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{{Short description|Legendary king of the Britons}}
{{Redirect|Arthur Pendragon||Arthur Pendragon (disambiguation)|and|King Arthur (disambiguation)}}
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[[File:Arth tapestry2.jpg|thumb|Tapestry showing Arthur as one of the [[Nine Worthies]], wearing a [[coat of arms]] often attributed to him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Neubecker|1998–2002}}</ref> {{circa}} 1385]]
'''King Arthur''' ({{langx|cy|Brenin Arthur}}; {{langx|kw|Arthur Gernow}}; {{langx|br|Roue Arzhur}}; {{langx|fr|Roi Arthur}}) was a legendary king of [[Great Britain|Britain]]. He is a [[folk hero]] and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the [[Matter of Britain]].

In [[Wales|Welsh]] sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the [[Sub-Roman Britain|post-Roman Britons]] in battles against the [[Anglo-Saxons]] in the late-5th and early-6th centuries. He first appears in two [[early medieval]] historical sources, the ''[[Annales Cambriae]]'' and the ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'', but these date to 300 years after he is supposed to have lived, and most historians who study the period [[Historicity of King Arthur|do not consider him a historical figure]].<ref name="shippey">Tom Shippey, "So Much Smoke", ''review'' of {{Harvnb|Higham|2002}}, ''London Review of Books'', '''40''':24:23 (20 December 2018)</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Higham|2002|pp= 11–37}}, has a summary of the debate on this point.</ref> His name also occurs in early [[Welsh-language literature|Welsh]] poetic sources, such as ''[[Y Gododdin]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Aneirin |url= |title=Llyfr Aneirin |title-link=Book of Aneirin |date=1250 |at=p. 37, line 21 |language=cy |trans-title=Book of Aneirin |type=Parchment. |id=NLW Llyfr Aneirin (Cardiff MS 2.81) }}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Charles-Edwards|1991|p= 15}}; {{Harvnb|Sims-Williams|1991}}. ''Y Gododdin'' cannot be dated precisely: it describes 6th-century events and contains 9th- or 10th-century spelling, but the surviving copy is 13th-century.</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=D'Amato |first1=Raffaele |title=Post-Roman Kingdoms: 'Dark Ages' Gaul and Britain, AD 450-800 |last2=Salimbeti |first2=Andrea |date=2023 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |others=Illustrated by Andrei Negin |isbn=978-1-4728-5091-1 |editor-last=Windrow |editor-first=Martin |series= |location=London |pages=6 |quote=although the earliest surviving manuscript of the poem (Cardiff MS 2.81) is usually dated to the mid-13th century, Y Gododdin mentions ‘Arthur’ (YG XXXIII, in the archaic version). This source is believed to date from the 590s, being transmitted orally before its transcription perhaps in the 9th–10th century. |editor-last2=Reynolds |editor-first2=Nick}}</ref> The character developed through [[Welsh mythology]], appearing either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of [[folklore]], and was sometimes associated with the Welsh otherworld [[Annwn]].<ref>See {{Harvnb|Padel|1994}}; {{Harvnb|Sims-Williams|1991}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b}}; and {{Harvnb|Roberts|1991a}}</ref>

The legendary Arthur developed as a figure of international interest largely through the popularity of [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s fanciful and imaginative 12th-century ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' (''History of the Kings of Britain'').<ref>{{Harvnb|Thorpe|1966}}, but see also {{Harvnb|Loomis|1956}}</ref> Geoffrey depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established a vast empire. Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey's ''Historia'', including Arthur's father [[Uther Pendragon]], the magician [[Merlin]], Arthur's wife [[Guinevere]], the sword [[Excalibur]], Arthur's conception at [[Tintagel]], his final battle against [[Mordred]] at [[Camlann]], and his final rest in [[Avalon]]. [[Chrétien de Troyes]], the 12th-century French writer who added [[Lancelot]] and the [[Holy Grail]] to the story, began the genre of [[Arthurian romance]], which in turn became a significant strand of [[medieval literature]]. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various [[Knights of the Round Table]]. The themes, events and characters of the Arthurian legend vary widely from text to text, and there is no one canonical version. Arthurian literature thrived during the [[Middle Ages]] but waned in the following centuries until it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century. In the 21st century the legend continues to have prominence, not only in literature but also in adaptations for theatre, film, television, [[comics]] and other media.

== Historicity ==
{{Main|Historicity of King Arthur}}
[[File:Arthur Leading the Charge at Mount Badon.png|thumb|upright|"Arthur Leading the Charge at [[Battle of Badon|Mount Badon]]" 1898]]
King Arthur was traditionally accepted as a historic person. He was originally thought to have been an ancient British war commander and, at least from the early 12th century, a king. There was, however, much discussion regarding his various deeds, and contemporary scholars and clerics generally refuted the popular medieval belief in his extreme longevity and future return. From the eighteenth century onwards, there has been academic debate about the historicity of Arthur.<ref>{{Harvnb|Higham|2002|pp= 241–264}}</ref> Details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of [[Welsh mythology]], [[English folklore]] and literary invention, and most modern historians writing about the period do not think that he was a [[Historicity of King Arthur|historical figure]].<ref name="shippey"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Higham|2002|pp= 11–37}}, has a summary of the debate on this point.</ref>{{sfn|Davies|1993|p=133}}

One school of thought, citing entries in the ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'' (''History of the Britons'') and ''[[Annales Cambriae]]'' (''Welsh Annals''), saw Arthur as a genuine historical [[Romano-British]] leader who fought against the invading [[Anglo-Saxons]] sometime in the late-5th to early-6th century.

The ''Historia Brittonum'', a 9th-century Latin historical compilation attributed in some late manuscripts to a Welsh cleric called [[Nennius]], contains the first datable mention of King Arthur, listing twelve battles that Arthur fought. These culminate in the [[Battle of Badon]], where he is said to have single-handedly killed 960 men. Recent studies question the reliability of the ''Historia Brittonum''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dumville|1986}}; {{Harvnb|Higham|2002|pp= 116–169}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 15–26, 30–38}}.</ref>

Archaeological evidence in the [[Low Countries]] and what was to become England shows that early Anglo-Saxon migration to Great Britain reversed between 500 and 550, concurring with Frankish chronicles. John Davies notes this as consistent with the [[Britons (historical)|British]] victory at Badon Hill, attributed to Arthur by Nennius.{{sfn|Davies|1993|p=56}} The monks of Glastonbury are also said to have discovered the grave of Arthur in 1180.{{sfn|Davies|1993|p=133}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arthur's Tomb |url=https://research.reading.ac.uk/glastonburyabbeyarchaeology/digital/arthurs-tomb-c-1331/arthurs-tomb |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Glastonbury Abbey Archaeology |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The other text that seems to support the case for Arthur's historical existence is the 10th-century ''Annales Cambriae'', which also links Arthur with the Battle of Badon. The ''Annales'' date this battle to 516–518 and also mention the [[Battle of Camlann]], in which Arthur and [[Mordred|Medraut]] (Mordred) were both killed, dated to 537–539. These details have often been used to bolster confidence in the ''Historia''{{'}}s account and confirm that Arthur fought at Badon.
[[File:Llandaf, yr eglwys gadeiriol Llandaf Cathedral De Cymru South Wales 163.JPG|thumb|upright|King Arthur returning from the Battle of Mons Badonis (or Mount Badon). First reference to Arthur, found in early Welsh literature. Stained glass in [[Llandaff Cathedral]], Cardiff.]]
Problems have been identified, however, with using this source to support the ''Historia Brittonum''{{'}}s account. The latest research shows that the ''Annales Cambriae'' was based on a chronicle begun in the late 8th century in Wales. Additionally, the complex textual history of the ''Annales Cambriae'' precludes any certainty that the Arthurian annals were added to it even that early. They were more likely added at some point in the 10th century and may never have existed in any earlier set of annals. The Badon entry probably derived from the ''Historia Brittonum''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp=26–30}}; {{Harvnb|Koch|1996|pp=251–253}}.</ref>

This lack of convincing early evidence is the reason many recent historians exclude Arthur from their accounts of [[sub-Roman Britain]]. In the view of the historian [[Thomas Charles-Edwards]], "At this stage of the enquiry, one can only say that there may well have been an historical Arthur [but ...] the historian can as yet say nothing of value about him".<ref>{{Harvnb|Charles-Edwards|1991|p=29}}</ref> These modern admissions of ignorance are a relatively recent trend; earlier generations of historians were less sceptical. The historian [[John Morris (historian)|John Morris]] made the putative reign of Arthur the organising principle of his history of sub-Roman Britain and Ireland, ''The Age of Arthur'' (1973). Even so, he found little to say about a historical Arthur.<ref>{{Harvnb|Morris|1973}}</ref>

