King Arthur Middle Ages. King Arthur - biography, facts from life, photos, background information

Legends of King Arthur (English)

How did Arthur become king?

In ancient times, Britain was ruled not by one sovereign, but by many princes. And one of them, the most powerful and powerful, by the name of Uther Pendragon, everyone considered the king of England - the ruler of the southeastern lands.

One day, Uther Pendragon called the most valiant knights and the most beautiful ladies of the kingdom to a magnificent feast. Among the guests was his long-time rival in the struggle for power, the powerful Duke Gorlois of Cornwall, who arrived at the feast with his wife, the beautiful Lady Igraine.
Seeing Lady Igraine, Uther fell passionately in love with her, for she was as kind and intelligent as she was beautiful. More than anything in the world, the king wanted to marry her, but the lady was virtuous and faithful to her husband. Outraged that Uther Pendragon was seeking the attention of his wife, the duke and his wife left the feast hastily and secretly.
In a rage, the king ordered his troops to besiege Tintagel - the duke's ancestral castle, a gloomy fortress on the Cornwall peninsula. But during the siege, out of great love and disappointment, Uther became seriously ill, and his associates were afraid that the king might die.
In those days, a famous wizard named Merlin lived in England. He was so powerful that he could transform into anyone, become invisible, and even be transported to any place in the blink of an eye. Uther sent a knight to him for advice and help in matters of love. And soon Merlin appeared before the bed on which lay the sick king.
"Sir," said Merlin, "I know all the secret desires of your heart. Lady Igraine will be your wife. But for this you will give me to raise your firstborn.
- I agree, let it be your way, - the king replied.
“Today you will be able to enter the castle and meet your beloved. You will look like a duke, and neither Lady Igraine nor the servants will be able to distinguish you from him.
Late in the evening, the healed king and Merlin went to the castle, but Duke Gorlois, noticing how Uther was leaving his camp, stepped out to meet him. They fought to the death, and the king killed the Duke of Cornwall.
Only the next day did Lady Igraine learn of the death of her husband and was surprised by this news, because she saw her husband at night, when he should have already been dead. She decided to keep her meeting with the disguised duke a secret.
Almost immediately after the funeral of the Duke of Cornwall, Uther Pendragon again confessed his love to Lady Igraine, and this time she was favorable to him. The wedding was quickly played, and there was no end to the joy and fun in the king's castle. At the same time, at the request of Uther, the two daughters of Igraine from their first marriage also got married. Her eldest daughter, Morgause, married Logue, King of Orkney and Lothian; the middle one, Elaina, is for Nantres, King of Garlot. The youngest, Morgan, who was still a child, was sent to be raised in a convent.
When the time came for Queen Igraine to give birth to a child, Merlin reappeared in the king's castle and recalled the oath given by Uther:
- When your child is born, do not baptize him and order him to be given to me secretly through the back gate of the castle.
As Merlin wished, so Uther did. Three days later a boy was born to Igraine, and the king commanded that the child be taken, swaddled in a golden veil, and given to the first beggar at the back gate of the castle. So the child was handed over to the wizard, and he baptized him at the priest, giving the heir the name Arthur. Merlin entrusted the boy to the care of the knight Ector, devoted to the king. Arthur lived in his house, and Sir Ector's wife fed him with her milk along with her own son named Kay. And for a long time, no one except Merlin and the king knew that Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon.

The king did not long live in happiness with the beautiful Lady Igraine. Two years passed and he fell seriously ill. The saddened barons sent for Merlin. The wizard arrived at the royal castle and called all the noble people to the king's chambers.
- I can not cure Uther Pendragon, - said Merlin and loudly asked the king: - Sir, do you want your son Arthur to become king after your death?
Then Uther Pendragon turned his head and said aloud:
- I give him God's and my blessing, and when he matures, I command him to claim my crown; and if he does not, may he forfeit the blessing.
With these words Uther died and was buried with honors befitting a great king. All his vassals and Lady Igraine were plunged into great sorrow and sorrow.
And terrible times came, the very existence of the kingdom was threatened. Every noble person considered himself worthy to become king of England. Neighboring principalities started wars among themselves, riots broke out throughout the country, and the enemies, taking advantage of this, began to attack the kingdom.
During the strife, almost everyone forgot about the last will of the king. If someone knew where to look for an heir, no one would want a child to rule the country. Merlin foresaw all this and therefore decided to educate Arthur away from the envious barons until he grows up and matures enough to ascend the throne, keep it and rule wisely. So many years have passed. Arthur turned into a tall young man, learned to ride a horse, fight with spears and swords, deal with ladies and everything else that a noble knight is supposed to be able to do. Merlin decided that the time had come, and advised the Archbishop of Canterbury to convene all the noble people of the kingdom for Christmas in London, in St. Paul's Cathedral - the most beautiful church in England.
“For,” the wizard predicted, “there will be a great miracle that will show everyone who the rightful king of this country is.
When the worshipers left the temple after the service, they saw a huge square stone in the churchyard, similar to a marble tombstone. A steel anvil stood on the stone, and a naked sword was stuck in its center, around which golden inscriptions sparkled: "Whoever pulls this sword out of the stone, that is by right of birth the king over all the land of England."

Everyone marveled at this miracle, and the lords who wanted to take possession of the crown began to argue furiously: everyone wanted to be the first to try their luck. Then the archbishop ordered each knight in turn, according to seniority and nobility, to try to draw the sword ... But the strongest of them could not even move it.

There is no king among us,” said the archbishop. - Let messengers be sent to all lands, who will tell about the sword. On the first day of the new year, we will arrange a tournament in which anyone can participate, whether it be a knight or a commoner. Let each participant of the tournament try his luck and try to pull the sword out of the stone. In the meantime, ten glorious knights will guard the wonderful weapon.
On the first day of the new year, knights from all over England arrived in London. Among them were Sir Ector, who loved tournaments and fights, his son Kay, who had just been knighted, and Arthur, Sir Kay's foster brother.

