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King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship both in war and peace. He is the central character in the cycle of legends known as the Matter of Britain. There is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever actually existed. In the earliest mentions and in Welsh texts, he is never given the title "King." Early texts refer to him as a dux bellorum ("war leader"), and medieval Welsh texts often call him ameraudur ("emperor"; the word is borrowed from the Latin imperator, which could also mean "war leader").
A bronze Arthur in plate armour with visor raised and with jousting shield is one of the chivalrous mourners at the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I (died 1519), in Innsbruck
Historicity
Artist Britton LaRoche. In Welsh legend, Arthur's sword is known as Caledfwlch.
The historicity of the Arthur of legend has long been debated by scholars.
One school of thought believes that Arthur had no historical existence. [1] Some hold that he originally was a half-forgotten Celtic deity that devolved into a personage (citing sometimes a supposed change of the sea-god Lir into King Lear). Supporters of this theory often link it to the Welsh etymology of Arthur's name as derived from "bear", proposing bear gods named Artos or Artio as the precedent for the legend, but these deities are known to have been worshipped by the continental Celts, not the Britons.
Another view holds that Arthur was a real person, who by most theories was a Romano-British leader and lived sometime in the late 5th century to early 6th century and fought against the invading Saxons. Recent archaeological studies show that during this alleged figure's lifetime, the Saxon expansions were halted until the next generation. If he existed, his power base would probably have been in the Celtic areas of Wales, Cornwall, or the west of modern England. However, controversy over the centre of his supposed power and the extent and kind of power he would have wielded continues to this day.
Ambrosius Aurelianus
Some members of the historical school have argued for identifying Arthur with Ambrosius Aurelianus, a Romano-British war leader who won important battles against the Saxons but whose traditional dates of activity are somewhat earlier than Arthur's. Thus, some have argued that Arthur may have been one of Ambrosius' lieutenants, and may have succeeded him as overall leader.
Lucius Artorius Castus
Other writers, such as Kemp Malone and Linda Malcor, suggest that King Arthur should be identified as one Lucius Artorius Castus, a Roman dux of the 2nd century, who might have (though this is far from certain) led a numerus of Sarmatian, which was based at Ribchester and which campaigned at and north of Hadrian’s Wall. Castus' alleged military exploits in Britain and Armorica may have been remembered for centuries afterward. This is linked to a theory by C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor which suggests that the folk narratives carried by the Alano-Sarmatians as well as history associated with various groups of Alano-Sarmatians formed the core of the Arthurian tradition. The "Sarmatian connection" hypothesis was used as the basis of the film King Arthur.
The Alano-Sarmatians were steppe nomads who fought from horseback with a kontus ("lance"), longsword and bow, carried a shield with a tamga marking (similar to heraldic markings), and who wore scale armor and conical helms. [citation needed] There are also strong connections between Alano-Sarmatian legends and customs (such as placing swords in the ground) and details in the Arthurian legend (such as the Sword in the Stone) as well as the Cup of the Narts ("Nartyamonga"), which appeared at feasts, delivered to each person what he liked best to eat, and which was kept by the bravest of the Narts ("Knights") and the magical woman, dressed in white, associated with water, who helps the hero acquire his sword and the Lady of the Lake. [citation needed] In fact, the modern Ossetian tale of the "Death of Batraz" (the leader of the Narts) matches Malory's tale of the death of Arthur almost point for point, except the sword is thrown into a sea rather than a lake (The Ossetians are the descendants of the Alans). [citation needed]
While Castus and the Sarmatian forces lived three hundred years before the traditional dates of Arthur's battles, many oral narratives survive much longer than that, with the adventures of subsequent historical figures often credited to "heroes" who lived many centuries earlier. [citation needed] Some Sarmatian details, like the Sword in the Stone itself, may have been added later in French romances, possibly entering the tradition as the result of the impact of the Alans on Europe in the fifth century C.E. [citation needed].
