King Arthur and the Matter of Britain
The King Arthur we know as the Legend of Britain is a composite of early legend, medieval romance and Hollywood. It's a great story, no wonder we have been telling it for fifteen hundred years.
It all takes place in the fifth century. Rome has left the island of Britain, taking her legions back to defend the Imperial City itself from wave after wave of barbarous hordes. The Romano- British are left to face similar barbarian invasions on their own.
Fragmented into small squabbling groups, the last defenders of civilised society in the West must surely be defeated. But a leader emerges, a chieftain who brings the tattered remnants together and, with brilliant strategy, holds back the Saxon Horde for generations.
A wonderful story. And one which has lasted down the ages
Why is it called the Matter of Britain?
The 12th century French poet Jean Bodel created the name in the following lines of his epic Chanson de Saisnes:
Ne sont que III matières à nul homme atandant,
De France et de Bretaigne, et de Rome la grant.
"There are but 3 literary cycles that no man should be without : the matter of France, of Britain, and of great Rome".
Who was King Arthur?
-
King Arthur
-
King Arthur was a man who was part of the Roman army. He was the commanding officer of a group of Sarmatian Knights who went to battle for Rome. Though historians have never proved that such a man actually lived, the legend of King Arthur is one of t...
-
The Progress of Arthur : Tales of King Arthur
-
It's not surprising that the Legend of Arthur lives on - it's a human story, as old as our history, moving, inspiring and a classic tear-jerker. A man who dreamed of peace and order, who fought a powerful enemy against great odds and won yea...
The Search for King Arthur
National Geographic
A brief summary of the Legend of Arthur from National Geographic.
The era, the background, the main players and the locations.
The Silurian
Lensmaster L.A. Wilson is the author of the series The Silurian at Bravest King Arthur Books Ever* Review of The Silurian
Where did all this happen?
-
Where was Camelot? : Tales of King Arthur
-
At Camelot, it is said, Arthur established a brilliant court with the greatest and most chivalrous warriors in Europe, the Knights of the Round Table. Camelot, the starting point of the Quest for the Holy Grail, is at the very centre of the Arthuria...
-
Legendary Glastonbury in Somerset
-
Glastonbury, Somerset in South West England is heavily associated with the legends of King Arthur and Camelot. There are many other legends connected to the town and its surrounding area. This has made it a centre for 'new age alternative' culture an...
-
Tintagel Castle - Cornwall
-
Tintagel Castle is one of the most mysterious and beautiful historic sites in Britain. Situated on the west coast of Cornwall, Tintagel is built on the remains of a coastal headland which is gradually being eroded by the sea. Historians believe that...
-
Badbury Rings - the Iron Age earth fort
-
A series of concentric rings surrounding a raised centre marks the ancient fort of Badbury Rings in Dorset, England. An ancient earth fort dating back into the iron age and possibly earlier, thought to have been mentioned in the legends of King Arthu...
What happened to Arthur?
-
The Passing of Arthur : Tales of King Arthur
-
Did Arthur die or did he disappear? The question of his mysterious departure is one of the most intriguing of Arthurian legends, either King Arthur is still alive in Avalon and awaiting his moment to return, or he was killed in battle. What happene...
Minor Players in the Legend
-
Tristan and Isolde : Legendary Love Stories
-
The story of Tristan and Isolde is often held up as an example of true and perfect love. All the ingredients for a satisfactory narrative are present; the lightning bolt of desire, the inevitable tragedy, ritual sacrifice, the denial of satisfaction...
-
Vortigern, worst King of the Britons : Historical Tales
-
Vortigern is remembered in legend as one of the worst Kings of the Britons. He has been called the man responsible for the demise of the Britons in the 5th century by inviting the Saxons to settle in Britain as mercenaries. We hear about Vortigern...
Camelot Legends T-shirts and Gifts
Featuring original artwork from Melissa A Benson of Ranting Centaur Studios-
Camelot Legends Gifts
-
My name is Melissa A Benson of Ranting Centaur Studios. I am a fantasy illustrator and fine artist with a colorful, realistic style. My work is mostly a mixture of watercolor dyes, and color pencils. My black and white work is high contrast multi-wei...
