King Arthur: The History and Story of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Summary
TLDRThis video delves into the legendary tale of King Arthur, exploring the origins and evolution of the story from its roots in Celtic poetry to its development by various authors. Key figures like Geoffrey of Monmouth, who penned 'Historia Regum Britanniae,' and Sir Thomas Mallory, who compiled the comprehensive 'Le Morte d'Arthur,' are highlighted. The script also touches on the influence of French poet Chrétien de Troyes and Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, emphasizing the enduring themes of chivalry, love, and the quest for the Holy Grail.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The legend of King Arthur has its roots in Celtic poetry during the time of the Saxon invasion of Britain around 400 CE.
- 🤴 The earliest historical reference to Arthur as a hero comes from the ninth century, with the Welsh poem 'Marwnad Cattgwyn'.
- 📚 Geoffrey of Monmouth is credited as the 'father of the Arthurian legend', having created a comprehensive story in his 'Historia Regum Britanniae' in the 12th century.
- 🧙 Merlin, a key character in the legend, was transformed by Geoffrey of Monmouth from a sorcerer into a significant figure in Arthur's lineage and rise to power.
- ⚔️ Arthur's battles against the Saxons, including the pivotal Battle of Baden Hill, are central to the early development of his heroic narrative.
- 🗡 Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, was originally named Caliburn in earlier texts and became known as Excalibur after translations and adaptations.
- 🪑 The concept of the Round Table, symbolizing equality among knights, was introduced by Wace, a French writer, and further developed by later authors.
- 🥂 The story of Lancelot, Guinevere, and the love triangle involving Arthur was a significant addition to the legend, emphasizing themes of courtly love.
- 🛕 The Vulgate Cycle and later works Christianized the legend, turning the Grail into a holy relic associated with Christ's Last Supper and integrating themes of sin and redemption.
- 📖 Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur' compiled and expanded upon previous works, creating a cohesive narrative that became the foundation for modern Arthurian literature.
- 🎭 Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King' revitalized interest in the legend during the Victorian era, influencing subsequent retellings and portrayals of King Arthur.
Q & A
What is the origin of King Arthur's story?
-The earliest roots of King Arthur's story come from Celtic poetry during the time of the Saxon invasion of Britain, around 400 CE, when a British leader named Ambrosius Aurelianis defended the land against the Saxons.
Who is credited with the creation of the Arthurian legend as we know it today?
-Sir Thomas Mallory is recognized as the author of the legend as he created the most comprehensive version of the story in 'Le Morte d'Arthur', weaving all previous tales into a single narrative.
What significant contribution did Geoffrey of Monmouth make to the Arthurian legend?
-Geoffrey of Monmouth is considered the father of the Arthurian legend. He wrote 'Historia Regum Britanniae', which pieced together bits of poetry and myth about Arthur, elevating him to an unforgettable legend.
What is the significance of the Round Table introduced by Wace?
-The Round Table introduced the concept of equality to the story, showing Arthur as a king who cared more about people's merits instead of social class, with no one seated at the head or foot of the table.
How did the character of Merlin evolve over time?
-Merlin evolved from a mysterious sorcerer in early tales to an omniscient figure and antichrist in later works, such as those by Robert de Boron, who provided Merlin with a Christianized backstory.
What is the Grail's significance in the Arthurian legend?
-The Grail, initially a dish with pagan connotations, was transformed into the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, becoming a central quest item in the legend.
Which character is known for the first mention of the 'sword in the anvil' motif?
-The motif of the 'sword in the anvil', which later became the 'sword in the stone', was first mentioned in the story 'Merlin' by Robert de Boron.
What themes are explored in the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere?
-The love triangle explores themes of courtly love, including the ennobling power of love and the idea that love is a desire never to be fulfilled, within the chivalric bounds of the time.
How did the story of Percival evolve in the Arthurian legend?