However, those who do not accept the Sarmatian connection would argue that the obscurity surrounding Castus makes this identification unlikely, as there seems to be little reason for him to have become a major legendary figure. No Roman historical source actually mentions him, or his alleged exploits in Britain. Nor is there actually any firm evidence that he ever commanded Sarmatians. Also, the greatest resonances of Arthurian tales with Sarmatian ones occur in very late writings, relatively speaking, such as Malory's Le Morte Darthur (when Arthur and his men were already developed into "knights in shining armor") and none appear in the earliest Welsh legends, such as those in the Mabinogion — which lead some to conclude that Sarmatian influence was limited to the development of the tales instead of historical basis, if at all. (See [2])
Arthur as an alias
The origin of the name Arthur is itself a matter of debate, and is very much connected to the debates concerning his historicity. Some, like the above, see it as derived from the Latin "Artorius", a Roman family name meaning "plowman" which became "Arturius", among other variants, in Roman inscriptions. The 5th to 6th century Welshart (arth is a later form) means “bear”. Thus, theories for the Welsh origin of the name Arthur have been proposed. One has art + ur, “man of the bear” or “bear-man”, thus giving us Artur. Also, the Latin form of Arthur appears as Arturus in the earliest writings, never Artorius. The supposition of the Latin "-us" could suggest the original name was the Welsh Artur. Yet "Artorius" in its later forms when pronounced in Celtic languages could have yielded "Arthur" as well as "Arturus", both of which forms do occur in the medieval literature.
Toby C. Griffen, among others, links the name Arthur to Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, and the third brightest in the night sky. The word Arcturus is in Classical Latin, and would have been Arturus in the Late Latin of the 5th – 6th century. Griffen and others believe that Arthur might not be derived from a Latin original such as Artorius, as proponents of the above theories suspect, but could have been a nom de guerre used by or an epithet bestowed upon the leader who fought against the Saxons.
Griffen goes on to state that the star Arturus was associated with the Great Bear. Its position in the sky, near Ursa Major, led people to call it the “guardian of the bear”, and it was regarded as the leader of the other stars in Boötes. In Welsh, the conveniently similar Artur (or possibly Arturos) meant “bear-man”. If the man we call Arthur used Arturus (and Artur[os]) as his nom de guerre(s), its meaning(s) would have been easily understood by both the Romano-British and native British alike; a stout bear-like defender against the invaders. (See [3])
Graham Phillips and Martin Keatman argue for their variant of the nom de guerre theory in their book, King Arthur: The True Story. For them, the name has two components. The first would be the Welsh art meaning bear, and the second a repetition in Latin, ursus, making the original name "Artursus". They maintain that he would have been one of the Votadini of Gwynedd, possibly Owain Ddantgwyn, King of Rhôs. However,their theory has not gained widespread acceptance.
In any case, the name Artur and its variants was used by at least four leaders who lived after the traditional dates of Arthur’s battles, suggesting to Griffen and others that it was not used as a personal name until “the” Arthur himself did so. This idea is reinforced by the fact that Arthur's father is named Uther, phonetically similar to Arthur.
Artur mac Áedáin
Another theory proposes that the real Arthur was Artur mac Áedáin, a war leader of the Scots and Brythons. By this theory, Artur was predominantly active in the region between the Roman walls — the Gododdin. Artur was never "king" per se, but rather the son of the Scottish king Áedán mac Gabráin, who ruled from about 574 AD. As claims this website ([4]), Artur led a loose coalition of the ChristianCelts against their pagan invaders — effectively holding them off for about one hundred more years. This is the solution proposed by Michael Wood. However, Artur is merely one of the aforementioned four leaders who were probably named after the original Arthur. In modern times, Artur's name is spelled Artuir.
Arthur the Bronze Age leader
John Darrah and Arthur Cummins propose an Arthur who lived in the Bronze Age, circa 2300 BC. They argue that pulling a sword from a stone and an anvil is a metaphor for making a sword from ore and hammering it into shape on an anvil. This is disputed by those who say that the Sword in the Stone is an embellishment in the first place. [citation needed]. Roderick MacLeish's fiction book Prince Ombra includes this metaphor in its retelling of the Arthurian legend.