Partly in reaction to such theories, another school of thought emerged, arguing that Arthur had no historical existence. Morris's ''Age of Arthur'' prompted the archaeologist [[Nowell Myres]] to observe that "no figure on the borderline of history and mythology has wasted more of the historian's time".<ref>{{Harvnb|Myres|1986|p= 16}}</ref> [[Gildas]]'s 6th-century polemic ''[[De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae]]'' (''On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain''), written within living memory of Badon, mentions the battle but does not mention Arthur.<ref>, ''[[s:The Ruin of Britain|De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae]]'', chapter 26.</ref> Arthur is not mentioned in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' or named in any surviving manuscript written between 400 and 820.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pryor|2004|pp= 22–27}}</ref> He is absent from [[Bede]]'s early-8th-century ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum|Ecclesiastical History of the English People]]'', another major early source for post-Roman history that mentions Badon; instead, Bede refers to Ambrosius Aurelianus as the leader of the Britons at that battle, whose parents had perished 'in the storm' and who was 'of the royal race'.<ref>Bede, ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]'', [[s:Ecclesiastical History of the English People/Book 1#16|Book 1.16]].</ref> The historian [[David Dumville]] wrote: "I think we can dispose of him [Arthur] quite briefly. He owes his place in our history books to a 'no smoke without fire' school of thought&nbsp;... The fact of the matter is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur; we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books."<ref>{{Harvnb|Dumville|1977|pp= 187–188}}</ref>

Some scholars argue that Arthur was originally a fictional hero of folklore—or even a half-forgotten [[Celtic deity]]—who became credited with real deeds in the distant past. They cite parallels with figures such as the [[Kingdom of Kent|Kentish]] [[Hengist and Horsa]], who may be totemic horse-gods that later became historicised. Bede ascribed to these legendary figures a historical role in the 5th-century [[Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain|Anglo-Saxon conquest of eastern Britain]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2009}}; {{Harvnb|Padel|1994}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b}}, chapters five and seven.</ref> It is not even certain that Arthur was considered a king in the early texts. Neither the ''Historia'' nor the ''Annales'' calls him "''rex''": the former calls him instead  "''[[dux]] bellorum''" (leader of wars) and "''miles''" (soldier).<ref>''Historia Brittonum'' [[s:History of the Britons#Arthuriana|56]], [[s:History of the Britons#Wonders of Britain|73]]; ''[[Annales Cambriae]]'' [[s:Welsh Annals|516, 537]].</ref>
[[File:Former Gravesite King Arthur (GlastonburyAbbey).jpg|thumb|upright|Supposed former gravesite of Arthur at [[Glastonbury Abbey]] in [[Somerset]]]]

[[Andrew Breeze]] argues that Arthur was a historical character who fought other Britons in the area of the future border between England and Scotland and claims to have identified the locations of his battles as well as the place and date of his death (in the context of the [[extreme weather events of 535–536]]),<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Breeze |first=Andrew |date=2015 |title=The Historical Arthur and Sixth-Century Scotland |journal=Northern History |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=158–181|doi=10.1179/0078172X15Z.00000000085 |s2cid=161217897 }}; {{Cite book |last=Breeze |first=Andrew |title=British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2020 |isbn=9781785272233 |location=London |pages=13–24 |doi=10.2307/j.ctvv4187r |jstor=j.ctvv4187r |s2cid=243164764}}<!--|access-date=4 May 2020 --></ref> but his conclusions are disputed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Paul  |date=3 September 2015 |title=King Arthur 'was real, wasn't a king... and lived in Strathclyde' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/king-arthur-legendary-figure-was-real-and-lived-most-of-his-life-in-strathclyde-academic-claims-10483364.html |access-date=30 December 2015 |website=The Independent |language=en-GB}}; {{cite book|last=Higham |first=Nicholas J. |title=King Arthur: The Making of the Legend|pages=262–63 |publisher=Yale University Press |location =New Haven, Connecticut |year=2018|isbn=978-0-300-21092-7}}; {{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328448644| title=537 and Camlann (Flint Johnson, University of Wisconsin - River Falls)|website=researchgate.net|access-date=19 April 2021}}</ref> Other scholars have questioned his findings, which they consider are based on coincidental resemblances between place-names.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Academia up in arms over King Arthur's Glasgow roots|url = http://www.thenational.scot/news/academia-up-in-arms-over-king-arthurs-glasgow-roots.826|website = www.thenational.scot| date=6 March 2015 |access-date = 2015-12-30}}</ref> [[N. J. Higham|Nicholas Higham]] comments that it is difficult to justify identifying Arthur as the leader in northern battles listed in the ''Historia Brittonum'' while rejecting the implication in the same work that they were fought against Anglo-Saxons and that there is no textual justification for separating Badon from the other battles.<ref>{{cite book|last=Higham |first=Nicholas J. |title=King Arthur: The Making of the Legend|pages=262–63 |publisher=Yale University Press |location =New Haven, Connecticut |year=2018|isbn=978-0-300-21092-7}}</ref>

Several historical figures have been proposed as the basis for Arthur, ranging from [[Lucius Artorius Castus]], a Roman officer who served in Britain in the 2nd or 3rd century,<ref>{{Harvnb|Littleton|Malcor|1994}}</ref> to sub-Roman British rulers such as [[Riothamus|Riotamus]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Ashe|1985}}</ref> [[Ambrosius Aurelianus]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Reno|1996}}</ref> and the Welsh kings [[Owain Ddantgwyn]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Phillips|Keatman|1992}}</ref> Enniaun Girt<ref>{{Cite book |last=Phillips |first=Graham |title=The Lost Tomb of King Arthur: The Search for Camelot and the Isle of Avalon |date=2016 |publisher=Bear & Company |author-link=Graham Phillips (writer)}}</ref> and [[Athrwys ap Meurig]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bartrum |first=Peter Clement |url=https://www.library.wales/fileadmin/fileadmin/docs_gwefan/casgliadau/Drych_Digidol/Deunydd_print/Welsh_Classical_Dictionary/02_A-B.pdf <!-- alternatve url = https://www.llgc.org.uk/fileadmin/fileadmin/docs_gwefan/casgliadau/Drych_Digidol/Deunydd_print/Welsh_Classical_Dictionary/02_A-B.pdf --> |title=A Welsh Classical Dictionary, people in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000 |publisher=National Library of Wales |year=1993 |page=35 |quote=William Owen Pughe in his ''Cambrian Biography'', 1803, ... put forward the suggestion that Arthur was the same person as Athrwys ap Meurig. It was discussed and rejected by Sharon Turner (''History of the Anglo-Saxons'', Bk.3, Ch.3, 1805) and Rice Rees (''Welsh Saints'', 1836, pp.185-6), but accepted by Robert Owen (''The Kymry'', 1891, p.77)}}</ref> However, no convincing evidence for these identifications has emerged.<ref name="shippey"/><ref name="david">David, Brian, Review of Nicholas J. Higham, ''King Arthur: The Making of the Legend'' in ''Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies'' '''50''':221-222 (2019) {{doi|10.1353/cjm.2019.0021}} {{Project MUSE|734087}}</ref>

== Name ==
{{Main|Arthur}}
[[File:Nuremberg chronicles f 143v 2.jpg|thumb|"Arturus rex" (King Arthur), a 1493 illustration from an early printed book, the ''[[Nuremberg Chronicle]]'']]

The origin of the Welsh name "Arthur" remains a matter of debate. The most widely accepted etymology derives it from the Roman ''[[nomen gentile]]'' (family name) [[Artoria gens|Artorius]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Koch|2006|p=121}}.</ref> Artorius itself is of obscure and contested etymology.<ref>{{Harvnb|Malone|1925}}.</ref> Linguist Stephan Zimmer suggests Artorius possibly had a Celtic origin, being a Latinization of a hypothetical name ''*Artorījos'', in turn derived from an older [[patronym]]'' *Arto-rīg-ios'', meaning "son of the bear/warrior-king". This patronym is unattested, but the root, ''*arto-rīg'', "bear/warrior-king", is the source of the Old Irish personal name ''Artrí''.<ref name=zimmer09>{{Harvnb|Zimmer|2009}}.</ref> Some scholars have suggested it is relevant to this debate that the legendary King Arthur's name only appears as ''Arthur'' or ''Arturus'' in early Latin Arthurian texts, never as ''Artōrius'' (though Classical Latin Artōrius became Arturius in some Vulgar Latin dialects). Others believe the origin of the name ''Arthur'', as ''Artōrius'' would regularly become ''Art(h)ur'' when borrowed into Welsh.<ref>{{Harvnb|Koch|1996|p= 253}}.</ref>

