Real or dream: Who is King Arthur?

King Arthur is a legendary King of Britain who is believed to have lived in the 6th century AD. As leader of the Knights of the Round Table, he allegedly resisted the Saxon invasion. At the same time, it is confusing that the title of king is never used for Arthur in the oldest Gaelic texts, he is referred to as 'war leader', while in medieval texts he is referred to as 'emperor'.

There are discussions

In the work titled 'The Fall of Britain', written in Latin by the priest Gildas in Britain in the 4th century AD, it is explained how the resistance was made against the Germanic tribes that invaded the country and how the people were affected by the war. Arthur's name is not mentioned throughout the work. The differences between the legendary and historical King Arthur have also been a frequent subject of debate among scholars.

King Arthur (Welsh: Brenin Arthur, Cornish: Arthur Gernow, Breton: Roue Arzhur, French: Roi Arthur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the post-Roman Britons in battles against Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

There are also those who say it is fiction

Some say that he was a Catholic who lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD and fought against the pagan Saxons; He claims that the borders of his power do not extend much beyond Wales and Cornwall in southwest England. Some researchers even identify Arthur with the Breton king Rithamus. Some claim that he is a completely fictional character with no roots.

Is Camelot real?

It is also unclear where Arthur lived and whether the famous Camelot was actually a palace or a Roman fortress. Well, to many works; What does the legend of King Arthur, which has been the subject of poems, stories, and novels, tell?

Named Arthur

Gather the legend: Once upon a time, a wizard named Merlin; The British king arranged for King Uther Pendragon to have sex with Queen Igrayne, Duchess of Cornwall, the wife of another king. Merlin's condition was that the child born from this relationship be given to him. All this happened as it should and the child was named Arthur.

Sword in the Stone

Years later, Arthur grew up and because Kay forgot his sword at home during a tournament he was going to, Arthur took the sword he found stuck in a stone in the forest. This sword is not just any sword, it is the 'Sword in the Stone' that can be pulled out of the stone by the true king of Britain.

Knights of the Round Table

At this point, Merlin returned and told Arthur that he was adopted and helped him fight the lords who claimed the throne. At the end of what happened, when Arthur had the other lords accept his legitimacy, he married the beautiful queen Guinevere and established his rule in Camelot. He invited the greatest knights of the kingdom to a feast. In Camelot, he gathered the bravest and strongest knights around him and together they formed the Knights of the Round Table. At this table, all knights had the right to speak and heroic tasks were performed.

They defeated the Saxons

Despite his young age, King Arthur was a capable leader and strategic statesman. Together with him, the Knights of the Round Table defeated the Saxons and reunited the fragmented kingdom. The first battle they won was the battle of Mount Badon. With this battle, the Saxons suffered a major defeat and vowed to leave Britain in three major wars that followed. He defeated the Saxons, who continued to attack the British coast despite their promise, with the last great war.

It was the disaster of the Round Table

King Arthur became a king known for his courage and generosity. The beautiful Guinevere, whom he met and married in the early years of his reign, became his and the Round Table's bane. He set his sights on the brave young Lancelot, one of Arthur's most loyal knights. Lancelot and Guinevere fell in love with each other, and although they did not want to meet at first, Arthur did not think such a love was possible and often asked Lancelot, whom he trusted, to accompany his wife. As time passed, Lancelot and Guinevere became unable to resist each other and their union became known. Lancelot had to escape the king's anger.

He kept looking for Lancelot

King Arthur was burning with revenge. He continued to search tirelessly for Lancelot. He led his army into France, to a castle where he believed Lancelot was located. He laid siege to the castle, which would last until Lancelot appeared or everyone died. During his absence, he entrusted his crown to Mordred, his son from an extramarital union.

Mordred's betrayal

Shortly after the siege began, Arthur received a message from Merlin. Mordred had betrayed him. He had kidnapped Arthur's wife, Guinevere, and taken the crown. After hearing what had happened, Arthur had no choice but to return to Britain. What Arthur didn't know was that everything was part of Morgana's evil plan. Morgana had a Dragon Egg that was about to hatch and she intended for Mordred and Arthur to kill each other. Thus, he could easily capture the crown. Together with his dragon and the power of Excalibur, he would have an irresistible power.

The Battle of Camlann has begun

King Arthur realized in a dream that he would lose when he fought Mordred directly. He sent envoys to Mordred and began to negotiate for peace. During the negotiations, one of Mordred's men was bitten by a viper. When he drew his sword to kill the snake, the sun shone on his sword and both armies thought the war had begun. Thus began the last and great war, the Battle of Camlann.

Peace in exchange for Guinevere

Although Mordred's soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled when they realized that they were fighting King Arthur, a handful of Mordred's loyal and strong soldiers continued to fight Mordred. King Arthur took this opportunity to make Mordred an offer: "Peace in exchange for Guinevere." When Mordred rejected this offer, Arthur stormed the castle. He saw Guinevere on Mordred's side and Morgana on the other side. When he realized that Morgana was behind everything that happened, he angrily swung his sword at Morgana and cut her into two pieces. After his sword dealt the fatal blow, the spell wore off, and the face of the person he killed turned into Guinevere.

While Morgana escaped, a bloodthirsty Arthur killed all of Mordred's men in a rage. When only Mordred remained, the kingdom's two best swordsmen faced each other. After a long and difficult struggle, Arthur finally mortally wounded Mordred. Arthur was distracted by the sun reflecting off the dragon egg as he thrust his sword deeper into Mordred's heart. Taking this opportunity, Mordred mortally wounded King Arthur with his last strength. In his final moments, Arthur had one last request: for Excalibur to be returned to the stone on the Isle of Avalon.

One day he will wake up again...

Three fairies appeared above the mist of the lake. They ensouled Arthur's body and healed his wounds. To this day, it is still unknown what happened to Arthur. Legend has it that one day he will awaken again to defend Britain in her hour of greatest need. But until that day comes, Merlin wants him to take this dragon egg and become the hope rising from the darkness.