History Myth / ArthurPendragon

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/350px_charles_ernest_butler___king_arthur.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[-''by Charles Ernest Butler''-]]]
->''"This man was Arthur, King of the Britons. For this... was... England!"''
-->--'''[[Creator/ChristianBorle The Historian]]''', ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}''

Arthur, King of UsefulNotes/{{Britain}}, son of Uther Pendragon, definition of TheGoodKing and namesake of the Myth/ArthurianLegend. The specifics of what he is has varied greatly through the ages, but one constant that remains is his being a leader of renown. The seat of his kingdom is most often given as the famed {{Camelot}}.

According to legend, King Arthur was the most glorious ruler of the Britons, long before [[UsefulNotes/BritainVersusTheUK there ever was an England or a United Kingdom]]. The Britons were a [[UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms Celtic people]] who were colonized by UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire, and the legend of Arthur grew out of the Empire's decline. Britain was left to fend for itself against the encroaching UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons and other Germanic peoples, distant cousins of the later Vikings.

According to the early legend, the man who led the Britons in battle and stopped the invaders for a while was Arthur. For a while - because the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons, eventually forming England while independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. Nevertheless, the Britons kept the legend of Arthur alive. Many emigrated to Brittany, eventually lending their name to the region. The Bretons, as they were eventually known, brought the legend of Arthur with them where it eventually found a new audience. More on that later.

Some of Arthur's earliest appearances are in pseudo-historical writings where his material has an air of folklore about it. For instance, in the battle of Mt. Badon, his climactic victory against the Anglo-Saxons, he is said to have slain hundreds of men singlehandedly. Arthur also appears in folk tales and poetry, where he is often a figure from the [[{{Heaven}} glorious Celtic afterworld]] [[LandOfFaerie Annwyn]] who would help heroes on their quests and [[BackupFromOtherworld protect the land from supernatural and mundane enemies alike]], or just [[WorldsBestWarrior a champion warrior]] and leader of men who does the same thing. He has a band of warriors under his command, many with abilities far beyond those of ordinary men. In possibly one of the earliest references to him, found in ''Y Goddodin'' - a poem lamenting/[[DoomedMoralVictor celebrating]] a Briton defeat - a man's obituary says that he slew 300 men though or despite that "he was no Arthur". And Arthur's own death is said to be at the Battle or Strife of Camlann, dying together with one Medraut. But the Britons also said that Arthur's grave was "the world's wonder", or something impossible to find, thus ''no grave at all'', and believed that he would one day come again to save them in their hour of greatest need.

While historians believe the context of the Briton/Anglo-Saxon conflict is real, including the battle of Mt. Badon, Arthur's historicity is rather more contested (as is where Mt. Badon was). He may have been a real guy ShroudedInMyth, or he may have been at first purely folkloric (hence the early supernatural stuff) and he may have been attached to the real events.

Most stories of Arthur today are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''[[Literature/HistoriaRegumBritanniae History of the Kings of Britain]]'', written after the Norman Conquest of England, and where Arthur comes in near the end as the BreakoutCharacter. Geoffrey was probably the single most influential recounter of the legend. He was one of the first to call Arthur a ''king'' - in practice TheHighKing ruling over other kings - as Arthur was more often called just a ''soldier'' or ''war-leader'' in earlier material. Also, he first wrote down (perhaps made up) Arthur's OriginStory - he was conceived via a BedTrick thanks to the other Breakout Character, the wizard Myth/{{Merlin}}. Geoffrey was the first to write of Merlin, Arthur's queen Guinevere, and Arthur's sword {{Excalibur}} in their commonly recognizable forms, though their prototypical counterparts appeared in Welsh and Cornish material which was mostly recorded after Geoffrey wrote, giving historians headaches as to which really influenced which. He also wrote that after Arthur's final battle with his nephew Modred (later Mordred), he was taken away to the mystic isle of {{Avalon}} to be healed of his wounds, and implicitly wait until he is needed again.

Geoffrey clearly influenced other writers like Chretien de Troyes in France (who came up with Camelot) and elsewhere, who then developed the whole ChivalricRomance thing and applied it to Arthur and his warriors, turning them into Arthur and his ''knights'' of the Round Table. As the knights grew in prominence, new characters were invented and older characters were expanded upon or fell into relative obscurity, and entire new storylines like the quest for [[PublicDomainArtifact the Holy Grail]] and a LoveTriangle between Arthur, Guinevere and his best knight Lancelot were created. Arthur himself was more and more DemotedToExtra until the final stretch of the legend leading to his exit. These writers in turn, down through the centuries, influenced Sir Thomas Malory and other authors up to the present day.

And now, a recounting of Arthur's life, mainly according to Malory:

c.475 AD, Tintagel Peninsula, UsefulNotes/{{Cornwall}}. On this small island, Arthur is conceived. His father, Uther[[note]]according to the Welsh, Uther ap (son of) Custennin ap Cynfawr ap Tudwal ap Morfawr ap Eudaf ap Cadwr ap Cynan ap Caradoc ap Bran ap Llŷr[[/note]], [[UnrequitedLove has been lusting after Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall]], and so convinces Merlin to [[ShapeshiftingSeducer disguise him as her husband Gorlois]]. He [[BedTrick sneaks into bed and sleeps with her]], producing Arthur, with no regard for weird lines of succession. Castle Island, Penn Du, and the Tintagel mainland contain ruins of a castle that was built nearly 1000 years later; evidence does show that it had been inhabited and not Romanised since the early millennium, though. The land is owned by the current Duke of Cornwall, who is appropriately enough [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor the monarch's son]].

Initially, in the early Arthurian chronicles, Arthur seemed to have been raised in Uther’s court or at least be fully aware who his birth parents were. However, a tradition invented by Robert de Boron had Arthur be raised by Sir Ector instead. In Robert de Boron’s account, it was because Merlin wanted Arthur to live a normal life but some later medieval and modern authors had it because he was illegitimate. Malory insists that Arthur was born legitimate since his parents were married at the time.

As it goes in these step-sibling stories, one of them must naturally be more greatly preferred to the other; it's Ector's actual son Kay (who was originally a major figure in the earlier Arthurian legend in his own right) that is less favoured, though he later does become one of his Knights of the Round Table. Arthur lives a happy life with them, as Ector has lots of land, possibly in the Forest Sauvage near Bodmin Moor, and trains them both well. When he is called to the throne, Arthur is shocked and shortly upset that Ector is not his real father.

When Arthur is around 15 years old, he becomes king by [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield pulling a sword out of a stone]], which only the rightful king could do. This sword was later replaced by the [[CoolSword even cooler]] Excalibur, given to him by Myth/TheLadyOfTheLake, though [[ExcaliburInTheStone sometimes they are the same.]]

However, many of the nobles and kings of Britain are initially against swearing fealty to a young boy thus a rebellion arose. Eventually Arthur defeats the rebels and marries Guinevere. As a marriage gift, Arthur gets a Round Table around which he decides to form the famed chivalrous brotherhood of knights. Incidentally, the battle of Mt. Badon and the Saxon conflict is completely obscured by this stage. Malory has the fighting between Arthur and the rebels be derailed by Saracens right out of the Crusades instead. Then after defeating the rebels, Arthur is challenged by the Roman Empire, and conquers that too.

When he returns home, Arthur doesn't get up to much then, with most of the medieval tales featuring him as a minor character in relation to the knights. He is offered many battles, but either chooses to or is told to stay at Camelot and protect the kingdom, with the other knights taking his place -- namely Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval and Galahad. [[Myth/KingArthurAndTheHolyGrail The quest for the Holy Grail]] happens around this time, but as the king, Arthur doesn't take part in it.

At some point he is sometimes said to have unwittingly committed incest with one of his sisters, Morgause. This spawns his eventual final foe Mordred who was now both his nephew and son. But this is not hinted at in any earlier material. His sisters Morgause and the more famous Morgan le Fay were also made into his enemies while they weren't originally. Morgause often gets combined with Morgan in modern works.

While Guinevere most famously has an affair with Lancelot which leads to the breaking-apart of the Round Table's fellowship, in earlier tellings starting with Geoffrey, Guinevere hooks up with Mordred while Arthur is away fighting his wars.

The earliest mention of Arthur's final battle only says that Mordred (Medraut) also died there, and the wording is ambiguous on whether they were fighting against or alongside each other. But the tradition is otherwise unanimous in making them enemies. In the earlier tradition, Mordred usurps Arthur when he leaves to fight the Romans while in the later tradition, Mordred tries to claim the kingdom for his own while Arthur is off chasing Lancelot in either France or Brittany, causing him to return.

After the battle, Arthur is sometimes said to grant his kingdom to a Cornish relative (or pseudo-relative) of his who is of Roman descent. Arthur is then taken by probably Morgan le Fay or someone else, to {{Avalon}} where the waters can heal his wounds.

'''This is a page about the character in his fictional appearances. For more information of the mythos and Arthurian cycles, and modern adaptations of them, see Myth/ArthurianLegend. For other Arthurian characters, see [[Characters/ArthurianLegend here]].'''