Another commonly proposed derivation of ''Arthur'' from Welsh ''arth'' "bear" + ''(g)wr'' "man" (earlier ''*Arto-uiros'' in Brittonic) is not accepted by modern scholars for [[phonology|phonological]] and [[orthography|orthographic]] reasons. Notably, a Brittonic compound name ''*Arto-uiros'' should produce Old Welsh ''*Artgur'' (where ''u'' represents the short vowel /u/) and Middle/Modern Welsh ''*Arthwr'', rather than ''Arthur'' (where ''u'' is a long vowel /ʉː/). In Welsh poetry the name is always spelled ''Arthur'' and is exclusively rhymed with words ending in ''-ur''—never words ending in ''-wr''—which confirms that the second element cannot be ''[g]wr'' "man".<ref>See {{Harvnb|Higham|2002|p= 74}}; {{Harvnb|Higham|2002|p= 80}}.</ref>

An alternative theory, which has gained only limited acceptance among professional scholars, derives the name Arthur from [[Arcturus]], the brightest star in the constellation [[Boötes]], near [[Ursa Major]] or the Great Bear.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chambers|1964|page= 170}}; {{Harvnb|Bromwich|1978|page= 544}}; {{Harvnb|Johnson|2002|pp= 38–39}}; {{Harvnb|Walter|2005|page= 74}}; {{Harvnb|Zimmer|2006|page= 37}}.</ref> Classical Latin ''Arcturus'' would also have become ''Art(h)ur'' when borrowed into Welsh, and its brightness and position in the sky led people to regard it as the "guardian of the bear" (which is the meaning of the name in Ancient Greek) and the "leader" of the other stars in Boötes.<ref>{{Harvnb|Anderson|2004|pp= 28–29}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 191–194}}.</ref>

Many other theories exist, for example that the name has [[Messapian language|Messapian]]<ref>Marcella Chelotti, Vincenza Morizio, Marina Silvestrini, ''Le epigrafi romane di Canosa'', Volume 1, Edipuglia srl, 1990, pp. 261, 264.; Ciro Santoro, "Per la nuova iscrizione messapica di Oria", ''La Zagaglia'', A. VII, n. 27, 1965, pp. 271–293.; Ciro Santoro, "La Nuova Epigrafe Messapica "IM 4. 16, I-III" di Ostuni ed nomi" in ''Art-, Ricerche e Studi'', Volume 12, 1979, pp. 45–60.</ref> or [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]]<ref>Wilhelm Schulze, "Zur Geschichte lateinischer Eigennamen" (Volume 5, Issue 2 of ''Abhandlungen der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Philologisch-Historische Klasse'', Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften Göttingen Philologisch-Historische Klasse), 2nd edition, Weidmann, 1966, p. 72, pp. 333–338; Olli Salomies, ''Die römischen Vornamen. Studien zur römischen Namengebung''. Helsinki 1987, p. 68; Herbig, Gust., "Falisca", ''Glotta'', Band II, Göttingen, 1910, p. 98.</ref> origins.

== Legends concerning the return of Arthur ==
{{Main|King Arthur's messianic return}}
[[File:Edward Burne-Jones.The last sleep of Arthur.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Detail of ''[[The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon]]'' (completed 1898), by [[Edward Burne-Jones]]. Arthur sleeping in [[Avalon]], awaiting his return.]]
That Arthur never died but is awaiting his return in some remote spot, often sleeping, is a central motif connected to the Arthurian legends. Before the twelfth century there are, as in the ''[[Englynion y Beddau]]'', references to the absence of a grave for Arthur suggesting that he was considered immortal and not dead, but in this poem there is no indication that he was expected to return.<ref>A. O. Jarman (ed.), ''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin'' (University of Wales Press, 1982), p. lix. ''Anoeth bit bed y arthur'': the stanza can be found in poem 18.133-135. {{ISBN|0-7083-0629-2}}.</ref> From the early twelfth century onwards several sources report a popular belief in the return of King Arthur, although most often critically and mockingly presented.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bullock-Davies|1982|pp= 432–40}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 72–75}}</ref> His future return is first mentioned by [[William of Malmesbury]] in 1125: "But Arthur's grave is nowhere seen, whence antiquity of fables still claims that he will return."<ref>{{Harvnb|Padel|1994|pp= 10}}</ref> The "Miracles of St. Mary of Laon" (''[[De miraculis sanctae Mariae Laudunensis]]''), written by a French cleric and chronicler named [[Hériman of Tournai]] about 1145, but referring to events occurring in 1113, mentions the [[Bretons|Breton]] and [[Cornish people|Cornish]] belief that Arthur still lived.<ref>{{Harvnb|Berard|2016|pp= 91–119}}; {{Harvnb|Coe|Young|1995|pp= 44–47}}.</ref>

In 1191 the alleged tomb of Arthur was identified in an orchestrated discovery at [[Glastonbury Abbey]]. Whereas numerous scholars have argued that this could have been due to the Abbey wanting to stand out with an illustrious tomb,<ref>{{Harvnb|Gransden|1976|pp= 349–52}}; {{Harvnb|Wood|1991|pp= 275–277}}; {{Harvnb|Gilchrist|Green|2015|pp= 60–62}}.</ref> or to a desire of the Plantagenet regime to put an end to a legendary rival figure who inspired tenacious Celtic opposition to their rule,<ref>{{Harvnb|Gransden|1976|pp= 354–55}}; {{Harvnb|Crick|1999|pp= 73}}; {{Harvnb|Carley|2001|pp= 1}}; {{Harvnb|Hutton|2003|pp= 68}}; {{Harvnb|Gilchrist|Green|2015|pp= 123–24}}.</ref> it may also have been motivated by how the Arthurian expectations were highly problematic to contemporary Christianity. The longing of the return of a mighty immortal figure returning before the end of time to re-establish his perfect rule, not only ran against basic Catholic tenets but could even threaten the quintessential focus on the longing for the return of Jesus.<ref>{{Harvnb|Endsjø|2024|pp= 19–25}}.</ref> This was further aggravated by how the stories about Arthur sometimes invoked more emotions than biblical tales.<ref>[[Aelred of Rievaulx]], Speculum caritatis 2.17 (2.51), ed. J-P. Migne (Paris, 1855), p. 565d; [[Peter of Blois]], De confessione 1088D, ed. I.A. Giles (Opera omnia, 2, Oxford, 1847), p. xlviii; [[Caesarius of Heisterbach]], Dialogus miracolorum 4.36, ed. J. Strange (Cologne, 1851), p. 205.</ref> Decades of elite critique of the popular conviction among otherwise pious Catholic Celts in Britain and Brittany had done nothing to suppress these beliefs, whereas the orchestration of Arthur's physical remains effectively eliminated the possibility of his return without overtly criticizing anyone's beliefs.<ref>{{Harvnb|Endsjø|2024|pp= 25–28}}.</ref> After the 1191 discovery of his alleged tomb, Arthur became more of a figure of folk legends, found sleeping in various remote caves all over Britain and some other places, and at times, roaming the night as a spectre, like in the [[Wild Hunt]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Peyton|1973|pp= 61}}.</ref>

== Medieval literary traditions ==
The familiar literary persona of Arthur began with [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s pseudo-historical ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' (''History of the Kings of Britain''), written in the 1130s. The textual sources for Arthur are usually divided into those written before Geoffrey's ''Historia'' (known as pre-Galfridian texts, from the Latin form of Geoffrey, ''Galfridus'') and those written afterwards, which could not avoid his influence (Galfridian, or post-Galfridian, texts).

=== Pre-Galfridian traditions ===
The earliest literary references to Arthur come from Welsh and Breton sources. There have been few attempts to define the nature and character of Arthur in the pre-Galfridian tradition as a whole, rather than in a single text or text/story-type. A 2007 academic survey led by Caitlin Green has identified three key strands to the portrayal of Arthur in this earliest material.<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 45–176}}</ref> The first is that he was a peerless warrior who functioned as the monster-hunting protector of Britain from all internal and external threats. Some of these are human threats, such as the Saxons he fights in the ''Historia Brittonum'', but the majority are supernatural, including giant [[Cath Palug|cat-monsters]], destructive [[Twrch Trwyth|divine boars]], dragons, [[Cynocephaly|dogheads]], [[Giant|giants]], and [[Witchcraft|witches]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 93–130}}</ref> The second is that the pre-Galfridian Arthur was a figure of folklore (particularly [[Toponymy|topographic]] or [[onomastic]] folklore) and localised magical wonder-tales, the leader of a band of superhuman heroes who live in the wilds of the landscape.<ref>{{Harvnb|Padel|1994}} has a thorough discussion of this aspect of Arthur's character.</ref> The third and final strand is that the early Welsh Arthur had a close connection with the Welsh Otherworld, [[Annwn]]. On the one hand, he launches assaults on Otherworldly fortresses in search of treasure and frees their prisoners. On the other, his warband in the earliest sources includes former pagan gods, and his wife and his possessions are clearly Otherworldly in origin.<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 135–176}}. On his possessions and wife, see also {{Harvnb|Ford|1983}}.</ref>

[[File:Gododdin1.jpg|thumb|upright|A page of ''[[Y Gododdin]]'', one of the most famous early Welsh texts featuring Arthur ({{c.|lk=no|1275}})|alt=|left]]

