| Arthur is alluded to but not named in "On the Ruin of Britain" c. 540 | Literature |
| He is first mentioned by name by the Welsh historian Nennius c. 830 | |
| Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th Century made Arthur famous in Europe | |
| Norman poet Wace translated the legend into French and added to it | |
| Since then many authors have adapted the tale of King Arthur | |
| King Arthur is most likely an amalgam of several ancient British warlords | History |
| Arthur was a Briton. He fought AGAINST the English, not for them | |
| Britons beat the Saxons at the Battle of Badon. Arthur may have led them | |
| In the 6th Century the name Arthur became popular | |
| Historian A. Breeze claims Arthur was real and has supporting evidence | |
| Arthur was the first born son and heir of King Uther Pendragon | Legend |
| He became king when he pulled a magical sword from a stone | |
| He gathered loyal knights around his "Round Table" | |
| Arthur held court at Camelot. Many places claim to be its site | |
| His most famous quest was for the Holy Grail | |
| Merlin the magician was Arthur's trusted advisor | Characters |
| Morgan Le Fay was a witch and was Arthur's sister | |
| Mordred was Arthur's son or nephew. It was he who killed Arthur | |
| Lancelot was Arthur's foremost knight, but he betrayed his king | |
| Arthur's queen was Guinevere. She also betrayed him | |
| Mynty Python's "Holy Grail" is a hilariously silly version of the story | Film |
| Disney made their own version of the myth, "The Sword In The Stone" | |
| Sean Connery played an aging Arthur in "First Knight" | |
| "Camelot" is a musical version of the story | |
| TV series "Merlin" was very loosely based on the Arthur myth | |
| Arthur received a magic sword, Excalibur, from the Lady of the Lake | Magic |
| Morgan Le Fay could change shape and she could fly | |
| The Holy Grail could magically heal all wounds | |
| Merlin was very powerful with magic and had many spells | |
| The Lady of the Lake was either a goddess, a fairy or a witch | |
| When Arthur met Guinevere he fell instantly in love | Romance |
| Tristan and Iseult are tragic lovers associated with King Arthur | |
| Sir Gawain married a lady who was cursed to be ugly | |
| Culhwch sought Arthur's help in several quests to win the hand of Olwen | |
| Pelleas was another romantic knight and Tennyson wrote about him | |
| Merlin's true name was Myrddin Wyllt | Merlin |
| According to legend, Merlin’s father was a demon or the Devil | |
| Merlin was said to have built the Stonehenge with the help of giants | |
| As well as being magical, Merlin was also said to be mad | |
| Merlin discovered a red and a white dragon beneath a fortress | |
| Much of the Arthurian legend is based on pagan myth | Religion |
| Christians "adapted" it to make it acceptable to the new faith | |
| Guinevere's sin brings down Arthur, as Eve's sin brought down Adam | |
| The Holy Grail of Christ was, in the original story, a magic cauldron | |
| Arthur is expected to return, just as Christ in Christian myth | |
| Arthur's downfall begins when his wife's affair is discovered | Death |
| While Arthur fought Lancelot Mordred seized his kingdom | |
| Arthur and Mordred met in the Battle of Camlann. Both were killed | |
| Arthur's grave was said to be at Glastonbury Abbey | |
| Legend says Arthur will return when the Britons need him most | |