The late historian John Morris made the alleged reign of Arthur at the turn of the 5th century the organising principle of his history of sub-Roman Britain and Ireland under the rubric The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350–650' (1974), even though he found little to say of a historic Arthur, save as an example of the idea of kingship, one among such contemporaries as Vortigern and Cunedda, Hengest and Coel.
Earliest traditions of Arthur
Britain, c. 500 CE.
Arthur first appears in Welsh literature. In a surviving early Welsh poem, The Gododdin (ca. AD 594), the poet Aneirin (ca. AD 535-600) writes of one of his subjects that "he fed black ravens on the ramparts, although he was no Arthur." However, it is not possible to determine if this passage is a later interpolation based on current manuscripts of the poem. The following poems attributed to Taliesin are possibly from a similarly early date: The Chair of the Sovereign, which refers to "Arthur the Blessed"; Preiddeu Annwn ("The Treasures of Annwn"), mentions "the valour of Arthur" and states "we went with Arthur in his splendid labours"; and the poem Journey to Deganwy, which contains the passage "as at the battle of Badon with Arthur, chief giver of feasts, with his tall blades red from the battle which all men remember."
Another early reference to Arthur is in the Historia Britonum, attributed to the Welsh monk Nennius, who is said to have written this compilation of early Welsh history around the year 830. In this work, Arthur is referred to as a "leader of battles" rather than as a king. Two separate sources within this compilation list twelve battles that he fought, culminating in the Battle of Mons Badonicus, where he is said to have single-handedly killed 960 men. According to the 10th century Annales Cambriae, Arthur was killed at the Battle of Camlann in AD 537.
Arthur makes appearances in a number of well known vitae ("Lives") of 6th century saints, most of them written at the monastery of Llancarfan in the 12th century. For example, in the Life of Saint Illtud, from internal evidence apparently written around 1140, Arthur is said to be a cousin of that churchman. Many of these appearances portray Arthur as a fierce warrior, and not necessarily as morally impeccable as in later romances. According to the Life of Saint Gildas (died ca. AD 570), written in the 11th century by Caradoc of Llancarfan, Arthur killed Gildas' brother Hueil, a pirate on the Isle of Man.
In around 1100, Lifris of Llancarfan writes in his Life of Saint Cadoc that Arthur was bettered by Cadoc. Cadoc gave protection to a man who killed three of Arthur's soldiers, and Arthur was awarded a herd of cattle from Cadoc as wergeld for his men. Cadoc delivered them as demanded, but when Arthur took possession of the animals, they were transformed into bundles of ferns. Such episodes serve to portray a holy man besting a worldly leader. Similar incidents are described in the late medieval biographies of Carannog, Padern, Goeznovius, and Efflam.
Arthur also appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, a narrative that is usually associated with the Mabinogion. In that work, Culhwch visits Arthur's court to seek his help in winning the hand of Olwen. Arthur, who is described as his kinsman, agrees to the request and fulfils the demands of Olwen's giant father Ysbaddaden, which includes his hunt for the great boar Twrch Trwyth described at length by the author.
This may be related to legends where Arthur is depicted as the leader of the Wild Hunt, a folk motif that is also recorded in Brittany, France; Galicia, Spain; and Germany. Roger Sherman Loomis has listed a number of these instances (Loomis 1972). Gervase of Tilbury in the 13th century and two 15th century writers assign this role to Arthur. Gervase states that Arthur and his knights regularly hunt along an ancient trackway between Cadbury Castle and Glastonbury (which is still known as King Arthur's Causeway[5]), and that he with his company of riders may be seen by moonlight in the forests of Britain or Brittany or Savoy. Loomis alludes to a Scottish mention in the 16th century, and that many of these beliefs were still current in the 19th century at Cadbury Castle, and in several parts of France.
