A legendary historical character or just a redrawn archetype?

It's impossible to say for sure whether Arthur was a real person. Many believe that he battled the Germanic invaders in the fifth or sixth century. That's just one story, though - many more have emerged across time. In any case, his story lives on today in art, music, and of course, stories.

You have most likely heard tales of Arthur and his queen Guenevere, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...

So which would you like to hear today?

• Maybe just an overview of the legendary Arthur and his co-characters would be a good place to start.

• Or would you rather start with the story of the quest for the Holy Grail?

• Maybe you would like the story of how Arthur came to the throne, the story of The Sword in the Stone.

• Or perhaps the one about the infamous love triangle between Guenevere, Arthur and Lancelot?

• A good one is the history of the Round Table, the icon of the fairness of Arthur's Golden Age.

• Maybe you'd prefer to hear about the 'real' Arthur (although you may be disappointed by my ambiguity on the subject).

• Or maybe you would be most intrigued by hearing not about Arthur himself but about his half-sister Morgan le Fay.

• Another option is to explore one of the many Illuminated Manuscripts that tell stories of Arthur and his companions.

The Legendary Arthur

Sources for pages on Arthurian legend:

The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, edited by Norris J. Lacy
The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend, by Alan Lupack
History of Northumberland, by Bates
Mythology of the British Isles, by Ashe
King Arthur's Knights: [www.kingarthursknigts.com]
Glastonbury Abbey: [www.glastonburyabbey.com]
Glastonbury Tor: [www.glastonburytor.org.uk]
The Knights of Avalon: [www.knightsofavalon.com]
Arthurian Multimedia: [link]

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