The legend begins with King Arthur being born to Uther Pendragon and Ygraine, the wife of Gorlois. This conception occurred in the castle of Tintagel. After his birth, Arthur grew up as a squire to Kaye, who was the son of Sir Ector, a knight loyal to Uther. Ector had been given the responsibility of raising young Arthur, who never knew his true heritage. According to the legend, Arthur needed to find Kaye's sword so he could participate in a tournament. Unable to do so, Arthur found a sword stuck in

The life of the legendary Arthur can be divided into three parts. The first comprised his military campaigns against the enemies of Britain: the Picts, Saxons, and Irish. "It is the earlier chronicle of Nennius which provides us with a roll of honour commemorating Arthur's 'real' victories. Nennius lists twelve battles...They range from Scotland to the south-west of England" (Stobie 30). The final, decisive victory came for the British at Mons Badonicus, or Badon Hill (Alexander 3). The Battle of Badon Hill was the greatest of them all. The legend states that Arthur himself was responsible for single handedly killing 960 men, winning the battle (Stobie 34).

Historians believe that they have found the probable location of the center of the Arthurian universe, Camelot. Between the villages of South Cadbury and Sutton Montis in Somerset lies Cadbury Castle. This castle was refortified during Arthur's time in the fifth or sixth centuries (Stobie 43).

This aspect of the Arthurian legend has no basis in history. The table that hangs in Castle Hall in Winchester is fake. It actually dates back to the time of Edward I of England. One possibility is that the Round Table referred to a meeting place of some sort rather than an actual piece of furniture (Stobie 48).

Guttman, Jon. "The right circumstances can turn a warlord into a legend. Ask King Arthur--if you can figure out just who he is." Military History. April 2000 v17 i1 p6.

One of the most important aspects of Camelot was the Round Table. This table was the dowry Arthur received with his wife, Guinevere from her father. Around it sat Arthur's knights. The table was round to show that all who sat at it were equal. There was no head to the table. Arthur sat as an equal to all of his knights. "No knight could claim himself to be better than another, for there was no 'high' table or 'low' table, simply the Table Round, where all were equal" (Stobie 47). Each seat at the table was inscribed with the knight's name, all except the Perilous Seat, which remained empty. This seat was reserved for the best knight of them all. If someone unworthy sat in this place, he would die (Stobie 47). According to the legend, Lancelot filled this seat when he joined Arthur's order.

to a stone, and removed it. This was the legendary sword in the stone, and by removing it, Arthur was able to fulfill his destiny, and become the king.

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Approximate Word count = 1900
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)