Arthurian Legend

Katherine WileyLake Cormorant High School

The ruins of a castle, claimed to be the birthplace of the legendary king.

Arthur’s Life• Illegitimate son of King Uther Pendragon and Igraine

• (Igraine was married to Gorlois of Cornwall, but Arthur wanted her, so he asked Merlin to make him look just like Gorlois. She was with him, unknowingly, and conceived Arthur. Arthur was raised in secrecy.)

• His noble birth was later revealed when he was able to withdraw the sword in the stone. After he withdrew the sword, Merlin revealed the story of his parentage.

• Arthur became a wonderful king and noble warrior. He had a magical sword, Excalibur, which was given to him by the Lady of the Lake. – The sword in the stone was not Excalibur, but is sometimes

mistakenly identified as Excalibur.– Upon his death, one of his knights, Sir Bedivere, threw Excalibur

back into the lake- a hand arose from the water, caught the sword, and disappeared.

Arthur’s Family and Home

• He had three half-sisters: Morgan Le Fay, Morgawse (sometimes Morgause), and Elaine.

• He married Guinevere, who cheated on him with Lancelot- leading to the downfall of his kingdom and her retirement to a convent.

• He lived in Camelot- a palatial castle that was supposedly located somewhere along a river in England. Although people and archaeologists have searched for Camelot during the last 800 years, no one has ever been able to find it.

Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table

• Arthur’s two best knights were Tristan and Lancelot- both of whom were involved in scandalous love affairs.– Lancelot with Arthur’s wife, Guinevere– Tristan with his uncle’s wife, Isolde

• Other important knights were:– Sir Bedivere, who returned Excalibur to the Lady of the

Lake– Sir Pelleas, who fell in love with a heartless woman– Sir Gawain, Arthur’s nephew, the son of Morgawse, who

embodied the ideals of chivalry, and was the sworn enemy of Lancelot

– Sir Galahad, who was Lancelot’s son, and the hero of the quest for the holy grail

A round table, which hangs in the castle at Winchester- its origins are unknown, but it is often regarded as King Arthur’s

roundtable. It is said that the table was built at his request, because he wanted to prevent disagreements among the knights-

at a round table, all men are equal. (We know, however, that since Arthur did not exist, this is simply an attempt to attract

tourism.)

Arthur’s Enemies• His two main enemies were members of his

family:– His sister, Morgan Le Fay

• She is often depicted as an evil sorceress, who tries to plots to get the throne

– His nephew/son, Mordred, the son of Morgawse • Mordred, who is definitely the son of Morgawse, and

whom is often claimed to be the son of Arthur, who was intimate with Morgawse without knowing that she was his sister, also plotted to steal the throne. He and Arthur eventually killed each other in battle.

Other Arthurian Characters• Merlin- a teacher, seer, and magician

– Reveals his wisdom to Vivien, who then imprisons him in the trunk of an ancient Oak Tree for all of eternity

• The Lady of the Lake, sometimes called Vivien, and sometimes identified as Morgan Le Fay-– gave Arthur Excalibur; kidnapped Lancelot as an infant and raised him as her

son- leading to his title, Lancelot of the Lake; had magical powers; saved Arthur twice, but then took Merlin’s help away from him when she trapped Merlin in a tree after he revealed his wisdom to her

• Lancelot- the ladies man– Raised by the Lady of the Lake; went to King Arthur’s court as a young man and

became one of the most valuable warriors and most feared knights– Lovers included: Guinevere, Arthur’s queen; Elaine, with whom he fathered Sir

Galahad– Another woman named Elaine, aka the Lily Maid of Astolat and the Lady of

Shallot, loved him. He did not return that love, and she died of a broken heart. Her dead body, clutching a love letter to Lancelot in one hand, was placed on a barge that floated up the river to Camelot, so that she could personally deliver her letter to Lancelot. Her grieving image is one of the most famous in all of Medieval Literature.

Arthur’s Death or Disappearance

• After being fatally wounded in a battle with Mordred, Arthur went to Avalon, but never returned.– In mythology, Avalon was the blissful

otherworld of the dead- it would have been the Celtic, non-Christian version of Heaven

– In medieval times, Avalon was a mythical, magical island

– It is now believed to be Glastonbury, in Somerset, England

Some of the Most Famous

Arthurian Literature

• The most well-known Medieval piece is Sir Thomas Malory’s La Morte D’Arthur.

• The most widely read modern work is T.H. White’s The Once and Future King.

King Arthur’s Camelot

The Supposed Ruins of King Arthur’s

Camelot

Arthur and Lancelot

outside of Camelot

Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere

The Lady of the Lake

Morgan le Fay

Sir Galahad

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight