Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
213,951
edits
m (remove unneccessary quote box template) |
|||
(36 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{
{{cleanup|This page is about both the character and the legends that the character features in. This should be split in two: "King Arthur" and "Matter of Britain".}}
The [[Knight in Shining Armor|perfect king]], who ruled [[
[[Shrouded in Myth|There may be a kernel of historical truth to the myth]], but [[Memetic Mutation|it has been obscured by centuries of elaborations]]. If he existed, the historical Arthur may have been a Romano-British leader (a native Briton, ancestors of the Celtic-speaking Scots, Cornish and Welsh) who fought the invading Saxons after the Roman provincial government collapsed. Documents show that after the [[Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny|Battle of Badon Hill]], the Saxon tide was turned back for almost a century, but the records are confused as to of who was in charge of the Britons at the time, if anyone; if he existed, Arthur's realm may have been an outpost of people not-getting-killed. The first surviving reference is from circa 600 A.D., and implies that either the legend or at least the man's reputation was well known even then.
It became very popular during the Middle Ages, during which times it was thoroughly reworked into [[Chivalric Romance]] and the Knights of the Round Table became heroic [[Knight Errant|Knights Errant]]. Even French writers, despite patriotic liking for the Matter of France, agreed that the King Arthur tales were the best ones of [[Courtly Love]]. (Also, since nobles and kings claimed to be related to Charlemagne, tales about King Arthur could be used by the French king's competitors, such as the Plantagenets, to whom many of the early epic works were dedicated.)
The themes of [[Courtly Love]] and later, the Holy Grail, caused writers to invent entirely new characters to introduce them. The version best known today is ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'', the work of Sir [[
This version incorporates many originally separate stories about the Knights of the Round Table, and other legends such as ''[[Sir Gawain and
This holds true for the English-speaking world. As far as the French are concerned, [[
Any modern Arthurian story that is not about either a) Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur/Mordred/Morgan and the subsequent collapse of the court or b) specifically about Merlin, is generally going to be about the Grail Quest, despite dozens of other possible plots. However, Tristram and Iseult (usually under the German forms of their names, Tristan and Isolde) by themselves are also becoming more popular, mainly due to the popularity of romance stories.
The genres used may vary from [[Historical Fiction]] ([[Doing In the Wizard|no magic]] and Saxon [[The Horde|hordes]] as [[Mooks]]), to [[Heroic Fantasy]], and the story can be set either in the Dark ages [[After the End|after the fall of Rome]] or in the present day, when King Arthur [[Rightful King Returns|has returned]].
The main characters of the stories that are collectively known as the [[Matter of Britain]] are:
* King Arthur: [[The Hero]], [[The Captain]] and [[Knight in Shining Armor]].
* Sir Bedivere: Arthur's [[Power Trio|oldest companion, besides Kay]]; [[Bash Brothers]] with Kay and vice-versa. As the spotlight shifts to other (newer) characters, both remain Arthur's [[The Good Chancellor|court officials]].
* Sir Kay: Arthur's foster brother, originally a [[Boisterous Bruiser]], later the [[Butt Monkey]]; also [[The Big Guy]] (literally "The Long Man" in Welsh).
* Galahad: [[The Messiah]] and an early [[Marty Stu]].
* Guinevere: [[The Chick]], [[Damsel in Distress]].
* Gawain: [[Badass|Originally]] [[The Lancer]], then [[Badass Decay|wimpified]]. [[Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys|by the French]]. [[Pragmatic Adaptation|Modern versions]] [[Took a Level in Badass|are more forgiving]], [[Anti-Hero|in their own way]].
* Percival: [[Kid Appeal Character|The young, naive fool]] who became a knight and saw the Grail... until later stories had Galahad see it instead.
* Lancelot: [[The Lancer]], The [[Tragic Hero]], The [[Sixth Ranger]], [[Sailor Earth]] (He is a latecomer in two senses: first, in that he first appears at the Round Table long after the vast majority of its membership has assembled; and second, the character entered the myth cycle several hundred years after it was first compiled.)
* Morgause: Arthur's half-sister, Mordred's mother, sometimes blended with her sister Morgana.
* [[Merlin]]: [[Ur Example|The original]] [[The Obi-Wan|Wizard]], [[Mentor]], [[The Professor]], sometimes [[Half-Human Hybrid|half-demon]]. Based on legendary Welsh mystic Myrddin Wyllt, who [[Walking the Earth|wandered the woods]] as a [[Hermit Guru|wild haired mystic]] and converted to Christianity, later adopted as an oracular figure for Arthur, since both of them were basically Welsh; the Welsh maintain [[Adaptation Displacement|separate accounts]] of the "historical" Myrddin's life and places he visited.
* Morgan Le Fay: Sometimes [[The Man Behind the Man]] and would-be [[God Save Us From the Queen|Queen]], sometimes a [[Trickster Mentor]], almost always an [[Evil Sorcerer]]. Except in certain feminist and/or neo-pagan retellings of the stories, in which she's usually the hero and Arthur is an evil patriarchal Christian bastard, or the pawn of same.
* Nyneve/Nimue: Merlin's pupil, and lover. She eventually goes [[Deceptive Disciple]] on him and, in the classical version, places him under an enchantments and [[Sealed Good in a Can|seals him in a tree or rock]]. Whether or not this is justified [[Alternate Character Interpretation|depends on how she and/or Merlin are portrayed.]] Frequently blended with Morgan for the convenience of having a [[Composite Character]] be responsible for all of Arthur's woes.
* Mordred: [[The Dragon]], Arthur's illegitimate son [[Brother-Sister Incest|and nephew.]]
* The Orkney Brothers (Gawain, Agravaine, Gaheris, Gareth and Mordred): [[Five-Man Band]]
** [[The Hero]]: Gawain
** [[The Lancer]]: Agravain
** [[The Smart Guy]]: Mordred (though he swaps roles with Agravain later on.)
** [[The Big Guy]]: Gaheris
** [[The Chick]]: Gareth
*** This troper finds the Orkney brothers are rarely presented as a "well oiled" team. When they are (chiefly in French cyclical literature), they are sans Gareth and a [[Goldfish Poop Gang|pesky, relatively harmless band of dishonorable murderers]] who have to rely on attacking as a group to do any real harm and are usually just tourney-fodder for whatever hero the author is currently espousing.
