King Arthur: The Identity of a Myth
By Madeleine Graham
From Monty Python jokes to Disney’s interpretation of The Sword in the Stone, King Arthur’s stories are everywhere. He’s been claimed, named and famed to be one of the most memorable Kings of England.
King Arthur is the ultimate myth. He is the man that no-one can proves existed, but apparently was seen in certain areas of the United Kingdom. It’s the story of King Arthur, or the myth, or whatever you want to believe, where we begin. Arthurian Legend has been altered, but the basic storyline, as far as we are aware, has always remained the same and has been around since the 6th Century (that’s what they say anyway).
Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, and his mother was a woman named Igraine. His birth, however, had to be protected and remain a secret. Arthur grew up in the hands of Merlin the wizard, as a guardian, but after the death of Uther, Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and ‘gained himself a crown’ by becoming King of Britain. He achieved what everyone wanted, but only few had the privilege to have. He was soon to be known as a noble King, a mighty warrior and by being such a successful King he received a gift from the ‘Lady of the Lake,’ the sword Excalibur.
Like most people, Arthur had his enemies and the most deceitful were his sister Morgan Le Fay and his nephew, Mordred. Morgan Le Fay was known as an evil sorceress, scheming and planning to win Arthur's throne not only for herself, but also for her loved one. Mordred had taken over the throne, while the King wasn’t there. In a mythological fight, Arthur was wounded. He fought back, however, and defeated Mordred for the final time. Arthur travelled away to the Isle of Avalon, where he would heal his wounds and return to his people as King.
There were two invincible knights in Arthur’s empire: Sir Tristram and Sir Lancelot, who joined him at the Round Table. Another significant character was Sir Galahad, Lancelot's son, who turned out to be the hero of the quest for the Holy Grail
This story has real longevity. It has travelled right from the Dark Ages where the story began. During the Dark Ages writing wasn’t popular and therefore no records were made. This is why no-one can prove the King’s existence. Yet people have looked up to King Arthur for centuries. He has been an inspiration for many generations.
Yet let us focus on the real Arthur. For a long time people didn’t know who the mighty leader was. Was he a powerful 5th century Celtic warrior who defeated the Saxons? Or not? Eventually the name Arthur was spoken of as, "Oh, if we only had a powerful king to lead us now!"
Stories of the historic King have been told for many centuries and certain landmarks are believed to have a connection with Arthur. Some of these are within the County of Cumbria. King Arthur’s Round Table, a Neolithic Henge, lies across a 90m diameter in Cumbria. A family, thought of as descendents of the legendary King, supposedly named the site, when they moved into a Castle nearby.
Another historical place within the Cumbrian district is Carlisle. Carlisle is one of the many historical places in Cumbria, including tourist attractions such as Carlisle Castle and a Roman Fortress (no, I’m not trying to sell you a holiday). Lancelot, a well-known figure to be seen at King Arthur’s Round Table, was believed to be seen riding through a Roman fortress there.
In addition to this, Cumbria and more specifically Carlisle Castle is where they have filmed the latest King Arthur film. This means that even the film-makers were trying to make a connection between King Arthur and Cumbria. Carlisle Castle is also a strong contender for the site of the mysterious location of Camelot. Could Carlisle be Camelot in disguise? Well, in the end it’s your choice as to whether King Arthur actually existed or not.
“Once people's interest in the legend is rekindled or fired up, for the first time they're going to want to explore all the places associated with it," said Roger Toy, custodian of King Arthur’s Great Halls.
Many places around the country have tried to claim King Arthur as one of their own, from where he could have died, to where he could have lived and travelled throughout his journeys. If this is just a myth, it is amazing how people build up a character and include him as such a big part of their lives. If he was real, it’s nice to see a person make a difference in later dates.
So, in summary, King Arthur could possibly be the most famous King and there isn’t even anything saying that he’s real! Confusing, huh?
Identity is who you are, but we don’t know how King Arthur looked, who his best friend was and whether his stories are true.Yet it’s the pleasure of believing in something that will inspire you and give you the motivation to do something memorable, ambitious or brave.
His identity has inspired many during the centuries. By King Arthur being in Cumbria, a part of his identity is there for the people of Cumbria. From individual people to nations, an identity is who you are and King Arthur is who you want him to be.
LINKS
Britain has produced so many writers and great stories, that wherever you are there is some location that is inspired by or linked to a story. The mythological or fictional journey and how it relates to places, is something we explore in Tolkien’s Mordor in the Black Country section. Look into the evidence of the real King Arthur and it seems likely that he exists in a time after the Romans. The article When The Saints Go Marching In, in this section is also about this time. King Arthur may have been, like the saints, a champion of the Christian religion at a time when, after the Romans left, the land was open to older, more pagan influences.