One of the most famous Welsh poetic references to Arthur comes in the collection of heroic death-songs known as ''[[Y Gododdin]]'' (''The Gododdin''), attributed to the 6th-century poet [[Aneirin]]. One stanza from the oldest surviving manuscript<ref name=":0" /> praises the bravery of a warrior who slew 300 enemies, but says that despite this, "he was no Arthur," i.e., his feats cannot compare to Arthur.<ref>{{Harvnb|Williams|1937|p= 64}}, line 1242</ref> ''Y Gododdin'' is known only from a 13th-century manuscript,<ref name=":1" /> so it is impossible to determine whether this passage is original or a later interpolation, but John Koch's view that the passage dates from a 7th-century or earlier version is regarded as unproven; 9th- or 10th-century dates are often proposed for it.<ref>{{Harvnb|Charles-Edwards|1991|p= 15}}; {{Harvnb|Koch|1996|pp= 242–245}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 13–15, 50–52}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Arthur of the Welsh: The Arthurian Legend in Medieval Welsh Literature |date=2008 |publisher=Univ. of Wales Press |isbn=978-0-7083-1307-7 |editor-last=Bromwich |editor-first=Rachel |edition=2nd |location=Cardiff |pages=4 |language=en |quote=it could quite probably be as old as the ninth-century redaction of the Historia Brittonum, even if it formed no part of the original Gododdin poem. |editor-last2=Jarman |editor-first2=A. O. H. |editor-last3=Roberts |editor-first3=Brynley Francis}}</ref> Several poems attributed to [[Taliesin]], a poet said to have lived in the 6th century, also refer to Arthur, although these all probably date from between the 8th and 12th centuries.<ref>See, for example, {{Harvnb|Haycock|1983–1984}} and {{Harvnb|Koch|1996|pp= 264–265}}.</ref> They include "Kadeir Teyrnon" ("The Chair of the Prince"),<ref>Online translations of this poem are out-dated and inaccurate. See {{Harvnb|Haycock|2007|pp= 293–311}} for a full translation, and {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|p= 197}} for a discussion of its Arthurian aspects.</ref> which refers to "Arthur the Blessed"; "[[Preiddeu Annwfn|Preiddeu Annwn]]" ("The Spoils of Annwn"),<ref>See, for example, {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 54–67}} and {{Harvnb|Budgey|1992}}, who includes a translation.</ref> which recounts an expedition of Arthur to the Otherworld; and "Marwnat vthyr pen[dragon]" ("The Elegy of Uther Pen[dragon]"),<ref>{{Harvnb|Koch|Carey|1994|pp= 314–15}}</ref> which refers to Arthur's valour and is suggestive of a father-son relationship for Arthur and Uther that pre-dates Geoffrey of Monmouth.

[[File:Culhwch.jpg|thumb|[[Culhwch]] entering Arthur's court in the Welsh tale ''[[Culhwch and Olwen]]''. An illustration by Alfred Fredericks for an 1881 edition of the ''[[Mabinogion]]''<ref>{{Harvnb|Lanier|1881}}</ref>|alt=]]

Other early Welsh Arthurian texts include a poem found in the ''[[Black Book of Carmarthen]]'', "[[Pa gur]] yv y porthaur?" ("What man is the gatekeeper?").<ref>{{Harvnb|Sims-Williams|1991|pp= 38–46}} has a full translation and analysis of this poem.</ref> This takes the form of a dialogue between Arthur and the gatekeeper of a fortress he wishes to enter, in which Arthur recounts the names and deeds of himself and his men, notably [[Sir Kay|Cei]] (Kay) and [[Bedwyr]] (Bedivere).

In addition to these pre-Galfridian Welsh poems and tales, Arthur appears in some other early Latin texts besides the ''Historia Brittonum'' and the ''Annales Cambriae''. In particular, Arthur features in a number of well-known ''vitae'' ("[[hagiography|Lives]]") of post-Roman [[saint]]s, none of which are now generally considered to be reliable historical sources (the earliest probably dates from the 11th century).<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1991a}}</ref> According to the ''Life of Saint [[Gildas]]'', written in the early-12th century by [[Caradoc of Llancarfan]], Arthur is said to have killed Gildas's brother Hueil and to have rescued his wife [[Gwenhwyfar]] from Glastonbury.<ref>Translated in {{Harvnb|Coe|Young|1995|pp= 22–27}}. On the Glastonbury tale and its Otherworldly antecedents, see {{Harvnb|Sims-Williams|1991|pp= 58–61}}.</ref> In the ''Life of Saint [[Cadoc]]'', written around 1100 or a little before by Lifris of Llancarfan, the saint gives protection to a man who killed three of Arthur's soldiers, and Arthur demands a herd of cattle as ''[[wergeld]]'' for his men. Cadoc delivers them as demanded, but when Arthur takes possession of the animals, they turn into bundles of ferns.<ref>{{Harvnb|Coe|Young|1995|pp= 26–37}}</ref> Similar incidents are described in the medieval biographies of [[Carantoc]], [[Padarn]] and [[Efflamm|Efflamn]], probably written around the 12th century. A less legendary account of Arthur appears in the ''[[Goeznovius|Legenda Sancti Goeznovii]]'', which is often claimed to date from the early-11th century (although the earliest manuscript of this text dates from the 15th century and the text is now dated to the late-12th to early-13th century).<ref>Bourgès, André-Yves, "Guillaume le Breton et l'hagiographie bretonne aux XIIe et XIIIe siècles", in: Annales de Bretagne et des pays de l'Ouest, 1995, 102–1, pp. 35–45.; See {{Harvnb|Ashe|1985}} for an attempt to use this ''vita'' as a historical source.</ref> Also important are the references to Arthur in [[William of Malmesbury]]'s ''De Gestis Regum Anglorum'' and Herman's ''[[De miraculis sanctae Mariae Laudunensis|De Miraculis Sanctae Mariae Laudunensis]]'', which together provide the first certain evidence for a belief that Arthur was not actually dead and would at some point [[King Arthur's messianic return|return]], a theme that is often revisited in post-Galfridian folklore.<ref>{{Harvnb|Padel|1994|pp =8–12}}; {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp =72–75, 259, 261–262}}; {{Harvnb|Bullock-Davies|1982}}.</ref>

=== Geoffrey of Monmouth ===
[[File:History of the Kings (f.75.v) King Arthur.jpg|thumb|upright|King Arthur in a 15th-century Welsh version of the ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' by [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]]]

Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'', completed {{c.|lk=no|1138}}, contains the first narrative account of Arthur's life.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wright|1985}}; {{Harvnb|Thorpe|1966}}</ref> This work is an imaginative and fanciful account of British kings from the legendary Trojan exile [[Brutus of Troy|Brutus]] to the 7th-century Welsh king [[Cadwaladr|Cadwallader]]. Geoffrey places Arthur in the same post-Roman period as do ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'' and ''[[Annales Cambriae]]''. According to Geoffrey's tale, Arthur was a descendant of [[Constantine the Great]].<ref>Mulligan, p. 262–4.</ref> He incorporates Arthur's father [[Uther Pendragon]], his magician advisor [[Merlin]], and the story of Arthur's conception, in which Uther, disguised as his enemy [[Gorlois]] by Merlin's magic, sleeps with Gorlois's wife [[Igraine|Igerna]] (Igraine) at [[Tintagel]], and she conceives Arthur. On Uther's death, the fifteen-year-old Arthur succeeds him as King of Britain and fights a series of battles, similar to those in the ''Historia Brittonum'', culminating in the Battle of Bath. He then defeats the [[Pict]]s and [[Scoti|Scots]] before creating an Arthurian empire through his conquests of Ireland, Iceland and the [[Orkney Islands]]. After twelve years of peace, Arthur sets out to expand his empire once more, taking control of Norway, Denmark and [[Gaul]]. Gaul is still held by the [[Roman Empire]] when it is conquered, and Arthur's victory leads to a further confrontation with Rome. Arthur and his warriors, including [[Sir Kay|Kaius]] (Kay), [[Bedivere|Beduerus]] (Bedivere) and [[Gawain|Gualguanus]] (Gawain), defeat the Roman emperor [[Lucius Tiberius]] in Gaul but, as he prepares to march on Rome, Arthur hears that his nephew [[Mordred|Modredus]] (Mordred)—whom he had left in charge of Britain—has married his wife [[Guinevere|Guenhuuara]] (Guinevere) and seized the throne. Arthur returns to Britain and defeats and kills Modredus on the river Camblam in Cornwall, but he is mortally wounded. He hands the crown to his kinsman [[Constantine (Briton)|Constantine]] and is taken to the isle of [[Avalon]] to be healed of his wounds, never to be seen again.<ref>Geoffrey of Monmouth, ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' [[s:History of the Kings of Britain/Book 8#19|Book 8.19–24]], [[s:History of the Kings of Britain/Book 9|Book 9]], [[s:History of the Kings of Britain/Book 10|Book 10]], [[s:History of the Kings of Britain/Book 11|Book 11.1–2]]</ref>

