Legends have for
centuries told of a boy, born illegitimately to King
Uther Pendragon and his mistress Igraine. To conceal the secret of this
child's birth, a wizard was charged with the task of raising the boy.
This wizard, Merlin, would later leave the boy to be raised by a knight
named Sir Ector . This boy grew up, not as the son of a king, but as a
normal child, until one day he pulled a sword out of a stone, and
sealed his place in the tales of legends as King Arthur.
Although stories
have always referred to Arthur as king, there is some
uncertainty as to his actual societal status. Some believe he was more
of
a duke, who would traditionally have ruled over a small independent
state. Despite the uncertainty, the debates over Arthur's rank are
inconsequential, because his adventures and stories are those of a
king. During his reign, Arthur would marry Lady Guinevere,
and it is at this point that a very important element in the Arthurian
legend makes its first appearance.
The stories tell
that Guinevere's father gave Arthur a Round Table as a
wedding gift. This Table went on to become the cornerstone of Arthur's
court. The Table was said to be round to eliminate a head of the table,
making all sitting at it equal. The number of knights which it held
changes with each story, but there was said to be one seat that was
reserved for the knight who attained the Holy Graal. The Holy Graal ,
the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper, became the centerpiece of
the greatest quests for many of the knights of the Round Table.
While the stories
of King Arthur are somewhat well known, there are
many other knights of his Table whose stories have not been told to the
same extent. This storybook is an account of the adventures of a few of
these lesser known, but no less courageous, knights of the Round Table.
Sir Percivale and his thief hunt with Arthur; Sir Lancelot's near-death
experience with a holy battle; Sir Bor's close call with fire from the
sky; Sir Galahad's finding of a magical sword; all are knight's
tales that are fantastic in their own right, but not as widely told as
those of King Arthur. The
King Arthur Chronicles is an account of these knights and their
adventures through the eyes of their leader, King Arthur. The retelling
of these stories comes straight from the journal of Arthur himself. No
detail is spared, and no thrill is left unmentioned. Find out just how
Arthur saw these men, and see their tales told through the pen of the
greatest knight of all.