* Tristram and Iseult: [[Star-Crossed Lovers]]
* [[Monty Python and the Holy Grail|Sir Not Appearing In This Film (or Epic, or whatever)]]: Obviously.
There are many other [[Knight in Shining Armor|knights of the round table]], each with their own complex storyline, and, just in case you thought that wasn't enough, most of the names [[Spell My Name with an "S"|also have other, wildly different spellings]]. The worst offenders are probably 'Guinevere', 'Mordred', and 'Iseult', with special mention going to 'Nyneve', who sometimes gets entirely new names such as 'Nimue' and 'Vivien.' (Then again, try telling those names apart in cramped Gothic handwriting.) It's pretty much [[Depending on the Writer|up to the individual]] what you chose to call them.
The primary [[Public Domain Artifact]]s associated with the myths are:
* [[Excalibur (sword)|Excalibur]], which is part of the early legends, originally known as Caliburn. There are two origins to Excalibur: the first, and older tradition, stating that Arthur received it from a surprisingly benign member of [[The Fair Folk]], the Lady of the Lake, after the Sword in the Stone was broken; the second, that Excalibur was the Sword in the Stone from the beginning - this is a more modern origin, as writers thought it simpler to have only one magical sword, rather than two.
** The only magic power Excalibur was ever traditionally specifically accredited with was [[Power Glows|glowing brightly]], and that not always, but the ''scabbard'' was said to stop the wearer from bleeding, making it almost invaluable on the battlefield. It was said that the wielder of Excalibur could never be defeated in combat, but the actual mechanics of how this was possible were never traditionally [[Incredibly Lame Pun|set in stone]] (if even stated at all).
** [[Absurdly Sharp Blade|Insane sharpness]] is another reasonably-constant quality of the sword
* [[Only the Chosen May Wield|The Sword in the Stone]], which is featured as an entirely different sword than Excalibur/Caliburn in most versions of Arthurian myth.
* The Round Table: Barring Excalibur, the most iconic item in Arthurian Mythology - the freakin' furniture they installed. The congregation of knights are named for it, after all.
** The Siege Perilous, the last chair of the Round Table to be filled, prophesied to be filled by a knight who would not live long thereafter.
* The [[Holy Grail]], an addition which [[Plot Tumour|came to dominate]] the late medieval version of the myth, though it is [[Grail in the Garbage|often excised]] in modern works.
There are also [[Gotta Collect Them All|a metric ton]] of other lesser-commonly-known artifacts from the myths. Just a few are:
* The Broken Sword - The Grail Sword
* The Sword of the Red Hilt
* The Shield of Joesph of Arimathea
* The Shield of [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|The Burning Dragon Knight]]
* The Green Sash
* The Thirteen Treasures of Britain
* The Ship and Armaments of Arthur (including his knife, shield, spear, chain-mail, tabbard, and ship)
* The Shield of Judas Macabee
* Fail-Not, the Bow of Tristan
* The Dispelling Ring of Lancelot
* The Stone of Giramphiel
* Excalibur's ivory scabbard, which could shield life
{{tropenamer}}
* [[Grail Quest]]
{{tropelist}}
* [[Absurdly Sharp Blade]]: King Arthur's sword (called [[Excalibur]] or Caliburn or whatnot) is almost always portrayed this way.
* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: Oh. Dear. Christ. To call this the greatest example in history is an understatement. As stated above, Arthur (may have) started out as a prominent <s>Celtic chieftain</s> [[The Remnant|Romano-British]] warlord and leader of a band of warriors. Think [[Jason and
* [[Antagonistic Offspring]]: Mordred in some adaptations. The trope's alternate name is [[Arthur and Mordred]] for a reason.
* [[Bastard Bastard]]: Mordred, who may be the Ur-example. The illegitimate son of King Arthur and [[Brother
* [[Because Destiny Says So]]: The sword in the stone and the rise of Camelot
* [[Bed Trick]]: Both Arthur and Galahad are conceived this way.
* [[Big Good]]: Arthur, at least in the stories that focus mainly on his knights.
* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: Arthur's power is broken at the Battle of Camlann and he departs for Avalon to [[Ascend to
* [[Breakout Villain]]: Mordred, Arthur's nephew/son, and Morgan Le Fay, his half-sister, remain the only villains that are well-known in the Arthur legends, even though there are loads of others. To this day, they are thus considered the biggest villains, with the only one coming a ''mite'' close to their status being Lucius, the Emperor of Rome and [[Big Bad]] of Book V of ''Le Morte De Arthur''.
* [[Brother
* [[The Call Left a Message]]: The Sword in the Stone and the Siege Perilous.
* [[Celtic Mythology]]: Has its roots in Welsh legends.
* [[Changeling Fantasy]]: Arthur is raised by Sir Ector. Though treated well, he's considered of lower rank than Ector's biological family, who have no idea of his true identity.
* [[Child
* [[The Chosen One]]: [[Oracular Urchin|Merlin predicts]] Arthur's coming in the form of a vision of a red (Celtic) dragon slaying a white (Saxon) dragon.
* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]]: It is unsurprising that as Arthurian mythology evolved over the centuries and spread across Europe, many characters faded from existance or were replaced with local variations. Arthur's four sons - Amr, Gwydre, Llacheu and Duran - had all vanished by the 12th century. His full sister Anna became the mother of Mordred (who was not originally related to Arthur); she was eventually replaced by half-sister Morgause, who kept the blood-tie but is a different character entirely.
Line 38 ⟶ 93:
* [[Death of the Old Gods]]: Most modern re-tellings have this going on at least in the background.
* [[Defeat Means Friendship]]: Lancelot and Galehaut ([[I Am Not Shazam|no, not Galahad]]).
* [[Depending
* [[Double
* [[The Fair Folk]]: Usually present to some degree.
* [[Fisher King]]: Particularly in stories concerning Perceval.
