer be sure that the Archdeacon is reciting mere legend. Much of his information has corroborative historical sources like this. Who is to say that everything he tells us, from then on, is not pure fact? Furthermore, Geoffrey was the only source to hail the existence of King Tenvantius of Britain, until modern archaeologists began finding Iron Age coins bearing his name: Tasciovantus. What other gems of Geoffreys history have been dismissed by todays historians? It was the French medieval poet, Chrtien de Troyes, however who, not long after Geoffrey, introduced us to most of the characters and tales that we now think of as an integral part of the Arthurian story. He specialized in tales of Arthurian courtly love and thus brought us: Erec & Enid (1160), Lancelot (c.1162), Cligs (1164), Yvain (c.1170) and the Count of the Grail (also known as Perceval) (1180). He transformed the names of Geoffreys characters from Welsh to the medieval French used today. It was Chrtien and those who followed him who distorted the Arthurian story, so that the true historical Arthur became lost in an amalgam of Celtic myth and literary fantasy. For example, neither Lancelot nor the Holy Grail was part of the Arthurian legend before Chrtien came along. Both do have origins in early Celtic myth, but there is little justification for including them in Arthurs story.

During the early 13th century, the anonymous Vulgate Cycle further embellished the Arthurian stories. This collection of romantic prose was apparently put together by Cistercian clerics between 1215 and 1235, some say at the instigation of their founder, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The vast work consists of the Prose Lancelot, Queste Del Sainte Graal, Estoire Del Sainte Graal, Mort Artu and Vulgate Merlin. It is particularly noted for introducing the idea that Mordred was the incestuous son of King Arthur. Sir Thomas Malorys 15th century work, Le Morte dArthur is, perhaps, better known than Geoffrey or Chrtien. He took their stories and retold them with an epic unity, creating the Romantic Age of Chivalry. With one stroke of his pen, he transformed Arthurs Court from Dark Age obscurity to the height of medieval pageantry. Being written in English and printed by William Caxton, Le Morte dArthur was instantly available to the masses, and it remains highly popular, even today, as a classic work of literature. Malorys work, however, is just that: a work of literature. There is little history left amongst his pages. Arthurs modern popularity owes much to his re-emergence during the Victorian Age at the hands of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. His huge poetic elegy entitled Idylls of the King led to resurgence in interest in this early monarch, as reflected in much of the pre-Raphlite art of the time. The fascination is still going strong today. However, modern Arthurian students have become much more critical of the romantic picture woven by many of these literary greats. Nowadays, we tend to be much more interested in the real Arthur, drawing upon the Mabinogion, Geoffrey and beyond, to examine historical sources that may just show us a glimpse of the truth behind this strangely compelling character.

Camelot Camelot is the most famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthurs realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world. The stories locate it somewhere in Britain and sometimes associate it with real cities, though more usually its precise location is not revealed. Most scholars regard it as being entirely fictional, its geography being perfect for romance writers; Arthurian scholar Norris J. Lacy commented that Camelot, located no where in particular, can be anywhere. Nevertheless arguments about the location of the real Camelot have occurred since the 15th century and continue to rage today in popular works and for tourism purposes. The romances depict the city of Camelot as standing along a river, downstream from Astolat. It is surrounded by plains and forests, and its magnificent cathedral, St. Stephens, is the religious centre for Arthurs Knights of the Round Table. There Arthur and Guinevere are married and there are the tombs of many kings and knights. In a mighty castle stands the Round Table; it is here that Galahad conquers the Siege Perilous, and where the knights see a vision of the Holy Grail and swear to find it. Jousts are held in a meadow outside the city. In the Palamedes and other works, the castle is eventually destroyed by King Mark of Cornwall after the loss of Arthur at the Battle of Camlann. However maddening to later scholars searching for Camelots location, its imprecise geography

serves the romances well, as Camelot becomes less a literal place than a powerful symbol of Arthurs court and universe. The romancers versions of Camelot drew on earlier descriptions of Arthurs fabulous court. From Geoffreys grand description of Caerleon, Camelot gains its impressive architecture, its many churches and the chivalry and courtesy of its inhabitants. Geoffreys description in turn drew on an already established tradition in Welsh oral tradition of the grandeur of Arthurs court. The tale Culhwch and Olwen, associated with the Mabinogion and perhaps written in the 11th century, draws a dramatic picture of Arthurs hall and his many powerful warriors who go from there on great adventures, placing it in Celliwig, an uncertain locale in Cornwall. Although the court at Celliwig is the most prominent in remaining early Welsh manuscripts, the various versions of the Welsh Triads agree in giving Arthur multiple courts, one in each of the areas inhabited by the Britons: Cornwall, Wales and the Old North. This perhaps reflects the influence of widespread oral traditions common by 800 which are recorded in various place names and features such as Arthurs Seat indicating Arthur was a hero known and associated with many locations across Brittonic areas of Britain as well as Brittany. Even at this stage Arthur could not be tied to one location. Many other places are listed as a location where Arthur holds court in the later romances, Carlisle and London perhaps being the most prominent.