!!Tropes:
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: King Arthur's sword, {{Excalibur}}.
* AnimalMotifs: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] and [[BearsAreBadNews bears,]] though the latter occurs more in modern media than in the medieval texts. Dragon elements pop up now and then, most prominently in the name "Pendragon", and the name "Arthur" is thought to be related to the Celtic word for bear. According to Geoffrey's account, his helmet had a crest shaped like a dragon, and he once dreamed of a dragon defeating a bear, which was taken to mean him as the dragon defeating his enemy the bear. A Welsh poem "The Dialogue of Arthur and the Eagle" puns on his name by calling him ''arth gwyr'', "bear of men".
* ArthurAndMordred: Unremarkably, had this relationship with Mordred in the stories where the latter was his son rather than his friend or nephew. Only in a few stories do they actually get along, so it applies for the rest as Arthur treats him like a son even when he's the nephew.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He owns a magical unbreakable sword that he could only pull if he was the true rightful King (other times given to him by the lady of the lake), and he repeatedly backs up his prowess in the legends.
* AwesomeMcCoolName:
** ''Arthur'' is of uncertain etymology, but nearly every proposed meaning or derivation sounds cool. It is often thought to derive from either Latin ''Artorius'' (whose meaning is uncertain too), or a Celtic word for [[BearsAreBadNews 'bear']], ''arto'' (later, Welsh ''arth'').
** The ''ur'' part of ''Arthur'' was often theorized in the past to be from a Celtic word for 'man', ''uiros'' or ''wiros'' (later, Welsh ''gwr''), but nowadays this is considered untenable because then the name would have developed into "Artgur" or "Arthwr", so Arthur can't mean ''Bear-Man'' or ''Man of the Bear'' as many have suggested.
** Others have tried to link ''Arthur'' to the Greek ''Arktouros'' and Latin ''Arcturus'', meaning ''Bear Guardian'', which is the name of a star. The bear in this case refers to the constellation Ursa Major, as Arcturus is part of a different constellation, Boötes, and is better understood as 'guardian ''of'' the bear'. The similarity is most often explained as the languages being related instead of direct derivation.
** In a roundabout way, ''Artorius'' itself may possibly be Celtic in origin, deriving from the hypothetical names ''Artorix(s)'' or ''Artorigos'', 'Bear-King', or ''Artorigios'', '[[{{Patronymic}} Son]] of Artorix' i.e. 'Son of the Bear-King' if we want to split hairs. In other words, ''Arthur'' may be a Celtic version of a Roman name, or a Celtic version of a Roman version of a much older Celtic name, all ultimately connected to Celtic words for bears and possibly kings.
** ''Artorius'' could simply be Latin for "of/descending from Artor", but then what "Artor" means in Latin remains up in the air. Other attempts to derive ''Artorius'' from names in non-Latin ancient Italian languages like Messapic ''Artorres'' or ''Artas'' most often loop back to assuming the root names mean "bear" in some form like ''Arthur'' may, due to the common Indo-European roots of the ancient Celtic and Italian languages. The outlier is Etruscan '' Arnthur'', which may be related to their word for "younger son", but that's boring.
** The origin of ''Pendragon'' is clearer: ''pen'' is Welsh for 'head' or 'top' and ''dragon'' is archaic Welsh for, well, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent 'dragon']], borrowed from Latin ''draco'' (possibly by way of French ''dragon'', like in English, and it's ''draig'' in modern Welsh). ''Dragon'' was also used figuratively in Welsh poetry to mean 'warrior'. So ''Arthur Pendragon'' could mean ''Bear-like Warrior Chief''. (We're avoiding ''Bear-like Dragon Chief'' only because it's {{Metaphorgotten}}, sadly.)
** His father Uther also counts. Uther or ''Uthyr'' in Welsh is from the word ''uthr'' which means 'terrible' (in the older sense of "awesome", "fear-inducing", "intimidating") so ''Uther Pendragon'' really means ''Dreaded Warrior Chief''. Amusingly, one Latin text says Arthur was known as "mab uter", which the author interpreted as "horrible son" (filius horribilis) instead of "son of Uther", and took it to mean that Arthur was a juvenile delinquent. The same author interpreted Arthur to mean "horrible bear" (ursus horribilis), probably thinking of "arth + uthr", but also suggested "iron hammer which breaks lions' teeth", which has confounded scholars about where the hell he got ''that'' from.
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning:
** His most iconic "crowning" moment is his acclamation as king by the crowd after he draws the sword from the stone. He's formally crowned later.
** in Geoffrey's account he defeats the Roman Emperor Lucius Tiberius but he's interrupted by Modred's rebellion before he can march on Rome itself. In Malory, this is taken UpToEleven with Arthur actually becoming Roman Emperor, with all his vassals in attendance and being crowned by the Pope.
* BigGood: Especially in later stories focusing on the acts of his knights.
* BrotherSisterIncest: His sometimes tryst with his half-sister Morgause produces Mordred, who eventually betrays him. At the time neither was aware of their relation (it was just some good old wholesome adultery), which probably [[SurpriseIncest led to some awkwardness]] later.
* TheCaptain: While the whole point of the Round Table was that no one knight sat at it's head, Arthur ''was'' the king, and thus was the leader of the bunch.
* CastingAShadow: His dagger, Carnwennan, sometimes is said (in the original Welsh traditions) to shroud its wielder in shadow, which enabled him to kill the Very Black Witch.
* ChangelingFantasy: As a boy King Arthur is raised by Sir Ector, who has no idea of his true identity,
* CharacterTitle: For the Arthurian cycle.
* TheChosenOne: Merlin chose him, manipulating events so that he'd be born and taking an active hand in his rise and education.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Arthur’s children, usually. His sons were Llacheu (also identified with Loholt and Borre), Amhar, Gwydre, and Cydfan. He also had a daughter, Archfedd.
** In Scottish tradition, he had a son named Smeirbhe (also spelled as Smerbe or Smereviemore). Certain people and Clans have claimed descent from Arthur through Smeirbhe, often for political reasons.
** Arthur himself killed Amhar, no reason given. Gwydre was killed by the Twrch Trwyth (the large boar hunted in Culhwch and Olwen). There are various versions of Llacheu’s death, while other sources never mention it. Either Llacheu died in battle at Llongborth or he was slain below Llechysgar (area near the court of Madog king of Powys). As Loholt, he is said to have either died by being killed by Kay (but it was Kay’s only treachery he ever committed) or died after being held captive in the Dolorous Prison.
* CloudCuckooLander: “Rhonabwy’s Dream,” am earlier Welsh satire, has Arthur in this role. During one of his battles, Arthur decides to set up camp and play chess or gwyddbwyll against Owain. As they play, Arthur’s men attack Owain’s ravens. Owain then gets a squire to raise a battle flag and the ravens attack (and kill) some of Arthur’s men. It gets to the point that Owain’s ravens are carrying men into the air and ripping them to pieces. Arthur and Owain keep playing gwyddbwyll until Arthur decides enough is enough and crushes the pieces. It’s also worth noting that Arthur is an emperor here, fighting alongside armies from Denmark, Norway, and receiving tribute from Greece.
* CompositeCharacter: One theory is that the tales of King Arthur are based on the exploits of several different leaders over many years rather than the life of a single individual.
* CoolSword: Excalibur, though Merlin felt the scabbard (which kept wounds from bleeding) was much more useful. [[TheHeroDies It's kind of hard to argue...]]
* DependingOnTheWriter: Arthur is pretty much the gauge by which you can read the Author's opinion on proper kingship. Thus, in the Welsh legends he does his own AsskickingEqualsAuthority and leads from the front and challenges the church on occasion, while to Mallory and the French he's your typical wellmannered and cuckolded King who leads from behind and isn't actually that great of a fighter. Modern writers have made him badass, cowardly, conflicted, compassionate, and tyrannical. And usually they do that while telling the exact same plot!
* {{Excalibur}}: The sword Excalibur was wielded by King Arthur.
* TheGoodKing: The good-est. To the point where according to legend, it's ''him'' who will lead England in the hour of greatest need.
* HappilyAdopted: Arthur actually had quite a happy life with Sir Ector and was extremely upset to learn that he wasn't actually his son. It’s even implied that Sir Ector gave Arthur preferable treatment to his own son Kay.
* TheHero: TropeCodifier.
* HeroesLoveDogs: In the early Welsh stuff he has a dog named Cavall, whose name confusingly enough means "horse".
* HeroicLineage: In Geoffrey's [[ArtisticLicenseHistory very creative]] account, Arthur is related to the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great who here is half-British through his mother St. Helena[[note]]in other legends, she found the True Cross of Christ and other relics, making her appearance a sort of IntercontinuityCrossover[[/note]], [[ArtisticLicenseHistory supposedly]] the daughter of King Coel ([[NurseryRhymes Old King Cole!]]), as well as to the Roman Emperor Maximianus (based on the historical Magnus Maximus), [[ArtisticLicenseHistory supposedly]] also half-British through his father who was King Coel's son and St. Helena's brother. Arthur invokes this to justify his war against the Roman Empire, since Britons have already ruled the Empire from a certain point of view. Also, Arthur's grandfather and Arthur's successor as king, a relative of some sort, are both named Constantine.
* TheHighKing: The sovereign of all of England from his court in Cameot, to which every other knight and lord swore ultimate fealty.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Any historical King Arthur who did exist hardly had access to a magical sword in the stone, an immortality inducing scabbard and fought off any villains like Morgan le Fay.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** Historians have debated for generations whether Arthur was truly historical at all, but if we accept that the "original Arthur" was a British leader who temporarily stopped the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain, he has been greatly transformed and magnified into the [[TheGoodKing Arthur]] [[TheChosenOne of legend]].
** The original Arthur may not have even been a king himself, since he is called ''dux bellorum'' or "leader of battles", who fought "''together'' with the kings of the Britons" in twelve great battles against the Anglo-Saxons. He is also called "Arthur the Soldier" in early material. In later works he is called the High King of all Britain and even Emperor, and he even almost conquers Rome, only being interrupted by Mordred's rebellion. In “How Culhwch Won Olwen” he’s a chief of kings, but by the Welsh Romances and “Rhonabwy’s Dream” he’s either an emperor or king at the least.
* IAmNotShazam: Arthur himself is ''never'' called "Pendragon" in the medieval texts. More properly, that's a name or title for his father Uther (see above). But modern writers tend to make it their family surname (despite being anachronistic, but then again the legend is an AnachronismStew) so it has stuck. Occasionally it's given to Morgan le Fay as well since she's Arthur's sister. If "Pendragon" remains a title, writers still tend to give it to Arthur as well, often with the definite article ("''the'' Pendragon") but it is not one of his titles in the medieval traditions (unlike lesser known ones like "the Red Ravager").
* KingInTheMountain: Foretold to return during Britain's greatest need.
* MessianicArchetype: The "coming back" part mainly, as he is said to reside in the land of Avalon, but will return to lead England in England's hour of greatest need.
* MutualKill: With Mordred.
* NamedWeapons: Arthur is very fond of this. His ship is named Prydwen, his mantle is named Gwen, his sword (later known as Excalibur) is named Caledfwlch, which literally translates as “Breach of Battle.” His spear is named Rhongomyniad (Striking-Spear), his shield is named Wynebgwrthucher (Evening-Face), and his dagger is named Carnwennan (Little White Haft).
* NiceGuy: While somewhat haughty and proud, Arthur is often depicted as a kind and just king, who values and loves his kingdom, his knights and his subjects more than his own life.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Arthur decides to round up all of the babies born on May Day and send them out on a rickety boat because Merlin prophesied that a child born on this day would destroy him. One baby (Mordred) survived.
* OneTrueLove: Many adaptations have Guinevere being this to him, with her affair with Lancelot being just a fling, and Arthur being the love of her life, with Arthur's death sending her into such a deep depression over the loss of her husband she joins a convent and never speaks nor smiles again.
* OutOfFocus: In the literature, his knights like Lancelot get more and more of the spotlight and he is almost if not actually DemotedToExtra until the story covers his downfall.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Spouts off several in the "Lucius" section of ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur''.
* SelectiveObliviousness: May have had this in regard to Lancelot and Guinevere's affair.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Modern writers tend to make him quite conflicted over his decision to burn Guinevere at the stake in order to show that the queen isn't above the law, with some even depicting him as secretly hoping Lancelot will save her. Originally, this was very much ''not'' the case.
----

