Since the table had no ‘head’, no one could claim precedence over the others, and all the knights were equals. Having had enough of this, Arthur ordered a round table to be made. On one occasion, the knights even fought over the seat. Humility does not seem to be a virtue possessed by Arthur’s knights, as they all coveted this place of honor. The knight who sat at the head of the table was considered to have precedence over his peers. Whenever Arthur held a council or feast, he would invite his knights, who sat at a table in the king’s main hall. At the time when Wace was writing his Roman de Brut, however, the Round Table was a simple solution to a complicated problem. The Round Table of Arthurian LegendĪlthough the Round Table is today regarded as a symbol of the chivalry, as its seats were occupied by the greatest knights of Arthur’s kingdom. Nevertheless, the Roman de Brut also includes material concerning King Arthur not found in the Historia Regum Britanniae, one of which, of course, is the Round Table. In fact, much of Wace’s material was drawn from Geoffrey’s work. Like the Historia Regum Britanniae, the Roman de Brut is a pseudo-history of Britain. This work, which is also part of the Matter of Britain, was completed in 1155. This famous table was first mentioned by the Norman poet Wace in his Roman de Brut (which translates as Romance of Brut ). Interestingly, the Historia Regum Britanniae does not mention a number of well-known elements of Arthurian legend, arguably the most important being the Knights of the Round Table. It was there that Arthur “gave up the crown of Britain to his kinsman Constantine, the son of Cador, Duke of Cornwall, in the five hundred and forty-second year of our Lord’s incarnation”. (Shakko / Public Domain )Īfter the battle, Arthur was brought “to the isle of Avalon to be cured of his wounds”. The battle between King Arthur and Sir Mordred is mentioned in Arthurian legend. Arthur’s story comes to an end after he is mortally wounded during a battle with Mordred, whom Geoffrey claims was the king’s nephew. Geoffrey narrates the deeds of King Arthur, which included the subjugation of the Saxons, the conquest of Norway, Dacia, Aquitaine, and Gaul, and a successful war against the Romans. After Uther’s death, Arthur became the new king of Britain. Incidentally, prior to Aurelius’ story, Geoffrey provides an account of the legendary wizard Merlin. The Romano-British resist the invaders, and the throne eventually is restored to the rightful line of kings.Īccording to the Historia Regum Britanniae, Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, who succeeded his brother, Aurelius Ambrosius, as king of Britain. The throne of Britain is usurped, and the Saxons arrive on the island. from the Roman conquest until the end of Roman rule.
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Geoffrey continues his history with the early kings of Britain, and the Roman period, i.e.
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The writer claimed that the island of Britain was first settled by Brutus of Troy, allegedly a grandson or great-grandson of the Trojan hero Aeneas. In his work, Geoffrey traces the ancestry of the Britons all the way back to the Trojans. This is a fictional history of Britain that was written between 11 and is considered to be part of the Matter of Britain. The figure of King Arthur that we are familiar with today is derived from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae (which translates as History of the Kings of Britain ). Today, Arthurian legend continues to attract public interest, as evidenced by the numerous works that are based on these stories. The stories about King Arthur and his knights, however, are not limited to the literature of the Middle Ages.Īlthough the popularity of Arthurian legend declined after the medieval period, it experienced a revival during the Victorian era. Arthurian legend forms the centerpiece of the Matter of Britain, which is the body of medieval literature and legends associated with Great Britain and Brittany.
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Arthurian legend refers to the body of works surrounding King Arthur and his knights.