The Name Excalibur was first used for King Arthurs sword by the French Romancers. It was not the famous Sword in the Stone (which broke in battle), but a second sword acquired by the King through the intercession of his druidic advisor, Merddyn (Merlin). Worried that Arthur would fall in battle, Merlin took the King to a magical lake where a mysterious hand thrust itself up from the water, holding aloft a magnificent sword. It was the Lady of the Lake offering Arthur a magic unbreakable blade, fashioned by an Avalonian elf smith, along with a scabbard which would protect him as long as he wore it. Towards the end of his reign, during the troubled times of Medrods rebellion, Excalibur was stolen by Arthurs wicked half-sister, Morgan le Fay. Though it was recovered, the scabbard was lost forever. Thus Arthur was mortally wounded at the Battle of Camlann. The King then instructed Bedwyr (or Girflet) to return Excalibur to the lake from whence it came. However, when questioned about the circumstances of its return, Bedwyr claimed to have seen nothing unusual. Arthur therefore knew that Bedwyr had kept Excalibur for himself and sent him back to the Lake once more. Hurling the sword into the misty waters this time, Bedwyr saw the mystic hand appear to catch Excalibur and draw it beneath the rippling waters for the last time. The Name: The earliest Arthurian stories give the name of King Arthurs sword as Caladfwlch, a Welsh word derived from Calad-Bolg meaning Hard Lightning. Later it developed to become the Caliburn of Geoffrey and Monmouth and finally the Frenchified Excalibur that we know today.

Ancient Origins: Legendary figures throughout the World are associated with magical swords, often the symbol of their Kingship. It is interesting to note that Curtana, a 17th century successor of the original sword of Ogier the Dane, is still used at the British Coronation to this day. King Arthurs tale has particular similarities to the Norse Legend of Sigurd, but even closer parallels can be drawn with the Irish hero, C Chulainn who also bore a sword named Caladbolg. Such swords were usually said to have been forged by an elfan smith. In Saxon mythology his name is Wayland, but to the Celts he was Gofannon. He is also to be identified with the Roman Vulcan and Greek Hephaestus who made magical weapons for the Muses to give to Perseus, and for Thetis to give to Achilles. The later surrender of the sword is well known as a universal symbol of defeat. Here it is emblematic of death itself The deposition of swords, weaponry and other valuables in sacred lakes and rivers was a popular practice amongst the Celtic peoples. Strabo records such rituals near Toulouse and notes that other sacred lakes existed throughout Europe. Gregory of Tours alludes to a three-day festival of deposition at Lake Gvaudan in the Cevennes. Some scholars believe that such rituals were part of Celtic funerary rites. Archaeolgical finds of exotic metalwork deposits at Llyn Fawr in Morgannwg include axes and sickles of around 600 BC. Further weaponry was discovered Llyn Cerrig Bach on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) dating from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. Celtic Iron-Age deposits in rivers are too numerous to count. Especially well known are the superb Battersea Shield and Waterloo Helmet from the Thames. This major British River appears to have been particularly popular for swords like Arthurs.

The Tradition: The Holy Grail was a vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper. Given to his grand-uncle, St. Joseph of Arimathea, it was used by him to collect Christs blood and sweat while Joseph tended him on the Cross. After Christs death, Joseph was apparently imprisoned in a rock tomb similar to the one he had given for the body of his grand-nephew. Left to starve, he was sustained for several years by the power of the Grail which provided him with fresh food and drink every morning. Later, St. Joseph travelled to Britain with his family and several followers. He settled at Ynys Witrin (Glastonbury), but the Grail was taken to Corbenic where it was housed in a spectacular castle, guarded always by the Grail Kings, descendants of Josephs daughter, Anna (Enygeus) and her husband, Brons. Centuries later, the location of the Great Castle of Corbenic became forgotten. At the Court of King Arthur, however, it was prophesied that the Grail would one day be rediscovered by a descendant of St. Joseph: the best knight in the land, the only man capable of sitting in the mysterious Siege Perilous. When such a man arrived in the form of Galahad, the son of Lancelot, along with a miraculous, though brief, vision of the Grail itself, a quest to find this holiest of relics began. Through many adventures and many years, the Knights of the Round Table crossed Britain from one end to another in their search. Perceval (Peredyr) discovered the castle in a land that was sickly like its spearwounded King. When entertained by this Fisher or Grail King, however, he failed to ask of the grail and left empty-hand. Lancelot next reached Corbenic, but was prevented from entering because of he was an adulterer. Finally Galahad arrived. He was permitted entry to the Grail Chapel and allowed to gaze upon the great cup. . His life became complete and together grail and man were lifted up to heaven.