-Perceval's story evolved to depict him as a country boy on a chivalric quest for the Grail, embodying the themes of courtly love and chivalry, and ultimately becoming a knight.
What is the significance of the character Galahad in the quest for the Grail?
-Galahad, introduced in the Vulgate Cycle, is significant as he embodies the virtues of his father Lancelot but without the sin of adultery, making him worthy to accomplish the quest of finding the Grail.
How did Alfred, Lord Tennyson influence the modern perception of the Arthurian legend?
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King' revived interest in the Arthurian legend during the Victorian era and became the main influence for Arthurian stories from the 1850s onwards, shaping the modern perception of the legend.
Outlines
🏰 Origins of King Arthur's Legend
The script begins by introducing the legendary figures and tales associated with King Arthur, such as Camelot, Excalibur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the Holy Grail. It then delves into the historical roots of these stories, tracing them back to Celtic poetry during the Saxon invasion of Britain around 400 CE. The narrative discusses how a British leader, Ambrosius Aurelianis, later known as Arthur, emerged to defend against invaders. The script highlights the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, who synthesized various sources and myths to create the enduring legend of King Arthur, including Arthur's lineage, his rise to kingship at 15, his battles against the Saxons, and his quest to conquer Europe and avenge Rome's oppression of Britain.
🗡 Development of Arthurian Legend and the Round Table
This paragraph explores the evolution of the Arthurian legend through various authors and their contributions. It mentions Robert Wace, who added the concept of the Round Table to symbolize equality among knights, and the changes in Arthur's sword's name from Caliburn to Excalibur. The script also discusses the transformation of the Grail from a pagan dish to the Christian Holy Grail by Robert de Boron. The introduction of the sword in the anvil and the character Merlin's backstory are also highlighted. The paragraph further elaborates on the development of the love story between Lancelot and Guinevere, the character of Sir Lancelot, and the influence of French poet Chrétien de Troyes, who contributed courtly love and chivalry to the legend.
🛡 The Quest for the Grail and the Transformation of Arthurian Characters
The script continues with the story of Percival's quest for the Holy Grail and the introduction of the character Galahad, who is deemed worthy of finding the Grail due to his purity. It discusses the Vulgate Cycle, which further Christianized the legend, and the Morte Arthur, which portrays Lancelot's repentance and his struggle with unworthiness due to his love affair with Guinevere. The paragraph also covers the dichotomy between courtly love and Christian values, the transformation of Arthur from a pagan warrior to a Christian king, and the ultimate redemption of Lancelot in the Mort Artu.
📚 The Legacy of King Arthur in Literature and Culture
The final paragraph summarizes the influence of Sir Thomas Mallory and Alfred Lord Tennyson on the modern understanding of the Arthurian legend. It explains how Mallory's compilation and editing of previous works created a cohesive narrative that has become the foundation for contemporary retellings. Tennyson's Idylls of the King are credited with reviving interest in the legend and establishing Arthur as an idealized hero. The script concludes by reflecting on the enduring appeal of the legend, its themes of good triumphing over evil, and its inspirational message. It invites viewers to share their favorite characters and stories from the Arthurian canon and to support the World History Encyclopedia for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡King Arthur
💡Excalibur
💡Merlin
💡Lancelot
💡Guinevere
💡Holy Grail
💡Round Table
💡Jeffrey of Monmouth
💡Chretien de Troyes
💡Sir Thomas Malory
💡Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Highlights
The legendary figures and stories associated with King Arthur have a rich history rooted in Celtic poetry and the Saxon invasion of Britain.
The earliest mention of a British leader who fought against the Saxons is found in the writings of historians from the 9th century.
Geoffrey of Monmouth is credited with creating the enduring legend of King Arthur through his 'Historia Regum Britanniae' in the 12th century.
Arthur's story was embellished with elements of magic and chivalry, including the introduction of Merlin and the concept of the Round Table.
