At the end of the 5th century, Britain came under the leadership of a man named Arthur. He was a real man but very little is known about him.
There are lots of legends told about Arthur and his followers, known as the 'Knights of the Round Table'. Unfortunately, most of these are just made up stories.
Though most historians agree that Arthur existed, they still argue about who he was. The monk Nennius says that Arthur fought for the British kings and was their ‘Leader in Battles’. Some people think this means he was a military commander and not a king. Other people think it just means he was the only king who was any good at fighting.
In a book of Welsh stories called the ‘Mabinogion,’ Arthur is definitely a King living at Caerleon in South Wales. These were first written down in the 10th century, but had been passed down from father to son by generations of bards.
The most popular legends say that Arthur inherited the Kingdom of Britain from his father. His parents were King Uther and Queen Igraine. Uther is said to have been the brother of the British leader, Ambrosius. No-one knows where this information about Arthur’s family originally came from. It may have been remembered by the bards or written down in books which no longer exist or someone may have made a guess.
Some people think that Arthur was not a King of all Britain, but one of the local kings (or ‘tyrants’). He would have ruled a small kingdom, perhaps in Wales or Cornwall or the North of England.
Over the centuries, stories have changed and Arthur may appear to be more important than he really was.
THE LEGEND
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 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.
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 Camlan both Arthur and Mordred, Arthur's 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.
MORE INFORMATION
MORE INFORMATION