According to the early legend, the man who led the Britons in battle and stopped the invaders for a while was Arthur. For a while - because the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons, eventually forming England while independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. Nevertheless, the Britons kept the legend of Arthur alive. Many immigrated to Brittany in France (also inhabited by Celts, then also Romanized), eventually lending their name to the region. The Bretons, as they were eventually known, brought the legend of Arthur with them where it eventually found a new audience. More on that later.

* HeroicLineage: In Geoffrey's [[ArtisticLicenseHistory very creative]] account, Arthur is related to the Roman Emperor UsefulNotes/ConstantineTheGreat, who here is half-British through his mother St. Helena[[note]]in other legends, she found the True Cross of Christ and other relics, making her appearance a sort of IntercontinuityCrossover[[note]], [[ArtisticLicenseHistory supposedly]] the daughter of King Coel ([[NurseryRhymes Old King Cole!]]), as well as to the Roman Emperor Maximianus (based on the historical Magnus Maximus), [[ArtisticLicenseHistory supposedly]] also half-British through his father who was King Coel's son and St. Helena's brother. Arthur invokes this to justify his war against the Roman Empire, since Britons have already ruled the Empire from a certain point of view.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: After he defeats Lucius Tiberius, he is apparently declared Roman Emperor in Geoffrey's account.

According to the early legend, the man who led the Britons in battle and stopped the invaders for a while was Arthur. For a while - because the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons, eventually forming England while independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. Nevertheless, the Britons kept the legend of Arthur alive. Many immigrated to Brittany in France (already inhabited by Celts in the past, then also Romanized), eventually lending their name to the region. The Bretons, as they were eventually known, brought the legend of Arthur with them where it eventually found a new audience. More on that later.

According to the early legend, the man who led the Britons in battle and stopped the invaders for a while was Arthur. For a while - because the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons, eventually forming England while independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. Nevertheless, the Britons kept the legend of Arthur alive. Many immigrated to France (already inhabited by Celts in the past, then also Romanized), eventually lending their name to the region now called Brittany. The Bretons, as they were eventually known, brought the legend of Arthur with them where it eventually found a new audience. More on that later.

According to the early legend, the man who led the Britons in battle and stopped the invaders for a while was Arthur. For a while - because the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons, eventually forming England while independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. Nevertheless, the Britons kept the legend of Arthur alive. Many immigrated to Armorica in France (already inhabited by Celts in the past, then also Romanized), eventually lending their name to the region of Brittany. The Bretons, as they were eventually known, brought the legend of Arthur with them where it eventually found a new audience. More on that later.

According to the early legend, the man who led the Britons in battle and stopped the invaders for a while was Arthur. For a while - because the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons, eventually forming England while independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. Nevertheless, the Britons kept the legend of Arthur alive. Many immigrated to Brittany in France (already inhabited by Celts), lending their name to the region. The Bretons, as they were now known, brought the legend of Arthur with them where it eventually found a new audience. More on that later.

Most stories of Arthur today are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''[[Literature/HistoriaRegumBritanniae History of the Kings of Britain]]'', written after the Norman Conquest of England, and where Arthur comes in near the end as the BreakoutCharacter. Geoffrey was probably the single most influential recounter of the legend. He was the first to call Arthur a ''king'' - in practice TheHighKing ruling over other kings - as Arthur was only called a ''soldier'' or ''leader'' in earlier material. He also first wrote down (perhaps made up) Arthur's OriginStory - he was conceived via a BedTrick thanks to the other Breakout Character, the wizard Myth/{{Merlin}}. Geoffrey was the first to write of Merlin, Arthur's queen Guinevere, and Arthur's sword {{Excalibur}} in their commonly recognizable forms, though their prototypical counterparts appeared in Welsh and Cornish material which was mostly recorded after Geoffrey wrote, giving historians headaches as to which really influenced which. He also wrote that after Arthur's final battle with his nephew Modred (later Mordred), he was taken away to the mystic isle of {{Avalon}} to be healed of his wounds, and implicitly wait until he is needed again.

Most stories of Arthur today are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''[[Literature/HistoriaRegumBritanniae History of the Kings of Britain]]'', written after the Norman Conquest of England, and where Arthur comes in near the end as the BreakoutCharacter. Geoffrey was probably the single most influential recounter of the legend. He was the first to call Arthur a ''king'' - in practice TheHighKing ruling over other kings - as Arthur was only called a ''soldier'' or ''leader'' in earlier material. He also first wrote down (perhaps made up) Arthur's OriginStory - he was conceived via a BedTrick thanks to the other Breakout Character, the wizard Myth/{{Merlin}}. Geoffrey was the first to write of Merlin, the queen Guinevere, and Arthur's sword {{Excalibur}} in their commonly recognizable forms, though their prototypical counterparts appeared in Welsh and Cornish material which was mostly recorded after Geoffrey wrote, giving historians headaches as to which really influenced which. He also wrote that after Arthur's final battle with his nephew Modred (later Mordred), he was taken away to the mystic isle of {{Avalon}} to be healed of his wounds, and implicitly wait until he is needed again.

Geoffrey clearly influenced other writers like Chretien de Troyes in France (who came up with Camelot) and elsewhere, who then developed the whole ChivalricRomance thing and applied it to Arthur and his warriors, turning them into Arthur and his ''knights'' of the Round Table. As the knights grew in prominence, new characters were invented and older characters were expanded upon or fell into relative obscurity, and entire new storylines like the quest for [[PublicDomainArtifact the Holy Grail]]and a LoveTriangle between Arthur, Guinevere and his best knight Lancelot were created. Arthur himself was more and more DemotedToExtra until the final stretch of the legend leading to his exit. These writers in turn, down through the centuries, influenced Sir Thomas Malory and other authors up to the present day.

However, many of the nobles and kings of Britain are initially against swearing fealty to a young boy thus a rebellion arose. Eventually Arthur defeats the rebels and marries Guinevere. As a marriage gift, Arthur gets a Round Table around which he decides to form the famed chivalrous brotherhood of knights. Incidentally, the battle of Mt. Badon and the Saxon conflict is completely obscured by this stage. Malory has the fighting between Arthur and the rebels be derailed by Saracens right out of the Crusades instead. Then after defeating either the Saxons or the rebels, Arthur is challenged by the Roman Empire, and conquers that too.

'''Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain''', definition of TheGoodKing and namesake of the Myth/{{Arthurian legend}}s.

