Transcript No Slide Title

AND
The Knights of the Round Table
The legend of King
Arthur began in early
Britain as a number of folk
stories. As the legend
spread, it gave rise to a
rich collection of art and
literature.
An epic is a long verse narrative that tells the
story of a hero who represents the values of a
particular group of people.
Medieval Romance:
A forerunner to modern fiction, Medieval
Romance is a story about a noble hero, his
adventures, and his pursuit of love.
A lord would employ knights and give them the time and
equipment they needed to practice; in return, they served their lord as
vassals.
DUTIES OF A VASSAL:
~Fight in his lord’s army
~Guard his lord’s castle
~Give his lord financial aid
~Act as his lord’s messenger or ambassador
~Serve on his lord’s council
*In return, The knight was under his lord's protection, both legally and
militarily.
Stages of Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
pacek.tripod.com
It was the relationship
between himself and his lord that
defined the knight's life. The lord's
position gave him considerable
control over the knight's life, career,
and future, including the final say in
whom the knight could marry and
the disposition of his estate after his
death. The lord technically owned
the land used by the knight to raise
revenues, and while the property
usually remained in the knight's
family for generations, it was the
lord's prerogative to revoke a
knight's right to the land and give it
to someone else.
Today, the word "knight"
conjures up far more than war
and service. Loyalty, courtesy,
honor, glory, courage. And,
indeed, as history unfolded, the
knight's role in society altered from
that of a cavalry soldier to a
model of behavior. Yet, as we
know, knights were only human,
and did not always live up to the
standards imposed on them by
society.
The Code of Chivalry
Choose 10 total from the 2 slides
Live to serve King and Country.
Live to defend Crown and Country and all it
holds dear.
Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect
and honor.
Live for freedom, justice and all that is good.
Never attack an unarmed foe.
Never use a weapon on an opponent not
equal to the attack.
Never attack from behind.
Avoid lying to your fellow man.
Avoid cheating.
Avoid torture.
Obey the law of king, country, and chivalry.
Administer justice.
Protect the innocent.
Exhibit self control.
Show respect to authority.
Respect women.
Exhibit Courage in word and deed.
Defend the weak and innocent.
Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms.
Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob
our people.
Fight with honor.
Avenge the wronged.
Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause.
Fight for the ideals of king, country, and chivalry.
Die with valor.
Always keep one's word of honor.
Always maintain one's principles.
Never betray a confidence or comrade.
Avoid deception.
Respect life and freedom.
Die with honor.
Exhibit manners.
Be polite and attentive.
Be respectful of host, women, and honor.
Loyalty to country, King, honor, freedom, and the
code of chivalry.
Loyalty to one's friends and those who lay their
trust in thee.
Excalibur
The "Excalibur" was King
Arthur's sword. Also known as
the "Sword in the Stone" or the
sword that Merlin helped him
get from the Lady of the Lake.
Unbreakable and it came with
a magical scabbard (sheath)
that prevents the wearer to be
injured by man-made weapons.
Lady of the Lake
Since King Arthur was always in battle, (the sword from the
stone broken in battle), Merlin led Arthur to a lake, from the middle of
which an arm protruded holding a sword. The sword, Excalibur,
belonged to the Lady of the Lake, who gave it to Arthur.
It was the Lady of the Lake offering Arthur a magic unbreakable
blade, fashioned by an Avalonian elf smith, along with a scabbard which
would protect him as long as he wore it.
Towards the end of his reign, during the troubled times of
Mordred's rebellion, Excalibur was stolen by Arthur's wicked halfsister Morgan le Fay.
Though it was recovered, the
scabbard was lost forever. Thus when
Arthur was mortally wounded at the
Battle of Camlann, the King then
instructed Bedwyr to return
Excalibur to the lake from whence it
came. However, when questioned
about the circumstances of its
return, Bedwyr claimed to have seen
nothing unusual. Arthur therefore
knew that Bedwyr had kept
Excalibur for himself and sent him
back to the Lake once more.
Hurling the sword into
the misty waters this time,
Bedwyr saw the mystic hand
appear to catch Excalibur and
draw it beneath the rippling
waters for the last time.
Sword in the Stone Legend
The story of the Sword in the Stone is a
story about Arthur's claim to the throne of
Britain. According to legend, the Sword was
Uther's sword, the sword of the High King of
Britain. After Uther's death there is no known
heir and the barons are fighting among each
other who is to be the next High King of Britain.
Merlin, who was Uther counselor, has the
solution: he takes Uther's sword and with his
magic, he runs it into a rock. The one man who is
able to draw the sword from the stone again will be
the rightful heir. Many have tried: Lot, Uriens, even
Leodegrance and many more, but no one was able to
draw the sword.
Until one day Sir Ector and his sons Kay and
Arthur (not knowing he is not Ector's real son but
fostered by him) come to the place where the sword
is captured in the rock, they come for a
tournament. Arthur, being squire to Ector and Kay,
has to get Kay a new sword for his one is broken.
He passes the rock and draws the sword, which he
brings to Ector and Kay. Next, confusion is great,
for how could this boy draw the sword from the
stone.
Then Merlin
makes his entrance
again and declares that
Arthur is Uther's son.
To proof that he places
the sword back in the
stone and dares anyone
to draw it. Again no
one succeeds, but
Arthur. And so he
became High King of
Britain at a very young
age.