Books on the Legend
-
Best Books on the Legend of King Arthur
-
From the faraway days of Britain come the stories rooted in ancient Celtic and Germanic imagination, stories of the strongest, the bravest and the best. Tales that have been told and endlessly retold, tales of a chivalrous knight, a powerful warrior...
-
The Dark is Rising
-
This sequence of five novels, is a favourite of adults as well as children. They are among the few special books like The Hobbit and the Harry Potter novels which bridge this gap. Like those, The Dark is Rising Sequence of books are fantasy novels....
Other Arthurian Characters
-
The Progress of Merlin : Tales of King Arthur
-
Merlin, the wise and mighty wizard and prophet, is the most prominent Celtic element in Arthurian Legend. He has the powers of a great Druid, for he originates deep in the mythic past of the Welsh. In later literature Merlin's most prominent gift i...
-
Arthur's Women : Tales of King Arthur
-
The stirring tales of King Arthur are legendary. His achievements of courage and endeavour are exciting stories passed down through generations, and songs are still sung of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The most well known is Guinevere,...
Arthurian Authors
Groupwork = Teamwork
Group Members are encouraged to visit the other lenses in the group.When your lens is accepted, pop over and say hello to a couple of other members.
If everyone visits and comments on just two other lenses in this group, our group is raised higher in search, we attract the higher quality lenses and we all bask in the glory.
(At any rate, it boosts our group and that's glorious enough).
It will take you 10 minutes maximum and, in this way, we all benefit.
Leave a message for the All About Arthur group
Jimmie wrote...
Just dropping by to see how the new makeover has gone. Lovely!
Stazjia wrote...
I think you've done an excellent job of changing this from a 'group' page to a lens. Blessed by an Angel.
Ramkitten wrote...
I like this. I didn't see it as a group before the changeover, but I like it how it is now. I too like that it's so focused.
Want to add your lens about Arthur?
Here's the place to do it!
Please read the Submission Guidelines before posting your link. This list is moderated and may take up to a day before your lens appears
Tintagel Castle - Cornwall
Tintagel Castle is one of the most mysterious and more...0 points
Submission Guidelines
For Lensmasters
If you have a lens on King Arthur or a topic which touches on the Legend, you're very welcome to add it here.
N.B Please do not submit your lens unless.....
1. Your lens is finished - you have a bio and picture, no generic modules, your lens has been proof-read and there are no spelling or grammatical errors
2. Your lens is on the topic - Arthur, Arthurian legend, Arthurian Britain, characters from the legend or a subject related to the topic
3. Genuine Content Your lens has genuine content and is not just a set of links to another site and is not just a collection of sales modules
PLEASE NOTE : We do not accept lenses which breach DMCA or which fail to comply with the Squidoo T.O.S
Please read What is Plagiarism? if you're in any way unsure of copyright issues.
Updates now on Twitter
Latest
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAbout Susanna Duffy
Lensmaster susannaduffy has been a member since September 25 2006, has rated 3,971 lenses, favorited 137, and has created 207 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Ancient Roman Recipes". See all my lenses
Check out these great lenses...
-
- Christmas in Australia
Christmas is a splendid time of year in Australia. December and January are at the very height of our beach season, and we love to head for the beach and relax. The Christmas holidays stretch over the longest days of our long summers. The holidays b... view lens -
- Is it Plagiarism?
If you have to ask if you're plagiarising, you most probably are. Apart from intentional thieves, fraudsters and cold blooded scammers who know perfectly well what they are doing, there are some people who have literally no idea that plagiarism i... view lens -
- Angel's Christmas
Christmas is a special time of year. Any time is a good time for blessing the best of Squidoo but it's even better when it's Christmas. In my travels I found some wonderful Christmas topics, ideas and all round cheering treasures for the Seas... view lens









