King Arthur - according to legends, the ruler of the kingdom of Logres, the legendary leader of the Britons of the 5-6 centuries, who defeated the conquerors of the Saxons. The most famous of the Celtic heroes, the central hero of the British epic and numerous knightly novels.
Many historians do not exclude the existence of a historical prototype of Arthur. His exploits are mentioned in legends and works of art, concerning mainly the search for the Holy Grail and the rescue of girls.
There are many interesting facts in the biography of King Arthur, which we will talk about in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Arthur.
Character story
According to legend, Arthur gathered in his own castle - Camelot, the brave and noble knights of the Round Table. In folklore, he is presented as a just, strong and wise ruler who cared about the welfare of his people and state.
This knight was first mentioned in a Welsh poem dating from about 600. After that, Arthur's name will appear in many works, and in our time also in dozens of films and TV shows.
Many experts believe that King Arthur never existed, and his name was attributed to some historical person, known by another name. Among the possible prototypes of the knight, dozens of fictional and genuine personalities were named.
Obviously, King Arthur was the prototype of a certain hero who evoked sympathy and trust among the common people. It is traditionally believed that he was just a collective image in which the biographies of various rulers and commanders were reunited.
It is worth noting that in different sources Arthur's biography has conflicting data. In general terms, he is the illegitimate child of the British ruler Uther Pendragon and the Duchess of Igraine.
The wizard Merlin helped Uther to lie down with a married woman, turning him into the lady's husband in exchange for taking the baby for upbringing. The born boy was given by Merlin to the noble knight Ector, who took care of him and taught him military affairs.
Later, Uther married Igraina, but the spouses did not have sons. When the king was poisoned, the question arose who would be the next British monarch. The wizard Merlin came up with a kind of "test", sharpening the sword in a stone.
As a result, the right to be king went to those who could pull the weapon out of the stone. Arthur, who served as squire for his older brother, easily drew his sword and thus sat on the throne. Then he learned the whole truth from the wizard about his origin.
The new ruler settled in the famous Camelot castle. By the way, this castle is a fictional building. Soon, about a hundred of the most valiant and noble knights of the whole world, including Lancelot, gathered in Camelot.
These warriors protected the poor and weak people, rescued young girls, fought against invaders, and also won victories over evil spiritual forces. At the same time, they strove to find the Holy Grail - from which Christ drank, giving its owner eternal life. As a result, the Grail was able to find Lancelot.
The knights periodically gathered in Camelot at a round table. This form of the table equalized in rights and estates everyone who was at it. The reign of Arthur, who saved Britain from internecine wars, lasted for many years until his life was cut short by the betrayal of close relatives.
Image and conquest
In literature, Arthur is presented as a perfect ruler. He is a master of weapons and has a number of positive qualities: kindness, compassion, generosity, courage, etc.
A man is always firm and calm, and also will never allow a person to be sent to death without trial and investigation. He seeks to unite the state and make it strong and prosperous. During the fights, the king used the magic sword Excalibur, because in the battle with Perinor he broke the weapon "taken out of stone".
King Arthur never missed his enemies with his magic sword. At the same time, its owner pledged to use the weapon only for noble purposes. Over the years of his biography, the autocrat participated in many major battles.
The main triumph of the ruler is considered the battle on Mount Badon, where the Britons managed to defeat the hated Saxons. In this duel, Arthur killed 960 soldiers with Excalibur.
The king later defeated the Glymory army in Ireland. For three days he besieged the Saxons in the Caledonian Forest and, as a result, drove them out. The battle in Pridin also ended in victory, after which Arthur's son-in-law sat on the Norwegian throne.
Family
After becoming king, Arthur married Princess Guinevere, daughter of the ruler of Laudegrance. However, the spouses did not have children, since the curse of infertility was on the princess, which was sent by an evil sorceress. At the same time, Guinevere did not know about it.
Arthur had an illegitimate son, Mordred, born to a half-sister. For some time, Merlin, along with the Lady of Lakes, bewitched young people so that they would not recognize each other and enter into an intimate relationship.
The boy was raised by evil wizards, who instilled in him many negative qualities, including lust for power. Arthur survived his wife's betrayal with Lancelot. Betrayal led to the beginning of the fall of the beautiful era of the monarch's reign.
While the autocrat pursued Lancelot and Guinevere, Mordred forcibly seized power into his own hands. In a duel on the Camland Field, the entire British army fell. Arthur fought with Mordred, but a draw came out - the son struck with a spear inflicted a mortal wound on his father.
Archaeological finds
The most popular archaeological find, the so-called "Arthur's Tomb", was discovered at the beginning of the 12th century. It represented the tomb of a man and a woman, on which the name of King Arthur was allegedly written. Many people came to see the find.
Later, the abbey, on the territory of which this tomb was located, was destroyed. As a result, the burial place was under the ruins. In the real-life castle Tintagel, which is considered to be the birthplace of Arthur, a stone was found with the inscription - "Father Kol created this, Artugnu, Kolya's descendant, created this." As of today, this is the only artifact where the name "Arthur" is mentioned.
Photo of King Arthur
