The Legend of King Arthur is one of the most enduring stories of all time. Though his tale is rooted in the fifth and sixth centuries, it has captivated people for a millennium and a half, with its sword in the stone, knights of the round table and the wizard Merlin. At least 50 films have been made on the subject, which over centuries has come to symbolise part of British identity.
1st Class: Merlin holds Baby Arthur the future king, whose origins remain shrouded in mystery, and in Merlin’s power, until Arthur is revealed to be Uther Pendragon’s rightful son and heir.
1st Class: Arthurs Draws the Sword from the Stone Arthur’s birth rightt o the crown of England, according to later romance traditions, is confirmed when he pulls out the sword in view of theArchbishop of Canterbury and the whole court.
1st Class: Arthur takes Excalibur Arthur’s famed sword, Excalibur, is the gift of the Lady of the Lake, and a symbol of his tutelage by Merlin and his mission in the world. Destined for greatness, Arthur excels in all human virtues.
1st Class: Arthurs Marries Guinevere despite Merlin’s warnings, Arthur chooses Guinevere as his wife. Her dowry, Malory tells us, is the Round Table, which Arthur will use to build a fellowship of knights united around the values of loyalty and equality.
1st Class: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Arthur’s nephew and chief counsellor, Sir Gawain, here swings his axe to chop off the head of the Green Knight, whose deadly Christmas game of blows startles Arthur’s court and challenges its values.
£1.70: Knights of the Round Table Around the Round Table, knights from Europe and all nations in the British Isles share the same values of loyalty and unite as equals to protect the weak and defend the realm.
£1.70: Sir Lancelot Defeats the Dragon Emblematic since Arthur Rackham’s illustrations dating from the early 20th century, Lancelot’s slaying of the dragon shows God’s grace granted to Lancelot in the fight with the Devil/darkness, despite Lancelot’s own sins.
£1.70: Sir Galahadand the Holy GrailS ir Galahad, the pure knight, is the epitome of perfection among Round Table knights, and the opposite of his father, Lancelot. His unique successin the Grail Quest reveals the moral failures of Arthurian chivalry.
£1.70: Arthurs Battles Mordred Arthur and Mordred meet one last time in battle, fulfilling their destiny: Arthur’s, to be mortally wounded by his own son, and Mordred’s, to commit the sin of patricide and treason.
£1.70:T he Death of King ArthurThe wounded Arthur departs for Avalon on a barge driven by three queens. This represents hope for the king’s return, and the agency of women in healing and in preserving his memory and stories.