Early in the morning on the day of the tournament, they saddled their horses and set off for St. Paul's Cathedral. Already approaching the lists, Sir Kay missed the sword, which he left at home. He asked Arthur to return for weapons.
- With great pleasure, - Arthur agreed and galloped at full speed for the sword.
However, the young man did not find anyone at home: the lady with all the servants went to watch the tournament. Not finding the sword, Arthur was upset, because now his brother will not be able to gain fame in duels. Disappointed, he suddenly remembered that he had seen some kind of sword sticking out of the stone in the middle of the churchyard. “I’ll take this sword, it’s of no use anyway. I can’t allow my brother, Sir Kay, to be left without a weapon on such a day, ”Arthur decided and hurried to the cathedral.

There was no one in the churchyard, the knights guarding the wonderful sword left their post and went to the tournament. Without stopping to read the inscription on the stone, and not knowing anything about how many people tried to take possession of the sword, Arthur dismounted, pulled the sword out of the stone with one movement of his hand and hurried to his brother.

Sir Kay immediately recognized the miracle weapon, was delighted and hurried to his father with the words:
- Look, sir, this is the sword of stone; That means I'll be King of England!
But Sir Ector was immensely surprised and demanded to know how his son got the sword.
“My brother Arthur brought me this marvelous weapon,” answered Sir Kay.
- How did you get it? Hector turned to Arthur.
- At home, I did not find Sir Kay's sword, I hurried to the cathedral and pulled this sword out of the stone without any difficulty.

Be the king of this land, - solemnly said Sir Ector.
- Why? Arthur was surprised.
"Because it is God's will," Hector replied. - This sword was destined to be drawn only by the one who is the rightful king of England. But first I want to check the truth of your words.
And Sir Ector hurried with his sons to the churchyard.
- It's a simple matter, - said Arthur, went up to the stone and stuck a sword into the anvil.
Hector and Kay tried to draw the weapon, pulled it with all their might, but couldn't even move it.
“Now try it,” they suggested to Arthur.
- Willingly, - the young man answered and easily pulled out the sword for the second time.
Then Sir Ector and his son knelt before Arthur, bowed their heads respectfully, and swore allegiance. Seeing this, Arthur cried out in fright:
- Dear father and dear brother, why did you kneel before me?
- I must tell you, my lord Arthur, - answered the noble knight Ector, - that although I love you as my own, you are my adopted son.
And the knight told how, at Merlin's request, he had taken care of Arthur from infancy. The young man was saddened when he learned the whole truth, and grieved that he had lost his father, mother, and brother at once.
They found the archbishop, and Sir Ector told him what had happened. When the prelate heard this story and saw the miraculous sword in the hands of the young man, he immediately sent for the knights and barons and ordered them to gather in the courtyard of the temple. With a great gathering of people, Arthur returned the sword to its place and just as easily pulled it back. And then a strife broke out: some lords welcomed Arthur as their king, others were angry, considering it a great shame that they would be ruled by an obscure youth. In the end, it was decided to postpone the matter until Easter, although no one but Arthur claimed the throne and no one was able to draw the sword from the anvil. Ten knights were again placed at the stone to stand guard in the churchyard day and night.
At Easter, more barons and lords came to London to try their luck with the sword, and again only Arthur succeeded, which greatly upset many. But the lords again managed to postpone the decision - this time until Pentecost.
But on Pentecost, history repeated itself: Arthur was the only one who was able to pull the sword from the anvil, and this happened in the face of not only lords, but also ordinary people. And the people cried out:
- Arthur is our king, and no one else! Let's not let the decision be delayed any further!
And everyone - rich and poor - fell on their knees before Arthur and begged for forgiveness for not recognizing him as king for so long. He forgave them; he was first knighted and then crowned.
Arthur swore before lords and people to rule justly from now until the end of his days. And the first thing he did was listen to complaints about the wrongs committed after the death of Uther Pendragon, and ordered the return of lands and castles to those from whom they were taken.
King Arthur rewarded his tutor Sir Ector with new lands, and made Sir Kay, whom he loved dearly, seneschal of his court and the whole kingdom. For service at court, the king selected the best knights of the country and settled with them in the castle of Camelot, trying to rule wisely in order to restore peace, tranquility and order to the kingdom.

King Arthur- a cycle-forming character of the British epic and chivalric novels, the legendary leader of the VI century, who united Britain under his rule.

The biography of Arthur is known from the historical work of Geoffrey of Monmouth "History of the Kings of Britain" (XII century). Although Arthur is mentioned there as a real historical king, the very reliability of this chronicle is questioned by historians. Subsequently, such authors as Chrétien de Troyes (12th century) and Thomas Malory (15th century) wrote about Arthur, in whose writings there is a significant amount of fiction. It was these three authors who shaped the modern picture of King Arthur and his knights.

Arthur, according to tradition, was the son of Uther Pendragon and the ward of the wizard and sage Merlin. Arthur received his right to the crown due to the fact that he removed the magic sword from the stone. Arthur gathered at his court all the greatest and noblest knights of the Round Table, about whose exploits many legends have been preserved.

Arthur's court was located in Camelot, where the knights gathered at the round table: Lancelot, Persifal, Gawain, Galahad, Vigamur, Ector, Kay and many others. Such characters as Tristan and Isolde also adjoin the cycle of Arthurian legends. The pivotal dramatic plot of the story of King Arthur is the adultery of his wife Guinevere and the most prominent of all knights - Lancelot, which ultimately led to the death of all the characters. The main ideological plot is the search by the Knights of the Round Table for a bowl called the Holy Grail.

According to legend, Arthur died in battle with the troops of his nephew Mordred, who was the son of his sister Morgause from her alleged incest with Arthur himself. It is believed that the mortally wounded Arthur was transferred to the island of Avalon - an analogue of the Celtic paradise, and in a difficult hour for Britain, he can return. Another sister of Arthur is the famous fairy Morgan (often these two female characters are combined).

In Russia, King Arthur is largely known thanks to Mark Twain's humorous novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Possible prototype The character was Lucius Artorius Castus, Lucius Artorius Castus, Prefect of the VI "Victorious" Legion in Britain.

