King Arthur Essay example -- History Kings Arthurian Legends Essays

King Arthur The Arthurian legends are well known in today's society. However, very few people know of the "real" Arthur -- who he was and what his accomplishments were. This paper will establish a difference between legend and truth, show evidence to support and explain who the real Arthur was, and shed some light on the sometimes confusing Arthurian legends. To establish any sort of idea that there was, in fact, a "real" Arthur, it is imperative to look over the legendary Arthur and his impact on different cultures. Arthur's beginnings are shrouded in mystery, though it is generally accepted that he is the bastard child of Uther Pendragon and Ygerna. Ygerna was not married to Uther, but to Gorlois at the time of Arthur's conception. His childhood is generally considered a happy one, and it is even suggested that Uther thought too highly of Arthur and therefore the boy did not have to work. However, Jean d'Outremeuse stated that Arthur "was a promising trainee knight," which suggests that Arthur worked hard in his childhood to prove that he was capable of achieving knighthood. Since it was difficult to be a knight, he would have had to work very hard, especially if he was Uther's son. An older knight who took him under his wing wouldn't let him get away with being lazy simply because of his lineage. (Morris, p. 34) The earliest mentions of Arthur occur in Welsh poetry, previous to any stories the French poets wrote of him. There are no mentions of his name in chronicle literature of the pre-Norman period, though there are brief references to campaigns that he supposedly fought in. As far as his being mentioned in Welsh poetry, this is more evidence of the "real" Arthur and will therefore be discussed late... ...ian legends are true, they must be taken lightly for it should be assumed that everything in print may be amplified to ten times what the real Arthur may have accomplished during his lifetime. The main purpose of this essay has been to discuss the facts that prove there was a "real" Arthur, as well as to discuss the legendary Arthur, to try to find an explanation why his deeds were portrayed in a way that made them larger than life. The legendary Arthur and the real Arthur have been presented, and the two have been compared for the purpose of drawing conclusions as to why, perhaps, this mortal man was personified as a legendary warrior and king of his people. Now, with both the legendary Arthur and the "real" Arthur discussed, perhaps a new outlook on the Arthurian legends can be taken when a person hears about Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.