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King Arthur, also known as Arthur of Britain, is the ideal monarch in both war and peace, especially in European literature, both English and French.
Arthur was a British Roman leader who led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. It is not known for sure if his story is real or legendary, or if he is a legendary character based on a real person.
The first references to Arthur are found in Celtic literature, in Welsh poems. The first account of the character's life is found in the Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who shaped the main features of his legend. Monmouth presents Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established an empire in the British Isles.
Figures such as Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, and his advisor, the wizard Merlin, appear in his story, as well as elements such as the sword Excalibur. It also mentions Arthur's birth on Tintagel, as well as his final battle against Mordred on Camlann and his subsequent retreat to the island of Avalon along with the fairy Morgana, Merlin's student.
Starting in the 12th century, Arthur was the central character of a set of legends known as the Matter of Brittany, in which he appears as a character in numerous French romances. Chrétien de Troyes added other essential elements to his legend, among them the figure of Lancelot of the Lake and the Holy Grail.
After the Middle Ages, Arthurian literature experienced a certain decline, but it resurfaced during the 19th century and remains alive at the beginning of the 21st century, both in literature and in cinema.
In the legend of King Arthur, the Round Table It was a mystical table of Camelot around which the king and his knights sat to discuss matters crucial to the safety of the kingdom. In some versions, the wizard Merlin also had a seat.
There is no privileged place at a round table, so no one person stands out from the rest. Thus, the knights who gathered around them were all equal and there was no "leader" like those at so many other medieval tables.
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SEE EXCALIBUR SWORDS