King Arthur was a glorious ruler of the land of the Britons, which [[UsefulNotes/BritainVersusTheUK never was the UK]], instead being some of the UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms. And Brittany/Bretagne, UsefulNotes/{{France}}. And UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}. The seat of his kingdom is the famed {{Camelot}} -- which varies in location by story but is definitely in England, Wales, or France -- from which he defeated the invading Saxons in the 5th and 6th century AD.

Arthur first appeared in folk tales and poetry from England, Wales and Cornwall, where he is often a figure from the [[{{Heaven}} glorious afterworld]] [[LandOfFaerie Annwyn]] who would help [[BackupFromOtherworld protect the land from enemies]], or just [[WorldsBestWarrior a champion warrior]] who does the same thing; this is possibly where the legend that he will return in Britain's hour of greatest need comes from. He's also referenced in ''Y Gododdin'', where a man's obituary says that he slew 300 men but still "was no Arthur".

If Arthur and his men are not fighting supernatural enemies in this early material, they're fighting fellow Britons - and more famously, the UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons who invaded/settled Britain after or by the time the Romans left. In real life, the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons (''Y Goddodin'' is a poem lamenting/[[DoomedMoralVictor celebrating]] a Briton defeat), hence why much of Great Britain is called "England" and independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. But according to Briton lore, Arthur was the man who stopped them for a generation or two at the battle of Mt. Badon. While historians believe the battle is real, Arthur's historicity is rather more contested (as is where Mt. Badon was). He may have been a real guy ShroudedInMyth, or he may have been at first purely folkloric (hence the early supernatural stuff) and he may have been attached to the real events.

Most stories of Arthur are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''[[Literature/HistoriaRegumBritanniae Historia Regum Brittaniæ]]'', which is the first source to call Arthur a ''king'', as he only is called a ''soldier'' or ''leader'' in earlier material. Geoffrey also introduced Myth/{{Merlin}}, Guinevere, and {{Excalibur}} in their commonly recognizable forms, though their prototypical counterparts appeared in Welsh and Cornish material which was mostly recorded after Geoffrey wrote, giving historians headaches as to which really influenced which. Geoffrey clearly influenced other writers like Chretien de Troyes in France and elsewhere, who then developed the whole ChivalricRomance thing and applied it to Arthur and his warriors, turning them into Arthur and his ''knights''. These writers in turn, down through the centuries, influenced Sir Thomas Malory and other authors up to the present day. And now, a summary of Arthur's life:

c.475 AD, Tintagel Peninsula, UsefulNotes/{{Cornwall}}. On this small island, Arthur is conceived. His father, Uther[[note]]ap Custennin ap Cynfawr ap Tudwal ap Morfawr ap Eudaf ap Cadwr ap Cynan ap Caradoc ap Bran ap Llŷr[[/note]], [[UnrequitedLove has been lusting after Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall]], and so convinces Merlin to [[ShapeshiftingSeducer disguise him as her husband Gorlois]]. He [[BedTrick sneaks into bed and sleeps with her]], producing Arthur, with no regard for weird lines of succession. Castle Island, Penn Du, and the Tintagel mainland contain ruins of a castle that was built nearly 1000 years later; evidence does show that it had been inhabited and not Romanised since the early millennium, though. The land is owned by the current Duke of Cornwall, who is appropriately enough [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor the monarch's son]].

Initially, in the early Arthurian chronicles, Arthur seemed to have been raised in Uther’s court or at least be fully aware who his birth parents were, however, a tradition invented by Robert de Boron, had Arthur be raised by Sir Ector instead. In Robert de Boron’s account, it was because Merlin wanted Arthur to live a normal life but later medieval and moderns authors had it because he was illegitimate. As it goes in these step-sibling stories, one of them must naturally be more greatly preferred to the other; it's Ector's actual son Kay (who was originally a major figure in Welsh mythology in his own right) that is less favoured and holds some resentment towards Arthur, though later does become one of his Knights of the Round Table (if one of the shittier ones). Arthur lives a happy life with them, as Ector has lots of land, possibly in the Forest Sauvage near Bodmin Moor, and trains them both well. When he is called to the throne, Arthur is shocked and shortly upset that Ector is not his real father.

When Arthur was 15 or 16 years old depending on the version, Arthur became king by (typically)pulling the sword of the stone. However, in the sword in the stone story, many of the nobles of Britain and kings were initially against swearing fealty to a young boy thus a rebellion arose. Eventually Arthur defeated the rebels, Anglo-Saxons and married Guinevere.

Arthur doesn't get up to much then, with most of the medieval myths featuring him as a minor character in relation to the knights. He is offered many battles, but either chooses to or is told to stay at Camelot and protect the kingdom, with the other knights taking his place -- namely Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval and Galahad. He does significantly win the Battle of Badon (very real), one of the fights between Celtic Bretons and the Anglo-Saxons, in which the Bretons have a decisive victory and keep the Saxons significantly away for decades.

So, now that he's done definitely the most important thing, he chills out for a bit. He is sometimes said to have unwittingly committed incest with one of his sisters. However, this was invented by the authors of the French prose cycles and therefore has no basis in any earlier material. While Guinevere has an affair with Lancelot, but her lover was initially said to have been Mordred. Arthur does battle against the king Rience (and was initially said to have killed him during his down-period, because Rience keeps challenging him to fight. Arthur continues to fight threats directly against him or his kingdom (except when someone steps up for him) until the Battle of Camlann. He also has some adventures with [[PublicDomainArtifact the Holy Grail]], which can be read over at ''Myth/KingArthurAndTheHolyGrail''.

However, there isn't that much solid information on Arthur's final battle, but we do know that Mordred also died there. Because of ambiguous wording in the Annales of Cambraie, Arthur was either fighting against or alongside Mordred, but because of the lack of mention of other characters when it comes to their deaths it is generally believed they were slain by each other's hand.

In the early Arthurian tradition, Mordred usurped Arthur when he went to fight the romans while in the later tradition, Mordred tries to claim the kingdom for his own while Arthur is off chasing Lancelot in either France or Brittany, causing him to return and prepare to fight against Mordred. At the battlefield, Arthur is sometime said to grant his kingdom to a Cornish relative (or pseudo-relative) of his who is of Roman descent. Arthur is ailing and is taken by probably Morgan le Fay, or someone else to {{Avalon}} where the waters can heal his wounds.

[[redirect:Myth/KingArthur]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/350px_charles_ernest_butler___king_arthur.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[-''by Charles Ernest Butler''-]]]
->''"This man was Arthur, King of the Britons. For this... was... England!"''
-->--'''[[Creator/ChristianBorle The Historian]]''', ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}''

'''Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain''', definition of TheGoodKing and namesake of the Myth/{{Arthurian legend}}s.

King Arthur was a glorious ruler of the land of the Britons, which [[UsefulNotes/BritainVersusTheUK never was the UK]], instead being some of the UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms. And Brittany/Bretagne, UsefulNotes/{{France}}. And UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}. The seat of his kingdom is the famed {{Camelot}} -- which varies in location by story but is definitely in England, Wales, or France -- from which he defeated the invading Saxons in the 5th and 6th century AD.

Arthur first appeared in folk tales and poetry from England, Wales and Cornwall, where he is often a figure from the [[{{Heaven}} glorious afterworld]] [[LandOfFaerie Annwyn]] who would help [[BackupFromOtherworld protect the land from enemies]], or just [[WorldsBestWarrior a champion warrior]] who does the same thing; this is possibly where the legend that he will return in Britain's hour of greatest need comes from. He's also referenced in ''Y Gododdin'', where a man's obituary says that he slew 300 men but still "was no Arthur".

If Arthur and his men are not fighting supernatural enemies in this early material, they're fighting fellow Britons - and more famously, the UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons who invaded/settled Britain after or by the time the Romans left. In real life, the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons (''Y Goddodin'' is a poem lamenting/[[DoomedMoralVictor celebrating]] a Briton defeat), hence why much of Great Britain is called "England" and independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. But according to Briton lore, Arthur was the man who stopped them for a generation or two at the battle of Mt. Badon. While historians believe the battle is real, Arthur's historicity is rather more contested (as is where Mt. Badon was). He may have been a real guy ShroudedInMyth, or he may have been at first purely folkloric (hence the early supernatural stuff) and he may have been attached to the real events.

Most stories of Arthur are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''[[Literature/HistoriaRegumBritanniae Historia Regum Brittaniæ]]'', which is the first source to call Arthur a ''king'', as he only is called a ''soldier'' or ''leader'' in earlier material. Geoffrey also introduced Myth/{{Merlin}}, Guinevere, and {{Excalibur}} in their commonly recognizable forms, though their prototypical counterparts appeared in Welsh and Cornish material which was mostly recorded after Geoffrey wrote, giving historians headaches as to which really influenced which. Geoffrey clearly influenced other writers like Chretien de Troyes in France and elsewhere, who then developed the whole ChivalricRomance thing and applied it to Arthur and his warriors, turning them into Arthur and his ''knights''. These writers in turn, down through the centuries, influenced Sir Thomas Malory and other authors up to the present day. And now, a summary of Arthur's life:

c.475 AD, Tintagel Peninsula, UsefulNotes/{{Cornwall}}. On this small island, Arthur is conceived. His father, Uther[[note]]ap Custennin ap Cynfawr ap Tudwal ap Morfawr ap Eudaf ap Cadwr ap Cynan ap Caradoc ap Bran ap Llŷr[[/note]], [[UnrequitedLove has been lusting after Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall]], and so convinces Merlin to [[ShapeshiftingSeducer disguise him as her husband Gorlois]]. He [[BedTrick sneaks into bed and sleeps with her]], producing Arthur, with no regard for weird lines of succession. Castle Island, Penn Du, and the Tintagel mainland contain ruins of a castle that was built nearly 1000 years later; evidence does show that it had been inhabited and not Romanised since the early millennium, though. The land is owned by the current Duke of Cornwall, who is appropriately enough [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor the monarch's son]].