How much of this narrative was Geoffrey's own invention is open to debate. He seems to have made use of the list of Arthur's twelve battles against the Saxons found in the 9th-century ''Historia Brittonum'', along with the battle of Camlann from the ''Annales Cambriae'' and the idea that Arthur was [[King Arthur's messianic return|still alive]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1991b|p= 106}}; {{Harvnb|Padel|1994|pp =11–12}}</ref> Arthur's status as the king of all Britain seems to be borrowed from pre-Galfridian tradition, being found in ''Culhwch and Olwen'', the Welsh Triads, and the saints' lives.<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 217–219}}</ref> Finally, Geoffrey borrowed many of the names for Arthur's possessions, [[King Arthur's family|close family]], and companions from the pre-Galfridian Welsh tradition, including Kaius (Cei), Beduerus (Bedwyr), Guenhuuara (Gwenhwyfar), Uther (Uthyr) and perhaps also Caliburnus (Caledfwlch), the latter becoming [[Excalibur]] in subsequent Arthurian tales.<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1991b|pp= 109–110, 112}}; {{Harvnb|Bromwich|Evans|1992|pp= 64–65}}</ref> However, while names, key events, and titles may have been borrowed, Brynley Roberts has argued that "the Arthurian section is Geoffrey's literary creation and it owes nothing to prior narrative."<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1991b|p= 108}}</ref> Geoffrey makes the Welsh Medraut into the villainous Modredus, but there is no trace of such a negative character for this figure in Welsh sources until the 16th century.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bromwich|1978|pp= 454–455}}</ref> There have been relatively few modern attempts to challenge the notion that the ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' is primarily Geoffrey's own work, with scholarly opinion often echoing [[William of Newburgh]]'s late-12th-century comment that Geoffrey "made up" his narrative, perhaps through an "inordinate love of lying".<ref>See, for example, {{Harvnb|Brooke|1986|p= 95}}.</ref> [[Geoffrey Ashe]] is one dissenter from this view, believing that Geoffrey's narrative is partially derived from a lost source telling of the deeds of a 5th-century British king named [[Riothamus|Riotamus]], this figure being the original Arthur, although historians and Celticists have been reluctant to follow Ashe in his conclusions.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ashe|1985|p=6}}; {{Harvnb|Padel|1995|p= 110}}; {{Harvnb|Higham|2002|p= 76}}.</ref>

Whatever his sources may have been, the immense popularity of Geoffrey's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' cannot be denied. Well over 200 manuscript copies of Geoffrey's Latin work are known to have survived, as well as translations into other languages.<ref>{{Harvnb|Crick|1989}}</ref> For example, 60 manuscripts are extant containing the ''[[Brut y Brenhinedd]]'', Welsh-language versions of the ''Historia'', the earliest of which were created in the 13th century. The old notion that some of these Welsh versions actually underlie Geoffrey's ''Historia'', advanced by antiquarians such as the 18th-century Lewis Morris, has long since been discounted in academic circles.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sweet|2004|p=140}}. See further, {{Harvnb|Roberts|1991b}} and {{Harvnb|Roberts|1980}}.</ref> As a result of this popularity, Geoffrey's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' was enormously influential on the later medieval development of the Arthurian legend. While it was not the only creative force behind Arthurian romance, many of its elements were borrowed and developed (e.g., Merlin and the final fate of Arthur), and it provided the historical framework into which the romancers' tales of magical and wonderful adventures were inserted.<ref>As noted by, for example, {{Harvnb|Ashe|1996}}.</ref>

=== Romance traditions ===
The Welsh prose tale ''[[Culhwch and Olwen]]'' (latter half of the 12th century<ref>Rodway, Simon, “The date and authorship of Culhwch ac Olwen: a reassessment”, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 49 (Summer, 2005), pp. 21–44</ref>), included in the modern ''[[Mabinogion]]'' collection, has a much longer list of more than 200 of Arthur's men, though Cei and Bedwyr again take a central place. The story as a whole tells of Arthur helping his kinsman [[Culhwch]] win the hand of [[Olwen]], daughter of [[Ysbaddaden]] Chief-Giant, by completing a series of apparently impossible tasks, including the hunt for the great semi-divine boar [[Twrch Trwyth]]. The 9th-century ''Historia Brittonum'' also refers to this tale, with the boar there named Troy(n)t.<ref>For a discussion of the tale, see {{Harvnb|Bromwich|Evans|1992}}; see also {{Harvnb|Padel|1994|pp =2–4}}; {{Harvnb|Roberts|1991a}}; and {{Harvnb|Green|2007b|pp= 67–72}} and chapter three.</ref> Finally, Arthur is mentioned numerous times in the [[Welsh Triads]], a collection of short summaries of Welsh tradition and legend which are classified into groups of three linked characters or episodes to assist recall. The later manuscripts of the Triads are partly derivative from Geoffrey of Monmouth and later continental traditions, but the earliest ones show no such influence and are usually agreed to refer to pre-existing Welsh traditions. Even in these, however, Arthur's court has started to embody legendary Britain as a whole, with "Arthur's Court" sometimes substituted for "The Island of Britain" in the formula "Three XXX of the Island of Britain".<ref>{{Harvnb|Barber|1986|pp=17–18, 49}}; {{Harvnb|Bromwich|1978}}</ref> While it is not clear from the ''Historia Brittonum'' and the ''Annales Cambriae'' that Arthur was even considered a king, by the time ''Culhwch and Olwen'' and the Triads were written he had become ''Penteyrnedd yr Ynys hon'', "Chief of the Lords of this Island", the overlord of Wales, Cornwall and the North.<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1991a|pp= 78, 81}}</ref>

[[File:John william waterhouse tristan and isolde with the potion.jpg|thumb|upright|During the 12th century, Arthur's character began to be marginalised by the accretion of "Arthurian" side-stories such as that of [[Tristan and Iseult]], here pictured in a painting by [[John William Waterhouse]] (1916)|alt=|left]]

During the ongoing conquest of Wales by [[Edward I of England]], he attempted to make King Arthur a fundamentally English character and hero.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Schama |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Schama |title=A History of Britain 1: 3000 BC-AD 1603 At the Edge of the World? |title-link=A History of Britain (TV series)#DVDs and books |publisher=[[BBC Worldwide]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-563-48714-2 |edition=Paperback 2003 |location=London |pages=168}}</ref> The completion of the conquest was one of the factors that shifted storytellers away from the Welsh roots of the original tales.<ref name=":12" />

The popularity of Geoffrey's ''Historia'' and its other derivative works (such as [[Wace]]'s ''[[Roman de Brut]]'') gave rise to a significant numbers of new Arthurian works in continental Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly in France.<ref>For example, {{Harvnb|Thorpe|1966|p= 29}}</ref> It was not, however, the only Arthurian influence on the developing "[[Matter of Britain]]". There is clear evidence that Arthur and Arthurian tales were familiar on the Continent before Geoffrey's work became widely known (see for example, the [[Modena Archivolt]]),<ref>{{Harvnb |Stokstad|1996}}</ref> and "Celtic" names and stories not found in Geoffrey's ''Historia'' appear in the Arthurian [[Romance (heroic literature)|romances]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Loomis|1956}}; {{Harvnb|Bromwich|1983}}; {{Harvnb|Bromwich|1991}}.</ref> From the perspective of Arthur, perhaps the most significant effect of this great outpouring of new Arthurian story was on the role of the king himself: much of this 12th-century and later Arthurian literature centres less on Arthur himself than on characters such as [[Lancelot]] and [[Guinevere]], [[Percival]], [[Galahad]], [[Gawain]], [[Ywain]], and [[Tristan]] and [[Iseult]]. Whereas Arthur is very much at the centre of the pre-Galfridian material and Geoffrey's ''Historia'' itself, in the romances he is rapidly sidelined.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lacy|1996a|p= 16}}; {{Harvnb|Morris|1982|p= 2}}.</ref> His character also alters significantly. In both the earliest materials and Geoffrey he is a great and ferocious warrior, who laughs as he personally slaughters witches and giants and takes a leading role in all military campaigns,<ref>For example, Geoffrey of Monmouth, ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' [[s:History of the Kings of Britain/Book 10#3|Book 10.3]].</ref> whereas in the continental romances he becomes the ''roi fainéant'', the "do-nothing king", whose "inactivity and acquiescence constituted a central flaw in his otherwise ideal society".<ref>{{Harvnb|Padel|2000|p= 81}}</ref> Arthur's role in these works is frequently that of a wise, dignified, even-tempered, somewhat bland, and occasionally feeble monarch. So, he simply turns pale and silent when he learns of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere in the ''Mort Artu'', whilst in ''[[Yvain, the Knight of the Lion]]'', he is unable to stay awake after a feast and has to retire for a nap.<ref>{{Harvnb|Morris|1982|pp= 99–102}}; {{Harvnb|Lacy|1996a|p= 17}}.</ref> Nonetheless, as [[Norris J. Lacy]] has observed, whatever his faults and frailties may be in these Arthurian romances, "his prestige is never—or almost never—compromised by his personal weaknesses&nbsp;... his authority and glory remain intact."<ref>{{Harvnb|Lacy|1996a|p= 17}}</ref>