The plot of the legend

Birth of Arthur

Arthur is the son of King Logria (Britain) Uther Pendragon. According to legend, Uther fell in love with the Duchess Igraine Tintagel and killed her old husband in a duel. All this intrigue was organized by the wizard Merlin, who, as a payment, demanded that the baby be given to him for upbringing. A few years later, Uther was poisoned by those close to him and the country was left without a king. Merlin kidnapped the baby and cast a spell on him, giving him strength, courage, and other positive qualities. Then the sorcerer gave Arthur to be raised by the old knight Sir Ector.

Arthur becomes king

Twenty years later, Merlin and the Bishop of Canterbury in London presented the assembled knights with a sword stuck in a stone on which was inscribed: "Whoever draws this sword from the stone is rightfully the king of Britain." None of the kings and barons could draw the sword. It was accidentally taken out by young Arthur, who was looking for a sword for his named elder brother, Sir Kay. Merlin revealed to the young man the secret of his origin and proclaimed Arthur king, but the rulers of neighboring kingdoms, who were aiming for the throne of Uther, refused to recognize him and went to war against the young Pendragon. Only with the help of the overseas commanders Ban and Bors, Arthur defended his throne and began to rule, making the city of Camelot his capital.

After the Sword of Stone broke in the king's duel with Sir Pelinor, Merlin promised the young monarch a new miracle sword. It was forged by the elves of Vathelin Lake and handed over to Arthur on the condition that it be stripped only in the name of a just cause and returned to them when the time comes. The sword, called Excalibur, struck without a miss, and its scabbard protected better than any armor.

Arthur managed to gather the best knights of the Earth in Camelot, and so that there would be no contention between them because of high and low places, he ordered the Round Table to be made. Soon Arthur married the young Guinevere, the daughter of the King of Lodegrance, whom he had once saved. However, the marriage was childless.

Treason of the queen and the beginning of the war

Once Guinevere was kidnapped by the robber baron Sir Meligrans during a walk. Lancelot, one of the best knights of the Round Table, burst into the castle of Meligrance without waiting for help, freed the queen and killed the villain. An affair broke out between him and the rescued lady, and Guinevere cheated on her husband.

The insidious Mordred, nephew (and, according to rumors, illegitimate son) of Arthur, found out about this. He reported the treason to the king. Arthur sent Mordred with a detachment to arrest Lancelot and Guinevere. The queen was threatened with execution at the stake for her transgression, but Lancelot freed the queen from custody, at the same time mistakenly killing the unarmed nephews of King Gareth Beloruchka and Gaheris. Arthur set off in pursuit of the fugitives across the sea, leaving Mordred in charge. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the treacherous bastard usurped power and proclaimed himself king. Sir Gawain, who tried to restore order, was killed.

Death of Arthur

Upon learning of the unrest in Britain, Arthur returned from across the sea. The troops of the king and the impostor met on the Cammlan field for negotiations. But during the meeting, the snake bit one of the knights and he drew his sword, which was a signal for attack on both sides. In the great battle that broke out in Cammlan, the entire army of Britain perished. The traitor Mordred fell, pierced by Arthur's spear, but he himself mortally wounded his father.

The dying king asked Sir Bedivere to return the sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Then the sad ladies took him on a barge to the island of Avalon. According to tradition (similar to the prophecy of the Second Coming), Arthur slumbers on Avalon, waiting for the day of great need, when he will rise from his sleep to save Britain.

Merlin's Prophecy

After the death of Arthur, the Saxons still captured Britain. Merlin prophesied, predicting the fall of the White Dragon (the symbol of the Saxons). Merlin's prophecy came true during the Battle of Hastings, when William the Conqueror killed the last king of the Saxons, Harold, and the White Dragon of the Saxons fell.

Likely historical prototypes

The historical Arthur appears to have been dux bellorum- the leader or commander of the post-Roman period, although he is not mentioned by any historian of that period.

According to one version, he is identified with the Celtic king Riothamus. But it seems that the legendary Arthur is most likely a "composite" character, combining elements of the biography and the achievements of various historical figures.

The first Latin chronicle in which the name "Arthur" is mentioned is the "History of the Britons" (Historia Britonum). It is believed that work on it was completed in 800 AD. e. a Welshman named Nennius. This work was written in Latin, but many scholars believe that Nennius relied on the folk traditions of Wales when creating the Twelve Battles of Arthur. "Artorius" is a name of Roman origin, although it may also be Celtic, deriving from "artos" meaning "bear" or arto meaning horde.

Be that as it may, the first coherent account of the life of King Arthur appears in the whimsical History of the Kings of Britain (Historia Regum Britanniae) by Geoffrey of Monmouth. This work combines the works of Nennius and elements of Welsh folklore; with additional inclusions from later writings, it provided the framework for the cultural Arthurian myth still known today, its main characters and events.

The image of Arthur is presumably a collective one, and different prototypes correspond to different episodes of the legend:

• Roman commander Lucius Artorius Castus (exact dates of life are not known, was listed in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, and then Commodus), who led the auxiliary cavalry unit of the Legion VI Victrix (Legio VI Victrix);
• Roman Ambrose Aurelian - mentioned in the essay "On the Devastation of Britain" by a British author of the 6th century. Gildas, as having successfully defeated the Saxons at the Battle of Mount Badon;
• Charlemagne with his 12 Paladins.

Andrzej Sapkowski in The World of King Arthur writes:

The expansion of the Saxons in 443-505 unexpectedly stalled, trampled on the spot. Something happened. Something happened that “pacified” the Saxons so much that from robbers and aggressors they were transformed into settlers cultivating the land in the eastern part of the Island.

The first references that may indirectly relate to Arthur appear in the writings of the Welsh cleric Gilda (516? - 570th).

From this we can conclude that King Arthur lived around 500 AD. e.

First mention of Arthur

In the mythology of old England, there is no more beautiful era than the reign of King Arthur and his valiant knights, when in the midst of the gloomy Middle Ages, nobility and selfless devotion to the crown and their state flourished.

"History of the Britons" - the first Latin chronicle, completed in 800 AD. a Welshman named Nennius, first mentions the name Arthur as a central character in the folk tales of Wales. The first extended account of Arthur's life appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, which combines History of the Britons with elements of Welsh folklore.