* [[Five
** [[The Hero]]: Arthur
** [[The Lancer]]: Lancelot
Line 51 ⟶ 106:
* [[Give Me a Sword]]: Arthur sometimes pulls out the sword without noticing, because Kay sent him to get him a sword.
* [[The Good King]]: Arthur is the [[Trope Codifier]]
* [[Grail Quest]]: Arthur sent his knights to find the Holy Grail, and they would undergo quests to find that cup. Sometimes Galahad and Percival, on finding the Grail after these trials, ascend to heaven.
* [[Half-Human Hybrid]]: [[Merlin]] is only half human. His father may have a been a [[The Fair Folk|Fae]], [[The Devil]], an incubus, or [[The Messiah|no one]].
* [[Heroic Bastard]]: Most prominently, Galahad, son of Lancelot. Sometimes Mordred, [[Depending on the Writer]]. Though he is conceived out of wedlock, Arthur himself is not technically a bastard since his father marries his mother before his birth. In Malory, Arthur also fathers a son named Borre before he meets Guinevere - later a knight of the Round Table.
* [[Heroic Lineage]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20130515112657/http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/mostyn117.html Mostyn MS. 117] and ''Bonedd y Saint'', Welsh manuscripts dating from the 12th-13th century, describe Arthur as a direct descendant of Llŷr Lledyeith, who also fathered the heroes of the [[Mabinogion]].
** This has also been [[Invoked Trope]] by "descendants" of Arthur on many occasions. Most notably, Henry VII following the Wars of the Roses, who named his first-born son Arthur and claimed him to be the prophesied [[King in the Mountain|second coming]] who would herald the Golden Age. [[What Could Have Been|Might have been cool if he'd lived longer than his dad]], but we got Henry VIII instead.
* [[Historical Villain Upgrade]]: Possibly Mordred. He is first mentioned (as Medraut) in the 10th-century ''Annales Cambriae'' (Annals of Wales) as having been killed in the battle of Camlaun along with Arthur, but the entry is ambiguous as to whether they were fighting on opposing sides.
* [[I Call It Vera]]: Not just [[Cool Sword|Excalibur]]. Most of Arthur's equipment has names, such as his dagger Carnwennan and his spear Rhongomyniad [[The Unpronounceable|(we told you he was a bloody Welshman)]].
* [[Kill
* [[King in
* [[Knight Errant]]: Particularly Gawain, Lancelot, and Galahad. ''[[Sir Gawain and
* [[Knight in Shining Armour]]: The extent, as with just about every trope associated with King Arthur, depends on the version.
* [[The
* [[Last of His Kind]]: Merlin is revealed as the last of the shape-changers in his childhood, before Arthur's birth.
* [[Lawful Stupid]]: Arthur. So determined to bring about this new Rule of Law idea that he lets himself be used by evil people in the guise of upholding the law.
Line 70 ⟶ 126:
** Tristan/Isolde/King Mark as well.
* [[Merlin and Nimue]]: The trope maker and namer, as Merlin's relationship with the pupil that betrays him sets the pattern for the relationship between many future mages and their younger, opposite sex pupils.
* [[The Middle Ages]]: Nearly every version of the story is set in a ''mélange'' of centuries stretching from about 500 to about 1,000 years (or even more) after Arthur's time. Very few are set properly in the period of the late Roman Empire.
* [[Moses in
* [[Multiple Choice Past]]: Everyone.
* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Arthur himself, depending on where you believe his name comes from. There are some who have linked it to the old Indo-European word for "bear", whence also Ancient Greek ἄρκτος and Latin ursus, though it was replaced in most northern languages<ref>That is, the ones spoken by people who would have run into bears quite often</ref>, including English, Old Norse and Russian, by euphemisms (for more details, see [[Everything Is Worse With Bears]]). Oh, and as if being named after a bear wasn't [[Badass]] enough, that same root word was probably connected to the Proto-Indo-European word for "harm".
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Herod]]: The massacre of the May Day babies.
* [[Odd Name Out]]: The Orkney Brothers are Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, Agravain, and Morded. Want to guess which two put the fall of Camelot into motion by demanding Arthur punish Guinevere and Lancelot for their adultery?
* [[Offing the Offspring]]: Arthur tries to do this to baby Mordred, and succeeds years later. In earlier Welsh tradition Athrur kills a son named Amr.
* [[One Steve Limit]]: Averted like whoa. There are ''four'' distinct Elaines, three of whom are connected to Lancelot: there's Elaine, Lancelot's mother who [[Death
** It's also apparently common in Arthurian mythos for parents to name their different children the same thing. There's a Sir Ywain and his half-brother, Ywain the Bastard. Leodegrance also pulls this when he names his bastard second daughter <s> Guinevere</s> Guinevak who, later in life, somehow manages to convince the Knights of the Round Table that she's the real Guinevere and her sister the imposter. Note to future authors, when trying to find inspiration for a villain's scheme, [[The Importance of Being Earnest]] is ''not'' the place to look.
** There are at least three different Isolts. Tristan only marries Isolt of Brittany because he's in love with Isolt of Ireland and they're both called Isolt. Often the marriage doesn't work out too well, unsurprisingly.
* [[Only the Worthy May Pass]]: Why only Arthur can pull the sword in the stone.
Line 90 ⟶ 146:
* [[Sadly Mythtaken]]: From a Celtic folk hero, to a Post-Roman-Occupation Saxon-battling Welsh king, to an anachronistic Middle Ages King of Britain, the "modern" notion of King Arthur is ''radically'' different to the original legends.
* [[Second Coming]]: See [[Bittersweet Ending]] above.
* [[Semi
* [[Sole Survivor]]: Only Sir Bedivere survives Arthur's last battle in Malory. Earlier Welsh legends also have just a few survivors: one warrior was [[Pretty Boy|so beautiful that he was mistaken for an angel]] while another was [[The Grotesque|so ugly that he was mistaken for a devil]], and thus they escaped harm.