[[File:Arthur-Pyle How Arthur drew forth ye sword.JPG|thumb|upright|The story of Arthur drawing the [[Excalibur#The Sword in the Stone and the Sword in the Lake|sword from a stone]] appeared in [[Robert de Boron]]'s 13th-century ''[[Merlin (Robert de Boron poem)|Merlin]]''. By [[Howard Pyle]] (1903)<ref>{{Harvnb|Pyle|1903}}</ref>|alt=]]

Arthur and his retinue appear in some of the ''[[Lais of Marie de France|Lais]]'' of [[Marie de France]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Burgess|Busby|1999}}</ref> but it was the work of another French poet, [[Chrétien de Troyes]], that had the greatest influence with regard to the development of Arthur's character and legend.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lacy|1996b}}</ref> Chrétien wrote five Arthurian romances between {{c.|lk=no|1170}} and 1190. ''[[Erec and Enide]]'' and ''[[Cligès]]'' are tales of courtly love with Arthur's court as their backdrop, demonstrating the shift away from the heroic world of the Welsh and Galfridian Arthur, while ''Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'', features [[Ywain|Yvain]] and Gawain in a supernatural adventure, with Arthur very much on the sidelines and weakened. However, the most significant for the development of the Arthurian legend are ''[[Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart]]'', which introduces Lancelot and his adulterous relationship with Arthur's queen [[Guinevere]], extending and popularising the recurring theme of Arthur as a [[cuckold]], and ''[[Perceval, the Story of the Grail]]'', which introduces the [[Holy Grail]] and the [[Fisher King]] and which again sees Arthur having a much reduced role.<ref>{{Harvnb|Kibler|Carroll|1991|p= 1}}</ref> Chrétien was thus "instrumental both in the elaboration of the Arthurian legend and in the establishment of the ideal form for the diffusion of that legend",<ref>{{Harvnb|Lacy|1996b|p= 88}}</ref> and much of what came after him in terms of the portrayal of Arthur and his world built upon the foundations he had laid. ''Perceval'', although unfinished, was particularly popular: four separate continuations of the poem appeared over the next half century, with the notion of the Grail and its quest being developed by other writers such as [[Robert de Boron]], a fact that helped accelerate the decline of Arthur in continental romance.<ref>{{Harvnb|Roach|1949–1983}}</ref> Similarly, Lancelot and his cuckolding of Arthur with Guinevere became one of the classic motifs of the Arthurian legend, although the Lancelot of the prose ''Lancelot'' ({{c.|lk=no|1225}}) and later texts was a combination of Chrétien's character and that of [[Ulrich von Zatzikhoven]]'s ''[[Lanzelet]]''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ulrich von Zatzikhoven|2005}}</ref> Chrétien's work even appears to feed back into Welsh Arthurian literature, with the result that the romance Arthur began to replace the heroic, active Arthur in Welsh literary tradition.<ref>{{Harvnb|Padel|2000|pp =77–82}}</ref> Particularly significant in this development were the three Welsh Arthurian romances, which are closely similar to those of Chrétien, albeit with some significant differences: ''[[Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain]]'' is related to Chrétien's ''Yvain''; ''[[Geraint and Enid]]'', to ''Erec and Enide''; and ''[[Peredur son of Efrawg]]'', to ''Perceval''.<ref>See {{Harvnb|Jones|Jones|1949}} for accurate translations of all three texts. It is not entirely certain what, exactly, the relationship is between these Welsh romances and Chrétien's works, however: see {{Harvnb|Koch|1996|pp= 280–288}} for a survey of opinions</ref>

[[File:Holy-grail-round-table-bnf-ms fr-116F-f610v-15th-detail.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Round Table]] experiences a vision of the [[Holy Grail]], an illumination by [[Évrard d'Espinques]] ({{c.|lk=no|1475}})<ref>{{Harvnb|BNF|c. 1475|loc=fol. 610v}}</ref>|alt=|left]]

Up to {{c.|lk=no|1210}}, continental Arthurian romance was expressed primarily through poetry; after this date the tales began to be told in prose. The most significant of these 13th-century prose romances was the [[Lancelot-Grail|Vulgate Cycle]] (also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle), a series of five Middle French prose works written in the first half of that century.<ref name="lacy-1992">{{Harvnb|Lacy|1992–1996}}</ref> These works were the ''Estoire del Saint Grail'', the ''Estoire de Merlin'', the ''Lancelot propre'' (or Prose ''Lancelot'', which made up half the entire Vulgate Cycle on its own), the ''Queste del Saint Graal'' and the ''Mort Artu'', which combine to form the first coherent version of the entire Arthurian legend. The cycle continued the trend towards reducing the role played by Arthur in his own legend, partly through the introduction of the character of Galahad and an expansion of the role of Merlin. It also made Mordred the result of an [[King Arthur's family|incestuous relationship]] between Arthur and his sister [[Morgause]], and established the role of [[Camelot]], first mentioned in passing in Chrétien's ''Lancelot'', as Arthur's primary court.<ref>For a study of this cycle, see {{Harvnb|Burns|1985}}.</ref> This series of texts was quickly followed by the [[Post-Vulgate Cycle]] ({{c.|lk=no|1230–40}}), of which the ''Suite du Merlin'' is a part, which greatly reduced the importance of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere but continued to sideline Arthur, and to focus more on the Grail quest.<ref name="lacy-1992" /> As such, Arthur became even more of a relatively minor character in these French prose romances; in the Vulgate itself he only figures significantly in the ''Estoire de Merlin'' and the ''Mort Artu''. During this period, Arthur was made one of the [[Nine Worthies]], a group of three pagan, three Jewish and three Christian exemplars of chivalry. The Worthies were first listed in [[Jacques de Longuyon]]'s ''[[Voeux du Paon]]'' in 1312, and subsequently became a common subject in literature and art.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lacy|1996c|p= 344}}</ref>

[[File:Boys King Arthur - N. C. Wyeth - p16.jpg|thumb|upright|Arthur receiving the later tradition's sword [[Excalibur]] in [[N. C. Wyeth]]'s illustration for ''The Boy's King Arthur'' (1922), a modern edition of [[Thomas Malory]]'s 1485 ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]''|alt=]]

The development of the medieval Arthurian cycle and the character of the "Arthur of romance" culminated in ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' ({{Literally|The Death of Arthur}}), [[Thomas Malory]]'s retelling of the entire legend in a single work in English in the late-15th century. Malory based his book—originally titled ''The Whole Book of King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table''—on the various previous romance versions, in particular the Vulgate Cycle, and appears to have aimed at creating a comprehensive and authoritative collection of Arthurian stories.<ref>On Malory and his work, see {{Harvnb|Field|1993}} and {{Harvnb|Field|1998}}.</ref> Perhaps as a result of this, and the fact that ''Le Morte D'Arthur'' was one of the earliest printed books in England, published by [[William Caxton]] in 1485, most later Arthurian works are derivative of Malory's.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vinaver|1990}}</ref>

{{Clear left}}

== Decline, revival, and the modern legend ==

=== Post-medieval literature ===
The end of the Middle Ages brought with it a waning of interest in King Arthur. Although Malory's English version of the great French romances was popular, there were increasing attacks upon the truthfulness of the historical framework of the Arthurian romances – established since Geoffrey of Monmouth's time – and thus the legitimacy of the whole [[Matter of Britain]]. So, for example, the 16th-century humanist scholar [[Polydore Vergil]] famously rejected the claim that Arthur was the ruler of a post-Roman empire, found throughout the post-Galfridian medieval "chronicle tradition", to the horror of Welsh and English antiquarians.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carley|1984}}</ref> Social changes associated with the end of the medieval period and the [[Renaissance]] also conspired to rob the character of Arthur and his associated legend of some of their power to enthrall audiences, with the result that 1634 saw the last printing of Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' for nearly 200 years.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parins|1995|p= 5}}</ref> King Arthur and the Arthurian legend were not entirely abandoned, but until the early 19th century the material was taken less seriously and was often used simply as a vehicle for allegories of 17th- and 18th-century politics.<ref name =Ashe68>{{Harvnb|Ashe|1968|pp= 20–21}}; {{Harvnb|Merriman|1973}}</ref> Thus [[Richard Blackmore]]'s epics ''Prince Arthur'' (1695) and ''King Arthur'' (1697) feature Arthur as an allegory for the struggles of [[William III of England|William III]] against [[James II of England|James II]].<ref name =Ashe68/> Similarly, the most popular Arthurian tale throughout this period seems to have been that of [[Tom Thumb]], which was told first through [[chapbook]]s and later through the political plays of [[Henry Fielding]]; although the action is clearly set in Arthurian Britain, the treatment is humorous and Arthur appears as a primarily comedic version of his romance character.<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007a}}</ref> [[John Dryden]]'s [[masque]] ''[[King Arthur (opera)|King Arthur]]'' is still performed, largely thanks to [[Henry Purcell]]'s music, though seldom unabridged.