Three main prototypes of Arthur are considered historical figures- this is the Roman commander Lucius Artorius Cast, whose exact dates of life are unknown, the Roman Ambrose Aurelian, who successfully defeated the Saxons in the battle of Badon, and Charlemagne with his 12 Paladins. Based on the fact that the main enemies of Camelot, the Saxons, lived in the 450s, and the first indirect mention of Arthur appears in the writings of the Welsh cleric Gildas in the 560s, we can conclude that Arthur lived presumably in the 500s. AD The image of the British King Arthur is assembled from several biographies and exploits and, supplemented by a chain of interconnected storylines, has become a solid framework for the cultural myth of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

So, the core of the immortal story of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are several heroes who influenced the rise and fall of the wonderful British kingdom. King Arthur was the only son of the High King of Britain, Uther Pendragon, who developed a passion for his mother, Igraine, wife of the Duke of Gorlois of Cornwall. According to one version of the legend, Gorlois had to kill Uther in order to seize his power, but the opposite happened. Thanks to the wizard Merlin, who foresaw the development of events 200 years ahead, a duel arose in which Uther mortally wounded his opponent, subjugated his army and married Igraine. A year later, the queen from her second marriage gave birth to Arthur, who was destined to become the great ruler of England.

The wise Merlin was aware of court intrigues and was well aware of the people who dreamed of usurping power and depriving the heir of the rightful throne. To prevent this from happening in childhood, he took the boy to his upbringing, later passing him on to his faithful friend, the glorious knight Ector. At the same time, one of Arthur's older sisters, the fairy Morgana, was brought up by the Lady of the Lake, trained in magic and sorcery that only the High Priestess of Avalon could possess. After 20 years, Morgana played a fatal role not only in the fate of her own brother, but also in the history of the entire kingdom, however, more on that later.

After the death of Uther, Merlin revealed to the 16-year-old heir the secret of his origin and taught the secrets of the military art, which were supposed to help Arthur conquer the country. Merlin, together with the Bishop of Canterbury, at a regular meeting in London, presented a magic sword intended for the new king of England. The one worthy of the crown had to draw the sword from the stone, and none of the knights managed to do this, except Arthur. After the popular proclamation of Arthur as King of Britain, the passions at court subsided for a short time.

In one of the duels with Sir Pelinor, Arthur broke a stone sword, and Merlin promised the king a new sword, Excalibur, which the elves of Avalon forged especially for him. Excalibur's sword had the magic to fight without a miss, but one condition was imposed on it: to expose the blade only in the name of a good deed and, when the time came, Arthur must return the sword to Avalon.

Having become the full-fledged king of Britain, Arthur began to think about an heir to his throne. Once he was introduced to Ginevra, the daughter of the king of Lodegrance, whom he once saved. Ginevra was and still is modern processing Literature "Beautiful Lady", a model of immaculate femininity and chastity, so that Arthur fell in love with her at first sight. The young people got married and lived happily in Camelot. True, the couple never had children, because, according to legend, one evil sorceress, wanting to pass the throne to her son, placed a curse of infertility on Ginevra.

At his court in Camelot, Arthur gathered the most brave and devoted knights of the kingdom - Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, Percival and many others. Various sources indicate that the total number of knights reached 100 people. Separately, it is noted that it was Ginevra who gave Arthur the idea to make a Round Table for the meetings of the knights, so that no one felt themselves either the first or the last, and everyone was equal among themselves and before the king.

The wizard Merlin often visited Camelot in order to visit Arthur and at the same time set the knights up for good deeds so that they would not do evil, avoid betrayal, lies and dishonor. The Knights of the Round Table were famous for bestowing mercy lower classes and always patronized the ladies. They defeated dragons, sorcerers and other fiends, rescuing kings and princesses, freeing their lands from evil and enslavement. The main goal of their pilgrimage was to search for the Grail, from which Jesus himself drank during the Last Supper and where his blood was then poured. For many years the knights could not find the holy Chalice. In the end, she was found by the illegitimate son of Lancelot and Lady Elaine - the knight Galahad.

The Treason of Ginevra and the Beginning of Troubles in Britain

It is historically noted that it was Ginevra's adultery that set off the unrest in Britain. The queen could not get pregnant for a long time and give Arthur an heir, which is why the couple constantly quarreled, and none of them even suspected the curse. At the same time, even before her marriage, Ginevra managed to fall in love with one of the knights and best friend Arthur - Lancelot, having met him in Camelot a few days before meeting the king.

Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake, from which he received the nickname "Lake". Almost the whole meaning of the character of Lancelot in the legends of the Arthurian cycle is his immense love for Ginevra and, at the same time, the sin of adultery, which did not give him a chance to find the Holy Grail.

Different legends speak differently about Lancelot's beloved: for example, the knights of the Round Table, knowing about Lancelot's sinful connection with the queen, did not like Ginevra and once even wanted to execute her. Ginevra, feeling guilty before her husband, but being unable to give up her love for Lancelot, kept getting angry at her faithful knight and drove him out of the court. Once she arranged a feast for the knights, during which one of them killed the other with a poisoned apple, and all suspicions fell on the queen. The knights were about to completely expose the traitor to the crown, but Lancelot rode up and saved her, chopping half of his friends with a light hand.

Many court ladies, who had a clear interest in Lancelot, were perplexed by the fact that he was unmarried and decided to devote his whole life to unhappy love. Once, in search of the Grail, Lancelot had the honor to visit King Peles of Corbenic, a relative of Joseph of Arimathea and the guardian of the Grail. The king offered Lancelot to marry his beautiful daughter Elaine, but he found tactful words to refuse such an honor. The court lady of Bruzen, knowing who occupied the knight's heart, cast a spell on Elaina, thanks to which she became like Ginevra. Lancelot spent the night with the princess, and the next morning, when he found out about the deception, it was too late. So Lancelot had an illegitimate and only son Galahad - the future knight of Camelot.

According to one version of the legend, Ginevra found out about her rival and rejected Lancelot. For 14 years he lived with Elaine in Bliant Castle on the island, and when Galahad grew up, he returned to Camelot, and their relationship with the queen was renewed.