The Names: The Holy Grail first appears as simply a grail in the works of Christien de Troyes. The word is probably derived from the Old French word egin meaning a broad and capacious dish or salver. Though usually thought of as being a cup or chalice, the Grail has indeed been variously described as a platter, dish, a cornucopia, horn of plenty or even a book or a stone. The name of the Castle of Corbenic has competing explanations. Old Welsh Cors, meaning Horn, the Horn of Plenty as the Grail is sometimes described may have become confused with the Old French Corps, producing CorpsBenoit meaning Holy Body, ie. The Body of Christ. More likely, however, is the suggestion that Corbenic stems from Corbin-Vicus. The ending is almost certainly derived from the Latin for Settlement, while Corben is a French translation of the word Crow or Raven: Bran in Welsh. This was also a mans name and, as Brons, he appears as St. Josephs son-in-law, one of the first Grail Kings. Hence Corbenic was Brans Settlement. It may be identical to the home of Lancelots father, Caer-Benwick.

Ancient Origins: The quest for a divine vessel was a popular theme in Arthurian legend long before medieval writers introduced the Holy Grail to British mythology. It appears in the Mabinogion tale of Culhwch and Owen, but particularly well-known is the story of the Preiddeu Annwfn or Spoils of the Otherworld as recounted by Taliesin. Arthur and his warriors sail off to the Celtic Otherworld to capture the pearlrimmed Cauldron of Annwfn: like the grail it was a giver of plenty, but also of prophecy. It was at last discovered at Caer-Siddi (or Wydyr), an island bound castle of glass, where it was guarded by nine divine maidens; but the ensuing perils were too much for even Arthurs men. The mission was abandoned and only seven of their number returned home. Celtic Cauldrons were used in ceremonial feasting as early as the Late Bronze Age. Ritual deposits in Llyn Fawr (Glamorgan) included such vessels, though the best known example is the Gundestrup Cauldron found in the peat bogs of Jutland (Denmark). Highly decorated with portraits of many Celtic deities, this vessel would once have held up to twenty-eight and a half gallons of liquid. These finds clearly point to the religious importance of cauldrons, as found in the Arthurian stories and even older Celtic mythological parallels. The magic Otherworld vessel was the Cauldron of Ceridwen, the Celtic Goddess of Inspiration. She is remembered today in the archetypal hideous cauldron-stirring witch. She once set about brewing a drink of knowledge and wisdom for her hideous son, but her kitchen-boy, Gwion, accidentally tasted the concoction, preventing anyone else from benefitting from its affects. A great battle of wills ensued, for Gwion now held all the knowledge to escape the Goddess wrath. The two changed themselves into various animals in an attempt to outwit each other before Gwion was swallowed whole as a grain of wheat. He was eventually reborn as the great bard, Taliesin!

The cauldron then reappears in the story of Bran Fendigaid (the Blessed), not only as a vessel of knowledge and plenty, but also of rebirth. The great Celtic warrior God, Bran, obtained his life-giving vessel from a giantess (or thinly veiled Ceridwen) who had been expelled from a Lake in Ireland. The Emerald Isle here personifies the Celtic Otherworld. The magic vessel would restore to life the body of any dead warrior placed within it: a scene apparently depicted on the Gundestrup Cauldron. Brans sister marries the King of Ireland and they are given the cauldron as a wedding gift. However, when hostilities between the two countries break out, Bran travels across the ocean to regain this dangerous prize. He is eventually successful, but is wounded by a poisoned spear and, like Arthur, only seven of his men return home. The name, the castle (already discussed), the wound, the mystic vessel, the journey: Bran Fendigaid is clearly Brons, the Grail King, son-in-law of Joseph of Arimathea.

The Round Table first mentioned by Wace in his Roman de Brut was not only a physical table, but the highest Order of Chivalry at the Court of King Arthur. Its members were supposedly the cream of the British military that followed a strict code of honour and service. Sir Thomas Malory outlines this as: To never do outrage nor murder ; Always to flee treason ; To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy ; To always do ladies, gentlewomen and widows succor To never force ladies, gentlewomen or widows ; Not to take up battles in wrongful quarrels for love or worldly goods ;

Giovanni Boccaccio in his De Casibus Virorum Illustrium further says that the twelve basic rules of the Knights of the Round Table were: To never lay down arms To seek after wonders When called upon, to defend the rights of the weak with all ones strength To never lay down arms To seek after wonders When called upon, to defend the rights of the weak with all ones strength To injure no one Not to attack one another To fight for the safety of ones country To give ones life for ones country To seek nothing before honour Never to break faith for any reason To practice religion most diligently To grant hospitality to anyone, each according to his ability Whether in honour or disgrace, to make a report with the greatest fidelity to truth to those who keep the annals