The character of Lancelot and the love triangle involving Guinevere were developed by French poet Chrétien de Troyes, adding the theme of courtly love.
The quest for the Holy Grail was introduced as a central theme in the Arthurian legend, symbolizing a spiritual journey.
The Vulgate Cycle and Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur' further Christianized the legend, integrating the Holy Grail with the Last Supper.
The story of King Arthur evolved to reflect the tension between courtly love and Christian values, particularly in the portrayal of Lancelot.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King' revived interest in the Arthurian legend during the Victorian era, influencing modern retellings.
The legend of King Arthur represents the triumph of good over evil, order over chaos, and hope over despair.
The development of the Arthurian legend is a collaborative effort of many authors and poets over centuries.
The legend's enduring popularity is due to its themes of heroism, chivalry, and the pursuit of a higher moral code.
The story of King Arthur has inspired countless retellings and reimaginings in various forms of literature and media.
The historical basis of King Arthur's existence remains uncertain, but his legend has come to symbolize ideals of leadership and virtue.
The legend's adaptability and cultural significance continue to make it a relevant and compelling narrative in modern times.
Transcripts
king arthur camelot excalibur merlin
lancelot guinevere and the holy grail
these well-known figures and objects and
their adventures quests and love stories
are legendary but where did the stories
come from and who wrote the legend as we
know it today stick around to learn all
about the long history
of king arthur
[Music]
hello and welcome to world history
encyclopedia
my name is kelly and today we're going
to have a look
into the legendary story of king arthur
and his knights of the round table
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[Music]
before we get into the exciting tales of
king arthur
let's have a look at the history of his
tales and how they developed into the
stories we are familiar with
arthur's story has its earliest roots in
celtic poetry from the time of the saxon
invasion of britain
when the romans left britain in around
400 ce
they left the people there helpless
against invaders namely the picts and
the scots
the saxons agreed to come and helped
fight against the picks and the scots
but then decided to stay and continually
looted and sacked the region
it was at this time that a british
leader appeared to defend the land
against the saxons he rallied his men
and defeated the saxons at the battle of
baden hill
in around 500 ce this hero was called
ambrosius aurelianis by the historians
gildas ambidi
and arthur by neness who was writing in
the ninth century
later than gildas and beede before his
mention in nenius's work
arthur was mentioned by name as a great
hero in the welsh poem
eager dodden which was believed to have
been written shortly after the battle of
catraith
in 600 ce since it's an elegy for the
warriors who fell there
other than mentioning that arthur was a
great warrior
the e godotn doesn't say anything else
about him
and so when jeffrey of monmouth was
writing his historia regime britannia
or history of the kings of britain in
the 12th century
he pieced together bits of poetry and
myth of arthur
in addition to some creative lessons and
created a story
which would elevate arthur to an
unforgettable legend
at the time jeffrey was writing his
history in the loosest possible sense of
that term
arthur was already considered a great
king
although he was probably a military
leader rather than a king
but that didn't quite fit the story
jeffrey wanted to tell
jeffrey wrote in latin and finished his
historia regime brittanier in around
1136
establishing him as the father of the
arthurian legend jeffrey tells the
history of king arthur like this
uther pendragon was in love with a woman
named aguerner but a guerner
who loved uther back was married to
gorlois the duke of cornwall
uther and gorloyce were fighting the war
over agana
and during this time merlin who was a
mysterious sorcerer
transfilmed uther to look like girloise
so he could sneak past
enemy lines and then sleep with the
gurner which brought arthur into the
world
during the battle gorlois dies and uther
and ugerna get to stay together and they
have another child a daughter named anna
when uther is poisoned by enemy saxons
and dies
arthur becomes king at the age of 15.