However, Arthur himself also had an illegitimate son, Mordred, conceived by his half-sister fairy Morgana during a mysterious rite, when the wizards Merlin and the Lady of the Lake had a hand in ensuring that brother and sister did not recognize each other and entered into a relationship. Mordred, unlike Galahad, was raised by evil sorceresses and grew up as an insidious person, dreaming of his father's bloodshed and the seizure of power.

Fall of Camelot and death of Arthur

The king was very fond of his friend Lancelot, as well as his wife Ginevra, and, suspecting their love, did not take any measures to expose the deceivers. Arthur preferred not to see what he did not want, considering peace in the state more important than personal relationships. This was in the hands of his enemies - and, in particular, his son Morder (according to some sources, Mordred was Arthur's nephew, and since the king had no other relatives, one way or another the crown had to pass to him).

Wanting to hurt the king with the pain of Ginevra's betrayal, Mordred, along with 12 knights of the Round Table, burst into the queen's chambers, where Lancelot apologized to his lady of the heart for accidentally exposing her, and asked for advice on how to behave further. Angry at being interrupted in such a mean way, Lancelot killed almost all of his comrades, saddled his horses, and rode away from Camelot with Ginevra. Arthur, compelled by public opinion, rushed after the fugitives across the English Channel, leaving Mordred as his viceroy.

Arthur did not see Ginevra again - on the road, the queen realized all her sins and asked Lancelot to take her to the monastery, where she took a monastic vow and devoted the rest of her life to purifying her soul and serving God.

Meanwhile, in Arthur's absence, Mordred attempted to seize power and subdue the people. Realizing that the key figures who had been counted on for so many years could not provide England with peace at a decisive moment, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, as well as other wizards, including the adoptive mother of Mordred himself (according to many options, she was sister Lady of the Lake, who stepped on the path of black magic). The wizards entered the fight and were mortally wounded, so that no one could protect Camelot, except for Arthur himself.

Rather quickly realizing the futility of searching for Lancelot with Genevra, Arthur rode back to Camelot, where enemies were already waiting for him. On the coast, he was ambushed by the Saxon army of Mordred (by that time he had managed to acquire like-minded people among the Saxons hostile to Arthur). The king fell at the hands of his own son, having also managed to mortally wound Mordred. It is said that in the final battle, Lancelot rushed to the aid of Arthur with his small army, but he was also defeated in this battle.

Fairy Morgan, along with other sorceresses, took the dying Arthur in a boat to Avalon, where Arthur threw the Excalibur sword into the lake, thereby fulfilling his duty to the elves. According to some legends, the beautiful story of the most noble king of medieval England did not end there at all, and at present Arthur is only dozing in Avalon, ready to rise and save Britain in case of a real threat.

50 famous mysteries of the Middle Ages Zgurskaya Maria Pavlovna

Who was King Arthur and where was Camelot?

King Arthur is one of the most famous figures in medieval literature. He was celebrated in novels and chronicles, in poetry and prose in all major European languages. In the memory of mankind, there are three king Arthurs - Arthur of history, Arthur of legends and Arthur of chivalric novels, and one image smoothly flows into another. Therefore, it is quite difficult to separate historical truth from fiction, given the antiquity of the legends, the first of which appeared as early as the 6th century AD. e. It is no coincidence that these centuries are covered with fantastic stories about the great King Arthur and his famous Knights of the Round Table, who accomplished a lot of incredible feats.

By the beginning of the 3rd century, the Romans had conquered the British Isles and held them until the beginning of the 5th century. When England was conquered by the Romans, civil strife stopped there, roads were laid, the nobility began to adopt the "Roman style". England was protected from the raids of the Picts - the inhabitants of Scotland - by a huge rampart built by Emperor Hadrian. But on the European continent, the onslaught of barbarian tribes was growing, and the Roman Empire was weakening, it was no longer up to the provinces. Rome was threatened by the hordes of the Goths, and the Romans left the colony. In 410, Emperor Honorius withdrew Roman troops from Britain, leaving the indigenous population to build their own lives. Less than half a century later, the tribes of the Saxons fell upon Britain. Then the tribes of the Britons and the remnants of the descendants of the Romans united and began to fight the conquerors. Although they inflicted a number of defeats on them, by 1600 the conquest of the main part of the island by the Saxons was completed. The story of King Arthur, who became the hero who led this struggle, dates back to these times.

According to legend, the Celts again began to quarrel with each other - the kingdoms that formed after the departure of the Romans did not want to give in to each other. One of these kingdoms was ruled by Uther Pendrashn. He seduced the wife of one of his rivals, the beautiful Igraine. From this union, Arthur was born, who was raised by the magician Merlin. The grown-up Arthur learned that royal blood flows in his veins - thanks to the magic sword Excalibur, which he managed to pull out of the rock. Arthur put an end to civil strife, united the English lands and drove out the Saxon conquerors. Together with his wife Guinevere, legend says, he ruled while living in beautiful city called Camelot. There, in the palace, his faithful knights gathered at a large round table ...

The historical prototype of the legendary monarch was, apparently, the military leader of the Britons, who lived at the end of the 5th century and led their struggle against the Saxons. He gave several major battles, ending ca. 500 with a victory at Mount Badon in southern Britain. And although the Saxons eventually prevailed, Arthur's glory did not fade.

With the advent of Christianity in the Celtic lands, this poetic legend was overgrown with moral teachings, but the spirit of magic has been preserved and has come down to us thanks to medieval authors.

The first mention of King Arthur was made by the Welsh monk Nennius in The History of the Britons (826). Using an ancient story, he told the following: Arthur was a commander chosen by the kings, because they did not want this role to go to one of them. Nennius gives in chapter 56 a list of Arthur's twelve victories over the Saxons, and in chapter 67 two British "wondrous divas" are associated with Arthur - evidence that local legends at this time were already associated with his name. Another Latin chronicle produced in Wales c. 955, the Annals of Cumbria, mentions not only the victory at Badon, but also the Battle of Camblann in 529, in which Arthur and Modred, his nephew, fell.

In early Welsh literature, Arthur appears in a completely different capacity - mythical and fabulously adventurous. In the poem "Anwinn's Prey" (X century), he leads a detachment to storm the fortress of Anwinn (it is also the underworld of the Celts) with the disastrous intention to take possession of magical talismans.

