ExcaliburĪlthough named swords play an important part in Celtic folklore, Arthur’s sword was called ‘Caliburn’.ĭr Miles Russell is a senior lecturer in prehistoric and Roman archaeology at Bournemouth University and author of Arthur and the Kings of Britain: the Historical Truth Behind the Myths (Amberley Publishing, 2017) There is no mention of a sword in the stone prophesy for Arthur in the earliest accounts of his life Arthur simply inherits the kingdom from his father, Uther. The Holy GrailĪdded in the late 12th century, the quest for the Holy Grail adds a greater sense of both chivalry and religious destiny to the story of Arthur.

TintagelĬited as the place of Arthur’s conception, Tintagel was indeed a significant fortress and port throughout the fifth and sixth centuries AD. The Round TableĪdded to the story of Arthur in the 12th and 13th centuries, the concept of the ‘brotherhood of knights’ appealed to the medieval concept of chivalry. In the earliest accounts, Merlin and Arthur never meet, the wizard being the chief advisor to Arthur’s father Uther and his uncle, Ambrosius Aurelianus. There is no equivalent of Lancelot in the earliest accounts of Arthur, his queen Ganhumara instead committing adultery with Mordred. The character of Mordred, the treacherous nephew, is based upon the first-century-BC king Mandubracius of the Trinovantes (in Essex), a prince who betrayed his uncle to Julius Caesar.

Archaeologist and historian Miles Russells gives us a quick-fire glimpse into some of the most famous people, places and objects in the stories of King Arthur GuinevereĪccording to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Arthur married Ganhumara ‘Guinevere’ is a romanticised French version of the name created in the late 12th century.

War ages legend of kings