King Arthur is the most famous King in British
history. But he may have never existed at all. Historians
have debated the existence of King Arthur for hundreds of years.
Most people have chalked King Arthur up to myth because their is
virtually no historical evidence of such a great king. But a few
people hold that King Arthur actually existed, and if you watch the
History Channel long enough, you are likely to see a modern day quest
to prove Arthur's existence.
Those who believe in King Arthur use Geoffrey of
Monmouth's History of the Kings of
Britain to search for clues. Completed in 1138, claims to
be an accurate history of the people of Britain. It traces
British roots all the way back to the Trojans. King Arthur and
King Lear are just a few of the famous men in the History.
According to Geoffrey, Arthur lived shortly after
the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The Empire's collapse left
Britain defenseless and open to invaders from Ireland, Norway, and
anyone else who felt like attacking the island. Britain was
in desperate need of someone to unite and defend the people.
Legend states that Arthur was the illegitimate son
of Uther Pendragon and Igerna of Cornwall. He rose to power in
the sixth century and led his people in many victories over the
Saxons.
Arthur's palace was located in Camelot, where he proved
to be a wise and fair judge for his people. After Arthur drove
back the Scots, Picts, and Saxons, Camelot became the cultural
center of medieval England. Arthur's court was the sight of
many festivals and tournaments where young men could prove their valor
and worthiness to serve the king.
There are literally hundreds of stories about King
Arthur and his court, and several versions of each story. Some of
the most familiar characters associated with Arthur are his counselor
Merlin, and his champions Sir Gawain and Lancelot. This storybook
will barely scratch the surface of Arthur's history. It will
contain new versions of some familiar tales, as well as a few stories
that will be new to most readers. For more information on King
Arthur, or the debate over his existence, visit Wikipedia.org.
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Professor Ryan Schmidt is firmly on the Non-Believer side of the Arthur
debate. As an English Literature professor, he offers a course
over Arthurian Legends every fall. Arthurian Literature is
beautiful work, but like everything else he teaches, it is
fiction. At least that is what he thinks. Beginning with
the famous Sword in the Stone tale, and ending with Arthur's final
battle with Mordred, one student is determined to change his mind.
In Mark's first essay, The Sword in the Stone, he chooses to
retell the most well known King Arthur story. His version of the
story has a slight twist that manages to catch the attention of the
cynical Professor Schmidt. For his second essay, Mark described
the Wedding Feast of King Arthur.
Unlike his first essay, this one differs significantly from the common
version. But, as Mark argues, it is the right version. Mark's
third essay covers a little known event in the life of King Arthur: The Call of Rome. Arthur's fame
spread so widely that even th Roman emperor took notice, and was
jealous. And when kings get jealous, battle follows. Mark's
last effort to convince his professor to rethink Arthur was also
Arthur's Final Battle.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Mark's
description of the downfall of the world's greatest king is powerful,
but is it enough for Professor Schmidt??
Image: "Camelot" from Welcome to
Camelot
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