King Arthur in Legends and Literature, Evolution of The Legend

See part 1 here for your reference: King Arthur in Legends and Literature, Introduction

The evolution of the Arthurian legend

Although the first mention of King Arthur by Geoffrey of Monmouth did not tell anything about it, the “Round Table” and the “Knights of the Round Table” are the first things that come into mind when talking about King Arthur. But why is especially this theme the most popular about the Arthurian stories?

The origin of the Arthurian story by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Arthur is born at Tintagel castle in Cornwall as the son of the British King Uther Pendragon. Following his father to the throne Arthur becomes king of Britain at the age of 15. Shortly after, he asserts authority when defeating his barbarian enemies in the Battle of Bath. Wielding his “magical” sword “Caliburn”, that is said to be forged on the mysterious Isle of Avalon, Arthur wins over the Scots and unifies the nation. After he had fought Ireland and Iceland, Arthur establishes during a 12 year lasting peaceful regency at his court in Caerlon, where he lives with his queen Guinevere an order of “knights” consisting of notorious warriors. Together with his army and these “knights” he conquers Norway, Denmark and Gau.

When nine years later delegates of the roman ruler Lucius appear at Arthur’s court demanding tribute from him, Arthur decides to conquer the Roman Empire.

This is what Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us in his “Historia Regum Britanniae” about King Arthur. As we see, there is no mention of the Round Table in Geoffrey’s report and the story is almost free of fantastical elements.

Creation of the “Round Table” by Robert Wace

“Because of the noble Lords that he had around him, each of
whom considered himself the best and of whom none could
have said who was the least good, Arthur created the Round Table,
about which the Britons/Bretons tell many stories.
The noblemen used to sit at it, all at favoured places, and all equal.
They were seated at the table as equals, and were served their
food as equals; none of them could boast that he had a seat of
higher dignity than his companion”

The legend that we know today is, as mentioned above, not the origin of the Arthurian narrations. It is the result of an evolution that is based on the first mention of King Arthur in the “Historia Regum Britanniae” written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1135.

Historians agree that the “Historia” was not meant to be read as fiction but that it claims to be a historical record on British monarchies.

On the basis of the “Historia” the Jersey poet Robert Wace wrote in 1155 the “Romance of Brutus” in French. Taking up the historical “facts” collected by Geoffrey, he created the Round Table. The translated extract above is part of the poem in which Wace refers to the Round Table.

Later his poem was amended and extended by Chrétien de Troyes, who was responsible for establishing the Arthurian legend into romantic literature between 1160 and 1180. He completed the story of the Round Table by inventing the Knights of the Round Table, Arthur’s Queen and Camelot, the fortress where Arthur held court.

In the end of the 12th century the English priest and poet Layamon translated the work of Wace into middle-English and embroidered the story of the Round Table. Layamon raised King Arthur to a messiah-like status by claiming his soul to be immortal and letting Arthur promise that he will come back when Britain needs him.

Inspired by the stories that developed surrounding the legendary King Arthur the Burgundian poet Robert de Boron wrote a trilogy of Arthurian verses interpolating the most popular story of the today’s Arthurian legend, the Quest for the Holy Grail.

The combination of the Arthurian legends containing the original story and the additions made by Wace, de Troyes, de Boron and Layamon was in the 13th century known as “The vulgate Cycle” and accepted as the Arthurian legend.

In 1470 the Vulgate Cycle was taken up again and produced by Sir Thomas Malory in his work “le Morte d’Arthur” which is the most popular version of the legend of King Arthur, consisting of 21 books and containing all added themes and stories.

Since the legend of King Arthur has found its way into English literature even today writers and film producers are fascinated by the pure endless material that King Arthur provides. To this day numerous books and movies on King Arthur have arisen, and not only British writers and movie makers have dealt with it. For instance, one of the most popular Arthurian youth books was written by Mark Twain.

The latest movie on King Arthur tries to show King Arthur as historians claim to have him identified. The Film “King Arthur” by Jerry Bruckheimer shows Arthur as a roman commander who holds, together with a couple of mercenaries the last roman fortress behind the Hadrian Wall. Despite all the discrepancies between the movies or books about the legendary King Arthur there is one theme that since the 12th century is present in almost every version of the legend: the Round Table.

 “Arthurian Literature”

In the course of time, the Arthurian legend has developed to, what we know today as the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The heart of this legend, on which “le Morte d’Arthur” by Sir Thomas Malory is based, reads as follows:

“In a far-off time, when Britain was divided and without a king barbarian
hordes devastated the once fertile countryside. The throne lay vacant for a just and righteous man, who could free the people from their servile yoke and drive the invaders from the land. But only he who drew from the stone a magnificent sword could prove himself the rightful heir. Years passed and many tried, but the mysterious sword stood firm and unmoveable in the ancient weathered rock.

Then one day a young man emerged from the forest and, to the amazement of all, succeeded where even the strongest had failed. The people celebrated the arrival of their king, and his name was Arthur. On accession to the highest office in the land, Arthur began restoring the shattered country. After building the impregnable fortress of Camelot, and founding an order of valiant warriors, the Knights of the Round Table, the King rode forth to sweep aside the evil which had beset the land. The liberated peasants quickly took him to their hearts, and Arthur reigned justly over his newly prosperous kingdom, taking for his queen the beautiful lady Guinevere.

Even a terrible plague which ravaged the country was overcome by the newfound resolve of Arthur’s Knights, who went on to discover the Holy Grail, a fabulous chalice that held the secret cure for all ills.

But as happens so often during an age of plenty there are those whom power corrupts. Soon a rebellion tore the Kingdom apart, an armed uprising, led by Modred, Arthur’s traitorous nephew. And there was another one; possessed by dark forces, who lay at the heart of the strife: the mysterious and satanic enchantress; Morganna. In a final Battle, Modred was at least defeated and Morganna destroyed by Merlin the court magician. But all did not go well, for Arthur himself was mortally wounded.

As he lay dying on the field of the battle; the last request by the mighty king was that Excalibur, the source of all his power, be cast into a sacred lake and lost forever to mortal man. When the magical Sword fell to the water a sylphid arm rose from the surface, catching it by the hilt and taking it down into the crystal depths.
When the great King was close to death, he was spirited away on a barge to the mystical isles of Avalon, accompanied by three mysterious maidens, each dressed completely in white. Many say that he died and was buried upon the isle, yet there are those who believe that Arthur’s soul is not to be found amongst the dead. It is said that he only sleeps and will one day return.”

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