The first major popularization of Arthurian legend was Geoffrey of Monmouth's fictional Historia Regum Britanniae, quite popular in medieval times, among those aristocrats wealthy enough to own books, which helped draw the attention of other writers, such as Robert Wace and Layamon, who expanded on the tales of Arthur. The date of the Historia is given as 1133 by a small proportion of experts; however, the date is more normally given as 1138, as the following quote indicates:
Geoffrey stayed at Oxford at least until 1151 and during this period wrote his two extant works, Historia regum Britanniae (1136–1138; "History of the Kings of Britain") and Vita Merlini (ca. 1148; "The Life of Merlin").
During a period of five hundred years the tradition of his exploits was preserved, and rudely embellished, by the obscure bards of Wales and Armorica (otherwise known as Brittany), who were odious to the Saxons, and unknown to the rest of mankind. The pride and curiosity of the Norman conquerors prompted them to inquire into the ancient history of Britain; they listened with fond credulity to the tale of Arthur, and eagerly applauded the merit of a prince who had triumphed over the Saxons, their common enemies. [Chapter 38, Footnote 138]
Thus, according to Gibbon, the once obscure 500-year-old Welsh legend became more widely known (through the works of the Anglo-Norman poet Wace and others), creating a unified cultural icon under which the Norman rulers and the native Welsh could rally against their common enemy: the Saxons.
One influencing factor may have been that William the Conqueror was one-quarter Breton, and the Bretons had kept alive the legends of King Arthur brought with them when they fled Britain during the Saxon invasions five centuries earlier. Geoffrey of Monmouth was also of Breton stock. The Bretons and other British émigrés had supported William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, providing a large proportion of the knights in the battle. Since the ethnic British nobility fought against the Saxons at Hastings it was inevitable that their mythology would experience a resurgence when the crown was won.
While many scholars believe that Geoffrey of Monmouth is the source for medieval interest in Arthur, at least one scholar, Roger S. Loomis, has argued that many of the tales surrounding Arthur were independently adapted from Breton oral traditions, spread through the royal and noble courts of Europe by professional storytellers known as jongleurs. The French medieval writer Chrétien de Troyes recounted tales from the Matter of Britain during the mid 12th century, as did Marie de France in her narrative lais. In any case, the later stories told by these two writers and by many others appear to be independent of what Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote.
In these Arthurian romances, which gained popularity in the 12th century, Arthur gathered the Knights of the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and others). At his court, most often held at Camelot in the later prose romances, could sometimes be found the wizard Merlin. Arthur's knights engaged in fabulous quests, the quest for the Holy Grail being perhaps the best known. Other stories from the Celtic world came to be associated with Arthur, such as the tale of Tristan and Isolde. In the late prose romances the love affair between Arthur's champion, Sir Lancelot, and the Queen, Guinevere, becomes the central reason for the collapse of the Arthurian realm.
King Arthur's tombsite at Glastonbury Abbey
In the romances, Arthur is killed in his last battle, the Battle of Camlann, in which he fought against the forces of Mordred. The Prose Lancelot and the later prose cyclic romances state that Mordred was also a knight of the Round Table and the child of an incestuous union between Arthur and his sister Morgause. In almost all accounts Arthur is said to have been mortally wounded, but to have been taken after the battle to Avalon, where his wounds were healed or his body buried in a chapel. Some texts refer to a return of Arthur in the future.
The Arthurian mythos spread far across the European continent. An image of Arthur and his knights attacking a castle was carved into an archivolt over the north doorway of Modena Cathedral in Italy sometime between 1099 and 1120. The surprising fact that these Italian images seem to have been carved more than a decade before the appearance of Geoffrey's "Historia" indicates how limited is our knowledge of the spread of Arthurian legend in the early Middle Ages. Also in Italy, a mosaic pavement in the cathedral of Otranto, near Bari, was made in 1165 with the unexplained depiction of Arturus Rex bearing a sceptre and riding a goat. 15th century merchants set up an Arthurian hall in his honour in Gdańsk, Poland.
