The Legend
King Arthur has spanned numerous generations throughout time. The stories of the round table have been used in the works of authors dating back to the Medieval Times. He gave his people hope for a brighter future. His leadership changed the course of British History and the stories of King Arthur have transgressed time.
According to Lesley Speller, one of the more accepted legends was about a king named Uther Pendragon, Arthur’s father.
Merlin the Magician was one of Uther's most trusted confidants. Not long after the birth of Uther's son Arthur, Merlin came to Uther and said that he had seen a vision. In this vision he learned that Uther would die and the kingdom would be thrust into anarchy. This would place Arthur, the only heir to the throne, in grave danger, for those who would wish to be king would try to kill him. When Merlin told the king this, he decided to send the boy away to a place where he would be safe. So Merlin took Arthur to Sir Kay, one of Uther's knights, who raised Arthur as his own son. Uther died, and the kingdom was in anarchy for many years until one day a young boy pulled the sword Excalibur from its stone, a feat that no one else could perform. This boy, Arthur, was then told of his birthright and crowned king.
In order to understand the life of King Arthur and how his rule influenced life from medieval times and today, it is pertinent to understand the events in history previous to his rule in the British Isles, which where once part of the Roman Empire. The Britons thought of themselves as Roman citizens since they where conquered in AD. 45. Rome trusted the loyalty of the Britons so much that they allowed them to govern themselves after A.D. 410.
In the fifth century the Roman Empire was on a decline, and concerned with matters at home, unable to rule the outskirts of the empire, let there guard down. The Anglo-Saxons saw this as an opportunity to attack. Due to the fact that the Roman army could not protect Britain they had to fend off the Anglo-Saxons themselves.
When the Romans left, Britain was in near anarchy. This is the era known as the Dark Ages. Government soon began to develop at the local level. Warrior kings came into power, and ruled as much as they could control. Arthur was probably one of the warrior kings who led his armies in the counter thrust against the Anglo-Saxons. Ronan Coghlan wrote that “Arthur fought alongside the British kings but was himself the war leader (10).” “The name Arthur in originates form Latin and means leader (Fuqua).” He had to face the responsibility of making judgment calls, a responsibility that could cause casualties among his men. His leadership role made him famous. It put him in a position of acknowledgement, because of the victories over the Anglo-Saxons he was praised by his people. His was “the type of fighting in which individual bravery and skill are bound to be noticed and are likely to have a decisive effect on the result. The two qualities which a society of this kind most needs in its fighting men are courage and loyalty and these are essential qualities of a hero (Cavendish, 2).”
The Anglo-Saxons had not been expecting the strength with which the British fought back. They had only attempted to conquer peoples who were not loyal to their countries. This unique British rally against the Barbarians has been called “Arthurian Fact.” The tradition of a brief age of glory grew round it and was passed on to Briton's descendants, who kept it long after the Anglo-Saxons turned most of Britain into England (Speller). “Nennius gives a list of twelve battles in which victory fell to Arthur, notably Badon where he avers Arthur discomfited nine-hundred and sixty adversaries (Coghlan11). The siege of Mount Badon is believed to have taken place somewhere between A.D. 490 and 520. All available sources agree that Arthur was a general at this battle, that he crushed his enemy, and that he took with him some type of religious symbol (Speller).
The battle of Mount Badon was followed by a long spell of peace. The government was working well, and the people were prosperous. Then around A.D. 550, the Anglo-Saxons recovered and started their attacks again in full force. This time the Britons were not strong enough to defeat the Anglo-Saxons. King Arthur's people told stories of his victories, valor, and goodness. (Speller) “The tales of their adventures were exciting and enjoyable...they where also instructive and inspiring… They showed how men and women could best live there lives in an imperfect world. These are qualities which the Arthurian legends have never lost (Cavendish2)”, and make King Arthur a hero among his people. Qualities such as constant bravery, honor, and loyalty are what put him in a category above normal human standings. According to Coghlan, the attributes that Arthur possesses set him along side David of Israel. Just as David risked his life against the great giant Goliath to protect his people and Beowulf was killed saving his people from a monstrous dragon. King Arthur’s legend has survived all this time. The fact that during the dark ages there where virtually no books, these stories were preserved against all odds.
Even still in today’s society the legend of King Arthur lives on through children’s books, cartoons and motion pictures.
“To the people Arthur wasn't just a legend, he was a real man: someone who sacrificed himself to become a leader and earned the right to be called King. Amongst the knights, Arthur is the one who feels a sense of unfairness, a sense of responsibility to intervene and make the world a fair place. The knights, as loyal as they are to him, are much more like military machines - they want to do their thing and move on but that's why Arthur is the leader - they all recognize that there's something different about him and they can't help themselves from following him (Fuqua).
King Arthur was a great influence among the people during the Medieval Times. He was an inspiration to the people and he gave them hope for a brighter future. His leadership changed the course of British History and His stories have survived over the ages, whether he was real or not.