Lesser Orders of Chivalry established by King Arthur apparently included the Queens Knights, the Knights of the Watch, the Table of Errant Companions and the, unfortunately named, Table of Less-Valued Knights. Perhaps these additional orders led to the confusion which exists over the the number of knights admitted to the Round Table. This varies dramatically, depending one which literary source one examines: 13 in the Didot-Perceval (c.1225) 50 in Robert De Borons Merlin (c.1195) 60 in Jean DOuremeuses Ly Myreur des Histors (c.1350) 130 in the English ballad, The Legend of King Arthur (16th century) 140 in Hartmann Von Aues Erec and Iwein (late 12th century) 150 in the Vulgate Lancelot (c.1220) The round table The Round Table is King Arthurs famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his Knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status. The table was first described in 1155 by Wace, who relied on previous depictions of Arthurs fabulous retinue. The symbolism of the Round Table developed over time; by the close of the 12th century it had come to represent the chivalric order associated with Arthurs court, the Knights of the Round Table.

Guinevere Arthurs wayward wife Variously portrayed in literature, she is called the daughter of King Leodegrance (Lleudd-Ogrfan) of Cameliard by Malory, the daughter of King Ogrfan Gawr (the Giant) of Castell y Cnwclas (Knucklas Castle) by Welsh Tradition, the daughter of King Garlin of Galore by Germanic tradition, the daughter of a Roman noble by Geoffrey of Monmouth and wife of King Arthur by everyone. Her name is spelled differently depending on where you look. It can be either the traditional Guinevere, or Guenevere, or Guenievre, or Guenhumare or Ginevra. In Welsh, she is Gwenhwyfar; in Cornish, Jenefer. In all cases, she is surpassingly beautiful and desirable, if morally lax from the time of the Vulgate Cycle (13th century) onward. She is either forced into or conceives and engineers an extra-marital relationship with Lancelot and is either condemned, according to law, or forgiven outright for her sins. She either was a willing accomplice to Mordreds treachery against Arthur, as suggested in Wace and Layamon, or was forced into it against her will as stated in John Hardyngs Chronicle (1457). Early mentions of Guinevere, in the Triads of the Island of Britain, give eginning glimpses of her original relationship with Mordred: he is shown forcing his way into Arthurs Court, dragging the Queen from her throne and striking her, but the reasons why are unknown. The incident may have been related to quarrels between Guinevere and her sister, Mordreds wife, Gwenhwyfach, which are said to have been the eventual cause of the Battle of Camlann.

Guinevere is frequently abducted in Romance, sometimes by King Melwas of Somerset, sometimes by Mordred and sometimes by the marauding tribes from the north. She meets her end sometimes in a convent at Amesbury or Caerleon and sometimes she dies at the vengeful hand of Lancelot. Scottish stories, recorded by Boece, indicate she died as a prisoner of Mordreds followers at Barry Hill in Strathmore. She was buried at Meigle where her memorial can still be seen. Despite this, her bones either were or were not found by the monks of Glastonbury when they discovered the grave of Arthur in 1191, depending upon which version of the burial cross inscription you read. Giraldus Cambrensis says the cross claimed Guinevere as Arthurs second wife. This appears to echo the story of the False Guinevere of French Romance: an identical half-sister of the Queen fathered on the same night that persuaded Arthur that she was his true wife. For two and a half years, the King was separated from the real Guinevere until the deception was uncovered. There is also an ancient Triad of the Island of Britain which records Arthurs Three Chief Queens: Gwenhwyfar daughter of Cywryd, Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr ap Greidiol and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Ogrfan Gawr. This may further indicate the confusion over the ladys parentage as already alluded to. Alternatively, the three Guineveres could show a common Triple-Goddess motif at the root of many later Celtic characters. Whatever Guinevere was or was not, she has been a useful tool in the hands of the romancers throughout the centuries and has greatly enhanced the legends of King Arthur.

Merlin King Arthurs magician First appears in extant records (Armes Prydein, Y Gododdin) from the early 10th century as a mere prophet, but his role gradually evolved into that of magician, prophet and advisor, active in all phases of the administration of King Arthurs kingdom. He was apparently given the name Emrys (or Ambrosius) at his birth in Caer-Fyrddin (Carmarthen). He only later became known as Merlin, a Latinized version of the Welsh word, Myrddin, taken from the place of his birth. Geoffrey of Monmouth is thought to have invented this form (as he did so much else), since he did not want his character to be associated with the French word, merde, meaning excrement. Merlin was the illegitimate son of a monastic Royal Princess of Dyfed. The ladys father, however, King Meurig AP Maredydd AP Rhain, is not found in the traditional pedigrees of this kingdom and was probably a sub-King of the region bordering on Ceredigion. Merlins father, it is said, was an angel who had visited the Royal nun and left her with child. Merlins enemies claimed his father was really an incubus, an evil spirit that has intercourse with sleeping women. The evil child was supposed to provide a counterweight to the good influence of Jesus Christ on earth. Merlin, fortunately, was baptized early on in his life, an event which is said to have negated the evil in his nature, but left his powers intact. The original story was presumably invented to save his mother from the scandal which would have occurred had her liaison with one Morfyn Frych (the Freckled), a minor Prince of the House of Coel, been made public knowledge. Legend then tells us that after the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the usurpation of the throne from the rightful heirs, Vortigern was in flight from the Saxon breakout and went to Snowdonia, in Wales, in hopes of constructing a mountain fortress at Dinas Emrys where he might be safe. Unfortunately, the building kept collapsing and Vortigerns house wizards told him that a human sacrifice of a fatherless child would solve the problem. One small difficulty was that such children are rather hard to find. Fortunately for Vortigerns fortress, Merlin was known to have no human father and happened to be available.

