FATE AND FAME

We don’t know exactly if King Arthur and his Knights sat at a round table if it is a legend or a real story.

The stories about Arthur began to appear in books in the twelfth century and it is possible that they were based on a Celtic leader in the fifth or sixth century who defended his country against the Saxons’ invasions.

King Arthur was King Uther Pendragon’s and Ygerne’s son, he was brought up by Merlin, an old Celtic magician and he became King of Britain when he was fifteen. He proved his rights to be a king when he pulled a Sword from a rock. He had to fight many Lords. When, with Merlin’s help, he defeated them he received the magic sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. Then he married Guinevere and he lived in a castle at Camelot.

He cultivated his dream of Justice and Equality for all humanity and he was able to transform his dream into reality when he created the Round Table, where his best knights sat, so that they were all equal.
King Arthur did all these things in the moment of his major glory.
At all times the knights of the round table behaved very correctly with respect, honour and compassion.

Arthur conquered half the known world: he went to Rome to fight the emperor,Lucius, and he left his kingdom in the hands of Mordred, his nephew…or his son… Morgana’s son (Arthur’s halfsister).As he was entering Rome, Arthur learned that Mordred had taken control of the kingdom and he had captured Guinevere.

Arthur came back to England and, in the battle of Camlann, he defeated his nephew, but he was mortally wounded.
King Arthur was then taken to the isle of Avalon to get better (recovered).
Arthur did not die, but he lives on and will return when his country needs him.

The legend says that the following verse is written on his tomb:

«Here lies Arthur, the once and future King.»

HIC IACET
ARTHURUS REX
QUONDAM REXQUE
FUTURUS

The basis to the myth is the downfall of Arthur’s kingdom, underminded by the treachery of Mordred or because of the love of Lancelot and Guinevere.Arthur represents a man who was the epitome of good against evil, light against darkness and that eternal, never-ending struggle between what is right and what is wrong.
His life was full of battles, he was the most important man of times.

©2004 Marta Pinna