* [[Space Whale Aesop]]: The origin of [[Child of Rape|Merlin]]: Don't forget to say your prayers, and don't argue with your siblings, or else you'll be raped by [[Horny Devils]] while you sleep. [[Sarcasm Mode|Hmm...right.]]
* [[Spell My Name
* [[Supernatural Aid]]: The Lady of the Lake giving Arthur Excalibur. In versions of the mythos where this actually happens, anyway.
* [[Stab the Sky]]: Many depictions of Arthur after pulling the sword out of the stone show him standing like this.
* [[Starter Villain]]: Lucius, Emperor of Rome, is pretty much the first major enemy that Arthur has to face as king.
** In some variations, King Lot (or Loth) is the first major enemy. This is usually depicted in such a way that although Arthur has been ''proclaimed'' High King, Lot and a number of other lesser rulers defy him and rebel.
* [[Sword Plant]]: How the Sword in the Stone got into the stone.
* [[Tsundere]]: Queen Guinevere and Lady Lynette.
* [[Trial
* [[Turn Out Like His Father]]: Percival's mother did not want him to become a knight.
* [[The Worf Effect]]: Gawain seems to suffer from this a bit - the Johnny-come-lately knights (Lancelot et al.) often establish their badass cred by defeating him.
* [[
** In ''Erec and Enide'' by Chrétien de Troyes, Enide is ascribed this title.
* [[Wound That Will Not Heal]]
* [[A Year and
* [[You Can't Fight Fate]]: The fall of Camelot.
{{examples|Prominent Versions of the Story:}}
* [[wikipedia:Historia Brittonum|Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons)]], traditionally ascribed to Nennius in the 9th century, although it may be much older. While not a story, per se, it contains the oldest written record of Arthur and lists the twelve battles he fought against the invading English. Of note is the fact that Arthur is not depicted as a king here but a ''dux bellorum'', a warlord fighting on behalf of the native kings of Kent. According to ''Historia Brittonum'', Arthur was so successful against the English that they were forced to bring in further troops and kings from Germany, increasing their numbers dramatically until the island of Britain was finally subjugated.
* ''Pa Gur yv y Porthaur?'' ("''What Man is the Gatekeeper''?"): a poem found in the [https://web.archive.org/web/20070607035835/http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=blackbookofcarmarthen Black Book of Carmarthen], the oldest known list of Arthur's warband and the first mention of Cei and Bedwyr (later to be Kay and Bedivere). Arthur seeks entrance into a fortress, recalling the heroic feats of his retinue for the gatekeeper. This list was expanded on over the centuries, with each tale adding more and more characters from both history and folklore. A decendant is found in [[Mabinogion|''How Culhwch Won Olwen'']], at which point the retinue has swollen to over 260 warriors, not counting [[Cool Horse|fantastic]] [[Full Boar Action|animals]].
* ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' (History of the Kings of Britain) by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who is thought to have been of mixed Breton and Welsh stock. Completed ca. 1138.
* ''[[Roman De Brut]]'' (Romance of Brutus) by Maistre Wace from Jersey, an expanded version of Geoffrey's ''Historia'' written for king Henry II of England in French verse and making even greater use of Breton traditions, completed in 1155. The Round Table is mentioned here for the first time.
* Several stories from the ''[[
* The Arthurian romances of [[
* ''Erec'' and ''Iwein'', Middle High German verse epics by Hartmann von Aue, both based on Chrétien de Troyes.
* ''Parzival'' by Wolfram von Eschenbach, from the first quarter of the 13th century. The most successful verse epic of the middle ages (by far the most manuscript copies surviving), a retelling and continuation of Chrétien de Troyes' last Arthurian romance. Wolfram also ties in the story of Percival with two other existing legends, making Parzival the father of Lohengrin, the Knight of the Swan, and establishing Parzival's half-moorish elder brother Feirefiz as the ancestor of Prester John. Wolfram started a prequel epic somewhat misleadingly called ''Titurel'' (after the first person mentioned in the text), but did not live long enough to finish it.
* [[Tristan]] by Gottfried von Straßburg, a contemporary of Hartmann and Wolfram, based on an older form of the story of [[Tristan and Isolde]] by the Anglo-Norman Thomas of England (of which only fragments survive). Gottfried did not finish this "classic" version of a much older story (which originally was not part of the Arthurian myth), so two other Middle High German authors wrote their own endings.
* [[Lancelot]] The common label for a cycle of 13th-century French prose epics, originally a trilogy consisting of the so-called ''Lancelot propre'' (partly based on Chrétien), the ''Queste del Saint Graal'' ([[The Quest For The Holy Grail]], which introduces Galaad/Galahad), and ''La Mort le Roi Artu'' and in all likelihood produced by several writers (quite possibly Cistercian monks) according to a general plan. This was followed by two prequels, the ''Estoire del Saint Graal'' and the ''Estoire de Merlin'', completing the first cycle to relate the entire story from the beginning of Arthur's rule to his death.
* ''[[Sir Gawain and
* [[The Weddyng Of Syr Gawen]]
* The Stanzaic Morte d'Arture
* The Alliterative Morte d'Arture
* [[Syr Launfal]]
* ''[[Le Morte
* T. H. White's ''[[
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* [[Fate/Zero]] revolves around mages [[Summoning Ritual|summoning heroic spirits]] to help them fight for the [[Public Domain Artifact|holy grail]]. Since the strength of a summoned hero is [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe|proportional to the renown of their legend]] Arthur is unsurprisingly considered to be one of the perfect saber class summon. Well, [[Sadly Mythtaken|almost]] [[Gender Flip|perfect]].
* In an episode of ''Time Trouble Tondekeman'', our time-traveling protagonists accidentally screw up the part where Arthur is supposed to draw the Sword from the Stone, and once they realize who their new-found friend actually is, must set "history" back on track, coincidentally also sparking the British love of footy.
* ''[[Vinland Saga]]'' has {{spoiler|Askeladd, who declares himself to be the descendant of Arthur, and thus the rightful king of Britain.}}
* ''[[Code Geass]]'' draws from Arthurian myth, most prominently with Britannia's [[Super Prototype]] [[Humongous Mecha]] being named for Knights of the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain) and the presence of the Knights of the Round, described as the Emperor's twelve elite soldiers. There's also Arthur, the stray cat that follows the Lancelot's pilot around, apparently for no other reason than to bite his hand whenever he lets his guard down.