=== Tennyson and the revival ===
In the early-19th century [[medievalism]], [[Romanticism]] and the [[Gothic Revival]] reawakened interest in Arthur and the medieval romances. A new code of ethics for 19th-century gentlemen was shaped around the [[chivalry|chivalric]] ideals embodied in the "Arthur of romance". This renewed interest first made itself felt in 1816, when Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' was reprinted for the first time since 1634.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parins|1995|pp= 8–10}}</ref> Initially, the medieval Arthurian legends were of particular interest to poets, inspiring, for example, [[William Wordsworth]] to write "The Egyptian Maid" (1835), an allegory of the [[Holy Grail]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Wordsworth|1835}}</ref> Pre-eminent among these was [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson|Alfred Tennyson]], whose first Arthurian poem "[[The Lady of Shalott]]" was published in 1832.<ref>See {{Harvnb|Potwin|1902}} for the sources that Tennyson used when writing this poem</ref> Arthur himself played a minor role in some of these works, following in the medieval romance tradition. Tennyson's Arthurian work reached its peak of popularity with ''[[Idylls of the King]]'', however, which reworked the entire narrative of Arthur's life for the [[Victorian era]]. It was first published in 1859 and sold 10,000 copies within the first week.<ref>{{Harvnb|Taylor|Brewer|1983|p= 127}}</ref> In the ''Idylls'', Arthur became a symbol of ideal manhood who ultimately failed, through human weakness, to establish a perfect kingdom on earth.<ref>See {{Harvnb|Rosenberg|1973}} and {{Harvnb|Taylor|Brewer|1983|pp= 89–128}} for analyses of ''Idylls of the King''.</ref> Tennyson's works prompted a large number of imitators, generated considerable public interest in the legends of Arthur and the character himself, and brought Malory's tales to a wider audience.<ref>See, for example, {{Harvnb|Simpson|1990}}.</ref> Indeed, the first modernisation of Malory's great compilation of Arthur's tales was published in 1862, shortly after ''Idylls'' appeared, and there were six further editions and five competitors before the century ended.<ref>{{Harvnb|Staines|1996|p= 449}}</ref>

This interest in the "Arthur of romance" and his associated stories continued through the 19th century and into the 20th, and influenced poets such as [[William Morris]] and [[Pre-Raphaelite]] artists including [[Edward Burne-Jones]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Taylor|Brewer|1983|pp= 127–161}}; {{Harvnb|Mancoff|1990}}.</ref> Even the humorous tale of [[Tom Thumb]], which had been the primary manifestation of Arthur's legend in the 18th century, was rewritten after the publication of ''Idylls''. While Tom maintained his small stature and remained a figure of comic relief, his story now included more elements from the medieval Arthurian romances and Arthur is treated more seriously and historically in these new versions.<ref>{{Harvnb|Green|2007a|p= 127}}; {{Harvnb|Gamerschlag|1983}}</ref> The revived Arthurian romance also proved influential in the United States, with such books as Sidney Lanier's ''The Boy's King Arthur'' (1880) reaching wide audiences and providing inspiration for [[Mark Twain]]'s satire ''[[A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]'' (1889).{{sfn|Lanier|1880}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Twain|1889}}; {{Harvnb|Smith|Thompson|1996}}.</ref> Although the 'Arthur of romance' was sometimes central to these new Arthurian works (as he was in Burne-Jones's "The Sleep of Arthur in Avalon", 1881–1898), on other occasions he reverted to his medieval status and is either marginalised or even missing entirely, with [[Richard Wagner]]'s Arthurian opera ''[[Parsifal]]'' providing a notable instance of the latter.<ref>{{Harvnb|Watson|2002}}</ref> Furthermore, the revival of interest in Arthur and the Arthurian tales did not continue unabated. By the end of the 19th century, it was confined mainly to Pre-Raphaelite imitators,<ref>{{Harvnb |Mancoff|1990}}</ref> and it could not avoid being affected by the [[First World War]], which damaged the reputation of chivalry and thus interest in its medieval manifestations and Arthur as chivalric role model.<ref>{{Harvnb|Workman|1994}}</ref> The romance tradition did, however, remain sufficiently powerful to persuade [[Thomas Hardy]], [[Laurence Binyon]] and [[John Masefield]] to compose Arthurian plays,<ref>{{Harvnb|Hardy|1923}}; {{Harvnb|Binyon|1923}}; and {{Harvnb|Masefield|1927}}</ref> and [[T. S. Eliot]] alludes to the Arthur myth (but not Arthur) in his poem ''[[The Waste Land]]'', which mentions the [[Fisher King]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Eliot|1949}}; {{Harvnb|Barber|2004|pp= 327–328}}</ref>

<gallery widths="180px" heights="200px">
File:Idylls of the King 10.jpg|alt=|[[Merlin]] and [[Lady of the Lake|Viviane]] in [[Gustave Doré]]'s 1868 illustration for [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson]]'s ''[[Idylls of the King]]''
File:Charles Ernest Butler - King Arthur.jpg|''King Arthur'' by Charles Ernest Butler (1903)
File:Boys King Arthur - N. C. Wyeth - title page.jpg|[[N. C. Wyeth]]'s title page illustration for ''The Boy's King Arthur'' (1922)
</gallery>

=== Modern legend ===
{{See also|List of works based on Arthurian legends}}
[[File:Excalibur-spam.jpg|thumb|upright|King Arthur (holding Excalibur) and Patsy in ''[[Spamalot]]'', a stage musical adaptation of the 1975 comedy film ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'']]

In the latter half of the 20th century, the influence of the romance tradition of Arthur continued, through novels such as [[T. H. White]]'s ''[[The Once and Future King]]'' (1958), [[Mary Stewart (novelist)|Mary Stewart]]'s ''[[The Crystal Cave]]'' (1970) and its four sequels, [[Thomas Berger (novelist)|Thomas Berger]]'s tragicomic ''[[Arthur Rex]]'' and [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]]'s ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]'' (1982), in addition to comic strips such as ''[[Prince Valiant]]'' (from 1937 onward).<ref>{{Harvnb|White|1958}}; {{Harvnb|Bradley|1982}}; {{Harvnb|Tondro|2002|p=170}}</ref> Tennyson had reworked the romance tales of Arthur to suit and comment upon the issues of his day, and the same is often the case with modern treatments too. Mary Stewart's first three Arthurian novels present the wizard Merlin as the central character, rather than Arthur, and ''The Crystal Cave'' is narrated by Merlin in the first person, whereas Bradley's tale takes a feminist approach to Arthur and his legend, in contrast to the narratives of Arthur found in medieval materials.<ref>{{Harvnb |Lagorio|1996}}</ref> American authors often rework the story of Arthur to be more consistent with values such as equality and democracy.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lupack|Lupack|1991}}</ref> In [[John Cowper Powys]]'s ''[[Porius: A Romance of the Dark Ages]]'' (1951), set in Wales in 499, just prior to the Saxon invasion, Arthur, the Emperor of Britain, is only a minor character, whereas Myrddin (Merlin) and [[The Lady of the Lake|Nineue]], Tennyson's Vivien, are major figures.<ref>''Porius''. New York: Overlook Duckworth 2007. pp. 8–19.</ref> Myrddin's disappearance at the end of the novel is, "in the tradition of magical hibernation when the king or mage leaves his people for some island or cave to return either at a more propitious or more dangerous time", (see [[King Arthur's messianic return]]).<ref>C. A. Coates, ''John Cowper Powys in Search of a Landscape''. Totowa, NJ: Barnes & Noble, 1982, p. 139.</ref> Powys's earlier novel ''[[A Glastonbury Romance]]'' (1932) is concerned with both the Holy Grail and the legend that Arthur is buried at [[Glastonbury]].<ref>New York: Simon and Schuster. C. A. Coates, ''John Cowper Powys in Search of a Landscape''. pp. 92–97.</ref>

The romance Arthur has become popular in film and theatre as well. T. H. White's novel was adapted into the [[Lerner and Loewe]] stage musical ''[[Camelot (musical)|Camelot]]'' (1960) and [[Walt Disney]]'s animated film ''[[The Sword in the Stone (1963 film)|The Sword in the Stone]]'' (1963); ''Camelot'', with its focus on the love of Lancelot and Guinevere and the [[cuckolding]] of Arthur, was itself made into a [[Camelot (film)|film of the same name]] in 1967. The romance tradition of Arthur is particularly evident and in critically respected films like [[Robert Bresson]]'s ''[[Lancelot du Lac (film)|Lancelot du Lac]]'' (1974), [[Éric Rohmer]]'s ''[[Perceval le Gallois]]'' (1978) and [[John Boorman]]'s ''[[Excalibur (film)|Excalibur]]'' (1981); it is also the main source of the material used in the Arthurian spoof ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' (1975).<ref>{{Harvnb|Harty|1996}}; {{Harvnb|Harty|1997}}</ref>