In 1191, monks of Glastonbury Abbey announced that they had found the burial site of Arthur and Guinevere. Their grave was shown to many people, and the reputed remains were moved to a new tomb in 1278. The tomb was destroyed during the Reformation, and the bones lost. The antiquary John Leland reports that he saw the cross found with the remains, and transcribed its inscription as
Hic iacet sepvltvs inclytvs rex artvrivs in insvla avalonia — "Here lies buried the famous King Arthur in the Island of Avalon".
If Leland accurately reproduced the script of this inscription, then it can be dated to the 10th century. At least one scholar has suggested that the cross was added when Arthur's remains were transferred to the abbey. Almost all are skeptical of the discovery, as Glastonbury monks were notorious forgers.
Historian Lady Elizabeth Longford adds, per Monmouth, that Arthur's grave was inscribed
Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam, rexque futurus — "Here lies Arthur, Former king, and future king"
In Robert de Boron's Merlin, Arthur obtained the throne by pulling a sword from a stone. In this account, this act could not be performed except by "the true king," meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. This sword is thought by many to be the famous Excalibur and the identity is made explicit in the later so-called Vulgate Merlin Continuation.
However, in what is sometimes called the Post-Vulgate Merlin, Excalibur was taken from a hand rising from a lake and given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake sometime after he began to reign. According to many sources, Arthur broke the sword pulled from the stone whilst fighting King Pellinore, and thus Merlin took him to retrieve Excalibur from the lake (as cited in many novels including Howard Pyle's King Arthur and His Knights, King Arthur and the Legend of Camelot, and indeed most modern Arthurian literature). In this Post-Vulgate version, the sword's blade could slice through anything, including steel, and its sheath made the wearer invincible in that the wearer could not die so long as they bore the scabbard.
Some stories say that Arthur did indeed pull the sword from the stone (Excalibur), giving him the right to be king, but accidentally killed a fellow knight with it and cast it away. Merlin told him to undertake a quest to find another blade, and it was then that Arthur received his sword from the hand in the water, and named it Excalibur, after his original sword. The first appearance of the sword named Caliburn is in Geoffrey of Monmouth, who asserted that in battle against Arthur "nought might armour avail, but that Caliburn would carve their souls from out them with their blood." ([6]).
Benz, Derek and J.S. Lewis' The Revenge of the Shadow King reveals an alternate history of Arthur who was betrayed and murdered by Mordred for possession of a sacred book which had been passed down father-to-son for thousands of years. In this case, Arthur was betrayed when he refused to pass the book on to his illegitimate son.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer: The Mists of Avalon is the classic of modern reinterpretations of the Arthurian legend through the points of view of powerful women behind Camelot.
Bryher set her historical novel Ruan in Britain immediately after Arthur's death.
Chadbourn, Mark : The Age of Misrule and The Dark Age trilogies take a modern twist of Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology, using them as a basis for a dark series of novels set in modern Britain, when the Celtic gods return to take back the land.
Christian, Catherine , The Pendragon tells the story from a 5th century Sir Bedivere.
Cornwell, Bernard: The Warlord Chronicles consist of three novels, Winter King, Enemy of God, and Excalibur, and reintroduce many old characters back into the tale. Told by Derfel after Arthur's death they are very realistic in nature even though they do have Merlin and Lancelot and magic. Well worth a read and the author's notes at the end are enlightening. "There is a sword and there is a stone, but one is not in the other", is Cornwell's own summary. These three books are Bernard Cornwell's personal favourites of all his own works.
Drake, David: Dragon Lord, a somewhat unconventional story involving a "King Arthur" who is more great military general than quasi-enchanted king, takes place shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire and long before the Age of Chivalry.
Elliot, Janice: The King Awakes a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel for young teens. Arthur awakens and maintains a presence as a sub-plot, leading to a fantastic finale complete with re-born Knights of the Round Table. An interesting re-interpretation of Celtic myth in a post atomic war milleu.