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* Camelot is a recurring element in [[The DCU]]'s [[Backstory]]. Characters linked to Arthur's court include:
** The Demon [[Etrigan]], a fiend from Hell summoned by Merlin to defend Camelot in its final hour against Morgaine le Fey. Morgaine has gone on to become a recurring foe of both [[Wonder Woman]] and the [[Justice League of America]].
** The Shining Knight, a member of the Round Table who was [[Human Popsicle|frozen in ice for many centuries]] (years before [[Captain America (comics)]] thawing out with [[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]] was a glimmer in Stanley Lieber's mind) and decided to keep protecting Britain by fighting [[Those Wacky Nazis]].
** Grant Morrison's ''Shining Knight'' book, a part of his ''Seven Soldiers'' maxi-series, revealed that the King Arthur myth keeps repeating throughout history: the Shining Knight in question is thrown forward in time from a more Celtic rendition into modern Los Angeles.
** The Silent Knight, another one of Arthur's knights and a previous incarnation of [[Hawkman]] and the (adopted) ancestor of mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent.
** [[Madame Xanadu]], who was once Merlin's lover and Morgaine's sister, Nimue.
Line 216 ⟶ 204:
** In the first post ''[[Heroes Reborn]]'' ''[[The Avengers (Comic Book)|Avengers]]'' story arc, the reunited Avengers fight Morgan Le Fey who uses the Scarlet Witch to transform reality into an alternate Medieval version where she is the absolute ruler.
*** Morgan Le Fay is a recurring supervillainess. In the [[Bronze Age]], she was mostly [[Spider Woman]]'s archenemy. These days she'll pop up and give any superhero a hard time. She uses her son Mordred as her [[The Dragon|dragon.]]
* In one ''[[The Phantom (
* In ''[[Camelot 3000]]'', Arthur and Merlin return in the year 3000. The knights are reincarnated in various forms (Tristan is female, Perceval is a grotesque mutant).
* Matt Wagner's ''[[Mage The Hero Discovered]]'' and ''[[Mage The Hero Defined]]'' utilizes Kevin Matchstick as [[King Arthur]] reborn, Edsel as the [[Lady
* The eponymous ''[[Witchblade (Comic Book)|Witchblade]]'' is the feminine counterpart to Excalibur.
* [[Don Rosa]]'s [[Donald Duck]] story "The Once and Future Duck" has Donald, his nephews, and Gyro Gearloose traveling back in time to meet King Arthur... only this Arthur is a lot closer to the historical figure that may have inspired the legends. Once again, Don Rosa [[Shown Their Work|shows his work.]]
* ''[[
* ''[[Caliber]]'' is a comic series that transports the Arthurian Mythos to [[The Wild West]]. A magic gun replaces Excalibur, a [[Magical Native American|Native American Shaman]] stands in for Merlin, etc, etc.
* In ''[[Hellboy (
* ''[[The Muppets]] King Arthur'' - Kermit as Arthur, Rowlf as Merlin, Piggy as Morgana, Camilla the Chicken as Guenevere and Gonzo as Lancelot. The twist is {{spoiler|that the Arthur/Morgana and Guenevere/Lancelot pairings are stable, there's no [[Love Triangle]] and they all live [[Happily Ever After]]}}. The [[Lemony Narrator]] notes that this isn't how it's ''supposed'' to go, but there we are.
* Part of the backstory of [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]] includes King Arthur and Camelot, which is mentioned several times in the source material. The major addition to the mythos is that one of the Leagues members, the immortal genderchanger Orlando, was present not only when King Arthur was crowned, but was also part of the Round Table, and, after surviving the final battle, salvages Excalibur from the battlefield, which remains a treasured possesion of his/hers, until present day.
* ''[[
== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[The Sword in the Stone]]'', a [[Disney]] animated version of the first book of T.H. White's ''[[The Once and Future King]]''.
* ''Lancelot du Lac'', a deglamorized telling of the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot story by Robert Bresson
* ''[[Monty Python and
** It also features an [[Original Generation]] character by the name of 'Sir Robin', whose defining feature is his cowardice and of course [[Played for Laughs]].
* John Boorman's weird and haunting ''[[Excalibur (
* ''Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'', a 1984 film starring Sean Connery as the Green Knight and based on the poem of the same name.
* ''[[The Fisher King]]'' sets a semi-symbolic Grail Quest in modern Manhattan.
* ''[[First Knight]]'' deals with the whole Arthur/Lancelot/Guenevere love triangle.
* ''[[King Arthur (
== [[Literature]] ==
* Edmund Spenser's ''[[
* Alfred Tennyson's ''[[Idylls of the King]]'', a series of long poems, was very influential in the 19th century.
* [[
* [[
* T. H. White's ''[[
* [[
* ''The Weirdstone of Brisingamen'' by Alan Garner conflates Norse and Arthurian myth with real places in England. The cave with the sleeping Knights (and their horses) is a local legend in Alderley. Well worth reading.
* ''Sword at Sunset'' by Rosemary Sutcliff takes the legend back to its roots, including partly Romanized Britons fighting off invading "Sea Wolf" Saxon raiders, the difficulty in gathering and maintaining mounted warriors, horses barely big enough to carry large men and saddles without stirrups, near-starvation every winter, ambiguous mysticism and superstition regarding both curses and the Hill Folk, rare chainmail armor stolen from enemy war chiefs in place of "shining armor", and a dilapidated ex-Roman hill fort replacing "Camelot".
* ''[[The Dark Is Rising]] Sequence'' by Susan Cooper. Most specifically ''The Grey King'' and ''Silver on the Tree'' the fourth and fifth in the series, respectively. Arthur, himself, makes only minute appearances in the series but many aspects reveal a heavy Arthurian influence (with a few events being direct consequences of the Arthurian Legends). And, of course, there's [[The Obi
* Mary Stewart's ''Crystal Cave'' (and its sequels) tell the story of Arthur from Merlin's perspective.
