We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
History

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Who is King Arthur?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 26,056
Share

King Arthur is the British king whose legends, especially those regarding the Knights of the Round Table, evolved significantly during the Middle Ages in most European countries, but especially France, Germany and England. It’s long been disputed whether a true King Arthur existed and there is some evidence that in the 5th century CE, there was an Arthur, possibly Roman or Celtic, who was able to lead a successful battle or succession of battles to turn back Saxon invaders. The Arthur that we know from myths and legends is much more fancifully rendered, and first mention of the fictional character occurs in History of the Kings of Britain by the 11th and 12th century clergyman, Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The basic legend is that this British king is the son of Uther Pandraeg, and Igraine, the wife of Gorlois. Utherfalls in love with Igraine, and with the counsel of the wizard Merlin, comes to her disguised as her husband. Due to Arthur’s parentage he is raised as a ward of another knight, and only learns about his parentage after Uther’s death. It is as this point that many accounts have the young and assumedly illegitimate child claiming his kingship by removing Excalibur, the great and enchanted sword, from a stone, a feat that can only be achieved by the true king.

As king, Arthur gathers together a group of knights who fight for justice, and establishes the Knights of the Round Table. Among the quests, depending upon each story, is the search for the Holy Grail. Moreover, the knights are enjoined to protect women and the helpless, a significant change from some of the abuses of lords and knights to vassals in the feudal system. Another key element to the legends is Arthur’s establishment of Camelot, the fair kingdom he builds.

Arthur is married to the childless Guinevere, though various accounts give him illegitimate children, including a son, Mordred, who ultimately kills his father (and is killed by him) and overturns his kingdom. Mordred’s story and his relationship to his father is an exceptionally sad one in some accounts, since Mordred is the product of an incestuous liaison between the king and his half-sister. The kindest accounts do not mention this, or defend the king by suggesting he is unaware of Morgase’s relationship to himself, and in very early accounts, Mordred is not Arthur’s son.

The tales of king and Camelot are retold numerous times, and underwent significant changes as the Middle Ages progressed. Emphasis in tales outside of England was often on adding additional knights, like Lancelot, Parzival, and Gawain. Some feel the best take on the whole story is Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur published in the late 15th century.

Others prefer modern renderings of Arthurian tales, including works like T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon, and Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy. Numerous films have dealt with the king too. The most recent of these, King Arthur made in 2004, does attempt to restore some historical accuracy to the tale by dating the time as not during the Middle Ages, but instead taking place during the 5th century CE, when the true Arthur may have actually reigned.

Share
PublicPeople is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a PublicPeople contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Related Articles

Discussion Comments
By Tufenkian925 — On Jan 18, 2011

Some people speculate that Britain at this time was a Christian empire which had been a mission field for Irish monks. The specific version of Latin letters the English language came to use were clearly descended from Irish orthography of the day, which was a bastion of literacy and religion during the Dark ages.

By arod2b42 — On Jan 17, 2011

England was for a long time, an island shrouded in mystery. The various Pictish tribes roaming the north were very difficult for invading Romans, and they chose to build Hadrians wall to keep them at bay. Eventually, it is said that the Celtic lords of Britain invited the Angles and Saxons to invade in order to help defend themselves. This resulted in domination by Germanic tribes and the beginnings of the English language in Britain.

By Qohe1et — On Jan 16, 2011

The legend of King Arthur hails from an age where Britain had little or no historical records. The time before the fall of the Roman empire and the later resurgence in literacy was a dark period, and much of the Celtic roots of Britain have been obscured. Genetic findings today suggest that all people in the British Isles are more alike each other than different, despite the modern linguistic and ethno-religious differences.

By anon33221 — On Jun 02, 2009

What about margawase?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a PublicPeople contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.publicpeople.org/who-is-king-arthur.htm
Copy this link
PublicPeople, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

PublicPeople, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.