because all the saxons who have heard of
uther's death have poured into northern
britain
arthur lays siege to the city of york in
retaliation
and he goes up against the saxons in a
bunch of battles
he is depicted as fearless in battle and
a skilled leader and tactician
and at the battle of baden hill arthur
defeated the saxons
arthur then marries the noblewoman
guinevere and then he goes about
conquering as much of europe as possible
including norway denmark and gaul the
roman emperor at this time was lucius
tiberius
and when he calls arthur a tyrant arthur
decides to rally his troops
and go to battle for vengeance against
rome for their former enslavement of
britain
before departing arthur leaves the
defense of britain to his queen
guinevere and his nephew mordred in
battle the brother of mordred gawain
is depicted as rash defiant and
hot-headed which are characteristics
which stick with the character
throughout the development of the
arthurian legends
during the fight against rome lucius is
killed by an
unknown hand and the britons win arthur
has taken revenge for their oppression
and the romans have brought their
failure on themselves
arthur never actually gets to rome
though because on his way
he hears about how mordred has seized
the crown for himself
and is having an adulterous affair with
gwynevere so he absolutely has to return
home
on the way back to british lands gawain
is killed meanwhile mordred has been
gathering forces and has ended up with
allies from britain's enemies
including the saxons the picks the scots
and the irish
arthur and mordred meet in camelon and
mordred is killed although not specified
as by arthur
and arthur is mortally wounded and
carried off to avalon
although the noble knights are killed
and arthur himself finally falls
their sacrifice restores order to the
land as good
triumphs over evil this theme became the
underlying message of hope
and redemption in the developments of
the legend after jeffrey
by around 1160 jeffrey's work had
already been translated into french by
robert weiss of normandy
waste was writing in french and composed
his roman dubroot in around
1155. didn't really make many additions
or changes to geoffrey's tale
but wrote it in the french vernacular
which made it more accessible for
readers
although he doesn't alter the story much
waste is responsible for the addition of
the concept of the round table
so arthur and all his knights or guests
would be seated the same
with no one at the head or foot of the
table and so no special seat of honor
the round table introduced the concept
of equality to the story
showing arthur as a king who cared more
about people's merits instead of social
class
wace also changed the name of arthur's
sword from caliburn to chaliburn
so when it was translated into english
it became known as
excalibur his small changes have carried
through
all the developments and additions to
the legend up until the modern day
next we have robert de barron who wrote
two romances known as merlin and joseph
of aramathia
and he potentially wrote a third called
percival which only survives as an
edited prose version written later
in bronze tale he turned the grail from
a dish with pagan connotations to the
grail as a cup or chalice that we are
familiar with today
and makes it explicit that the grail was
the cup used by jesus christ
at the last supper baron does not
however introduce the quest for the
grail
that would come later his story merlin
is the first time that the motif of the
sword in the stone
which was actually initially a sword in
the anvil but it just doesn't have the
same ring to it does it
is mentioned in around 1200. he also
christianized merlin by giving him a
backstory
and turning him from a mysterious
sorcerer to an omniscient foiled
antichrist who acted as a guide for
arthur
through his childhood and early
adulthood we also have the poet barrow
who was writing in the 12th century and
developed the roman de tristan
which is known in english as tristan and
assault which is another adulterous love
story and chivalric romance
which was developed from cretienne
another version of this tale is written
by thomas of britain
in the 12th century which only exists in
eight fragments and around three
thousand lines
[Music]
the next stop in the history of the
arthurian legends was to add some
romance to the tales
and that was done by the french poet
cretien de trois
craigtienne was responsible for the
additions of courtly love and chivalry
the quest for the grail and the
character of sir lancelot
it is thanks to kuratien that we have
the love triangle between arthur
lancelot and gwynevere kretzien was
writing in france during the latter half
of the 12th century
and wrote a total of five arthurian
romances
but the ones we're going to take a look
at are la lancelot chevalier de la
charae
or lancelot the knight of the cart and