** The point of view changes to Mordred for ''The Wicked Day.'' There is also a "side story," ''The Prince and the Pilgrim.''
* One of the more popular modern versions of the Arthur legend is the ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]'' by [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]], and its sequence of novels, a retelling from the point of view of feminist neopaganism.
* Phyllis Ann Karr's ''[[
* Gillian Bradshaw's "Down the Long Wind" trilogy, containing ''Hawk of May'', ''Kingdom of Summer'', and ''In Winter's Shadow'', follows in the footsteps of Sutcliff, casting the story in terms of historicity, with sub-Roman Arthurian forces and messy political and relationship tangles. However, she also includes elements of the supernatural, focusing on the character of Gawain (called here by the Welsh name Gwalchmai, another Sutcliff parallel) and his battle against the forces of Darkness summoned by his mother Morgan, and his alliegance to the forces of Light (capital letters firmly in place). The first two books focus on Gawain's journey, and he continues as a major figure in the final volume, but Guenevere (called Gwynhwyfar in the trilogy) takes the role of viewpoint character.
* In ''[[The Dark Tower]]'' novels by [[Stephen King]], Mid-World has a mythical figure called "Arthur Eld" who is largely equivalent to King Arthur. The barrels and handles of Roland's guns are said to have been forged from the blade and hilt of his Excalibur. Roland is in fact a descendant of this Arthur, and has a son named Mordred, which is a fitting name for the unhappy young half-demon.
Line 275 ⟶ 258:
* Bernard Cornwell's ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'' tell a largely historically plausible version of the story with lots of Saxon [[Mook|mooks]]. The same author's ''Grail Quest'' series moves the quest for the Holy Grail up to the time of the Hundred Years' War, by which time Arthur is a legend, claimed by the English, Welsh, Scottish and Bretons as one of their own. It also subverts a number of traditional aspects, especially in regard to Mordred (who is Arthur's half brother and his king) and Lancelot (who is a [[Chronic Back Stabbing Syndrome|treacherous]] [[Dirty Coward|coward]]).
* Arthurian mythology is apparently true in the world of ''[[Harry Potter]]'', which is hardly surprising given that the series is, after all, a [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink]]. In the first book, two of Harry's first Chocolate Frog cards are of Merlin and Morgan le Fay and throughout the series there are references to a medal of valor known as the "Order of Merlin", but we're not really given any details beyond that -- except that he's a Slytherin. Merlin seems to be a wizarding version of an extreme [[Memetic Badass]] and/or [[Folk Hero]], as wizards generally swear by him in a fashion similar to how people swear by Jesus ("Merlin's Beard", "by Merlin", "Merlin!", "what in the name of Merlin", etc.) However, he was probably ''not'' a religious/holy figure, as not all references are reverent ("Merlin's Pants", "what in the name of Merlin's [[Curse Cut Short|saggy left —"]])
** Ginevra "Ginny" Weasley may or may not be named after Guinevere ("Ginevra" is the Italian form of "Guinevere"), which would be... interesting what with her father being named "Arthur". And then there's her brother Percy (Percival?).
* ''I am Mordred'' by Nancy Springer tells the story of King Arthur from Mordred's perspective (duh). Written as a young adults novel, it touches upon nearly all of the main Arthurian characters and heavily plays on the dichotomous themes of destiny and free will. Maybe Mordred isn't all that bad and maybe King Arthur isn't the paradigm of honor and chivalry he's always portrayed as. She also wrote a prequel, following Morgan in her early years.
* Gerald Morris's ''[[
* Kevin Crossley-Holland's ''Arthur'' trilogy: ''The Seeing Stone'', ''At the Crossing-Places'' and ''King of the Middle March'' retells the Arthurian legend and several others alongside the story of Arthur de Caldicot, heir to the Mediaeval estate of [[Significant Anagram|Catmole]], as he travels to the Holy Land on crusade.
* [[Jo Walton]]'s series ''The King's Peace'' and ''The King's Name'' features the King-Arthur-equivalent of the fantasy world it's set in. Some readers have found it confusing that not everything in the story is the direct counterpart of something in Arthurian legend, especially the protagonist, who is an entirely new character.
* Meg Cabot's ''[[Avalon High]]''. It's actually not bad, or better than a lot of teen fare out there, at least.
* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', it is pretty much confirmed that Micheal's sword, ''Esperaccius'', is Excalibur. Also, Harry's master {{spoiler|and maternal grandfather}} Ebenezer McCoy was taught by a line of master wizards whose methods descended from Merlin himself.
* Douglas Clegg's ''Mordred, Bastard Son'' is another retelling of the legend from Mordred's point of view, casting Arthur as an incestuous rapist and Morgan and Morgause as insanely violent trauma victims. Oh, and Mordred's gay and in love with Lancelot.
* ''Here Lies Arthur'' by [[Mortal Engines|Philip Reeve]] is a new [[Demythtification|Demythtified]] version of the story. The main character is Gwyna, the real Lady of the Lake, who is a slave girl taken in by the bard Myrddin (pronounced almost exactly like Merlin), and helps Arthur to deceive people into thinking he's a destined hero. Most of the names return to something akin to their medieval versions, with Kay being Cei and Bedivere being Bedwyr.
* ''The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights'' by [[
* According to ''[[Night Watch]]'', Arthur was a not-particularly-nice puppet king of Merlin, the most powerful Dark Other of all time.
* In ''[[Dragons in Our Midst]]'', the main character, Billy Bannister, is the second coming of Arthur. The entire plot is built around the Arthur/Christianity principle.
* [[David Lodge]]'s satirical [[Campus Novel]] ''[[Small World]]'' uses the Grail legend as a frame for the story of academics on the conference circuit. Characters include leading professor Arthur Kingfisher (Fisher King, geddit?) and the Irish Innocent Abroad Persse [[Mc Garrigle]] (Percival/Parzifal) and the Grail itself is a lavishly-funded sinecure.