Initially, in the early Arthurian chronicles, Arthur seemed to have been raised in Uther’s court or at least be fully aware who his birth parents were, however, a tradition invented by Robert de Boron, had Arthur be raised by Sir Ector instead. In Robert de Boron’s account, it was because Merlin wanted Arthur to live a normal life but later medieval and moderns authors had it because he was illegitimate. As it goes in these step-sibling stories, one of them must naturally be more greatly preferred to the other; it's Ector's actual son Kay (who was originally a major figure in Welsh mythology in his own right) that is less favoured and holds some resentment towards Arthur, though later does become one of his Knights of the Round Table (if one of the shittier ones). Arthur lives a happy life with them, as Ector has lots of land, possibly in the Forest Sauvage near Bodmin Moor, and trains them both well. When he is called to the throne, Arthur is shocked and shortly upset that Ector is not his real father.

When Arthur was 15 or 16 years old depending on the version, Arthur became king by (typically)pulling the sword of the stone. However, in the sword in the stone story, many of the nobles of Britain and kings were initially against swearing fealty to a young boy thus a rebellion arose. Eventually Arthur defeated the rebels, Anglo-Saxons and married Guinevere.

Arthur doesn't get up to much then, with most of the medieval myths featuring him as a minor character in relation to the knights. He is offered many battles, but either chooses to or is told to stay at Camelot and protect the kingdom, with the other knights taking his place -- namely Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval and Galahad. He does significantly win the Battle of Badon (very real), one of the fights between Celtic Bretons and the Anglo-Saxons, in which the Bretons have a decisive victory and keep the Saxons significantly away for decades.

So, now that he's done definitely the most important thing, he chills out for a bit. He is sometimes said to have unwittingly committed incest with one of his sisters. However, this was invented by the authors of the French prose cycles and therefore has no basis in any earlier material. While Guinevere has an affair with Lancelot, but her lover was initially said to have been Mordred. Arthur does battle against the king Rience (and was initially said to have killed him during his down-period, because Rience keeps challenging him to fight. Arthur continues to fight threats directly against him or his kingdom (except when someone steps up for him) until the Battle of Camlann. He also has some adventures with [[PublicDomainArtifact the Holy Grail]], which can be read over at ''Myth/KingArthurAndTheHolyGrail''.

However, there isn't that much solid information on Arthur's final battle, but we do know that Mordred also died there. Because of ambiguous wording in the Annales of Cambraie, Arthur was either fighting against or alongside Mordred, but because of the lack of mention of other characters when it comes to their deaths it is generally believed they were slain by each other's hand.

In the early Arthurian tradition, Mordred usurped Arthur when he went to fight the romans while in the later tradition, Mordred tries to claim the kingdom for his own while Arthur is off chasing Lancelot in either France or Brittany, causing him to return and prepare to fight against Mordred. At the battlefield, Arthur is sometime said to grant his kingdom to a Cornish relative (or pseudo-relative) of his who is of Roman descent. Arthur is ailing and is taken by probably Morgan le Fay, or someone else to {{Avalon}} where the waters can heal his wounds.


'''This is a page about the character in his fictional appearances. For more information of the mythos and Arthurian cycles, and modern adaptations of them, see Myth/ArthurianLegend. For other Arthurian characters, see [[Characters/ArthurianLegend here]].'''

