What was camelot king arthur

Arthur soon surrounded himself with his Knights of the Round Table to help him in his fight against the Saxon invaders. Their base was at Camelot, where Arthur is said to have built a great castle. Other stories say this was an altogether different sword, bestowed on Arthur by the Lady in the Lake.

Arthur married Queen Guinevere but she betrayed him by falling for one of his knights, Sir Lancelot , and their affair was said to have triggered the downfall of the kingdom. Civil war broke out and during a fierce battle with Mordred, the nephew or possibly even illegitimate son who betrays him, Arthur is mortally wounded. It has hung in the Great Hall, Winchester since at least , and possibly since as far back as It was almost certainly painted during the reign of Henry VIII in the early s, as it has the Tudor rose at its centre and is thought to portray King Henry as Arthur on his throne, surrounded by the Knights of the Round Table.

Whilst Winchester Castle was built in the late 11th century, it is interesting to note that in the 9th century, the town of Winchester was the ancient court and capital of King Alfred the Great , a great warrior famous for defeating the Danish invaders and a great statesman, law maker and wise leader. Coincidentally, these are all traits that the legendary Arthur was supposed to possess: a successful warrior leading his people against invaders and at the same time, a wise and gracious leader.

The locations above are only four of the many places that have been associated with the Arthurian legend of Camelot. Unfortunately it seems likely that we will never know for sure whether Camelot actually existed, and if it did exist, where it was situated. However the legend of King Arthur and his Camelot lives on, as popular as ever. Camelot, from a 14th century manuscript This is the earliest reference to Arthur. Let us look at the top four contenders for Camelot. Tintagel Castle, Tintagel, Cornwall.

Related articles. An irresistible blend of myth and fact, the book was supposedly based on a lost Celtic manuscript that only Geoffrey was able to examine. Though Arthur may not have been a real person, his mythic power would only grow stronger as the centuries passed. English rulers from Henry VIII to Queen Victoria have appropriated the Arthur legend for political purposes, while countless writers, painters, photographers, filmmakers and other artists have produced their own versions for posterity.

But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! This section gives a summary of the popular characters in the Arthurian legend.

Since the legend centred on the British king, I devoted a whole page on Arthur. There is also page devoted to the Knights of the Round Table, as well as a page devoted to the women who played active parts in the legend.

Camelot Alan Lee Illustration, Or go to the Contact page, and email me.