King Arthur, falls under a couple of our archetypes. He is a chief, and most definitely a warrior.
Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories, led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early sixth century. Most of what is known about Arthur is told in legend; no actual manuscripts or document survive today. The details of Arthur’s story are mainly composed from literary imagination. Historians argue about whether Arthur actually existed at all. The legend was born and came to light from different sources, such as, Annales Cabriae, Historia Brittonum, Gilda, and early poems such as Y Gododdin.
Arthur hit the international scene through a bard called Geoffrey of Monmouth, in the 12th century. Arthur also appeared in the Historia of Regum Britanniae, Latin for The History the Kings of Britain. Both these accounts of Arthur are more fanciful then realistic. There is no solid proof that anything, claimed in these manuscript actually happened.
Tales of Arthur appear earlier than the best known works. In Wales, and in the west country of Cornwall, Arthur was told in legend for centuries before appearing in the 12th century. He was believed to have been born in Tentagal, Cornwall, near the Welsh border. His wingman, Merlin, is definitely Welsh. Lancelot does not appear in these early works. He comes on to the stage in France in the 12th century.
No matter how you read it, Arthur was always portrayed as a great warrior, if not a magical one. He was often associated in battle with the demons of the Welsh underworld, Annwn.
The legends all depict Arthur as King of Britain, who at some point does defeat the Saxons and saves Britain. If this is true, he was believed to have spread his empire throughout Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and Gual.
No matter how you read it, Arthur’s father was Uther Pendragon, Merlin was always in play, and the Excalibur is never far from his reach. The final battle of this legend occurred in Camlann, against his son Mordred, born of Arthur’s relationship with his half-sister Morgause. Morgause is also believed to be the mother of the Knight Gawain of the Roundtable, whose father was King Lot.
As legend tells it, Arthur’s final resting place is on mysterious isle of Avalon, off the coast of Cornwall.
Arthurian legend does vary from European continent to the British Isles. The 12th century Frenchmen, Chretian de Troyes, added Lancelot and the Holy Grail, to add religious significance to the tale. It was also around this time in France, the Knights of the Roundtable were added.
Arthurian legend is one of the most beloved of all tales of old. It has everything a great writer could ask for: Goal, Motivation, and tons of Conflict. A handsome King, his beautiful young Queen, caught in a love triangle that is still portrayed today. The betrayal of Arthur by his son, and the witchcraft of his sister Morgause and Merlin’s magic all played huge rolls in the story telling. Add a group of young holy, virginal knights with a quest for pureness, while spell bound by beautiful maids on the journey, and it becomes one of the most imaginative and beloved stories in history, and one we all know well.