* Shanna Swendson's ''[[Enchanted
* Parke Godwin's ''Firelord'' and ''Beloved Exile'', which use the post-Roman warlord versions of the story. What little magic appears can be handwaved away, and [[The Fair Folk]] are cast as the pre-Celtic inhabitants of Britain. Notable in that the second book deals with the aftermath of the legends, following Guenevere through a fragmenting Britain after Arthur's death.
* In the 4th novel in [[Disgaea]] [[Disgaea Novels|novel]] series [[Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
* [[John C. Wright]]'s ''War of Dreaming'' delves into the Arthurian mythos, and includes Merlin as a character in the present day. It notably [[Reconstruction|re-examines]] certain aspects of the story, such as what the heirs of Arthur would do if they were actually around.
* [[David Drake]]'s early novel ''The Dragon Lord'': Drake has commented that the personality of his Arthur -- a military genius, but vicious and twisted -- is a cross between Alexander the Great and [[Adolf Hitler]].
* ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]'', is a 1981 Book Series written by of [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]]'s 1981 book, that focus on the feminine characters of the legend.
* [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink]] series ''[[The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel]]'' uses Sir Palomedes the Saracen Knight, one of the more obscure Arthurian characters.
* Adrienne Martine-Barnes' [[Space Opera]] ''The Dragon Rises'' supposes that the principal characters are immortal spirits who every so often through the millennia involuntarily take over people's bodies <ref>It's sort of [[Reincarnation]], as in every life, the characters look fundamentally the same</ref> and proceed to play out the story again, '''possibly''' with some ability to vary the events. In the current cycle, "Arthur" is the admiral of a space fleet, and "Guinevere" has been [[Made a Slave]] and given to him, as a way of punishing her treasonous father....
* In [[Andre Norton]]'s ''Merlin's Mirror'', Arthur, like Merlin and Nimue, was produced by [[Ancient Astronauts]] artificially inseminating his mother with an "improved" line of humanity.
* ''[[Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit]]'' is a [[Historical Fantasy]] novel by [[Mercedes Lackey]] [[Word of God|inspired by a Welsh tradition]] that King Arthur had not one but ''three'' different queens, all named Gwenhwyfar ("Guinevere"). The protagonist is the third and youngest, the [[Action Girl]] daughter of a Celtic king.
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* The ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' episode "King Arthur in Mr. Roarke's Court", which brings Arthur (played by Robert Mandan), onto that 70s island, leaving a guest whose fantasy was to meet King Arthur (Tommy Smothers) to keep him out of trouble 'till Roarke can put him back in his proper place and time.
* ''[[The Adventures Of Sir Lancelot]]'', the first UK series made in colour.
* ''[[
* ''[[Mr Merlin]]'': A modernized Merlin seeks out a present-day hero to teach.
* In the ''[[
* ''[[MacGyver]]'', episode "Good Knight MacGyver": As he is prone to do, Mac gets clocked on the head and finds himself transported to King Arthur's court, where he saves King Arthur, discovers Merlin to be little better than a stage magician, clears the good name of his ancestor, prevents the early discovery of gunpowder by Morgan La Fey, and finally reveals his own first name.
* ''[[
* ''[[
** At least in the first seasons, it focused on everyday life and mundane events at Kaamelott/Camelot (though it also incuded mythological/historical jokes from all over the middle ages.) Most characters were made to be really, er, obtuse.
* ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'': Merlin is revealed to be an Ancient who had stayed on Earth to develop a defense against the Ori. Camelot is on another planet, and SG-1 finds the Sangraal, a piece of Merlin's anti-Ori weapon.
** Morgan le Fay was also an Ancient, sent to stop Merlin. In a subversion of the mythology, she ended up aiding him (and SG-1).
* ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'': A 2008 BBC Saturday Night series focusing on the early life of the wizard.
* ''[[Merlin (
* ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]'', a 2001 miniseries [[The Film of the Book|adaptation]] of [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]]'s 1981 book, with pro-feminist subversions.
* ''[[
* ''[[Camelot (TV series)|Camelot]]'': A 2011 series co-produced by Starz and GK-TV.
* An episode of ''[[The Time Tunnel]]'' of course had the main characters drop into Arthur's Britain — while [[Merlin]] appeared in the [[Mission Control|control room]] to paralyze the technicians and make sure they couldn't yank the travelers out until they'd helped Arthur with his current problem.
== [[Music]] ==
* [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "The Battle of Evermore" contains numerous references to Arthurian legend.
* Rick Wakeman's [[Concept Album]] ''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table''.
** Various edits of the opening track, ''Arthur'', which [[Exactly What It Says
* [[
* [[Ayreon]]'s "The Final Experiment" involves the protagonist going to King Arthur's court and getting on Merlin's bad side.
* [[
* A large portion of the songs by Heather Dale. Among others:
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny7NZPfl0l4&NR Mordred's Lullaby] is about Morguase telling baby Mordred how he's going to grow up and kill Arthur.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGvepxEl7Pw& Sir Gawain and the Green Knight] is about. . . [[Exactly What It Says
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpiT1HoqzZI Kingsword] Go ahead and guess what this one's about.
* There is a power metal band called Kamelot. While they haven't really played on Arthurian themes in any of their recent work, their fourth studio album featured a song titled "The Shadow of Uther". And their third album was titled ''Siege Perilous''.
* "Blood of the Kings" (from album ''Armageddon'') by [[Ariya]] deals mostly with the perception of the events and spirit of the legend. It's [[Never Accepted in His Hometown|not optimistic]] about the likely outcome of his return.
== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==
* ''[[Prince Valiant]]''.
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
=== Role-Playing Games ===
* ''King Arthur Pendragon'', of course. [[Exactly What It Says
* ''[[GURPS]] Camelot'', which includes rules for three possible settings: "Traditional", "Historical", and "Cinematic" with the option of mixing-and-matching depending on what you want to be accurate mythology, what you want to be realistic Dark Ages, and what you want to be [[Rule of Cool]]. All three Camelots are referenced in ''GURPS [[
{{quote|
* TSR's ''Amazing Engine'' game, ''Once And Future King'' supplement. The game takes place during the 46th century (4,500-4,600 A.D.) throughout the Earth's solar system, with everyone involved (including King Arthur and his knights) using high tech devices and weaponry. Merlin is a computer program with [[Artificial Intelligence]]. How did this come about? Scientists created clones using DNA from 5th century British warriors and programmed their brains with the principles of chivalry. The clones [[Turned Against Their Masters|rebelled against their creators]] and took over the solar system by force.