percival
lancelot the knight of the cart is the
first time lancelot is mentioned and the
story goes a bit like this
an evil knight by the name of malegiant
threatens arthur and tricks arthur into
letting him abduct gwynevere
after gwynevere is taken arthur lets
gawain pursue them
on his travels gawain runs into a night
we don't know at the time but it's
lancelot
who has ridden his horse to death
lancelot borrows a horse from gawain and
joins in the search for guinevere
when lancelot wears this horse out as
well he encounters a dwarf
who says he will tell lancelot where
gwenevere is
if he gets in the cart which is a very
dishonorable way to travel if you're a
knight
but lancelot gets in the cart and gawain
who refuses to get in
follows on his horse they encounter many
obstacles on their journey
and after the two nights split up
lancelot goes through a bunch of trials
eventually he finds gwynevere in the
castle of gore and rescues her from
allegiant
and they have a passionate night
together gwynevere though
refuses to leave with lancelot when she
sees that he's travelled in a cart
lancelot agrees to fight malegent in a
year's time to defend gwynevere's honor
and when he goes to fight in the
tournament guinevere asks him to lose in
order
to prove his love but when he starts to
lose
she changes her mind and asks him to win
instead
and so he wins during that year lancelot
was held in a prison
so after the tournament he is returned
to the prison but is freed by
a woman who he had saved from a
kidnapping during his many trials on his
way to find gwynevere
who actually ends up being my legion's
sister
lancelot battles with malaysian finally
and after cutting off malignant arm
he beheads him lancelot and guinevere
timidly embrace
since they're in public and people
cannot know of their affair
and the story ends this story emphasizes
the concepts of courtly love
which were very prevalent in france at
the time they were written
which includes concepts such as marriage
is no real excuse for not loving
love is desire never to be fulfilled and
the ennobling power of love
and overall makes the love affair
between lancelot and gwynevere
not a bad thing at all but within the
chivalric bounds of courtly love
which ultimately makes lancelot more
chivalrous
the second story by kretzienne we're
going to look at is the unfinished tale
of percival this tale depicts percival a
country boy who embarks on a chivalry
quest with gawain for the grail
and ultimately becomes a knight percival
heads out with gawain and they have a
number of adventures
and at some point percival starts
wondering what's become of his mother
and so he heads off to find her on his
way he meets two men and one of them has
been wounded
they send him to the nearby castle where
the king
who has been maimed cannot rise and
bequeaths him with a sword
this king is known as the fishing king
while they speak
percival witnesses a procession with a
squire holding a bleeding lance
a maiden holding a silver bowl and
another maiden
holding a vessel which is known as the
grail
percival was taught not to ask too many
questions so he kept them to himself
and the next morning the castle was
empty he learns from a weeping maiden
that his host was the fisher king
and if he had only asked about the grail
the wounded king
would have been healed he then has to go
on a bunch of quests
to fix his mistake or else the kingdom
of the fisher king
will remain barren due to the king's
injury this is a pagan belief
that the fertility of the land is equal
to the fertility of the ruler
the tale is unfinished so we do not know
what kretiene had in mind
for the end of percival's tale
from there more and more french british
celtic and german poets
added to the stories of arthur notably
by wolfram von eschenbach
a german poet who wrote parsival as an
adaptation of cretiens percival
wolfram really developed the concept of
the quest and wrote a story where
percival went on a quest for the grail
without turning away from a shiverick
life his story is both an arthurian
romance and a quest for the grail
and retains the pagan and magical
origins of the story and doesn't
incorporate priests or chapels or
clerics
another german writer was gottfried von
strasberg
who just like wolfram developed a middle
high german tale but this was an
arthurian romance titled tristan
which was left unfinished
[Music]
coming to the early 1200s we get to the
vulgate cycle which takes it upon itself
to adopt the christianized backstory
of merlin and then highly christianized
the rest of the legend
with key changes being adding the holy
part to the holy grail
which is now firmly associated with the
cup of jesus christ at the last supper
and the transformation of arthur from a
pagan warrior chief
to a christian king in this version of
arthur's life and death story he didn't