Thus, the documents that reflect the early stage of the legend are of Welsh origin. But the glory of Arthur went far beyond the borders of Wales. The inhabitants of Cornwall and even continental Brittany, related to the Welsh in language and culture, also paid tribute to the British hero. The Bretons spread the legend of Arthur, taken from the British Isles, throughout the European continent.

Most detailed description The life and great deeds of this man is given by The History of the Kings of Britain (1136) by Geoffrey (Galfrid) of Monmouth - the first bestseller of that era. This author substantiated the role of Arthur as the conqueror of the Saxons. "History" begins with the founding of the British kingdom by Brutus, a direct descendant of Aeneas, through whom British antiquity is connected with the glorious past of Troy and Rome. Merlin plays a prominent role in Jeffrey's account of the life and deeds of Arthur, the central character throughout the book. Arthur is portrayed not only as the conqueror of the Saxons, but also as the conqueror of many European nations. In the war that began after his refusal to pay tribute to the Romans, Arthur and his allies defeated the enemy in battle and would have conquered Rome, if not for Modred, who treacherously took possession of his throne and queen. Jefri describes the death of Arthur in the battle with Modred and then the gradual disintegration of the empire he created until its final destruction in the 7th century. This source contains the most fantastic stories and characters that inspired numerous medieval bards. It is no coincidence that the British considered the History of the Kings of Britain to be a kind of accurate reference book and did not understand why historians who lived on the continent did not know about their glorious king. After all, he made a “campaign all the way to Rome” and defeated the troops of Emperor Lucius in order to forever free Britain from the threat of invasion from outside and turn his reign into a golden age of peace and abundance ...

In 1155, the History was translated into French in verse by the Norman poet Vas, under the title of Brutus Romance. You were the first author known to us to be mentioned in his poem by the Round Table, set up by Arthur's order to avoid disputes over seniority. He also reports the belief of the Bretons that Arthur is alive and is on the island of Avalon.

The first English poet to sing of Arthur was Layamon, the parish priest of Arley Regis, Worcestershire. His poem "Brutus", written in the last decade of the 12th century or a little later, is an extended retelling of Vasa's poem. Although Layamon's poem survives in only two lists, in contrast to the large number of manuscripts containing texts by Geoffrey and Vasa, its existence proves that Arthur was perceived as a hero even by the descendants of his Saxon enemies.

It is worth noting that the pseudo-historical tradition founded by Geoffrey of Monmouth does not include the stories of Tristan, Lancelot and the Grail, which became universally known in the Middle Ages through French novels. In the French novels of the Arthurian circle (second half of the 12th century), Arthur's court is depicted as the starting point of adventures. different heroes, but Arthur himself does not play a central role in them.

However, the authority of the legendary king was so great that his image was drawn into the Arthurian orbit by the plots of the different origin. One of these stories, and the earliest, was the sad story of Tristan, which was in circulation in France around 1160. The historical prototype of Tristan was a certain Pictish king of the end of the 8th century, the legends about which, like the legends about Arthur, were kept by one of the defeated Celtic peoples. Some versions of the Tristan legend bring to the fore an exciting plot - adventures, escapes, intrigues, but in the French novel of Thomas of Britannia (1155-1185) and in the German masterpiece of his follower Gottfried of Strassburg (c. 1210) the main thing is the development of characters and the tragic conflict between feeling and debt.

The legend of Tristan was already known when Chrétien de Troyes, one of the most popular authors of the 12th century, began to write. Almost all of his major writings, created between 1160 and 1190, are based on Arthurian stories that circulated among the Bretons. Chrétien rarely came up with something of his own, but his interest in psychological conflicts, born, in particular, of the intransigence of the dictates of love and chivalrous duty, enriched the content of the legends. Chrétien's last novel, Percival, or the Tale of the Grail, whose theme is the education of the hero in terms of chivalry, remained unfinished. The young Percival (Parsifal, Parzival) who appeared at the court of King Arthur is ignorant and childishly unresponsive to other people's suffering. He quickly learns the external attributes of chivalry and proves himself to be a valiant fighter beyond his years, but fails where prudence and compassion are required. In the castle of the crippled fisher-king, Percival did not ask who the food was for in the Grail, a large platter carried through the castle chambers by a maiden in a mysterious procession. He remained silent, as the mentor warned him against talkativeness. Then this silence is reproached to him: if he asked a question, and the fisher-king would be healed. Despite the fact that terrible punishments threaten Percival for this mistake, he, not knowing fear, goes on a journey - to look for the Castle of the Grail. At the point where Chrétien's text breaks off, poor Percival is haunted by all sorts of misfortunes. His further fate is described in the German Parzival (1195–1210) by Wolfram von Eschenbach, partly based on the work of Chrétien.

At the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century, various versions of the legend about the search for the Grail were widely circulated. At this time, the Grail, which originally had magical properties, was drawn into the realm Christian tradition and rethought as a sacramental cup (monstrance).

Arthurian literature of the 13th century is generally characterized by a transition from poetic forms to prose, further Christianization of legends, and a tendency to combine texts into a cycle. The so-called Arthurian Vulgate consists of five prose French novels:

1. "The Story of the Holy Grail", containing the initial information about the Grail and its miraculous properties;

2. "Merlin" - an extended arrangement of "Merlin" by Robert de Born with additions from other sources;

3. "Prosaic Lancelot" - a story filled with various details about Lancelot's childhood, about his upbringing with the wise Lady of the Lake; how he grew up as an unparalleled knight of King Arthur, how he loved Guinevere and lamented his sinful passion, because of which he was not allowed to reach the Holy Grail, and how he conceived Galahad with the daughter of a crippled king;

4. "Feat in the name of the Holy Grail", where the central character is the son of Lancelot Galahad, who, thanks to his spiritual perfection, surpassed all the other knights of the Round Table; and finally

5. "The Death of Arthur" - a story about the disintegration of the Brotherhood of the Round Table, which began with the fact that Lancelot, despite his former repentance, again returned to his sinful love, and ended with the betrayal of Modred, the death of Arthur and the departure of Guinevere and Lancelot from the world into seclusion and repentance.