=== War Games ===
* The Kingdom of Bretonnia ''[[Warhammer]]'' is heavily based on Arthurian myth [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|mixed with medieval France for good measure]]. Not only is this blatantly evident in the chivalric codes and customs of its knights (including a recurring motif modeled on the Holy Grail), but also in the realm's devotion to the "Lady of the Lake."
==
* Henry Purcell wrote the "semi-opera" ''King Arthur, or The British Worthy'' (1691), at least one number of which, the ''Cold Song'', is popular today. The libretto by John Dryden dumps pretty much all characters apart from Arthur and Merlin in favour of a new cast of new characters; Arthur ends up marrying Emmeline.
* [[
* Lerner and Loewe's musical ''[[Camelot (
* Eric Idle and John Du Prez's musical ''[[Spamalot]]'', an adaptation of ''Monty Python And The Holy Grail'' focusing on being very silly.
== [[Video Games]] ==
* One of the early Sierra games was ''[[Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail]]'', involving King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail and the three knights that went missing in search of it. It combines almost every aspect of the Arthurian mythos, and naturally, has room for several [[Monty Python]] references.
* Though they don't appear in the story proper, the [[Last-Disc Magic|exceedingly powerful]] Knights of the Round summon in ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' is clearly based on Arthur and his knights.
** The name is a reference to ''[[Knights of the Round]]'', an old Arthurian-themed side-scrolling beat-em-up.
* ''[[Backyard Sports|Backyard Skateboarding]]'' has the unlockable Excaliboard ([[Exactly What It Says
* ''[[King Arthur:
* ''[[
* ''[[Tears to Tiara]]'' is a prequel of sorts in an [[Alternate Universe]], showing the rise of King Arthur with the help of a Demon King, Arawn.
* ''[[Tomb Raider]]: Legend'' [[Deconstruction|deconstructs]] the King Arthur myth by making Excalibur in reality a really, really ancient artifact that [[Older Than They Think|predates the Arthur myth]] and is mentioned in various other myths and legends. "Every culture's got one." ''[[Insufferable Genius]]'' [[The Scrappy|Alister]] constantly states how [[Lampshade Hanging|unlikely the legend is to be true]], while Lara remains optimistic and [[The Ditz|Zip]] just thinks Excalibur is a cool sword and [[Overused Running Gag|constantly]] confuses it with the sword in the stone. When he realises this is [[Berserk Button|irritating]] [[The Chew Toy|Alister]] greatly, he continues to do this [[Obfuscating Stupidity|deliberately]]. Lara approves. In the end, it turns out that {{spoiler|Excalibur is real, as is King Arthur and Avalon, and Lara gets to use the sword as a weapon on the final boss.}}
** Sent up by the real location of the Sword being hidden beneath a fake, theme-park-ride version of Arthurian myth.
* The Arthurian motifs in ''[[Ace Combat]] Zero'' deserve more than a passing mention and are significant enough for people to be able to write papers on them ? just check the page.
* ''Sonic and the Black Knight'' involves [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] as a [[Fish Out of Water]] as he is summoned the legends of Arthur, for he must save the kingdom from Arthur himself, who is now [[Brainwashed and Crazy]], with a new getup akin to [[The Lord of the Rings|Sauron]] and a very unique sword, and is ruling the land tyrannically as the eponymous Black Knight. Oh, and Merlin has a grand daughter in Merlin'''a'''. And other ''Sonic'' characters serve as the likeness for Arthurian characters: Knuckles is Gawain, Shadow is Lancelot, and Blaze is... Percival? Tails being a blacksmith and Amy being the Lady
* There are several references in the ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' video game series to the Arthurian legends. In Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword there is a Lord called Uther who has a brother named Hector which may be a reference to Ector, Arthur's foster father. Also in Blazing Sword, there is a tome called Excalibur. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance has Gaiwain{{spoiler|, also known as Greil}}and an early sword called Ettard could be named after the Lady Ettard. In the sequel to POR, Radiant Dawn, there is a mage called Pelleas which is the name of the knight who loved the Lady Ettard. There are also the twin swords Ragnell and Alondite. Ragnell was the name of Sir Gawain's wife, Alondite is supposedly the Japanese pronounciation for Lancelot's sword, Arondight.
=== Visual Novels ===
* In ''[[Fate/stay night]]'', {{spoiler|Saber is a female Arthur}}. The prequel ''[[Fate/Zero]]'' also has {{spoiler|Lancelot as Berserker, bearing the appropriate grudge against Arturia/Saber}}. The [[Alternate Universe]] ''Fate/Extra'' also has {{spoiler|Gawain as an enemy-exclusive Saber (your Saber is a gender-flipped Nero)}}.
==
* ''[[Arthur, King of Time and Space]]'' presents different perspectives on the King Arthur story as seen from different times and places ? the basic [[Heroic Fantasy]] England, [[A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away]], [[Present Day]] America, and so on.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[The Legend Of Prince Valiant]]''
* ''[[King Arthur and
* ''[[Gargoyles]]'' was a series where [[All Myths Are True]] - including King Arthur. A proposed [[Spin
* ''[[Blazing Dragons]]'', series created by Monty Pythons' Terry Jones stages a parodic re-enaction of the Arthurian myth where all the characters are replaced by Punly-named Dragon (King Allfire, Castle of Camel-hot, Sir Loungelot and so on and so forth)
* ''[[Dragon Booster]]'' features a hero called Artha Penn (and his brother Lance) whose arch foe is named Moordryd Paynn.
* ''[[King
* ''[[
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Royalty and Nobility Tropes]]
[[Category:Dark Age Europe]]
[[Category:Classic Literature]]
[[Category:Oral Tradition]]
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:Matter of Britain]]
|