Everything For The Metal Detectorist - King Arthur Origins
King Arthur
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The Truth Behind The Legend Of King Arthur
3-5 Cont...
15. Room for 1,000 ©Shutterstock
King Arthur’s round table is a central part of his legend, and it may actually have some basis in reality, but according to historians, it wasn’t a table—it was a structure. The "round table" would have been made of wood and stone, and allowed room for 1,000 people to gather around a circular meeting place. The nobles would have been seated in the front row, while lower ranking subjects would have been seated on stone benches around the outside of the circle.
King Arthur’s round table is a central part of his legend, and it may actually have some basis in reality, but according to historians, it wasn’t a table—it was a structure. The "round table" would have been made of wood and stone, and allowed room for 1,000 people to gather around a circular meeting place. The nobles would have been seated in the front row, while lower ranking subjects would have been seated on stone benches around the outside of the circle.
16. Imitating the Table ©Wallpaper Flare
16. Imitating the Table ©Wallpaper Flare
King Henry III was completely enamoured with the King Arthur legend, and in the later years of the 13th century, he commissioned a replica of the legendary round table. It was constructed from English oak around 1290 AD for a Round Table Festival being held near Winchester, and it actually still exists today, hanging in the Great Hall of Winchester Castle. The tabletop has a diameter of 5.5 meters and weighs 1,200 kg. The table’s artwork dates back to Henry VIII, and the design is believed to portray Henry as King Arthur surrounded by the legendary knights.
King Henry III was completely enamoured with the King Arthur legend, and in the later years of the 13th century, he commissioned a replica of the legendary round table. It was constructed from English oak around 1290 AD for a Round Table Festival being held near Winchester, and it actually still exists today, hanging in the Great Hall of Winchester Castle. The tabletop has a diameter of 5.5 meters and weighs 1,200 kg. The table’s artwork dates back to Henry VIII, and the design is believed to portray Henry as King Arthur surrounded by the legendary knights.
17. Sword in the Stone ©Wallpaper Flare
The myth of the Sword in the Stone originated with the French poet Robert de Boron and his work Merlin from the 12th century (what's with all these French guys writing about a legendary English king?). In his poem, the sword is actually anchored in an anvil, but in later versions of the story, the anvil became a stone. In some texts, Excalibur and the sword in the stone are one and the same, but the Vulgate Cycle and Thomas Malory’s work present them as two different objects.
18. No Mention - One (honestly pretty convincing) argument against the existence of a historical King Arthur is his lack of mention in any of the histories of his time. A history written by the monk and historian Gildas notes a different person as leader of the Britons, and Arthur’s name does not appear in any lists of British Kings. However, there is one reference to an unnamed leader of the Britons which could theoretically be Arthur, so there's still hope!
19. Compilation - One idea that many historians agree upon is that Arthur could have been either an individual or perhaps a combination of several different people. Many of the heroes of the Dark Ages were men to whom storytellers attributed imaginary talents and ranks, and so it’s also possible that Arthur could have been a Celtic hero who had a mythology formed around him.
The myth of the Sword in the Stone originated with the French poet Robert de Boron and his work Merlin from the 12th century (what's with all these French guys writing about a legendary English king?). In his poem, the sword is actually anchored in an anvil, but in later versions of the story, the anvil became a stone. In some texts, Excalibur and the sword in the stone are one and the same, but the Vulgate Cycle and Thomas Malory’s work present them as two different objects.
18. No Mention - One (honestly pretty convincing) argument against the existence of a historical King Arthur is his lack of mention in any of the histories of his time. A history written by the monk and historian Gildas notes a different person as leader of the Britons, and Arthur’s name does not appear in any lists of British Kings. However, there is one reference to an unnamed leader of the Britons which could theoretically be Arthur, so there's still hope!
19. Compilation - One idea that many historians agree upon is that Arthur could have been either an individual or perhaps a combination of several different people. Many of the heroes of the Dark Ages were men to whom storytellers attributed imaginary talents and ranks, and so it’s also possible that Arthur could have been a Celtic hero who had a mythology formed around him.
20. Place of Conception
©Wikimedia Commons, Kerry Garratt
King Arthur was supposedly conceived at Tintagel Castle, which excavations have proven did actually exist—it was the fortified home of a ruler of Cornwall around 500 AD. The remains of a number of luxury goods were found at the site, as well as a slate with the name "Artognou," along with other names from the stories, engraved on it. Hey, that's enough for me to believe!
©Wikimedia Commons, Kerry Garratt
King Arthur was supposedly conceived at Tintagel Castle, which excavations have proven did actually exist—it was the fortified home of a ruler of Cornwall around 500 AD. The remains of a number of luxury goods were found at the site, as well as a slate with the name "Artognou," along with other names from the stories, engraved on it. Hey, that's enough for me to believe!
<<< 21. Saint Arthur
©Robin Drayton, Wikimedia Commons
One often overlooked aspect of Arthur’s legend is his presence in hagiographies, which are writings about the lives of Saints. For a time, their writers frequently used King Arthur’s legend to give their own characters credibility and to make them more relatable. The stories don’t prove that Arthur existed, but they demonstrate just how strongly people of the time believed that he was a real figure, and an extremely important one at that.
©Robin Drayton, Wikimedia Commons
One often overlooked aspect of Arthur’s legend is his presence in hagiographies, which are writings about the lives of Saints. For a time, their writers frequently used King Arthur’s legend to give their own characters credibility and to make them more relatable. The stories don’t prove that Arthur existed, but they demonstrate just how strongly people of the time believed that he was a real figure, and an extremely important one at that.
22. An Ancient Practice ©Wikimedia Commons
Swords, especially magical ones, have an important place in mythology, and are associated with legendary figures and kings throughout the world. The story of Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake may have derived from the ancient Celtic practice of placing weaponry, swords and other valuables in sacred lakes and rivers. The Thames River in particular seems to have been a popular location for such rituals, and the Battersea Shield and Waterloo Helmet were both uncovered there.
Swords, especially magical ones, have an important place in mythology, and are associated with legendary figures and kings throughout the world. The story of Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake may have derived from the ancient Celtic practice of placing weaponry, swords and other valuables in sacred lakes and rivers. The Thames River in particular seems to have been a popular location for such rituals, and the Battersea Shield and Waterloo Helmet were both uncovered there.