Retellings and reimaginings of the romance tradition are not the only important aspect of the modern legend of King Arthur. Attempts to portray Arthur as a genuine historical figure of {{c.|lk=no|500}}, stripping away the "romance", have also emerged. As Taylor and Brewer have noted, this return to the medieval "chronicle tradition" of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the ''Historia Brittonum'' is a recent trend which became dominant in Arthurian literature in the years following the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], when Arthur's legendary resistance to Germanic enemies struck a chord in Britain.<ref>{{Harvnb|Taylor|Brewer|1983}}, chapter nine; see also {{Harvnb|Higham|2002|pp= 21–22, 30}}.</ref> [[Clemence Dane]]'s series of radio plays, ''The Saviours'' (1942), used a historical Arthur to embody the spirit of heroic resistance against desperate odds, and [[R. C. Sherriff|Robert Sherriff's]] play ''The Long Sunset'' (1955) saw Arthur rallying Romano-British resistance against the Germanic invaders.<ref>{{Harvnb|Thompson|1996|p= 141}}</ref> This trend towards placing Arthur in a historical setting is also apparent in historical and fantasy novels published during this period.<ref>For example: [[Rosemary Sutcliff]]'s ''[[The Lantern Bearers (Sutcliff novel)|The Lantern Bearers]]'' (1959) and ''[[Sword at Sunset]]'' (1963); [[Mary Stewart (novelist)|Mary Stewart]]'s ''[[The Crystal Cave]]'' (1970) and its sequels; [[Parke Godwin]]'s ''[[Firelord (novel)|Firelord]]'' (1980) and its sequels; [[Stephen R. Lawhead|Stephen Lawhead's]] ''[[The Pendragon Cycle]]'' (1987–99); [[Nikolai Tolstoy]]'s ''[[The Coming of the King]]'' (1988); [[Jack Whyte]]'s ''[[A Dream of Eagles|The Camulod Chronicles]]'' (1992–97); and [[Bernard Cornwell]]'s ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'' (1995–97). See [[List of books about King Arthur]].</ref> 
{{anchor|Youth groups}}
Arthur has also been used as a model for modern-day behaviour. In the 1930s, the Order of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table was formed in Britain to promote Christian ideals and Arthurian notions of medieval chivalry.<ref>{{Harvnb|Thomas|1993|pp= 128–131}}</ref> In the United States, hundreds of thousands of boys and girls joined Arthurian youth groups, such as the Knights of King Arthur, in which Arthur and his legends were promoted as wholesome exemplars.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lupack|2002|p= 2}}; {{Harvnb|Forbush|Forbush|1915}}</ref> However, Arthur's diffusion within modern culture goes beyond such Arthurian endeavours, with Arthurian names being regularly attached to objects, buildings, and places. As Norris J. Lacy has observed, "The popular notion of Arthur appears to be limited, not surprisingly, to a few motifs and names, but there can be no doubt of the extent to which a legend born many centuries ago is profoundly embedded in modern culture at every level."<ref name="lacy364">{{Harvnb|Lacy|1996d|p= 364}}</ref> {{clear}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Wales|History|Cornwall}}
{{col div|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Arthur's O'on]]
* [[Artus Court]]
* [[Bibliography of King Arthur]]
* [[King Arthur's family]]
* [[King Arthur's messianic return]]
* [[List of Arthurian characters]]
* [[List of legendary kings of Britain]]
* [[List of works based on Arthurian legends]]
* [[Galgano Guidotti]]
{{colend}}

== Citations ==
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{{Refend}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal|journal=Northern History|first=Andrew|last=Breeze|author-link=Andrew Breeze|title=The Historical Arthur and Sixth-Century Scotland|date=September 2015 |volume=LII|number=2|pages=158–181|doi=10.1179/0078172x15z.00000000085|s2cid=161217897}}
* {{cite journal|journal=Northern History|first=Andrew|last=Breeze|title=Arthur's Battles and the Volcanic Winter of 536-7|pages=161–172|volume=LIII|number=2|date=September 2016|doi=10.1080/0078172x.2016.1195600|s2cid=164111727}}
* {{cite book| last= Carey |first= John |chapter= The Finding of Arthur's Grave: A Story from Clonmacnoise? |editor1-first= John |editor1-last= Carey |editor2-first= John T. |editor2-last= Koch |editor3-last= Lambert |editor3-first= Pierre-Yves |title= Ildánach Ildírech. A Festschrift for Proinsias Mac Cana |place= Andover |publisher= Celtic Studies Publications |year= 1999 |pages= 1–14 |isbn= 978-1-891271-01-4}}
* {{cite book|first=Guy|last=Halsall|author-link=Guy Halsall|title=Worlds of Arthur: Facts & Fictions of the Dark Ages|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, UK|year=2013|isbn=978-0-19-870084-5}}
* {{cite book|first=Nicholas J. |last=Higham |title=King Arthur: the making of the legend|location= New Haven |publisher= Yale University Press|year=2018|isbn=978-0-300-21092-7}}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|d=Q45792|s=Category:Arthurian legend|n=no|c=category:King Arthur|v=no|voy=no|wikt=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|b=no}}
* [http://www.internationalarthuriansociety.com/ International Arthurian Society]
* {{cite web |url= http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/8035.asp |title= Arthurian Gwent |publisher= Blaenau Gwent Borough County Council |access-date= 22 May 2008 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080512153652/http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/8035.asp |archive-date= 12 May 2008 }} An excellent site detailing Welsh Arthurian folklore.
* {{cite web|url= http://www.arthuriana.co.uk |title= Arthuriana: Studies in Early Medieval History and Legend |first=Caitlin|last=Green}} A detailed and comprehensive academic site, which includes numerous scholarly articles.
* [http://www.arthuriana.org/ Arthuriana: The Journal of Arthurian Studies, published by Scriptorium Press for Purdue University, US]. The only academic journal solely concerned with the Arthurian Legend; a good selection of resources and links.
* {{cite web|url= http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/index_welsh.html |title= Celtic Literature Collective }} Provides texts and translations (of varying quality) of Welsh medieval sources, many of which mention Arthur.
* {{cite journal|last= Green |first= Thomas |url= http://www.heroicage.org/issues/15/green.php |title = John Dee, King Arthur, and the Conquest of the Arctic |journal=The Heroic Age |date=October 2012|number=15}}.
* [http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cphome.stm The Camelot Project, The University of Rochester]. Provides valuable bibliographies and freely downloadable versions of Arthurian texts.
* [http://www.heroicage.org/ The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe]. An online peer-reviewed journal that includes regular Arthurian articles; see especially the first issue.
* [https://reflection.eleusinianm.co.uk/medieval-literature/white-book-of-mottistone/of-arthour-and-of-merlin ''Of Arthour and of Merlin''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106100705/https://reflection.eleusinianm.co.uk/medieval-literature/white-book-of-mottistone/of-arthour-and-of-merlin |date=6 November 2021 }} translated and retold in modern English prose, the story from Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland MS Advocates 19.2.1 (the Auchinleck MS) (from the Middle English of the Early English Text Society edition:   O D McCrae-Gibson, 1973, ''Of Arthour and of Merlin'', 2 vols, EETS and Oxford University Press).
* [https://reflection.eleusinianm.co.uk/medieval-literature/white-book-of-mottistone/alliterative-morte-arthure Alliterative ''Morte Arthure''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130050646/https://reflection.eleusinianm.co.uk/Medieval-literature/White-Book-of-Mottistone/Alliterative-Morte-Arthure |date=30 November 2023 }} translated and retold in modern English alliterative prose, from Lincoln Cathedral MS 91, the Lincoln Thornton Manuscript.

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg | leg }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Uther Pendragon]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of legendary kings of Britain|King of Britain]] }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Constantine (Briton)|Constantine]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{Arthurian Legend|state=expanded}}
{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}
{{Culture of Cornwall}}
{{Geoffrey of Monmouth}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, King}}
[[Category:King Arthur| ]]
[[Category:Arthurian legend]]
[[Category:Welsh folklore]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Welsh legendary characters]]
[[Category:Knights of the Round Table| ]]
[[Category:British male characters in television]]
[[Category:Burials at Glastonbury Abbey]]
[[Category:English folklore]]
[[Category:English mythology]]
[[Category:Family of King Arthur]]
[[Category:Legendary British kings]]
[[Category:Male characters in animation]]
[[Category:Male characters in film]]
[[Category:Male characters in literature]]
[[Category:Mythological swordfighters]]