Arthurian Legends

5 points of chivalry Humility Piety Integrity Loyalty Honesty

Arthur is the illegitimate son of Uther Pendragon, king of Britain, and Igraine Arthur becomes king of Britain by successfully withdrawing a sword from a stone Arthur possesses Excalibur, a magical sword, given to him by the Lady of the Lake Arthur’s enemies include his sister Morgan Le Faye and his nephew Mordred. Mordred takes the throne in Arthur’s absence, but he is killed by Arthur in battle. Mordred manages to mortally wound Arthur before he dies. Arthur is taken to Avalon for healing. All of England awaits his return.

Characters and Terms Merlin – court magician and counselor to King Arthur Lady of the Lake – supernatural creature who inhabits an underwater kingdom Avalon – an island for healing. In some legends it is depicted as a world of the dead or afterlife. Guinevere and Lancelot – their illicit affair foreshadows the downfall of Camelot. Round Table – Arthur creates this to prevent quarrels among knights over precedence. It is a symbol of the brotherhood and honor of King Arthur’s court.

Morgan le Fay Arthur’s ½ sister, the daughter of Arthur’s mother Igraine and her 1st husband, the Duke of Cornwall She is presented as an adversary to Arthur – instigator of the Green Knight’s visit to Arthur’s court In Celtic mythology she is sometimes presented as a healer In the 20th century writers begin to conflate her character with Morgause, the mother of Mordred

Morte d’Arthur It is not entirely clear who wrote Morte d’Arthur since many people bore this name. Author was probably Sir Thomas Malory who served in Parliament in the mid 1400s and who was repeatedly imprisoned for various crimes, including murder. Malory probably wrote most of this tale while imprisoned – one reason for the inclusion of frequent prayers for deliverance.

More Background on Morte d’Arthur It is the most famous literary work of the 15th century The 1st important prose romance in English and a chief source of information in the Arthurian legend The real King Arthur was probably a Celtic tribal chief at the time of the Anglo-Saxon invasions of England Scholars believe that Arthur may have led the Celts of Britain in various battles against the Saxons Over the centuries, Arthur rose to prominence in the oral tradition.

Before the selection begins, the following events have occurred: King Arthur goes to France to confront Lancelot about the affair with Guenevere Arthur returns to England to battle his nephew Mordred who has usurped the throne Mordred forces battle with the king’s men, and in the fighting Gawain – another nephew of Arthur is killed