 A 6 th century account of an invasion of Britain by Saxon warriors tells of a heroic British general named Arturius.  He supposedly led Britons to victory over the Saxons and is believed to have been killed in battle.  His remains were excavated in  His coffin bore an inscription that read, “Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur in the Isle of Avalon.”  The legend emerged.

 a series of legends with different authors  tell about King Arthur & his Knights of the Round Table  focus on quests and journeys that enriched the understanding and meaning of life

 They reflect the society of the time in which they were written.  no court system  settled legal issues through ordeals  success = innocence  failure = guilt  engage in personal combat

 first unified English version of the Arthurian legend was produced by Sir Thomas Malory  Le Morte d’Arthur  basis for subsequent versions of the legend as we know it  a fictional character based on fact

 Love  Magic  Chivalry  Blood Sport

 between noble men and women ONLY  No lower class allowed!  Men:  had to love maidens from afar  must oblige a noble woman’s wishes  perform feats of valor for a woman to whom he is not married but loves  must do whatever she wills, regardless of how she treats him

 Perseverance  Fidelity  Bravery  Virtue  Chastity  Hospitality  Loyalty  Diplomacy  Courtesy  Humility

 goes on adventures from which he seeks meaning  has a sense of religious duty and a sense/need to conquer evil  is often ignorant of his enemy’s identity; therefore his challenge has an element of mystery

 does not embody perfection  is modest and courteous  is cunning and acts quickly when at a loss for a solution  may be defeated but will survive his shame and loneliness to be welcomed back into his community

Fairness among knights no head of table Unity among knights Justice toward knights Peace among knights Fairness for England Stronger force to police England Justice for all of England Peace in England

 The Knights of the Round Table symbolized all of England

 Trainee (8-9 years old)  Practiced archery  Practiced fencing  Practiced horsemanship  Practiced other fighting skills  Page (15 years old)  Lived at the castle  Practiced battle techniques  Practiced blood sports and hunting  Practiced how to care for horses  Practiced gentlemanly behavior

 Squire (18 years old)  Went into battle with the trainer  Served as a bodyguard for the trainer  Carried the trainer’s armor and shield  Must prove himself worthy of knighthood  Knight (21 years old)  Entered knighthood  Had a ceremony where the king would “knight” them  Received their golden spurs  Must follow chivalric code