The Arthurian prose cycle of the thirteenth century had a powerful influence on later chivalric romances in France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Wales, and England. His influence was especially felt on the most famous English Arthurian book - "The Death of Arthur" by Thomas Malory. The author's title of the book is unknown: the printer William Caxton named the volume published by him in 1485, which remained the only text of Malory for centuries until the Winchester manuscript was discovered in 1934, by the printer William Caxton. On the whole, Malory faithfully follows his sources, both English and French, but his role is not limited to translation. Like his predecessors, he reinterprets the Arthurian legends in the spirit of his time. His version emphasizes the heroic features of the epic, while refined spirituality was closer to the tastes of the French.

In England, the Arthurian legends survived after the Middle Ages, thanks to the pseudo-historical work of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the first printed edition of Caxton, which had been published five times by the beginning of the 18th century. The Romantic revival revived interest not only in Malory but also in other Arthurian texts. In the 19th century, the most significant modifications were made by A. Tennyson and R. Wagner. Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1859-1885) introduces Malory's stories into the framework of Victorian morality, showing how the sinfulness and frivolity of the Knights of the Round Table undermine Arthurian ideals. R. Wagner in the musical drama "Tristan and Isolde" (1865) refers to the version of Gottfried of Strasbourg and raises the legend to the heights of tragedy, however, colored by the philosophy of Schopenhauer and Novalis, where love and death are one. Wagner's Parsifal (1882) follows Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, but is also based on nineteenth-century philosophy. These revisions are essentially independent works and belong to XIX century using medieval material as an entourage.

How likely is it that the Arthurian legends reflect some historical reality? Did this person exist at all?

This question has been asked since the 15th century. The English pioneer William Caxton, already mentioned above, in his edition of The Death of Arthur, in the listed evidence of the existence of the king, pointed to various relics, including a round table kept in the town of Winchester, a piece of wax with the seal of Arthur (he was called on it the emperor of Britain, Gaul , Germany and Dacia) and even the sword of Sir Lancelot, Arthur's closest friend. But it turned out that all these items were made later - to attract pilgrims. The famous oak round table six meters in diameter was made in the 13th century, when Henry III and his heirs sought to revive the Arthurian epic.

The researchers also turned to the geography of the Arthurian legends. It turned out that many of the places mentioned in them have survived. For example, in the north of the Cornwall peninsula there are ruins of Tintagel Castle, built of slate slabs, where the famous king was allegedly born.

Many unsolved mysteries are kept by another "Arthurian place" - Glastonbury, which is located in the very west of Great Britain. Spread over the vast plains of Somerset, near the Bristol Channel, this complex now includes a city, an abbey and a huge volcanic rock with the ruins of a church, descending in terraces. It should be noted that people have lived here since time immemorial. The remains of settlements discovered by archaeologists date back to the era of the Roman invasion of the islands.

Glastonbury Abbey is a unique historical site for many religions. It is believed that on the lands of Glastonbury for a long period there was a temple of Druid priests who worshiped snakes. Then they were replaced by the Romans. But the most significant trace was left, undoubtedly, by Christians. According to legend, Joseph of Arimathea (the man who buried the body of Christ) moved to Glastonbury and built the first church in Great Britain. Blackthorn blossoms on the ruins of the abbey every Easter. People say that when Joseph, after his arrival, ascended the rock, he leaned on a staff during prayer. Once he left it there, and the staff turned into a tree. The tree took root, and since then the Glastonbury thornbush has served as a local landmark. Ireland's most revered saint, Saint Patrick, also lived and died here.

From a more than 150-meter cliff top, you can observe the terrain for 70-80 kilometers around. Volcanic terraces bear traces of their processing by people, and, perhaps, they once served as a path for Christian pilgrims who came here to worship and pray. A majestic monastery was erected here, named after St. Michael. The date of foundation of the monastery is considered to be 705. It was then that King Aine issued a decree on the construction of the monastery, and in the 10th century the Benedictines settled here. Those church ruins that modern tourists see date back to the 13th century. They were left from the temple, destroyed by order of the king Henry VIII during his struggle with Catholicism (XVI century). According to legend, Mount Glastonbury is the place where King Arthur once lived, and also - concurrently - a secret entrance to underworld lord of the elves. It is believed that in the 6th century St. Collen entered here, striving to put an end to demonism. He performed the rite of exorcism, and from contact with holy water, the elven palace disappeared with a roar, leaving the ascetic alone on an empty rock top.

As the final resting place of King Arthur and his wife, Glastonbury has gained fame since the 12th century. Until now, the authenticity of this fact is confirmed only by legends. So, for example, Excalibur - the legendary sword of Arthur, thrown by Sir Beduir at the request of the king, mortally wounded in the Battle of Camlen, into the water, could be drowned in the local lake Pomparles. Unfortunately, this once vast reservoir is now drained and check the veracity oral tradition already impossible.

A great misfortune (which, however, brought some benefit) happened at Glastonbury in 1184. A terrible fire then destroyed the abbey almost to the ground, but during the reconstruction, the monks engaged in a large-scale search for Arthur's grave.

And in 1191, a real sensation was made by the statement of the monks that the tomb of King Arthur had been found! Carefully tapping the stone slabs of the floor, the Benedictines found at a depth of three meters - below the modern masonry - an even older one, with a hollow chamber in it. Having opened the floor, the monks made their way to the legendary tomb. Two huge coffins, impregnated with wood-preserving resins, appeared to their astonished gaze! A magnificent reburial of the remains was organized. And soon a large lead cross appeared over the new grave with the inscription: "Here, on the island of Avalon, the illustrious King Arthur rests underground." In 1278, the remains of the monarch were reburied in a special tomb made of fine black marble.

But the researchers noticed many suspicious details of this "discovery". The first question that interested them was: how did they manage to identify the remains of King Arthur in the skeleton? The monks argued: “According to his noble stature…” A detailed report on the inspection of the bodies of the deceased has been preserved in the archives of the abbey. The man's skeleton struck with its high growth - 2 m 25 cm. His skull was damaged, but the cause of the injury could not be established, although it could have been a trace of a wound. On the head of a woman, blond hair was perfectly preserved. But all this is not yet proof that it was Arthur and his wife.

