Arthur & the Gospel

N.C. Wyeth's illustration of King Arthur

Below is a rough transcription of a talk I gave today about King Arthur and why he matters.  The presentation was limited to 5 minutes and 5 powerpoint slides; it was a fun challenge.


Introduction

King Arthur is important to understand because he's had a significant influence in western culture for over a thousand years- so let's learn more about him.


History

Was there ever a historical Arthur?  A real person?  We don't know.  The historical record is scarce, and so we're forced to deal in the realm of probability.  It seems likely that an Arthur was active between 480 and 540 AD in southwest Britain (in the region of Cornwall and Wales), and that he was a warlord fighting off incoming waves of Anglo-Saxons who were taking over the island in the decades following the collapse of the western Roman Empire.  That's about all we know.  Nevertheless, there are many sites in the region that happily (and profitably) associate themselves with Arthur.  The two most common are Tintagel Castle and Glastonbury Abbey, but there are many others, and in 1290, King Edward I was so enamored with Arthur that he had a round table made for use at his castle in Winchester- and a tudor-era replica of that hangs on the wall of the ruin to this day.  This begs the question: why would a man about whom so little is known historically be so influential culturally?  That answer lies in literature.

Literature

We first hear of Arthur in the chronicles.  Nennius mentions him around 800 AD, but we get our first real detail from Geoffrey of Monmouth 300 years later.  Now, chronicles were histories of sorts, but the writers of the day didn't hesitate to incorporate legend, hearsay, and even personal whim into their accounts.  So we can't use them as a basis for a historical Arthur; nevertheless, they formed the foundation.

After the chronicles, Arthur transitions to romance with Chrétien de Troye's Four Arthurian Romances.  This is where Arthur's popularity skyrockets, and he would remain at the top for centuries.  Authors of subsequent ages would write new tales using de Troye's universe and characters, and in 1485 Thomas Malory collected the most popular tales, added his own flavor, and produced Le Morte d'Arthur, the death of Arthur, which remains the most popular and definitive account written.  Chances are good that if you know any Arthur tales, you know Malory's version (or a close derivative of it).  Authors continue to write stories to this day, but the three most important in the formation of the legend are those mentioned.

Religion

So what does this have to do with religion?  Well, "stories reflect the values and concerns of the age in which they were written."*  Arthurian stories were penned in an overtly Christian society and deal with an ideal kingdom (and ruler).  When we consider these things, we realize that Arthur stories are a window into Medieval man's mind on how they thought the gospel should be applied in their daily lives.  We see the pursuit of virtue and the reality of failure- it's all there.  But what's fascinating, when we take a step back, is when we realize that their interpretation of the gospel differs markedly from our own.  They emphasize different things or omit things altogether that we hold dear today.  This, in turn, begs the question: is it right that man's interpretation of the gospel changes from age to age?  Why does it happen?  Do we have it all correct today . . . or is there value in ancient perspectives?  I don't have the answers, but the questions bear asking.

Reading Recommendations

If you're interested in Arthurian studies, there's one concise place to turn: the Oxford Guide to Arthurian literature and legend.  If you want story, I recommend Rosemary Sutcliff's Arthur Trilogy.  It's well-written, appropriate for all ages, and follows Malory quite closely.  From there you can branch out to deviations from the classic version- things like T.H. White's excellent Once and Future King, to Bernard Cornwell's historical fantasy trilogy, to Kevin Crossley-Holland's historical fiction works.  Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the tales of Arthur, King of the Britons.

* from the Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend