King Arthur, 'Once and Future King'

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• 1. A great theme
• 2. First layer of the legend
• 3. Historic Arthur
• 4. The Holy Grail
• 5. Arthur becomes political
• 6. Victorian revival
• 7. Modern myth
• 8. Find out more
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A great theme

The core myths of the Celtic peoples centre on the great cycle of stories based on the life and exploits of King Arthur. These legends link Arthur to a common poetic idea of Britain as a kind of paradise of the West, with a primeval unspoiled past. Together they add up to the greatest theme in the literature of the British Isles.

'Together they add up to the greatest theme in the literature of the British Isles.'

The historic figure of Arthur as a victorious fifth-century warrior, leading Britons into battle against Saxon invaders, has so far proved impossible for historians to confirm. In fact the one contemporary source that we do have for the time, 'The Ruin and Conquest of Britain' by the British monk and historian Gildas (c.500-70) gives somebody else's name altogether as the leader of the Britons.

So where does the legend come from? Why has Arthur - the 'once and future king' of the poet Thomas Malory - remained so important to us, and why has he been important in the past?

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Published: 2005-08-19