Before the sacrifice could take place, Merlin used his great visionary powers and attributed the structural problem to a subterranean pool in which lived a red and a white dragon. The meaning of this, according to Merlin, was that the red dragon represented the Britons, and the white dragon, the Saxons. The dragons fought, with the white dragon having the best of it, at first, but then the red dragon drove the white one back. The meaning was clear. Merlin prophesied that Vortigern would be slain and followed on the throne by Ambrosius Aurelianus, then Uther, then a greater leader, Arthur. It would fall to him to push the Saxons back. True to the prophecy, Vortigern was slain and Ambrosius took the throne. Later, Merlin appears to have inherited his grandfathers little kingdom, but abandoned his lands in favour of the more mysterious life for which he has become so well known. After 460 British nobles were massacred at a peace conference, as a result of Saxon trickery, Ambrosius consulted Merlin about erecting a suitable memorial to them. Merlin, along with Uther, led an expedition to Ireland to procure the stones of the Chorea Gigantum, the Giants Ring. Merlin, by the use of his extraordinary powers, brought the stones back to a site, just west of Amesbury, and reerected them around the mass grave of the British nobles. We now call this place Stonehenge. After his death, Ambrosius was succeeded by his brother, Uther, who, during his pursuit of Gorlois and his eginninge wife, Ygerna (Igraine or Eigr in some texts), back to their lands in Cornwall, was aided by Merlin. As a result of a deception made possible by Merlins powers, Uther was transformed into the image of Gorlois. He entered their castle, managed to fool Ygraine into thinking he was her husband, had his way with her and in the course of things, conceived a child, Arthur. Poor Gorlois, not knowing what was going on, went out to meet Uther in combat, but instead, was slain by Uthers troops.

After Arthurs birth, Merlin became the young boys tutor, while he grew up with his foster-father, Sir Ector (alias Cynyr Ceinfarfog (the Fair Bearded)). In the defining moment of Arthurs career, Merlin arranged for the sword-in-the-stone contest by which the lad became king. Later, the magician met the mystic Lady of the Lake at the Fountain of Barenton (in Brittany) and persuaded her to present the King with the magical sword, Excalibur. In the romances, Merlin is the creator of the Round Table, and is closely involved in aiding and directing the events of the king and kingdom of Camelot. He is pictured by Geoffrey of Monmouth, at the end of Arthurs life, accompanying the wounded Arthur to the Isle of Avalon for the healing of his wounds. Others tell how having fallen deeply in love with the Lady of the Lake, he agreed to teach her all his mystical powers. She became so powerful that her magical skills outshone even Merlins. Determined not to be enslaved by him, she imprisoned the old man in a glass tower, a cave or similarly suitable prison. Thus his absence from the Battle of Camlann was ultimately responsible for Arthurs demise. According to Geoffreys Vita Merlini (c. 1151), Merlin/Myrddin was a sixth century prophet living in the north of Britain where his career extended beyond Arthur. Merlin travelled north, after Camlann, to the court of King Gwendoleu of Caer-Guenoleu (north of the Salway) where the locals called him Lailoken (or Llallogan). Shortly afterward, a war broke out between Merlins Royal master and the three allies, King Riderch Hael (the Generous) of Strathclyde and Kings Peredyr & Gwrgi of Ebrauc (York). Gwendoleu was killed in the ensuing Battle of Ardderyd (Arthuret) and Merlin, sent mad with grief at the death of his nephew and four brothers, fled into the Caledonian Forest. He lived there in a mad frenzy for over a year, becoming known as Myrddin Wylt (the Wild), before Riderch, who was his brother-in-law, found him and brought him to safety in the Strathclyde Court.

