The Life of King Arthur

Arthur was the first born son of King Uther Pendragon and heir to the throne; believed to have been born around 400-700AD. These were very troubled times and Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place and that no one should know his true identity. Merlin delivered the baby to Sir Ector for protection from Uther’s enemies. As feared, when King Uther died there was great conflict over who should be the next king. Merlin used his magic to set a sword in a stone. "Whoever pulls this sword out of this stone is the true born king of Logres." Many knights took their turn at trying to pull the sword, but no one succeeded. By chance, young Arthur withdrew the sword for his brother, Kay, to use in a tournament. Following this he became known as the true King. The newly crowned King Arthur promised to rule justly, to right all wrongs, and to bring peace and prosperity to his kingdom. Soon after his coronation, he gathered an army and drove out the invaders and restored land to its rightful owners. He set up his court at Camelot and built a strong castle. He was surrounded by his family – his mother, Igrayne, his sister, Anna, and his half-sister, Morgan le Fay. Under the guidance of Merlin, the magician, he had many more adventures, like fighting Sir Pellinore and obtaining the magical sword “Excalibur” from the Lady in the Lake at Avalon. He soon married Guinevere and summoned his best knights to gather at a great round table. They became known as the Knights of the Round Table. Unfortunately, as peace settled over the country things turned sour within the court of Camelot. The King’s best friend, Sir Lancelot, was in love with the Queen, so Arthur had him banished. Then, Mordred, Arthur's traitorous nephew, overtook Camelot and tried to force Guinevere to marry him. In a final battle both Arthur and Mordred were fatally wounded. Arthur’s body was set upon a boat and floated down river to the isle of Avalon.