King Arthur
King Arthur is the legendary king of the Britons, often depicted as a noble ruler who defended Britain from Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. Whether he was a real person is still debated, but his legend became central to medieval British identity.
Key elements of Arthur's legend:
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Excalibur: His magical sword, sometimes given to him by the Lady of the Lake.
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The Round Table: Symbol of equality among his knights—no head of the table meant no one was more important.
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Camelot: His grand castle and court.
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The Quest for the Holy Grail: One of the major stories, where Arthur’s knights, like Lancelot and Galahad, go on a spiritual journey.
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Guinevere: Arthur’s queen, whose love affair with Sir Lancelot leads to the downfall of Camelot.
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Mordred: Arthur’s traitorous nephew (or sometimes son), who ultimately brings about Arthur’s death in battle.
Merlin
Merlin is the mysterious and powerful wizard who acts as Arthur’s advisor, mentor, and sometimes protector. His origins are a mix of Celtic bard traditions and Christian influences.
Highlights of Merlin’s character:
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Prophet & Magician: Known for his foresight and magic; he often guides events through cryptic visions or spells.
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Advisor to Uther Pendragon: Arthur’s father. Merlin is said to have orchestrated Arthur’s conception through magic.
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Arthur’s Mentor: He helps raise Arthur in secret and arranges the sword-in-the-stone test to reveal him as king.
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The Lady of the Lake/Nimue: In some versions, Merlin falls in love with a woman who ultimately traps or kills him (or seals him in a magical prison).
The Legend’s Origins
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Early Sources: Arthur first appears in early Welsh poetry and in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum by Nennius. Merlin has his roots in the 6th-century figure Myrddin Wyllt, a wild prophet of the woods.
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Geoffrey of Monmouth: His Historia Regum Britanniae (c. 1136) really fuses Arthur and Merlin into a cohesive story.
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Later Romances: The French writers like Chrétien de Troyes added the Holy Grail, Lancelot, and chivalric ideals. Then Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (1485) tied everything together into the classic version we know today.
