Some stories from the past began as eye-witness accounts of historical events. With the passage of time, some of the accuracy faded and was replaced by embellishments until the story gained the fictional patina of a legend. Oral telling of tales became sagas which recorded the deeds of a legendary hero.
The Bards
After the Romans departed from Britain early in the 5th century, a dark period followed where education and cultural pursuits declined. Philosophers and historians were generally connected with the Church, and their ideas and philosophies were related to their religious interests and not available to the illiterate masses. History existed only as an oral tradition throughout Europe.
The bards wandered from town to town, singing and telling stories as they went. The re-telling of legends developed many variations depending on which bard was telling the tale. Eventually stories about the beloved king elevated Arthur’s conquests and deeds into the realm of mythology and today no one knows how much of the story is actually true.
The Historical King Arthur
King Arthur is such a hero and no one knows who he was or even if he ever existed. Some of the historical reports from that age indicated that there is some truth to the Arthurian legend. The historical Arthur might have lived sometime during the period of about 500 CE until the Battle of Mt. Badon in 540 CE.
Several historians, including Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1130 CE, wrote about Arthur's exploits and referred to him as a king. Traditionally King Arthur is supposed to have fought and won twelve major battles during his reign. Winston Churchill in his book, The Birth of Britain, indicated that such a person as Arthur did exist and was responsible for stopping the Anglo-Saxon drive at Mt. Badon. King Arthur was responsible for the salvation of civilization during those dark times.
The Arthur Mythology
The tales surrounding the King Arthur legend have been repeated with many variations, but some essential characters are always involved. His Knights of the Round Table, Camelot, Excaliber, Queen Guinivere, Sir Lancelot, Merlin the sorcerer, the treacherous Morgan Le Fay, and his nephew, Mordred, Avalon, the quest for the Holy Grail and the mysterious Lady of the Lake always have a place in the mythology, no matter how the tales are related.
Merlin was the king-maker. He contrived Arthur's birth by killing off Queen Igraine's husband in a battle so that King Uther Pendragon could bed the queen. Her son, Arthur, was the result of the match. Then Merlin arranged the sword in the stone scenario in which Arthur drew the magical sword, Excaliber, from a rock thus confirming his place on the throne and giving him a magical sword which ensured that Arthur would be a victorious conqueror.
Arthur's queen, Guinivere, and Sir Lancelot of the Round Table had an on-going affair in this age of chivalry. The law at the time declared that Guinivere should be burned at the stake for the sin of adultery, however Arthur was compassionate and sent her to live in a convent for the rest of her life. She never saw Arthur or Sir Lancelot again, but she spent the rest of her days praying and contemplating her sin.
Morgan Le Fay was Arthur's half sister and the bane of his existence. She tricked Arthur into an incestuous act and as a result, Mordred was born. Since Arthur was unaware of Morgan's relationship to him, he was not held accountable for the incident. When the truth was revealed, Morgan was banished and her son, Mordred, eventually wounded his father fatally in battle. Knowing that death was imminent, Arthur went to Avalon and threw Excaliber out over the lake. Just as it flew overhead, the arm of the Lady of the Lake reached up, caught the sword and withdrew with it into the water.
The Tradition
In Celtic mythology, the gods and goddesses lived in bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and streams. The Celts threw golden objects into the water hoping that the gold would please the gods who would then answer their prayers. This is the origin of the popular wishing well tradition and explains why Arthur threw the golden sword into the lake.
Christianity and the old religion of the indigenous Celts were at odds with each other, and Arthur found himself in the middle of this conflict. On one hand he sent his knights out to search for the Holy Grail but he was also influenced by the Lady of the Lake who represented the old Celtic goddess and traditions.
King Arthur was a messianic symbol, the Once and Future King according to T.H. White's book of the same name. The legend says that he'll be a future king some day. He'll come back and rule again whenever Britain needs him. Most Britons believe this will happen if the monarchy is ever dissolved.
Source:
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill; Buccaneer Books (June 1994)
Diane Evans - I am a retired civil engineer as well as a member of Sisters in Crime and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
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