Pre-Arthurian Times
www.cnn.com
King Uther Pendragon
• Father of Arthur
• Fierce warlord and knight
• Makes a deal with Merlin to
spend night with Lady Igrain,
must give his son to Merlin as
payment
• Merlin uses magic to
transform Uther to look like
Sir Gorlois
www.mythmentor
Merlin
• A druid (old pagan
religion)
• Supposed mother is Queen
Mab
• In love with Lady of the
Lake (his aunt)
• Foster mother is Ambrosia
• Wizard with ability to
manipulate nature
• Places Arthur into foster
care
• Serves as Arthur’s mentor
mythical.realms.com
Sir Gorlois
• Husband of Lady
Igrain
• Father of Morgana
www.time-scapes.co.uk
Lady Igrain
• Mother of Arthur
and Morgana
• Wife of Sir Gorlois
www.wysteria.mania.serv.com
Morgana (Morgan le Fay)
• Daughter of Igrain and
Gorlois
• Half-sister to Arthur
• Despises Arthur and
plots to destroy him
• An evil sorceress trained
by Merlin, who later uses
her magic against him
• Castle Charyot is her
stronghold.
www.timelessmyths.com
Sir Ector
• Foster father of
Arthur, father of Sir
Kay
• Keeps Arthur’s birth
and parents a secret
until Arthur is ready to
become King
www.kingarthurknights.com
Sir Kay
• Foster brother of
Arthur
• Son of Sir Ector
• Arthur is his squire
(second stage before
knighthood)
taydi.tripod.com
Lady of Lake
• Mythological creature
(a water nymph) of old
pagan religion who
creates and guards
Excalibur
• Sister of Queen Mab
• In some stories, she is
mischievous and tries
to trick Merlin (who
loves her)
www.kingarthurknights.com
Queen Mab
• Supposed mother of Merlin,
did not raise him (raised by a
foster mother - Ambrosia)
• A malicious sorceress (a
woodland nymph) who desires
to save the pagan religion and
ways
• Mercutio referred to her as the
queen of dreams in Romeo and
Juliet
www.angelhealingcenter.com
Arthurian Times
Jeffreykbedrick.com
King Arthur Pendragon
• Son of Uther Pendragon and
Lady Igrain
• Married to Queen Gwynevere
• Becomes king by drawing
sword from stone (this sword
is sometimes Excalibur)
• Mentored by Merlin
• Established Camelot as his
kingdom
• Creates the Round Table as a
meeting place for his knights
www.camelotintel.com
Gwynevere
• Wife of Arthur
• Has forbidden affair
with Arthur’s most
trusted knight Sir
Launcelot
• Exiled to live in a
convent for her sin
www.kirkland.cc.us
Camelot
• Name of Arthur’s
kingdom and castle
• A beautiful, peaceful,
and lavish place
www.divine-nolwenn.com
The Round Table
• Reserved for the best
and bravest knights
of the kingdom
• The table was round
to promote equality
between all knights
www.brtiannia.com
Siege Perilous
• Seat reserved at
Round Table for
purest knight
www.librochester.edu
The Knights of the Round Table
www.uidaho.edu
Sir Launcelot du Lake
• The best warrior of all the knights
• Speculation regarding his mother
being the Lady of the Lake and his
father being Merlin
• Handsome and charming
• Has affair with Queen Gwynevere
• Forced to leave Camelot and live in
exile
• Unable to attain Holy Grail because of
his sinful past
• Father of Sir Galahad
www.camelotintl.com
Sir Galahad
• Son of Sir Launcelot du
Lake
• Only knight worthy of the
Siege Perilous
• In some stories he finds the
Holy Grail, drinks from the
cup and ascends into
Heaven
www.timelessmyths.com
Sir Perceval
• Finds the location of
the Holy Grail but in
some stories is
unable to attain it
www.mythfolklore.net
Sir Bedwyr
• In some stories he
returns Excalibur to the
Lady of the Lake prior to
Arthur’s death
Camelot.celtic-twilight.com
Sir Gawain
• Defeated the fearsome
Green Knight
• Marries the hideous
Lady Ragnell to uphold
Arthur’s honor
www.whitedragon.org
The Quest for the Holy Grail
• In order to save his
kingdom Arthur sends
out his knights to find
and return the Holy
Grail
• Arthur and his kingdom
are a symbiotic
relationship
www.illusionsgallery.com
The Holy Grail
• Cup used at the Last
Supper between Christ
and his disciples
• Cup used to catch his
blood at his crucifixion
• Located in the Castle of
Corbenic.
www.unf.edu
Sir Mordred
• Son of Arthur and Morgana,
identity is a secret
• Destined to kill Arthur
• In some stories he is a one of the
Knights of the Round Table, other
stories have him as an enemy of the
kingdom
• Some stories have him possessing
enchanted armor that cannot be
pierced by normal weapons
Avalon
• The final resting spot for
Arthur
• Arthur is transported to
isle on a funeral barge
escorted by the Maidens
of the Mist
www.isleofavalon.co.uk
Queen Mab
Ambrosia
Merlin
Lady of the Lake
Sir Launcelot du Lake
Sir Galahad
Queen Gwynevere
King Uther
Sir Ector
Lady Igrain
King Arthur
Sir Kay
Mordred
Sir Gorlois
Morgana (Morgan le Fay)
The End