Arthurian Legend

Arthurian legend is a vast literary and mythological complex blending Welsh folk tradition, Christian allegory, medieval romance, and possible historical memory of post-Roman Britain (5th-6th centuries). The historical Arthur (if he existed) was likely a Romano-British military leader who resisted Saxon invasion. The legendary Arthur, however, is a figure of magic and meaning — raised by Merlin, the wise wizard who may have originated in Caledonian shamanism; crowned king after drawing Excalibur from the stone; ruling from Camelot with a court of knights bound by the Round Table's equality; questing for the Holy Grail (the cup of Christ's Last Supper); and ultimately dying at the Battle of Camlann, from which he returns in the legendary Isle of Avalon 'to return in Britain's hour of need.' Arthurian legend influenced European literature profoundly, spawning works from Geoffrey of Monmouth (12th century) through T.H. White, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and contemporary retellings. The legends encode medieval Christian values, Celtic otherworldly themes, and timeless questions of kingship, duty, and redemption.