The Legendary King Arthur - Full Story Explained - Arthurian Legend

The Legendary King Arthur really begins with Geoffrey of Monmouth in his book The History of the Kings of Britain written in the 12th century. Though Arthur is mentioned in earlier documents that date back as early as the 9th century, Geoffrey was the first to describe Arthur and his origin in much detail, outlining Arthur’s birth in Tintagel, his relationship with the likes of Merlin and Guinevere, his conquest of the British Isles and ultimately his death at the hands of his nephew Mordred.

But if it’s the Historical Arthur that we’re after, we must consider what modern archaeologists and historians have to say about Geoffrey’s version of King Arthur, many of whom condemn the version that Geoffrey portrays and agree that for the most part he probably created Arthur out of a conglomeration of Dark Age figures and kings, thus the reason why Arthur seems more like a tyrant in the History of the Kings of Britain and less like the hero that he would be portrayed in modern literature.

A Historical Basis for King Arthur
A true historical basis for King Arthur is to be made. And he most certainly gained fame as a warrior battling the Germanic invaders of the late fifth and early sixth centuries. Yet since there is no way to 100% guarantee the existence of a character named: Arthur, the debate will continue on. From the Middle Ages to the present, the influence of Arthur upon literature, culture, music and art cannot be denied. Though countless works have been written or created based upon Arthur, the King Arthur of the Middle Ages is the one who has most captured the imaginations of audiences, both young and old.

The King Arthur of Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and TH White’s The Once and Future King is the Arthur that has been established as almost other-worldly hero and the first knight of an order of knights so great they would be etched into history. Central to the myth is the downfall of Arthur’s kingdom. It is undermined in the chronicle tradition by the treachery of Mordred. In the romance tradition that treachery is made possible because of the love of Lancelot and Guinevere.

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