!!Tropes:
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: King Arthur's sword, {{Excalibur}}.
* AnimalMotifs: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] and [[BearsAreBadNews bears,]] though the latter occurs more in modern media than in the medieval texts. Dragon elements pop up now and then, most prominently in the name "Pendragon", and the name "Arthur" is thought to be related to the Celtic word for bear. According to Geoffrey's account, his helmet had a crest shaped like a dragon, and he once dreamed of a dragon defeating a bear, which was taken to mean him as the dragon defeating his enemy the bear. A Welsh poem "The Dialogue of Arthur and the Eagle" puns on his name by calling him ''arth gwyr'', "bear of men".
* ArthurAndMordred: Unremarkably, had this relationship with Mordred in the stories where the latter was his son rather than his friend or nephew. Only in a few stories do they actually get along, so it applies for the rest as Arthur treats him like a son even when he's the nephew.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He owns a magical unbreakable sword that he could only pull if he was the true rightful King (other times given to him by the lady of the lake), and he repeatedly backs up his prowess in the legends.
* AwesomeMcCoolName:
** ''Arthur'' is of uncertain etymology, but nearly every proposed meaning or derivation sounds cool. It is often thought to derive from either Latin ''Artorius'' (whose meaning is uncertain too), or a Celtic word for [[BearsAreBadNews 'bear']], ''arto'' (later, Welsh ''arth'').
** The ''ur'' part of ''Arthur'' was often theorized in the past to be from a Celtic word for 'man', ''uiros'' or ''wiros'' (later, Welsh ''gwr''), but nowadays this is considered untenable because then the name would have developed into "Artgur" or "Arthwr", so Arthur can't mean ''Bear-Man'' or ''Man of the Bear'' as many have suggested.
** Others have tried to link ''Arthur'' to the Greek ''Arktouros'' and Latin ''Arcturus'', meaning ''Bear Guardian'', which is the name of a star. The bear in this case refers to the constellation Ursa Major, as Arcturus is part of a different constellation, Boötes, and is better understood as 'guardian ''of'' the bear'. The similarity is most often explained as the languages being related instead of direct derivation.
** In a roundabout way, ''Artorius'' itself may possibly be Celtic in origin, deriving from the hypothetical names ''Artorix(s)'' or ''Artorigos'', 'Bear-King', or ''Artorigios'', '[[{{Patronymic}} Son]] of Artorix' i.e. 'Son of the Bear-King' if we want to split hairs. In other words, ''Arthur'' may be a Celtic version of a Roman name, or a Celtic version of a Roman version of a much older Celtic name, all ultimately connected to Celtic words for bears and possibly kings.
** ''Artorius'' could simply be Latin for "of/descending from Artor", but then what "Artor" means in Latin remains up in the air. Other attempts to derive ''Artorius'' from names in non-Latin ancient Italian languages like Messapic ''Artorres'' or ''Artas'' most often loop back to assuming the root names mean "bear" in some form like ''Arthur'' may, due to the common Indo-European roots of the ancient Celtic and Italian languages. The outlier is Etruscan '' Arnthur'', which may be related to their word for "younger son", but that's boring.
** The origin of ''Pendragon'' is clearer: ''pen'' is Welsh for 'head' or 'top' and ''dragon'' is archaic Welsh for, well, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent 'dragon']], borrowed from Latin ''draco'' (possibly by way of French ''dragon'', like in English, and it's ''draig'' in modern Welsh). ''Dragon'' was also used figuratively in Welsh poetry to mean 'warrior'. So ''Arthur Pendragon'' could mean ''Bear-like Warrior Chief''. (We're avoiding ''Bear-like Dragon Chief'' only because it's {{Metaphorgotten}}, sadly.)
** His father Uther also counts. Uther or ''Uthyr'' in Welsh is from the word ''uthr'' which means 'terrible' (in the older sense of "awesome", "fear-inducing", "intimidating") so ''Uther Pendragon'' really means ''Dreaded Warrior Chief''. Amusingly, one Latin text says Arthur was known as "mab uter", which the author interpreted as "horrible son" (filius horribilis) instead of "son of Uther", and took it to mean that Arthur was a juvenile delinquent. The same author interpreted Arthur to mean "horrible bear" (ursus horribilis), probably thinking of "arth + uthr", but also suggested "iron hammer which breaks lions' teeth", which has confounded scholars about where the hell he got ''that'' from.
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: After he defeats Lucius Tiberius, he is apparently declared Roman Emperor in Geoffrey's account.
* BigGood: Especially in later stories focusing on the acts of his knights.
* BrotherSisterIncest: His sometimes tryst with his half-sister Morgause produces Mordred, who eventually betrays him. At the time neither was aware of their relation (it was just some good old wholesome adultery), which probably [[SurpriseIncest led to some awkwardness]] later.
* TheCaptain: While the whole point of the Round Table was that no one knight sat at it's head, Arthur ''was'' the king, and thus was the leader of the bunch.
* CastingAShadow: His dagger, Carnwennan, sometimes is said (in the original Welsh traditions) to shroud its wielder in shadow, which enabled him to kill the Very Black Witch.
* ChangelingFantasy: As a boy King Arthur is raised by Sir Ector, who has no idea of his true identity,
* CharacterTitle: For the Arthurian cycle.
* TheChosenOne: Merlin chose him, manipulating events so that he'd be born and taking an active hand in his rise and education.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Arthur’s children, usually. His sons were Llacheu (also identified with Loholt and Borre), Amhar, Gwydre, and Cydfan. He also had a daughter, Archfedd.
** In Scottish tradition, he had a son named Smeirbhe (also spelled as Smerbe or Smereviemore). Certain people and Clans have claimed descent from Arthur through Smeirbhe, often for political reasons.
** Arthur himself killed Amhar, no reason given. Gwydre was killed by the Twrch Trwyth (the large boar hunted in Culhwch and Olwen). There are various versions of Llacheu’s death, while other sources never mention it. Either Llacheu died in battle at Llongborth or he was slain below Llechysgar (area near the court of Madog king of Powys). As Loholt, he is said to have either died by being killed by Kay (but it was Kay’s only treachery he ever committed) or died after being held captive in the Dolorous Prison.
* CloudCuckooLander: “Rhonabwy’s Dream,” am earlier Welsh satire, has Arthur in this role. During one of his battles, Arthur decides to set up camp and play chess or gwyddbwyll against Owain. As they play, Arthur’s men attack Owain’s ravens. Owain then gets a squire to raise a battle flag and the ravens attack (and kill) some of Arthur’s men. It gets to the point that Owain’s ravens are carrying men into the air and ripping them to pieces. Arthur and Owain keep playing gwyddbwyll until Arthur decides enough is enough and crushes the pieces. It’s also worth noting that Arthur is an emperor here, fighting alongside armies from Denmark, Norway, and receiving tribute from Greece.
* CompositeCharacter: One theory is that the tales of King Arthur are based on the exploits of several different leaders over many years rather than the life of a single individual.
* CoolSword: Excalibur, though Merlin felt the scabbard (which kept wounds from bleeding) was much more useful. [[TheHeroDies It's kind of hard to argue...]]
* DependingOnTheWriter: Arthur is pretty much the gauge by which you can read the Author's opinion on proper kingship. Thus, in the Welsh legends he does his own AsskickingEqualsAuthority and leads from the front and challenges the church on occasion, while to Mallory and the French he's your typical wellmannered and cuckolded King who leads from behind and isn't actually that great of a fighter. Modern writers have made him badass, cowardly, conflicted, compassionate, and tyrannical. And usually they do that while telling the exact same plot!
* {{Excalibur}}: The sword Excalibur was wielded by King Arthur.
* TheGoodKing: The good-est. To the point where according to legend, it's ''him'' who will lead England in the hour of greatest need.
* HappilyAdopted: Arthur actually had quite a happy life with Sir Ector and was extremely upset to learn that he wasn't actually his son. It’s even implied that Sir Ector gave Arthur preferable treatment to his own son Kay.
* TheHero: TropeCodifier.
* HeroesLoveDogs: In the early Welsh stuff he has a dog named Cavall, whose name confusingly enough means "horse".
* TheHighKing: The sovereign of all of England from his court in Cameot, to which every other knight and lord swore ultimate fealty.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Any historical King Arthur who did exist hardly had access to a magical sword in the stone, an immortality inducing scabbard and fought off any villains like Morgan le Fay.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** Historians have debated for generations whether Arthur was truly historical at all, but if we accept that the "original Arthur" was a British leader who temporarily stopped the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain, he has been greatly transformed and magnified into the [[TheGoodKing Arthur]] [[TheChosenOne of legend]].
** The original Arthur may not have even been a king himself, since he is called ''dux bellorum'' or "leader of battles", who fought "''together'' with the kings of the Britons" in twelve great battles against the Anglo-Saxons. He is also called "Arthur the Soldier" in early material. In later works he is called the High King of all Britain and even Emperor, and he even almost conquers Rome, only being interrupted by Mordred's rebellion. In “How Culhwch Won Olwen” he’s a chief of kings, but by the Welsh Romances and “Rhonabwy’s Dream” he’s either an emperor or king at the least.
* IAmNotShazam: Arthur himself is ''never'' called "Pendragon" in the medieval texts. More properly, that's a name or title for his father Uther (see above). But modern writers tend to make it their family surname (despite being anachronistic, but then again the legend is an AnachronismStew) so it has stuck. Occasionally it's given to Morgan le Fay as well since she's Arthur's sister. If "Pendragon" remains a title, writers still tend to give it to Arthur as well, often with the definite article ("''the'' Pendragon") but it is not one of his titles in the medieval traditions (unlike lesser known ones like "the Red Ravager").
* KingInTheMountain: Foretold to return during Britain's greatest need.
* MessianicArchetype: The "coming back" part mainly, as he is said to reside in the land of Avalon, but will return to lead England in England's hour of greatest need.
* MutualKill: With Mordred.
* NamedWeapons: Arthur is very fond of this. His ship is named Prydwen, his mantle is named Gwen, his sword (later known as Excalibur) is named Caledfwlch, which literally translates as “Breach of Battle.” His spear is named Rhongomyniad (Striking-Spear), his shield is named Wynebgwrthucher (Evening-Face), and his dagger is named Carnwennan (Little White Haft).
* NiceGuy: While somewhat haughty and proud, Arthur is often depicted as a kind and just king, who values and loves his kingdom, his knights and his subjects more than his own life.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Arthur decides to round up all of the babies born on May Day and send them out on a rickety boat because Merlin prophesied that a child born on this day would destroy him. One baby (Mordred) survived.
* OneTrueLove: Many adaptations have Guinevere being this to him, with her affair with Lancelot being just a fling, and Arthur being the love of her life, with Arthur's death sending her into such a deep depression over the loss of her husband she joins a convent and never speaks nor smiles again.
* OutOfFocus: In the literature, his knights like Lancelot get more and more of the spotlight and he is almost if not actually DemotedToExtra until the story covers his downfall.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Spouts off several in the "Lucius" section of ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur''.
* SelectiveObliviousness: May have had this in regard to Lancelot and Guinevere's affair.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Modern writers tend to make him quite conflicted over his decision to burn Guinevere at the stake in order to show that the queen isn't above the law, with some even depicting him as secretly hoping Lancelot will save her. Originally, this was very much ''not'' the case.
----

[[redirect:Myth/KingArthur]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/350px_charles_ernest_butler___king_arthur.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[-''by Charles Ernest Butler''-]]]
->''"This man was Arthur, King of the Britons. For this... was... England!"''
-->--'''[[Creator/ChristianBorle The Historian]]''', ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}''

'''Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain''', definition of TheGoodKing and namesake of the Myth/{{Arthurian legend}}s.

King Arthur was a glorious ruler of the land of the Britons, which [[UsefulNotes/BritainVersusTheUK never was the UK]], instead being some of the UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms. And Brittany/Bretagne, UsefulNotes/{{France}}. And UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}. The seat of his kingdom is the famed {{Camelot}} -- which varies in location by story but is definitely in England, Wales, or France -- from which he defeated the invading Saxons in the 5th and 6th century AD.

Arthur first appeared in folk tales and poetry from England, Wales and Cornwall, where he is often a figure from the [[{{Heaven}} glorious afterworld]] [[LandOfFaerie Annwyn]] who would help [[BackupFromOtherworld protect the land from enemies]], or just [[WorldsBestWarrior a champion warrior]] who does the same thing; this is possibly where the legend that he will return in Britain's hour of greatest need comes from. He's also referenced in ''Y Gododdin'', where a man's obituary says that he slew 300 men but still "was no Arthur".

If Arthur and his men are not fighting supernatural enemies in this early material, they're fighting fellow Britons - and more famously, the UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons who invaded/settled Britain after or by the time the Romans left. In real life, the Anglo-Saxons eventually won against the Britons (''Y Goddodin'' is a poem lamenting/[[DoomedMoralVictor celebrating]] a Briton defeat), hence why much of Great Britain is called "England" and independent Briton rule was reduced to pockets like Wales and Cornwall. But according to Briton lore, Arthur was the man who stopped them for a generation or two at the battle of Mt. Badon. While historians believe the battle is real, Arthur's historicity is rather more contested (as is where Mt. Badon was). He may have been a real guy ShroudedInMyth, or he may have been at first purely folkloric (hence the early supernatural stuff) and he may have been attached to the real events.

Most stories of Arthur are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''[[Literature/HistoriaRegumBritanniae Historia Regum Brittaniæ]]'', which is the first source to call Arthur a ''king'', as he only is called a ''soldier'' or ''leader'' in earlier material. Geoffrey also introduced Myth/{{Merlin}}, Guinevere, and {{Excalibur}} in their commonly recognizable forms, though their prototypical counterparts appeared in Welsh and Cornish material which was mostly recorded after Geoffrey wrote, giving historians headaches as to which really influenced which. Geoffrey clearly influenced other writers like Chretien de Troyes in France and elsewhere, who then developed the whole ChivalricRomance thing and applied it to Arthur and his warriors, turning them into Arthur and his ''knights''. These writers in turn, down through the centuries, influenced Sir Thomas Malory and other authors up to the present day. And now, a summary of Arthur's life:

c.475 AD, Tintagel Peninsula, UsefulNotes/{{Cornwall}}. On this small island, Arthur is conceived. His father, Uther[[note]]ap Custennin ap Cynfawr ap Tudwal ap Morfawr ap Eudaf ap Cadwr ap Cynan ap Caradoc ap Bran ap Llŷr[[/note]], [[UnrequitedLove has been lusting after Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall]], and so convinces Merlin to [[ShapeshiftingSeducer disguise him as her husband Gorlois]]. He [[BedTrick sneaks into bed and sleeps with her]], producing Arthur, with no regard for weird lines of succession. Castle Island, Penn Du, and the Tintagel mainland contain ruins of a castle that was built nearly 1000 years later; evidence does show that it had been inhabited and not Romanised since the early millennium, though. The land is owned by the current Duke of Cornwall, who is appropriately enough [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor the monarch's son]].

