The Legends of King Arthur

Myth or Legend: An overview

• treated as a Legend, although there is no historical evidence

• various stories are told and retold, with new and old characters

• a mix of folklore, fairytale, literary invention and Christian influence

Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th century Historia Regum Britannica

A “history” that tells of Arthur’s backstory

12th century French writer Chretien de Troyes

Originated many popular tales/knights such as Sir Lancelot

Thomas Malory’s 15th century Le Morte d’Arthur

Centers on Sir Lancelot and is the last major Arthurnian author

King Arthur

• Son of King Uthor Pendragon and Queen Igraine of Orkney

• Raised as orphan/son of Sir Ector

• Pulls Excalibur from the stone by accident

• Known for his justice, mercy, and wisdom

• Also a pretty good warrior

• reigns in Camelot, with the knights of the round table

Merlin

• Many different versions

• Shape shifting and knowledge of the future

• King maker:

  • uses enchantments to cause Arthur’s birth

  • hides baby Arthur with Sir Ector

  • plants the sword in the stone when Uthor dies

• advisor and teacher; disappears often for long times

• mixed up with Morgan le Fay and Nimue

Sir Ector and Sir Kay

• Arthur’s foster family, thanks to Merlin

• complicated relationship

• Kay claims to have pulled the sword but later recants

Kay:

• hotheaded and arrogant, but loyal

• usually used as a foil for the hero of the story

• still a pretty good warrior

Morgan le Fay

• Daughter of Queen Igraine of Orkney; Arthur’s half- sister

• Merlin’s apprentice: love-hate relationship

• Sometimes betrays Arthur, sometimes is loyal

• Manipulates Merlin and different knights

• incredibly beautiful, a shapeshifter, and strong enchantress

• true neutral alignment

Nimue, lady of the lake

• invented as a back story for Sir Lancelot du Lac

• Merlin’s nemesis, apprentice, and love interest

  • imprisons him in a tree/cave/rock

• benevolent to Arthur’s court

• alternate origin story for Excalibur (Arthur’s sword)

  • gives Excalibur to Arthur after his first sword breaks

  • Sir Bedivere throws Excalibur into the lake and a hand catches it

Knights of the Round Table

• round: all equal, even the king

• sent out on Quests to do great deeds:

• rescuing damsels in distress

  • fighting reccant knights

  • protecting the weak

  • enforced law and order on a lawless world

• code of chivalry: moral system that prizes honor, loyalty, and courtesy

• tournaments: competitions around jousting and sword fighting

Sir Gawain

• the greatest knight in the world

• Son of Morgause, Arthur’s half sister, Arthur’s nephew

• unparalleled courtesy, very much a ladies man

• Chretien’s favorite character

• later stories make him rough and boarish

• hero of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Parsifal

• the greatest knight in the world

• raised alone in the woods by his mother but wants to be a knight

• quarrels with Sir Kay and honors a women Kay slaps

• goes on quest for the holy Grail

  • encounters dying Fisher-King and sees many marvels (including the Grail)

  • Fails the quest because he does not ask what ails the king

  • vows to search until he finds castle again and can fix his mistake

  • eventually does find and save the fisher-king, who turns out to be his uncle

• Grail: a serving dish with healing powers

Tristan and Iseult

• the greatest knight in the world

• classic tale of French “courtly love”

  • OG Romeo and Juliet, with a side of adultery

• Tristan is Iseult’s protector on her way to marry King Mark of Cornwell

• they accidentally consume a love potion

  • meant for Iseult and her husband, King Mark

• eventually die tragically: suicide, poison, or treachery by Lord Mark

Queen Guinevere

• Arthur’s Queen, whom he loves from first sight

• betrays him with Sir Lancelot

• Childless

• accused of high treason for betraying the king

  • note that Guinevere and Lancelot don’t intend their actions to be treason - they are loyal to him as a king, but not a husband

• eventually repents of her adultery and lives out her life as a Covent

Sir Lancelot du lac

• the greatest knight in the world

• imported French chop raised by Nimue, Lady of the Lake

• rescues Queen Guinevere in Chretien’s Knight of the cart

  • likely origin of Guinevere/Lancelot plot

• star of Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte d’ Arthur

• has an affair with Queen Guinevere which leads to civil war

• eventually repents of adultery lives out his days as a hermit

Sir Galahad

• mystery son of Sir Lancelot, raised in a convent

• welcomed by the perilous siege and a sword

• quest for the holy grail: a religious allegory

  • needed invention of a pure and unstained hero

  • this mostly means his obsessive chastity

  • endures many temptations and bashes many recreant knights

  • finally achieves the holy grail and asxends into heaven

    • free of anymore suffering and temptation

• here the grail is the chalice from the last supper

Mordred

• bastard (bad) Son of King Arthur and his half sister, Morgause

• served as Knight of the Round Table

• takes advantage during Civil War over Queen Guinevere

  • declares himself King and tries to marry Guinevere

  • Climatic battle is fought between two factions of the round table

• Arthur spears Mordred, who throws himself goes deeper on the lance so he can wound Arthur

The Death of King Arthur

• mortally wounded Arthur carried to the lake

  • asks Bedivere to cast Excalibur into the water 3 times

  • when he finally throws in the sword Nimue’s arm catches it

• Arthur is given into the care of Morgan le Fay and other women

• he is carried away on a boat to Avalon, a mythical island

• the Legend goes that Arthur rests there still

  • waiting to return when England has great need