For questions relating to the Celtic British mythology of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Questions tagged [arthurian]
19 questions
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Are Excalibur and Caliburn different swords?
Arthurian legend features swords called "Excalibur" and "Caliburn". It is not clear to me whether these two swords are the same entity (at minimum, the names are clearly cognate), or whether they refer to different things. Or, perhaps, at some point…
senshin
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What species is the Lady of the Lake?
In Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake is usually depicted as a beautiful woman. However, she is clearly not human (as she seems to spend most of her time hanging out underwater). One might think mermaid, but I don't recall any mentions of fins…
Luna
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Is there any relationship between the Ladies of the Lake?
This is the offshoot I mentioned of this question.
According to this,
In a few tales, a maiden or a fay had trapped Merlin in an enchantment. The most famous was the Lady of the Lake. Again, there are few versions involving his death at the hand of…
HDE 226868
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How old was Merlin when he died?
There are many different accounts of the life of Merlin, one of the noted magical figures in the tales of King Arthur. Some accounts do not cover the end of his life, while others state that he died at the hands of the Lady of the Lake or by…
HDE 226868
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Do Arthurian scholars or other original Arthurian legends agree with Geoffrey of Monmouth's depiction of King Arthur's death?
One of the most popular accounts of the life of King Arthur is that of Geoffrey of Monmouth, who writes that Arthur was killed by his nephew, Mordred. Geoffrey's account is by no means canonical, as there are many folk stories of Arthur. However, I…
HDE 226868
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Who was Arthur's sword, Excalibur, returned to?
Most versions of the Arthurian legend relates that, after the Battle of Camlann, a dying King Arthur ordered a surviving knight - usually Sir Griflet or Sir Bedivere - to dispose of Excalibur in a nearby lake. The knight however hides the sword…
Semaphore
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What is the meaning of the half burning tree in the Mabinogion?
In the story Peredur the Son of Evrawc (part of the Mabinogion), Peredur encounters:
And he saw a tall tree by the side of the river, one half of which was in flames from the root to the top, and the other half was green and in full leaf.
(This…
user62
14
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1 answer
How long did King Arthur's empire last?
In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini, Merlin discussed past (and future) British history. He goes on at great length about the time of Arthur, describing some of his later exploits after defeating "a pagan people from Angla" with the help of Hoel,…
HDE 226868
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Where did Morgana le Fay come from?
Where did Morgana le Fay come from? From where did she get her power?
As the primary antagonist of many Arthurian legends, it always seems to me that she's just there because she's always been there, she has so much power; but no one else (except…
durron597
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According to the Vulgate Cycle, can the Holy Grail ever re-appear in Britain?
As written on timelessmyths.com's page on the Vulgate Cycle,
The Quest of the Holy Grail introduced the new Grail hero: Galahad, the son of Lancelot and Elaine, daughter of King Pelles. Galahad with his two companions, Sir Perceval and Sir Bors…
HDE 226868
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Prose Tristan: versions vs parts
As stated in many scholarly books, there are two "versions" of Prose Tristan: short version (attributed to Luce de Gat) and long version (attributed to Helie de Boron).
But I cannot understand why these texts are called "versions", instead of…
john c. j.
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In Vita Merlini, what did Merlin attribute his power of prophecy to?
In Vita Merlini, Merlin goes quite mad for a while, speaking of Britain in the past and remarking on nature and religion. He makes grand prophecies of what will happen in the future - he is, after all, a prophet. All of this happens while he resides…
HDE 226868
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Did Bedwyr (Bedivere) ever have dark magic?
A while back I found a small note (which seems to have been removed because of a lack of proper citation) on the Wikipedia article for Bedivere, speaking of his “role in Welsh tradition” and first mentioning:
Bedwyr is one of the earliest…
MorgenAfallon
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Did the Green Knight fight Gawain against his will?
At the end of Gawain and the Green Knight (Weston's translation) says to Gawain
"Bernlak de Hautdesert am I called in this land. Morgain le Fay dwelleth in mine house, and through knowledge of clerkly craft hath she taken many. For long time was…
HDE 226868
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Arthurian legend English and French sources
Is it true, that most of early Arthurian books were written outside Britain, mostly in France? Why?
As a proof, here is quote from William Caxton's preface to Le Morte d'Arthur, published in 1485:
For in all places, Christian and heathen, he is…
john c. j.
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