King ArthurWhy?

Political Weapon

0Celts could/will rise again

0Arthur is not dead – King will come again and create the paradise of Britain

Review

0Vortigen (5th century ruler of the Britons)0 Invites the Saxons (mercenaries) to help him fight

rivals0Saxons get a foot hold and decide to stay0 Britain /England0Angles/Saxons won – brought their tales of ancient

kings and battles0Celts had their own tales – King Arthur?...Will come

again and restore what was lost0 Video (14:30-15:10)

Beginnings of King Arthur Legend:

0Vortigen (betrayer of the Britons) 0 Flees to the edge of the island0 Builds a castle0 Every morning, stones are scattered

0Advisors – land is cursed, need to find the golden-haired boy with no father, sprinkle his blood on the land

Merlin0Find the boy, he offers a prophecy for his life0Dig for a jar; two dragons / red, white0Fight0White (Saxons) flees / Red (Britons) wins0Hero will appear and Britain will rise again

Arthur = Poetry/HistoryArthur = King Ancient Ways020:00-20:450Sword in the Stone

(magic)

0Sword making

Battle of Hastings

0William Duke of Normandy / 1066

0Some Britons had immigrated to the continent / Brittany

0Carried the Arthur stories

History of the Kings of Britain

0 Geoffrey of Monmouth (1100’s) / Wales

0 Arthurs rests in Avalon (Glastonbury)

0 Henry II – to disprove0 11910 “Grave”

0 Explosion of interest0 Tourists0 Welsh (Celtic/Briton)

rallying cry

King and Arthur and the Holy Grail

0Chritien de Troyes, late 1100’s

0French = courtly romance

0Spiritual values

0Perceval0 Fisher King0 Feast – vision0 Lance and Grail

0 Quest

31:00-40:00

Perfect…until it wasn’t…

Le Morte d’Arthur

0Sir Thomas Malory (1400’s)0Continued the romance tales

Victorian Arthur

0Symbol for Victorian Ideals0 Darwin (new ways – in / old ways - out)0 YET, ALSO, nostalgia for the old ways

0 Link British Empire to Arthurian identity

The Once and Future King

046:00-51:500 Gaelic and Scottish Stories

051:50-56:36

0 In Search Of Myths and Heroes - King Arthur