Initially, in the early Arthurian chronicles, Arthur seemed to have been raised in Uther’s court or at least be fully aware who his birth parents were, however, a tradition invented by Robert de Boron, had Arthur be raised by Sir Ector instead. In Robert de Boron’s account, it was because Merlin wanted Arthur to live a normal life but later medieval and moderns authors had it because he was illegitimate. As it goes in these step-sibling stories, one of them must naturally be more greatly preferred to the other; it's Ector's actual son Kay (who was originally a major figure in Welsh mythology in his own right) that is less favoured and holds some resentment towards Arthur, though later does become one of his Knights of the Round Table (if one of the shittier ones). Arthur lives a happy life with them, as Ector has lots of land, possibly in the Forest Sauvage near Bodmin Moor, and trains them both well. When he is called to the throne, Arthur is shocked and shortly upset that Ector is not his real father.

When Arthur was 15 or 16 years old depending on the version, Arthur became king by (typically)pulling the sword of the stone. However, in the sword in the stone story, many of the nobles of Britain and kings were initially against swearing fealty to a young boy thus a rebellion arose. Eventually Arthur defeated the rebels, Anglo-Saxons and married Guinevere.

Arthur doesn't get up to much then, with most of the medieval myths featuring him as a minor character in relation to the knights. He is offered many battles, but either chooses to or is told to stay at Camelot and protect the kingdom, with the other knights taking his place -- namely Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval and Galahad. He does significantly win the Battle of Badon (very real), one of the fights between Celtic Bretons and the Anglo-Saxons, in which the Bretons have a decisive victory and keep the Saxons significantly away for decades.

So, now that he's done definitely the most important thing, he chills out for a bit. He is sometimes said to have unwittingly committed incest with one of his sisters. However, this was invented by the authors of the French prose cycles and therefore has no basis in any earlier material. While Guinevere has an affair with Lancelot, but her lover was initially said to have been Mordred. Arthur does battle against the king Rience (and was initially said to have killed him during his down-period, because Rience keeps challenging him to fight. Arthur continues to fight threats directly against him or his kingdom (except when someone steps up for him) until the Battle of Camlann. He also has some adventures with [[PublicDomainArtifact the Holy Grail]], which can be read over at ''Myth/KingArthurAndTheHolyGrail''.

However, there isn't that much solid information on Arthur's final battle, but we do know that Mordred also died there. Because of ambiguous wording in the Annales of Cambraie, Arthur was either fighting against or alongside Mordred, but because of the lack of mention of other characters when it comes to their deaths it is generally believed they were slain by each other's hand.

In the early Arthurian tradition, Mordred usurped Arthur when he went to fight the romans while in the later tradition, Mordred tries to claim the kingdom for his own while Arthur is off chasing Lancelot in either France or Brittany, causing him to return and prepare to fight against Mordred. At the battlefield, Arthur is sometime said to grant his kingdom to a Cornish relative (or pseudo-relative) of his who is of Roman descent. Arthur is ailing and is taken by probably Morgan le Fay, or someone else to {{Avalon}} where the waters can heal his wounds.


'''This is a page about the character in his fictional appearances. For more information of the mythos and Arthurian cycles, and modern adaptations of them, see Myth/ArthurianLegend. For other Arthurian characters, see [[Characters/ArthurianLegend here]].'''

