THE LEGEND & HISTORY

KING ARTHUR

 the name of King Arthur - no appearance in the Middle ages.

The timeline: - documented records on all the Kings of

England (William the Conqueror [1066] to the end of the Middle Ages [1485])

the Dark Ages ( 410 AD - 1066 AD ) - no appearance in records either

#1 impossible to provide an accurate biography of his life and history

# 2 his biography is only based on a legend # 3 documented records of the Middle Ages

were scarce.

The Legend – Who ?

not based on real historical evidencecannot it be verified with hard and fast factsthe legend was based on the books by the

clerics of the Medieval era/the Middles Agesmany Welsh legends & Celtic myths about

King Arthur and the Arthurian Legend the Welsh claim the sovereignty of all the

kingdom of Britain based on the legends & myths

King Arthur = "the one, true King of the Britons”

The History - The One, True King of the Britons

the main source of information: Geoffrey of Monmouth - Historia Regum Britanniae

(1136) - fictionalOthers:the 'Black Book of Caernarvon' (Welsh: Llyfr du

Caerfyrddin) (1250) - stories and poems about the heroes of Britain in the Dark Ages + those to do with the legend of King Arthur & Merlin

Historia Brittonum - Nennius the Annales Cambriae the Chronicon Anglicanum the Mabinogion (Welsh)

Fiction >> fact!

How did the Legend Start?

fuelled by the Medieval troubadours, jongleurs & minstrels

the stories of the brave King Arthur, great knights, Camelot, chivalrous deeds, great battles and fair ladies circulated from court to court all over Europe

The heroic images took on the Medieval clothes & fashion

Jousting in tournaments were also incorporated.

The Romantic Legend

the Medieval Kings of England turned these myths and legends to their advantage

King Edward I (Longshanks) - political purposes – the Arthurian legends & myths to authenticate his claims to the both the Welsh & English thrones

Connections b/n Caernarvon, Arthurian Legend, Merlin, Prophecies & even Stonehenge =

his 'legitimate claim' to the Welsh throneThe Tudors - credibility

Making a Legend - The One, True King of the Britons

Medieval politicians strengthen the claims to both the English & Welsh thrones

much influence, advantage and credibility gained to connect their lineage to King Arthur "the one, true King of the Britons", his realm of Camelot and the prophecies of Merlin the Wizard

Merging the History with the Legend

Ancient Arthurian Prophecies (the king of era arranged them to be seen fulfilling)

The English liked connections to the old religions & life before the Norman Conquest (the magicians, wizards & the druids)

The connection to King Arthur – his rule of honour, honesty, loyalty, chivalry & valour

The 'one, true King of the Britons' prophecy = the Medieval Kings’ credibility, esp. in Wales

A romantic story of love, fair ladies, brave knights and triumphant battles = good publicity for any Medieval king

A link to Christianity, the crusades & the search for the Holy Grail

Any 'proof' of their lineage to ancient Kings = Medieval kings’ justification for their sovereignty

The Arthurian legends & myths vs. the Medieval people:

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N6pZX0sDAk

FULL MOVIE: http://ffilms.org/king-arthur-2004/

KING ARTHUR (2004) – CLIVE OWEN, KEIRA NIGHTLY