know he was uther's son in heir
and so to prove his birthright he had to
pull the sword out of the stone wait
note it's still an anvil at this point
the story of lancelot de luck doesn't
follow the same beliefs that chivalric
love makes adulterous love affairs okay
and so punishment for cheating and
adulterous behavior is introduced
and basically meant that lancelot was
unworthy to find the grail
because of his love affair with
gwynevere instead the hero of this tale
is lancelot's son
galahad whose mother was elaine and had
to literally disguise herself
as gwynevere so that lancelot would
sleep with her
galahad inherits the virtues of his
father and accomplishes the quest
of finding the grail which is something
that lancelot
could have done if he hadn't sinned it's
worth noting that prior to the vulgate
cycle
galahad didn't exist and was introduced
specifically for this development
of the legend in the tale known as quest
lancelot actually repents his sins with
gwynevere
and although he knows he's unworthy of
finding the grail he still gives it a
crack anyway
he actually gets a glimpse of it in the
grail castle before being cast out and
called unworthy
in this story lancelot is more of a
relatable character
and depicted as a good man who still
tries to find the grail even though he
ultimately fails
because of his previous mistakes finally
there's the mort art
in which lancelot actually wins
salvation and redemption
after embarking on a quest lancelot
destroys the evil sons of mordred
but he loses his king and the woman he
loves and so he spends the rest of his
life as a holy man
and goes to heaven after he dies these
stories show the dichotomy between
courtly love where an affair was no big
deal and the christian value of fidelity
to one spouse
in a way that earlier versions did not
[Music]
then you've got thomas mallory writing
in english much
later in the 15th century who builds on
the works of his predecessors to produce
what is considered the foundation for
the english texts
of the legends of king arthur sir thomas
mallory compiled
edited revised and added to the legend
of king arthur
in a book known as le morte de arthur or
death of arthur
thomas mallory's additions to the
already long and rich history of arthur
created what would become the foundation
of the modern depictions
and retellings
finally we have alfred lord tennyson who
was writing during the victorian era in
the 1800s and it was his idols of the
king which revived interest in the
arthurian legend
and became the main influence for
arthurian stories from around 1850
onwards
[Music]
so now that we've answered the question
where did the stories come from
it's time to answer the other one who
wrote the legend as we know it today
the legend of king arthur as it is known
in the present is the result of all
these authors works of course
but mainly mallories and tennysons
although jeffrey of monmouth
is recognised as the father of the
arthurian legend
his story lacks many of the most famous
motifs of the story
mallory drew upon all the earlier
writers to create his mort d'arta
as an original work which weaves all the
previous tales into a single cohesive
narrative
mallory's work which gave world culture
the concepts
of the quest for the grail the round
table where all are equal
and the image of the noble knight who
fights for justice
instead of power might actually have
been lost
however if it were not for tennyson
tennyson's idols of the king
not only revived interest in the story
but made arthur a national and then
international model for the ideal hero
king
tennyson's work is also understood as
original and was the inspiration for
later retellings
but sir thomas mallory is recognized as
the author of the legend
as he was the first to create the most
comprehensive version
of the story the story of arthur has
developed and transformed through the
years and has not only become one of the
most
popular legends of all time but has
inspired
countless retellings and reimaginings of
the stories
arthur himself often plays a minor role
in many of the most famous stories
but it's always understood he is the
reason the knights able to perform the
great feats that they do
arthur is the stabilizing force in a
world of chaos who inspires the best in
others to do the same whether arthur was
ever a chief or a king
or if he or any of the other world
famous characters
actually ever existed in some form at
all is hard to know for sure
but that is not as important as what the
legend has come to mean to people
the legend of king arthur continues to
be among the most popular
in world literature because it's
ultimately the story of the triumph of
good over evil
order over chaos and hope over despair
who is your favorite arthurian character
and why or your favorite story let us
know
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