Origin of the Legend

Even today, people are not sure whether Arthur was a myth or an actual person. One belief is that the myth was built off of a real person, who some historians believe was named Riothamus. The monk Gildas wrote the first accounts of a heroic figure resembling Arthur in AD 500. The name Arthur first appeared in AD 800 in the writings of Nennius, a Welsh monk. The legend became well-known in the twefth century. Starting in that period onward, many writers created their own versions of the legend, but there is no "authoritative" version. (1)

According to the legend, Arthur was born the illegitimate son to the King of Britain. After the death of his father, Uther Pendragon Arthur was placed as King by his noble feet of drawing a sword from the stone with the help of a magician named Merlin. Once king, Arthur was the king archetype proving himself to be a fine warrior and noble.

While King, Arthur was given the famous sword of Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake, a supernatural woman who lived in a castle at the bottom of the sea. Another legend states that while Arthur was away from his kingdom, his evil nephew, Mordred, seized the throne. Mordred held it until he was killed by Arthur in battle, but not before stabbing Arthur. Arthur was rushed to a distant island named Avalon in an attempt to heal his wounds. (2)

In The Once and Future King, Mordred is actually the son of Arthur and his sister, though he didn't know of their relation at the time. Mordred grew up bitterly hating Arthur, and tried to hurt him in many ways, despite Arthur's kindness. Mordred tried to catch Guenever and Lancelot in the act, hoping that Arthur would be forced to execute his friend and wife. Lancelot escaped his trap. Mordred then devised a scheme to marry Arthur's wife Guenever, thinking that in a twisted way it would make them even. He beseiged her in a tower and raised an army to fight Arthur's.(4)


The Once and Future King, by T.H. White [7]

Where did the story of King Arthur come from?

There have been several stories, tales, and romances written about King Arthur and The Knights of the round table. Many speculate about its true origins. The earliest known sources of King Arthur were from 7th -10th century B.C from Celtic storytellers in Wales and Brittany. In the early 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth made King Arthur a “house hold name” by writing the first full account of the legend. Other writers from Wales, England, France, and Germany contributed greatly to the legend after Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th-16th century. The Legend is even as far spread as Spain, Italy and Scandinavia.

There are several accounts on King Arthur’s life. There are those from early tradition and there are alternative accounts. The Early Tradition uses sources mainly from Geoffrey of Monmouth. The Alternative Accounts have multiple writers, is larger, and varies more. The Alternative account can include the Legend of Excalibur, Lancelot, Le Mort d’Arthur, and more.
(3)

Was he Real?

Many people in Britian believe in the actuality of the story of King Arthur. The scholarly world, on the other hand, doubts this entirely. Historical and literary accounts specify that if there was to be a real King Arthur, then he would have resided in southern Britian.
King Arthur would have lived long ago and so the evidence of this society would have been covered up by time. Also during that time period wood was often one of the most common building supplies; wood decays quickly and there would be few remains; those that still existed would be very hard to find because people cant just go around digging up the entirety of Britain. (5)

Where Arthur is said to be concieved and born. (6)


1. http://www.uidaho.edu/student_orgs/arthurian_legend/origins/arthur.html
2. http://www.ramsdale.org/legend.htm
3. http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/chivalry.html
4. White, T.H. - The Once and Future King
(5) http://www.uidaho.edu/student_orgs/arthurian_legend/england/arch/
(6) http://www.uidaho.edu/student_orgs/arthurian_legend/england/arch/
[7]http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~aahobor/Lucy-Day/Book-Categories/King-Arthur.shtml