Some scholars believe there were two Merlins: Myrddin Emrys and Myrddin Wylt. The fact that Merlin apparently lived from the reign of Vortigern (c.420) to the reign of Riderch Hael (c.580) would certainly support this view. The stretch from Vortigern to Arthur is itself unlikely and early versions of the Vortigern at Dinas Emrys story give the fatherless boy as Emrys Wledig (Ambrosius Aurelianus) who was living in Campus Elleti in Glywysing. Despite Myrddin Wylts story indicating he may have had a conceptual origin in one of the wild-man-in-the-woods motifs common to the ancient folklore of the British Isles, this mans historicity is quite well established. His real name, however, may have been Lailoken. Was this man misplaced in time, by Geoffrey of Monmouth, to become King Arthurs mentor, some memory of a similar character from Caer-Fyrddin giving rise to his new name? PC Bartrum thinks not and points out that fundamentally there is only one Merlin/Myrddin, and some of the later legends cannot be consistently classified as appropriate to one rather than the other. His prison and/or burial place is said to be beneath Merlins Mound at Marlborough College in Marlborough (Wiltshire), at Drumelzier in Tweeddale (Scotland), Bryn Myrddin (Merlins Hill) near Carmarthen (Wales), Le Tombeau de Merlin (Merlins Tomb) near Paimpont (Brittany) and Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) off the Lleyn Peninsula (Wales).

Uther Pendragon

Uthers story is first told by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of Kings of Britain. As a one of the two younger brothers of the murdered King Constans, he apparently fled, at a young age, to the Royal Court of his cousin, King Budic I of Brittany and here he was raised. As a young man, Uther returned to Britain with his elder brother, Ambrosius, and together they fought for their ancestral rights, eventually defeating the usurping Vortigern and placing Ambrosius on the throne. Throughout Ambrosius reign, Uther was his brothers staunchest ally. He commanded the Kings forces in Ireland when, with Merlin, he acquired the Giants Ring as a memorial to the dead of the Night of the Long Knives. Later, it was Uther who was victorious over the rebellious King Pasgen of Buellt & Gwerthrynion at St. Davids (Mynyw). Uther took the crown under the title of Uther Pendragon after a dragon-shaped comet appeared in the sky at the time of his brothers death. Most of his reign was taken up with campaigning against Saxon and Irish invaders in the North of Britain, where he held court at Pendragon Castle in Westmorland. He was, at first unsuccessful against the Angles of Bernicia. Osla, allied with the Jutish Octa, defeated Uthers armies at York (Caer-Ebrauc). However, he soon turned the tables at the ensuing Battle of Mount Damen. Uther later travelled even further north to help the Kings of Strathclyde pacify the Scots.

It is at this point that the most famous episode in Uthers life is related. Returning to London (Caer-Lundein), he met Ygerna, the gorgeous wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, and fell instantly in love with her. Determined to see her again he invited the Duke to return to the Royal Court, but Gorlois could see what was going on and eginn refused. The two eginning and Gorlois and his wife fled to Cornwall. Uther invaded the Dukes lands, but still impatient to be with his new love, he persuaded Merlin to use his powers to magic him into Ygernas bed. Thus, while Gorlois was being killed at nearby St. Dennis (Dimilioc), Uther was transformed into his likeness. He walked straight into the lions den at Tintagel Catsle (DinTagell) and seduced the lovely Duchess. Sir Thomas Malorys Le Morte DArthur claims that the price for this deception was that Uthers son, the future King Arthur who was conceived on that night, had to be given to Merlin to be brought up as he saw fit. Robert de Boron says Uther was responsible for the founding of the Order of the Round Table.In old age, the sick and aging Uther was drawn into a renewed war with the Northern Angles. When his commander, of Lothian (Gododdin) was unsuccessful, the King was carried to St. Albans (Caer-Mincip) to besiege the Anglian Princes himself. He won through, but the Germans poisoned the watersupply and Uther, along with many of his men, died in the days that followed.Despite the popular myth to the contrary, King Uther Pendragon was not created from the imagination of Geoffrey of Monmouth. He appears several times in earlier Welsh tradition, both in his own right and as father of King Arthur. In the 10th century poem, Pa Gur (Who is the Porter?), one of Arthurs companions is given as Mabon ap Mydron, servant of Uthir Pen Dragon. A poem in the Book of Taliesin (some of which may date back to the 6th century) mentions Arthur and is named after Uther himself as Marvnat Uthyr Pen. Ymiddiddan Arthur ar Eryr (The Colloquy of Arthur and the Eagle), a poem contemporary with Geoffrey yet showing a primitive tradition independent of him, identifies the eagle as Eliwlat mab Madawc mab Uthyr and a nephew of Arthur. Uther also appears in several early Triads of the Island of Britain and the personal name is known from other pre-Galfridian sources. As an epithet, Pendragon can be interpreted as something like Foremost Leader, Chief Warleader or Chief of Warriors. In the Cambridge version of Nennius History of the Britons, there is an addition to Arthurs name of the line in British mab Uter that is in Latin terrible son, because from his youth he was cruel. This unlikely reference to Arthurs early character, has encouraged some researchers, to see Uthr-Pen-Dragon as a mere title (Terrible Chief Warleader) which should be applied to a King of another name. The most popular suggestion appears to be King Meurig ap Tewdrig of Glywysing and Gwent, as suggested by Blackett & Wilson and Barber & Pykitt

