THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR

LIVING SO NEAR TO GLASTONBURY THE LAST RESTING PLACE OF
THE IMORTAL KING ARTHUR I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED
IN THE MYSTRIES AND LEGENDS THAT SURROUND HIM THE STORY
BELOW IS A VERY BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE TOTAL STORY I HOPE THAT
IT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO SEEK FURTHER KNOWLEDGE MY FRIENDS

The legends and myths surrounding the story of King Arthur and his knights of the round table are endless. The most popular legend of King Arthur starts with Arthur as a child that was conceived out of wedlock and brought up away from his parents, British king Uther Pendragon and Igraine, wife of the Cornish duke Gorlois. Merlin the famous mystic mage managed to smuggle the young Arthur out of Tintagel Castle and brought him up in secrecy and safety knowing what his future destiny held for him. Merlin had already designed for Uther Pendragon a wonderful stronghold and placed in it the famous Round Table, at which one hundred and fifty knights could be seated.

When Uther Pendragon died, the knights of the Round Table were at a loss as to who should be the next king. They decided that Merlin should guide them. Merlin announced that Uthers successor would be the man that could draw the magic sword from the stone, which had mysteriously appeared in London. Many many knights tried to pull the magic sword from the stone but all of them failed.

After a number of years the young Arthur travelled to London to watch his first tournament. A knight who had been appointed by merlin to act as the boy's guardian was taking part, but finding he was without a sword, he sent Arthur to get one. Arthur saw a sword and went to retrieve it , he pulled the magic sword from the stone and gave it to the astounded knight. Arthur then became King.

With Merlin at his side Arthur could defeat his opponents and bring peace to Britain. It became obvious to Arthur early in his reign that much depended on magic. Having drawn his sword without cause against one of his knights, Arthur was dismayed to see the blade of the magic sword shatter into a million pieces. Merlin saved him by putting the knight to sleep, for Arthur was unarmed due to the shattering sword. Arthur wandered along the shore of a lake saddened by the loss of the magic sword when, to his amazement, he saw a hand and a white-clad arm rise out of the water, holding another magic sword. The famous Excalibur, his sure support according to the Lady of the Lake who handed it to him. The sword shone with the light of thirty torches, and would dazzle Arthurs enemies. The precious scabbard of the sword would prevent the loss of blood during battle.

Armed with the enchanted sword Arthur went on to become a great king. During his reign Arthur gave aid to King Leodegraunce of Scotland against the Irish. In return for the aid King Leodegraunce betrothed his daughter Guinevere to Arthur. Merlin was opposed to this marriage as he already knew that Guinevere was in love with Sir Lancelot, the handsomest Knight of the Round Table. He could later do nothing but bless the marriage and according to one version of the legend he gave Arthur the Round Table as a wedding gift.

Soon after the wedding Guinevere and Lancelot became lovers. Arthur discovered his wife's unfaithfulness and sentenced Guinevere to be burnt to death. She was saved by Lancelot and eventually retreated from the world to become a nun at Amesbury where she died.

Lancelot fled to Brittany where Arthur conducted an unsuccessful seige before returning to Britain to battle his nephew Sir Modred..

The Quest For the Holy Grail

The Holy Grail was the chalice that Christ drank from at the Last Supper and which received the blood that flowed from the wound where the spear was thrust into Christ's side at the time of the Crucifixion.

The Holy Grail (or Sangreal) appeared to the knights of the Round Table at Camelot covered in a white cloth amid dazzling light in which the knights for the first time saw each other more wisely and generously than ever before. The vision rendered them speechless and filled the hall with spicy odors which cased the knights to eat and drink as they never had before

The mere presence of the holy vessel was enough to act as a challenge to most knights to pursue a path of goodness. On its unseen arrival at Camelot the chivalrous Sir Gawain immediately vowed to seek out the Grail's home in order to see the Grail for himself, most of the Knights of the Round Table followed Suit, despite the efforts of King Arthur to dissuade them from undertaking what might prove to be their final quest.

The Grail Quest proved to be the hardest and greatest of all quests. Many knights set forth but few returned. When Arthur's warriors resolved to undertake the Grail Quest, Arthur wept, lamenting that the fairest fellowship of noble knights would never meet again around the table at Camelot. He was right, for few of his company were fitted for the quest and many perished. Only Sir Galahad successfully completed the quest and died contented.

Arthur eventually went into battle with his nephew Sir Modred who had tried to takeover Camelot. The battle was a long and difficult one, Arthur sustained severe wounds and Modred died. Arthur was carried from the battlefield by the two remaining knights, one of them Sir Bedivere (Bedwyr). Knowing his own end was near, he had Bedivere throw Excalibur back into a lake, a hand rose from the lake and seized the sword. Bedivere guarded Arthur at the end of his life, as they waited by a lake for the black boat that would ferry the king to Avalon. In the black boat there were three women, Morgan le Fay, Arthurs half sister, the Queen of Northgales and the queen of Wastelands. Arthurs last words were that he was going to Avalon to be cured of his wounds so that he might return one day to lead his people once more. The inscription on Arthur's tomb at Glastonbury reads "Here lies Arthur, king that was, king that shall be."

Legend says that Arthur rests in peace in Avalon, guarded by four fairy queens.

ARTHURIAN LINKS

King Arthur History & Legend
Arthurian Legends
King Arthur on the Internet
Arthuriana Homepage
Pythonline
Early British Kingdoms

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