Gidlow, Christopher: The Reign of Arthur: From History to Legend
Godwin, Parke: Firelord and Beloved Exile
The several books by Goodrich, Norma Lorre are very popular, but are based on a poorly received analysis of Arthurian legend and medieval history. She asserts he was a borderlands king whose activity centred around the Roman walls and wall forts. This is so at odds with entrenched beliefs that she is dismissed by many scholars despite some well founded conclusions.
Stewart, Mary Merlin books: The Crystal Cave sets up the background for the Arthurian legend. The Hollow Hills encompasses most of Arthur's lifespan, including his childhood with Merlin as his tutor. The Last Enchantment deals with Merlin's later life, against the continued background of Arthur's rule. A later book, The Wicked Day, was written from the point of view of Mordred in the latter period of Arthur's rule, and provides an interesting counterpoint to the original three novels.
Whyte, Jack: The Camulod Chronicles, a series of books containing more historical fiction than fantasy beginning with Roman Britain and leading through Arthur's reign.
King Arthur, a motion picture released on July 7, 2004, claiming (despite being heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies) to be more historically accurate about the legend of Arthur as a 5th century, British-born, Roman Commander, with respect to new archaeological findings; similar in story line to Jack Whyte's books.
The 1950s British television series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, although based around the knight's exploits, featured Arthur and many other characters from the legends. This was the first British television series ever to be made in colour.
The 1970s British television series, Arthur of the Britons, starring Oliver Tobias, sought to create a more "realistic" portrait of the period and to explain the origins of some of the myths about the Celtic leader.
The television movie Merlin showing a tale of Arthur and his knights.
The animated series The Legend of Prince Valiant followed the adventures of three young warriors training to become Knights of the Round Table. Originally aired in the early 1990s, it featured Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, and Gawain in its main cast and several other Arthurian characters in recurring roles.
The animated series Gargoyles featured several tales of Arthur (who was prematurely awakened in a time of need) and the magic and fairies of Avalon. A proposed spin-off for the character never materialized.
The animated series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited featuring related characters Morgan Le Fay, Mordred, and Merlin.
The animated series King Arthur and the Knights of Justice premiring in 1992 featured an American Football team called the Knights led by quarterback Arthur King. When the "real" Knights of the Round Table are captured, Merlin magically transports the Knights football team to Camelot to defend the kingdom and rescue the captured knights. The show was cancelled in 1993.
The 100th episode of the television show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Once Upon A Future King, featured a young Arthur sent back in time by Merlin to learn from Hercules.
In Season Nine of the science-fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Arthur and Arthurian legend, particularly Merlin, are intrinsic to the plot of the season; specifically, Merlin is an Ancient who may have taught Arthur how to Ascend at Glastonbury Tor and hid the wealth of the Knights in an elaborate, puzzle-laden chamber.
Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon was made into a miniseries by TNT in 2001.
In the seventh season of MacGyver, the two part episode "Good Knight MacGyver" has MacGyver apparantly transported to the court of Camelot after a blow to the head.
In the sixth season of the supernatural drama Charmed, King Arthur is reincarnated in Wyatt Halliwell, Piper (a Charmed One) and Leo's (a powerful whitelighter) first-born, a twice-blessed child believed to be the future leader of the magical community, as prophesied by an apothecary from the 1700s.
Other media
In 1937, a newspaper comic strip by Hal Foster, Prince Valiant was first published, with the byline "In the Days of King Arthur". Since the death of Foster in 1982, John Cullen Murphy has continued producing this comic strip.
The DC Comics uses the idea that Artur's Camelot is a recurring piece of history, and there have been 'several Arthurs', including a pagan general in Roman Britain, and a medieval Christian mystic. The various Arturs were served by various versions of the character Shining Knight.
The comic bookDracula vs King Arthur from Silent Devil Productions takes the Arthur as he begins his quest for the Grail and pits him against a time-crossing Dracula.