!!Tropes:
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: King Arthur's sword, {{Excalibur}}.
* AnimalMotifs: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] and [[BearsAreBadNews bears,]] though the latter occurs more in modern media than in the medieval texts. Dragon elements pop up now and then, most prominently in the name "Pendragon", and the name "Arthur" is thought to be related to the Celtic word for bear. According to Geoffrey's account, his helmet had a crest shaped like a dragon, and he once dreamed of a dragon defeating a bear, which was taken to mean him as the dragon defeating his enemy the bear. A Welsh poem "The Dialogue of Arthur and the Eagle" puns on his name by calling him ''arth gwyr'', "bear of men".
* ArthurAndMordred: Unremarkably, had this relationship with Mordred in the stories where the latter was his son rather than his friend or nephew. Only in a few stories do they actually get along, so it applies for the rest as Arthur treats him like a son even when he's the nephew.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He owns a magical unbreakable sword that he could only pull if he was the true rightful King (other times given to him by the lady of the lake), and he repeatedly backs up his prowess in the legends.
* AwesomeMcCoolName:
** ''Arthur'' is of uncertain etymology, but nearly every proposed meaning or derivation sounds cool. It is often thought to derive from either Latin ''Artorius'' (whose meaning is uncertain too), or a Celtic word for [[BearsAreBadNews 'bear']], ''arto'' (later, Welsh ''arth'').
** The ''ur'' part of ''Arthur'' was often theorized in the past to be from a Celtic word for 'man', ''uiros'' or ''wiros'' (later, Welsh ''gwr''), but nowadays this is considered untenable because then the name would have developed into "Artgur" or "Arthwr", so Arthur can't mean ''Bear-Man'' or ''Man of the Bear'' as many have suggested.
** Others have tried to link ''Arthur'' to the Greek ''Arktouros'' and Latin ''Arcturus'', meaning ''Bear Guardian'', which is the name of a star. The bear in this case refers to the constellation Ursa Major, as Arcturus is part of a different constellation, Boötes, and is better understood as 'guardian ''of'' the bear'. The similarity is most often explained as the languages being related instead of direct derivation.
** In a roundabout way, ''Artorius'' itself may possibly be Celtic in origin, deriving from the hypothetical names ''Artorix(s)'' or ''Artorigos'', 'Bear-King', or ''Artorigios'', '[[{{Patronymic}} Son]] of Artorix' i.e. 'Son of the Bear-King' if we want to split hairs. In other words, ''Arthur'' may be a Celtic version of a Roman name, or a Celtic version of a Roman version of a much older Celtic name, all ultimately connected to Celtic words for bears and possibly kings.
** ''Artorius'' could simply be Latin for "of/descending from Artor", but then what "Artor" means in Latin remains up in the air. Other attempts to derive ''Artorius'' from names in non-Latin ancient Italian languages like Messapic ''Artorres'' or ''Artas'' most often loop back to assuming the root names mean "bear" in some form like ''Arthur'' may, due to the common Indo-European roots of the ancient Celtic and Italian languages. The outlier is Etruscan '' Arnthur'', which may be related to their word for "younger son", but that's boring.
** The origin of ''Pendragon'' is clearer: ''pen'' is Welsh for 'head' or 'top' and ''dragon'' is archaic Welsh for, well, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent 'dragon']], borrowed from Latin ''draco'' (possibly by way of French ''dragon'', like in English, and it's ''draig'' in modern Welsh). ''Dragon'' was also used figuratively in Welsh poetry to mean 'warrior'. So ''Arthur Pendragon'' could mean ''Bear-like Warrior Chief''. (We're avoiding ''Bear-like Dragon Chief'' only because it's {{Metaphorgotten}}, sadly.)
** His father Uther also counts. Uther or ''Uthyr'' in Welsh is from the word ''uthr'' which means 'terrible' (in the older sense of "awesome", "fear-inducing", "intimidating") so ''Uther Pendragon'' really means ''Dreaded Warrior Chief''. Amusingly, one Latin text says Arthur was known as "mab uter", which the author interpreted as "horrible son" (filius horribilis) instead of "son of Uther", and took it to mean that Arthur was a juvenile delinquent. The same author interpreted Arthur to mean "horrible bear" (ursus horribilis), probably thinking of "arth + uthr", but also suggested "iron hammer which breaks lions' teeth", which has confounded scholars about where the hell he got ''that'' from.
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: After he defeats Lucius Tiberius, he is apparently declared Roman Emperor in Geoffrey's account.
* BigGood: Especially in later stories focusing on the acts of his knights.
* BrotherSisterIncest: His sometimes tryst with his half-sister Morgause produces Mordred, who eventually betrays him. At the time neither was aware of their relation (it was just some good old wholesome adultery), which probably [[SurpriseIncest led to some awkwardness]] later.
* TheCaptain: While the whole point of the Round Table was that no one knight sat at it's head, Arthur ''was'' the king, and thus was the leader of the bunch.
* CastingAShadow: His dagger, Carnwennan, sometimes is said (in the original Welsh traditions) to shroud its wielder in shadow, which enabled him to kill the Very Black Witch.
* ChangelingFantasy: As a boy King Arthur is raised by Sir Ector, who has no idea of his true identity,
* CharacterTitle: For the Arthurian cycle.
* TheChosenOne: Merlin chose him, manipulating events so that he'd be born and taking an active hand in his rise and education.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Arthur’s children, usually. His sons were Llacheu (also identified with Loholt and Borre), Amhar, Gwydre, and Cydfan. He also had a daughter, Archfedd.
** In Scottish tradition, he had a son named Smeirbhe (also spelled as Smerbe or Smereviemore). Certain people and Clans have claimed descent from Arthur through Smeirbhe, often for political reasons.
** Arthur himself killed Amhar, no reason given. Gwydre was killed by the Twrch Trwyth (the large boar hunted in Culhwch and Olwen). There are various versions of Llacheu’s death, while other sources never mention it. Either Llacheu died in battle at Llongborth or he was slain below Llechysgar (area near the court of Madog king of Powys). As Loholt, he is said to have either died by being killed by Kay (but it was Kay’s only treachery he ever committed) or died after being held captive in the Dolorous Prison.
* CloudCuckooLander: “Rhonabwy’s Dream,” am earlier Welsh satire, has Arthur in this role. During one of his battles, Arthur decides to set up camp and play chess or gwyddbwyll against Owain. As they play, Arthur’s men attack Owain’s ravens. Owain then gets a squire to raise a battle flag and the ravens attack (and kill) some of Arthur’s men. It gets to the point that Owain’s ravens are carrying men into the air and ripping them to pieces. Arthur and Owain keep playing gwyddbwyll until Arthur decides enough is enough and crushes the pieces. It’s also worth noting that Arthur is an emperor here, fighting alongside armies from Denmark, Norway, and receiving tribute from Greece.
* CompositeCharacter: One theory is that the tales of King Arthur are based on the exploits of several different leaders over many years rather than the life of a single individual.
* CoolSword: Excalibur, though Merlin felt the scabbard (which kept wounds from bleeding) was much more useful. [[TheHeroDies It's kind of hard to argue...]]
* DependingOnTheWriter: Arthur is pretty much the gauge by which you can read the Author's opinion on proper kingship. Thus, in the Welsh legends he does his own AsskickingEqualsAuthority and leads from the front and challenges the church on occasion, while to Mallory and the French he's your typical wellmannered and cuckolded King who leads from behind and isn't actually that great of a fighter. Modern writers have made him badass, cowardly, conflicted, compassionate, and tyrannical. And usually they do that while telling the exact same plot!
* {{Excalibur}}: The sword Excalibur was wielded by King Arthur.
* TheGoodKing: The good-est. To the point where according to legend, it's ''him'' who will lead England in the hour of greatest need.
* HappilyAdopted: Arthur actually had quite a happy life with Sir Ector and was extremely upset to learn that he wasn't actually his son. It’s even implied that Sir Ector gave Arthur preferable treatment to his own son Kay.
* TheHero: TropeCodifier.
* HeroesLoveDogs: In the early Welsh stuff he has a dog named Cavall, whose name confusingly enough means "horse".
* TheHighKing: The sovereign of all of England from his court in Cameot, to which every other knight and lord swore ultimate fealty.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Any historical King Arthur who did exist hardly had access to a magical sword in the stone, an immortality inducing scabbard and fought off any villains like Morgan le Fay.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** Historians have debated for generations whether Arthur was truly historical at all, but if we accept that the "original Arthur" was a British leader who temporarily stopped the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain, he has been greatly transformed and magnified into the [[TheGoodKing Arthur]] [[TheChosenOne of legend]].
** The original Arthur may not have even been a king himself, since he is called ''dux bellorum'' or "leader of battles", who fought "''together'' with the kings of the Britons" in twelve great battles against the Anglo-Saxons. He is also called "Arthur the Soldier" in early material. In later works he is called the High King of all Britain and even Emperor, and he even almost conquers Rome, only being interrupted by Mordred's rebellion. In “How Culhwch Won Olwen” he’s a chief of kings, but by the Welsh Romances and “Rhonabwy’s Dream” he’s either an emperor or king at the least.
* IAmNotShazam: Arthur himself is ''never'' called "Pendragon" in the medieval texts. More properly, that's a name or title for his father Uther (see above). But modern writers tend to make it their family surname (despite being anachronistic, but then again the legend is an AnachronismStew) so it has stuck. Occasionally it's given to Morgan le Fay as well since she's Arthur's sister. If "Pendragon" remains a title, writers still tend to give it to Arthur as well, often with the definite article ("''the'' Pendragon") but it is not one of his titles in the medieval traditions (unlike lesser known ones like "the Red Ravager").
* KingInTheMountain: Foretold to return during Britain's greatest need.
* MessianicArchetype: The "coming back" part mainly, as he is said to reside in the land of Avalon, but will return to lead England in England's hour of greatest need.
* MutualKill: With Mordred.
* NamedWeapons: Arthur is very fond of this. His ship is named Prydwen, his mantle is named Gwen, his sword (later known as Excalibur) is named Caledfwlch, which literally translates as “Breach of Battle.” His spear is named Rhongomyniad (Striking-Spear), his shield is named Wynebgwrthucher (Evening-Face), and his dagger is named Carnwennan (Little White Haft).
* NiceGuy: While somewhat haughty and proud, Arthur is often depicted as a kind and just king, who values and loves his kingdom, his knights and his subjects more than his own life.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Arthur decides to round up all of the babies born on May Day and send them out on a rickety boat because Merlin prophesied that a child born on this day would destroy him. One baby (Mordred) survived.
* OneTrueLove: Many adaptations have Guinevere being this to him, with her affair with Lancelot being just a fling, and Arthur being the love of her life, with Arthur's death sending her into such a deep depression over the loss of her husband she joins a convent and never speaks nor smiles again.
* OutOfFocus: In the literature, his knights like Lancelot get more and more of the spotlight and he is almost if not actually DemotedToExtra until the story covers his downfall.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Spouts off several in the "Lucius" section of ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur''.
* SelectiveObliviousness: May have had this in regard to Lancelot and Guinevere's affair.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Modern writers tend to make him quite conflicted over his decision to burn Guinevere at the stake in order to show that the queen isn't above the law, with some even depicting him as secretly hoping Lancelot will save her. Originally, this was very much ''not'' the case.
----

'''This is a page about the character in his fictional appearances. For more information of the mythos and Arthurian cycles, and modern adaptations of them, see [[Myth/KingArthur King Arthur - Myth]]. For other Arthurian characters, see [[Characters/KingArthur King Arthur - Characters]].'''

'''Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain''', definition of TheGoodKing and namesake of the [[Myth/KingArthur Arthurian legends.]]

'''This is a page about the character in his fictional appearances. For more information of the mythos and Arthurian cycles, and modern adaptations of them, see [[Myth/KingArthur King Arthur - Myth]]. For other Arthurian characters, see [[Characters/KingArthur King Arthur - Characters]]'''

'''This is a page about the character in his fictional appearances. For more information of the mythos and Arthurian cycles, and modern adaptations of them, see [[Myth/KingArthur King Arthur - Myth]].'''

King Arthur was a glorious ruler of the land of the Britons, which [[UsefulNotes/BritainVersusTheUK never was the UK]], instead being some of the UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms. And Brittany/Bretagne, UsefulNotes/{{France}}. And UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}. The seat of his kingdom is the famed {{Camelot}} -- which varies in location by story but is definitely in England, Wales, or France -- from which he defeated the invading Saxons in the 5th and 6th century ad.

When Arthur was 15 or 16 years old depending on the version, Arthur because king by (typically)pulling the sword of the stone. However, in the sword in the stone story, many of the nobles of Britain and kings were initially against swearing fealty to a young boy thus a rebellion arose. Eventually Arthur defeated the rebels, Anglo-Saxons and married Guinevere.

** In a roundabout way, ''Artorius'' itself may possibly be Celtic in origin, deriving from the hypothetical names ''Artorix(s)'', 'Bear-King', ''Artorigos'', 'Bear ''of'' Kings', or ''Artorigios'', '[[{{Patronymic}} Son]] of the Bear-King' if we want to split hairs. In other words, ''Arthur'' may be a Celtic version of a Roman name, or a Celtic version of a Roman version of a much older Celtic name, all ultimately connected to Celtic words for bears and possibly kings.

** His father Uther also counts. Uther or ''Uthyr'' in Welsh is from the word ''uthr'' which means 'terrible' (in the older sense of "awesome", "fear-inducing", "intimidating") so ''Uther Pendragon'' really means ''Dreaded Warrior Chief''. Amusingly, one Latin text says Arthur was known as "mab uter", which the author interpreted as "horrible son" (filius horriblis) instead of "son of Uther", and took it to mean that Arthur was a juvenile delinquent. The same author interpreted Arthur to mean "horrible bear" (ursus horriblis), probably thinking of "arth + uthr", but also suggested "iron hammer", which has confounded scholars about where the hell he got that from.

* AnimalMotifs: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] and [[BearsAreBadNews bears,]] though the latter occurs more in modern media than in the medieval texts. Dragon elements pop up now and then, most prominently in the name "Pendragon", and the name "Arthur" is thought to be related to the Celtic word for bear. According to Geoffrey's account, his helmet had a crest shaped like a dragon, and he once dreamed of a dragon defeating a bear, which was taken to mean him as the dragon defeating his enemy the bear.

** His father Uther also counts. Uther or ''Uthyr'' in Welsh is from the word ''uthr'' which means 'terrible' (in the older sense of "awesome", "fear-inducing", "intimidating") so ''Uther Pendragon'' really means ''Dreaded Warrior Chief''. Amusingly, one Latin text says Arthur was known as "mab uter", which the author interpreted as "horrible son" instead of "son of Uther", and took it to mean that Arthur was a juvenile delinquent.

'''Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain''', definition of TheGoodKing.