The Lady of the Lake- Nimue The Tradition: The Lady of the Lake was the foster-mother of Sir Lancelot and raised him beneath the murky waters of her Lake. She is, however, best known for her presentation to King Arthur of his magical sword Excalibur, through the intervention of the Kings druidic advisor, Merlin(Myrddin) who was constantly worried that his monarch would fall in battle. Merlin had met the Lady at the Fountain of Barenton (Brittany) and fallen so deeply in love with her that he agreed to teach her all his mystical powers. The lady became Merlins scribe, who recorded his prophecies, as well as his lover. Unfortunately however, over the years, the Lady became so powerful that her magical skills outshone even her teacher and she imprisoned him in Glass Tower (or similar dungeon). To some extent she stepped into Merlins role at King Arthurs side, but the old mans removal contributed considerably to the great monarchs downfall. The Lady of the Lake was eventually obliged to reclaim her sword when Arthur was fatally wounded at the Battle of Camlann and Excalibur was hurled back to misty waters. She was later one of the three Queens who escorted the King to Avalon. Her Name: The Lady of the Lake is usually referred to by various spellings of the names Nimue or Vivienne. Nimue is thought to be related to Mneme, the shortened form of Mnemosyne, one of the nine water-nymph Muses of Roman and Greek Mythology who gave weapons, not unlike Arthurs sword, to the heroic Perseus. Vivienne betrays the Ladys Celtic form, for Vi-Vianna probably derives from Co-Vianna, a variant of the widespread Celtic water-goddess, Coventina. Remembering Latin pronunciation, this name probably relates to Merlins original partner in early poetry, his wife Gwendoloena. Thus Gw-end(-ol)-oena = Cov-ent-ina. There have also been attempts to show Vivienne as a corrupt form of Diana or Rhiannon. Though possible, these theories seem unlikely.

Ancient Origins: Water deities were extremely popular with Celtic Society for they controlled the essential essence of life itself. The spontaneous movement of springs, rivers and lakes clearly showed the supernatural powers of the goddesses who lived within; and offerings at such aquatic features were commonplace, especially of weapons and other valuables. The practice continues today at wishing wells across the country, and the Lady of the Lake is remembered as Lady Luck! Her names clearly reveal this Lady to have been the Celtic Water-Goddess Coventina (presumably identified by the Romans with their Mnemosyne). This lady was worshipped throughout the Western Roman Empire, in Britain, the Narbonne area of Gaul and North-Western Iberia too. She is most celebrated for her shrine at Brocolitia (Carrawburgh) on Hadrians Wall. Here a quadrangular temple surrounded a central pool fed by a sacred spring. Coin, jewellery and small bronze figurine offerings have been excavated as well as numerous altars dedicated by the local soldiers. Since the Lady of the Lakes place as Merlins student and lover was largely overtaken by Morgan Le Fay, a lady whose very name in Breton indicates a water-nymph, it seems that the two were aspects of the same character. Indeed, as both appear among the three queens who escort Arthur to Avalon, she no doubt had a third aspect making up the well-known theme of a Celtic Triple-Goddess.

The disappearance or death of King Arthur is of the intriguing Arthurian legends . In some accounts, King Arthur was taken to the Isle of Avalon to be healed, and what happened to him after reaching the island is a mystery. Some say he lies in a cave awaiting the day he is needed again by his country, others say King Arthur he died at Avalon. Apart from the somewhat dubious claim by the monks at Glastonbury to have found King Arthurs grave in the Middle Ages, no real evidence has emerged for an Arthurian grave. The earliest sources show us different and mutually incompatible concepts of his death emerged from local Arthurian folk-tales by the 10th-century at the latest. The early legends allow for the possibility of King Arthur returning, and claim that he is sleeping in a magical cave until Britain needs him again. Candidates for this cave are Alderley Edge and King Arthur Cave near the town of Ganarew. Some writers say he was transformed into a raven. Then concept of King Arthur never having died appears in the Black Book of Carmarthen of the mid to late 9th-century may well represent much older traditions. The poem is a record of the burial places of ancient heroes, named as belonging to legend and folklore rather than to history. The notion of Arthurs future return was widespread by the 12th-century , and it was recorded in Breton, Welsh and Cornish folk lore. King Arthur is absent from Armes Prydein, a poem of the 10th-century in which ancient heroes are called upon to return to lead the British and their allies into battle against the Saxons if Arthur was as widely known and as popular a hidden eginn in the 10th-century as some references suggest in the 12th-century, then his omission from this poem is very odd. 10th-century Annales Cambriae date Camlann by the internal chronology of the text, to either 537 or 539 (Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th-century dates it 542). Camlan became the symbol of calamitous defeat, so that when the last native Prince of Wales was killed in 1282 the poet Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch saw it in terms of Arthurs defeat: as at Camlan.