The first modern scientific exploration at Glastonbury began in 1907. The historical and archaeological expedition was led by the English scientist Frederick B. Bond. His employees have made significant progress: they discovered the remains of an unknown chapel. After comparing its geographical position with the general plan of the abbey, Bond concluded that it was built according to the laws of sacred geometry used by the ancient Egyptians, and later by the Freemasons. However, the venerable researcher had the imprudence to publicly declare that he received all instructions on the search for antiquities with the help of mediums, communicating with the souls of the deceased monks. A major scandal erupted and Bond was fired.

There is another mysterious thing in the legend of Arthur geographical name, which cannot be tied to any real place on Earth, - the legend sends the wounded king to the magical island of Avalon, the path to which is open to few. Elves and fairies live on this island, time flows so slowly there that the heroes of legends and villages, perhaps, live in a corner of paradise, not knowing that one and a half thousand years have swept over the planet. How possible is the existence of a ghostly Avalon? Some of the mystics of the Middle Ages believed that Avalon disappeared not in the physical, but in sacred sense this word. Like the Russian Kitezh, the island passed into another - magical - dimension and disappeared from the eyes of people.

Many 19th-century historians explained the disappearance of Avalon in a much more prosaic way. They believed that the reason for the death of the island was a banal flood. In support of their hypothesis, scientists cited a true story dating back to the 11th century. It was about a very low island in the English Channel, protected by dams and locks. Once, after some celebrations, drunken guards forgot to close them, and unrestrained tidal water rushed into the city. All the local nobility perished in the waves (except for the king, who escaped by swimming on a horse), and the island itself was covered by the sea. It was the historically reliable case described above that prompted the researchers to the idea that Avalon could have suffered the same fate.

But there could be another explanation for the disappearance of Avalon. It could merge with the mainland, connected with it by man-made bulk structures. This could happen if the island was located close enough to the coast of Britain.

It should be noted that not only European scientists were interested in the history of Avalon Island. M. A. Orlov in the book "History of Man's Relations with the Devil" (1904) indicates that Avalon was often described by the ancient poets of France. So, in the poem about William Kurnos, we find a mention that Avalon was extremely rich, so that there never was another such rich city. Its walls were made of some special stone, the doors in them were made of ivory, the dwellings were generously decorated with emeralds, topazes, hyacinths and other precious stones, and the roofs on the houses were golden! Magical medicine flourished in Avalon. The most terrible diseases and wounds were cured here. In one of the novels of that time, this island is described as a place where all the inhabitants spend time in an eternal holiday, without knowing worries and sorrows. The very word "Avalon" was brought closer to the words of the ancient Breton language "Inis Afalon", which means "island of apple trees".

Different opinions about the mysterious island are also expressed by many modern foreign researchers. But all these are only hypotheses that are not capable of revealing the secret of Avalon.

However, what can we say about the location of the elusive island, if it is still not clear where the much more material Camelot was located! Most people associate it with southwestern England, an area mentioned in tales of wizards, lake ladies and knights in shining armor. This version of the legend was popular as early as the Middle Ages, especially among English kings, poets and nobles, who considered Arthur's Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table to be the ideal royal court. In the county of Somerset in the 1970s, archaeologists unearthed a strange hill, which was perceived as Camelot - the capital where King Arthur lived. The top of the hill was surrounded by a solid wall of stone and wooden beams around the perimeter. It was a hall, which, apparently, was intended for common meals. Perhaps this is where the Knights of the Round Table gathered?

However, among scientists, another version is becoming more and more popular. It says that the legend originated north of the Anglo-Scottish border. One of the propagandists of this point of view is Hugh MacArthur, a historian from Glasgow. He argues that Guinevere, Arthur's wife, could be a representative of the Picts who lived in the north of Scotland. There is other historical evidence that Arthur came from present-day Scotland, and not Cornwall or anywhere else. According to MacArthur, the legend is based on the personality of Arthur, the leader of an armed band who ruled in the 6th century in Strathclyde, the kingdom of the Welsh-speaking Britons, stretching from Loch Lomond in Scotland to north Wales. The capital of the kingdom was the city of Dumbarton in west central Scotland. According to the researcher, there are numerous names in this area that could be associated with Arthur. In Dumbarton itself is Arthur's Castle, and to the west of Loch Lomond is Mount Ben Arthur, on which is a place called Arthur's Seat. According to MacArthur, this is only one of seven Arthurian thrones he found in Scotland. In total, there are about 50 places in the name of which Arthur is mentioned. And although we are not always talking about the legendary ruler, in most cases the name, apparently, is still given in honor of him.

MacArthur also believes that the island of Avalon, on which, according to legend, Arthur received his sword Excalibur and where he was brought mortally wounded, is nothing other than Loch Lomond. Local historians also believe that Arthur's main battles, described by the 9th-century Welsh monk Nennius, took place nearby. The researcher argues that the legend of Arthur began to migrate south in the process of Christianization of Scotland. In addition, the narrowing of the area of ​​use of the Welsh language, its localization in Wales and Cornwall contributed to the formation of the idea that the famous warrior and ruler lived in the southwest of England.

Yet most scholars believe that there is only circumstantial evidence for the existence of King Arthur. Having analyzed folklore and other sources in detail, historians have drawn a certain collective image a leader who used a Roman military title and organized successful resistance to foreigners. He may have given himself the imperial title when the battles were over. But this is only a hypothetical portrait, for there is no evidence of King Arthur's contemporaries. It is no coincidence that skeptics continue to claim that he was invented by the natives of Britain as the ideal of a glorified hero whose exploits lived in the popular mind.

And yet, some researchers continue to insist on the historicity of the famous image. As Englishmen Peter James and Nick Horn write, archaeological excavations indicate a sharp influx of invaders into Britain around 450 and a noticeable slowdown around 500. Apparently, someone successfully organized resistance to foreigners. Probably a former commander of the Roman army. And why not accept the legends of the exploits of King Arthur?

As a final weighty argument in favor of its reality, the fact of the popularity of the name Arthur is also put forward: at the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th century, six or more British princes were named by him. Most likely, this phenomenon had a source - King Arthur lived in people's memory…

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