Several comic book titles have explored the "Once and Future King" aspect of the legend by bringing Arthur and his knights back from the dead at the time of Britain's greatest need including Camelot 3000 and Knights of Pendragon. Also Simon Bisley's Treasure of Britain starring Slaine.
The video game Knights Of The Round by Capcom is a light-hearted take on the Arthurian legend in a sword fighting beat-em-up similar to the video game Final Fight.
The visual novel and animeFate/stay night features a young female knight called Saber whose true name is King Arturia. In game, she was the basis for the King Arthur myth.
The video game Tomb Raider Legend by Crystal Dynamics revolves around the King Arthur legend being a striking resemblance of other cultures around the world which pieces of artifacts found forms the Excalibur.
The board game Shadows over Camelot features King Arthur as one of the main playable characters in the game.
In the video game legion:the legend of excaliber king arthur is the main char. and it tells his story of becoming king
In the video game RuneScape, King Arthur and several knights of the round table are featured along with the castle of Camelot, and it is the starting place of two quests.
In the video game, Final Fantasy VII, the final and greatest summon materia is "Knights of the Round" which has 12 knights striking an enemy with the last knight obviously being King arthur through his extended entrance and grander appearance
King Arthur makes several appearances throughout De Rode Ridder (The Red Knight), a Flemish comic book series.
The Japanese release of Bruce Dickinson's 6th solo album - The Chemical Wedding - features a song called 'Return of the King' which heavily references Arthurian elements including Uther Pendragon.
The American power-metal band named Kamelot has many songs with Arthurian elements in their discography.
Arthur Tudor, named after Arthur with a hope that he would restore English greatness
Bibliography
Leslie Alcock. Arthur's Britain: History and Archaeology AD 367 - 634. Allen Lane, The Penguin Press. London. 1971. ISBN 0713902450
Richard Barber, King Arthur in Legend and History, Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2004, ISBN 0851152546 [7]
Rachel Bromwich, "Concepts of Arthur", Studia Celtica, 9/10 (1976), pp.163-81.
Ronan Coghlan, Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends, Element, Shaftesbury, 1991.
David N. Dumville, "Sub-Roman Britain: History and Legend", History 62 (1977), pp. 173-92.
Norma Lorre Goodrich: "King Arthur", 1986 New York/London: Franklin Watts ISBN 0531097013
Phyllis Ann Karr: "The Arthurian Companion", 2001 Oakland: Green Knight Publishing ISBN 1928999131
Roger S. Loomis, "The Arthurian Legend before 1139", The Romanic Review, 32 (1941), 3-38.
Daniel Mersey. Arthur King of the Britons: From Celtic Hero To Cinema Icon. Summersdale. Chichester. 2004. ISBN 1840244038
John Morris. "The Age of Arthur." New York: Scribner, 1973. SBN 684 13313 X
Thomas Jones, "The Early Evolution of the Legend of Arthur", Nottingham Medieval Studies, 8 (1964), pp. 3-21.
Derek Pearsall, Arthurian Romance: a short introduction, Blackwell, Oxford 2005 ISBN 0631233199
Robert Rouse and Cory Rushton, The Medieval Quest for Arthur, Tempus, Stroud, 2005 ISBN 0752433431
External links
Arthurian Resources Articles on (and bibliographic guides to) the early Arthurian tradition and the origins of the legend, utilising the latest scholarship. Provided by Thomas Green of Exeter College, Oxford University.
A Guide to King Arthur's Forgotten Realm http://panther.bsc.edu/~arthur A detailed but digestible site containing the research materials and experiences of two college students' experiences while travelling Britain's sites associated with the Aurthurian legend.
Camelot in Four Colors : A Survey of the Arthurian Legend in Comics [8]
The Taliesin Foundation: Understanding Celtic tradition in relation to today, in particular the Anglo-Celtic Inheritance of what Winston Churchill called "The English Speaking Peoples", inspired and informed by the mythos of King Arthur, the Round Table, the Quest for the Holy Grail.[9]