The balance of probability is that King Arthur was a folk lore, rather than a historic,figure. He was portrayed as a Protector of Britain who wanders across Brittan with his band of chivalrous knights. If this is the context then in his death either Camlin was a genuine historical conflict to which King Arthurs name was attached. Or that both the battle and Arthur were fork lore beginning. The evidence that Camlan is a genuine historical conflict is weak. It is only first mentioned as a historical battle in a mid 10th-century document, over 400 years after it is supposed to have occurred. So two traditions have emerged. Either King Arthur is still alive in Avalon, awaiting his moment to return, or he was killed in battle. The still alive version is the earlier version, while the killed in battle version arose later. By the 12th-century most of the written accounts relate to the of the Battle of Camlan, starting with Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae. The earliest references to Avalon and King Arthurs death are found in Geoffrey of Monmouths chronicles. In Historia Regum Britanniae it is asserted that King Arthur was mortally wounded at Camlan but was then carried off to the Isle of Avalon, so that his wounds might be attended to. In this ambiguous statement we can see Geoffrey is reconciling the concept of Arthurs death in which he dies (King Arthur is mortally wounded) with that concept in which Arthur still lives (his wounds would be healed in Avalon). The third, rather odd tradition, is that King Arthur turned into a raven, or perhaps Cornish Chough. The raven, this is a bird strongly associated with myth and legend. In Wales and the West Country, it was held to be a royal bird.

The story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is one of western cultures best known. Many people assume that they deal with a king from the Dark Ages of England and that, once the clearly legendary aspects such as the magician Merlin are removed, they have some value as history. This is not the consensus opinion of historians, though. Many probably the majority, in fact are of the opinion that there was no King Arthur, that the stories originate in Welsh legend or mythology and that they can tell us nothing of value about the fifth and sixth centuries in Britain. On the other hand, a small minority believe that there is a kernel of truth behind the stories and that it is possible to glimpse the activities of a shadowy individual known as Arthur behind them.

Bede, the Venerable Ecclesiastical History (Historia Ecclesiae, 731) They had at that time for their leader, Ambrosius Aurelianus, a man of worth, who alone, by chance, of the Roman nation had survived the storm, in which his parents, who were of the royal race, had perished. Under him the Britons revived, and offering battle to the victors, by the help of God, gained the victory. From that day, sometimes the natives, and sometimes their enemies, prevailed, till the year of the siege of Badon-hill, when they made no small slaughter of those enemies, about forty-four years after their arrival in England. But of this hereafter. [Ed. Note: Like Gildas, whom he used as a source, Bede, one of most careful and respected of the early historians, also makes no mention of Arthur.] Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis) On the Instruction of a Prince (De principis instructione, c. 1193) The memory of King Arthur, that most renowned King of the Britons, will endure for ever...In our own lifetime, Arthurs body was discovered at Glastonbury, although the legends had always encouraged us to believe that there was something otherworldly about his ending, that he had resisted death and had been spirited away to some far-distant spot.

Polydore Vergil Anglica Historia (1534) Trulie ther is nothinge more obscure, more eginning, then the affaires of the Brittons from the beginning. [* ed. Note: Polydore was here making reference to Geoffrey of Monmouths History of the Kings of Britain. He goes so far as to question Arthurs very existence...] Froissart Chronicles (c. 1380, Penguin edition, 1968) At that time King Edward of England conceived the idea of altering and rebuilding the great castle of Windsor, originally built by King Arthur, and where had first been established the noble Round Table, from which so many fine men and brave knights had gone forth and performed great deeds throughout the world.

We will never know whether or not a man named Arthur existed in the fifth or sixth centuries. Every time that we would discover something that could be linked to Arthurs existence, more questions would arise. These questions would lead to more questions and, in essence, we would be getting nowhere. In the 21st century, we have no way of proving his existence and the only thing that we know without a doubt is that Arthur was a topic of many stories in Britons early ages. He became the symbol of England and was renowned as a national personage, like Charlemagne of France and Alexander the Great of Greece. England had to employ the principle that Arthur had existed in order to obtain and preserve national and cultural pride. New heroes have arisen in the past 1,500 years in Britain, so Arthur does not require an existence in the modern era. It is not necessarily good for such a leader as Arthur to have so much mystery surrounding his name. Arthur could have been so many different characters of history that we may know of, or not know of. Arthur may have actually been Ambrosius or some other character in fifth or sixth century Britain. It is next to impossible to acquire any additional information and thus, I must conclude that Arthur may have existed, but we will never be able to concretely prove of his existence.

Web sites: www.mythsencyclopedia.com www.wikipedia.com www.Britannia.com www.legendofkingarthur.co.uk www.badarchaeology.net www.britainexpress.com www.caerleon.net www.answers.yahoo.com