what are some facts about king arthur?

Answer 1

He would have been a Romanized Celtic leader, ruling from southwestern England during the sixth century A.D after the removal of Rome's legions. The SW position would have been important because it would have made use of Wales to defend his rear, Hadrian's Wall manned by loyal lords to defend his left (north) flank, and the Atlantic coast to defend his right (south) flank. Mainland invaders would have normally crossed the English Channel (as William the Conqueror did centuries later) and beached on the eastern shore. Using horse calvary and relay signal fires Arthur could have raced up and down the old Roman roads at speed, swiftly engaging any invaders on or near the shore, driving them back into the sea, and burning their ships. He would have been armed with Roman weapons, such as the gladius and spatha, and his weapons would have made use of the innovation of Damascus pattern welding using a springy iron core with a harder steel edge tack welded to it. Such weapons bend instead of breaking, are springy enough to flex and return to true, and hold excellent edges, being of "excellent caliber" indeed. They would be vastly superior to the bearded axes, scramasaxs, and single -heat forged weapons so prevalent among poorer tribes. His armor would have been Roman lorica segmentata, made of springy iron hoops circling the torso, but being a calvary soldier he would probably have used an oval center boss shield instead of the classic Roman scutum, which is an infantryman's shield.
His fortress would have been a wooden breastwork affair, probably built on a hill that had been terraced with several concentric palisades going up the hill with the buildings on the top. Each successive palisade gate would have been on the other side of each circle, causing any invader to have to walk around the hill several times in order to progress up thru the walls, and all the while taking fire from over the next wall up and meeting heavy resistance. He would doubtless have had support from the practitioners of the Old Religion of Druidism, who would have backed the strongest candidate in order to keep southern Britain united and free (and themselves in place as the power behind the throne - i.e. the Merlin, a title not a name.) They would have kept a man in Arthur's court at all times to advise him and further their own interests, and this position was probably filled by many men over the years. Regardless, a period of peace did occur in the mid sixth century, lasting around thirty years which started with Mons Badonicus, the battle of Badon hill, and seems to have ended with a beach battle at a place called Camlann. Camlann is generally agreed to be on the southwestern shore, a landing site deliberately chosen to try to skirt Arthur's southern flank. The two forces wiped each other out, and various places have been claimed as Arthur's tomb over the years, but as the land has changed so much in the fourteen centuries it is difficult to even begin an informed search. Guinevere herself is not part of the original legends, and appears late in the stories, as does Lancelot (a French knight in a time when classic France did not exist). Excalibur by John Boorman is beautifully shot, but is highly inaccurate and inauthentic. It presents the best version of the Legend, but not the Truth. In it even their armor is wrong, being eleventh - thirteenth century at best, and designed with a flair of fantasy by armorer Terry English. Beautiful movie, and I love it, but simply a fantasy.

BTW, My Excalibur mention was not a criticism of anyone else's views, but simply in response to the question, which asked for FACTS about Arthur, regardless of the category.

Answer 2

King Arthur is a semi legendary King (that is he may be based on real people or a person but much of his story is myth). He - supposedly ruled in the late 5th to early 6th Century and is famous for fighting 12 great battles. he was not King of England as England as such did not exist and in fact the invaders he fought became the English! If he was real he most likely lived in what is now South Western England (eg. Somerset etc)
His Queen's name is Guinevere, his capital/castle was called Camelot and his Sword was called Excalibur. Read the link for more info.
The best film to watch for the authentic legend is Excalibur by John Boorman most other films about him tend to be rubbish.

BTW-I gave the advice to watch Excalibur from this being a Mythology and Folklore question- not History (which is another section)

Answer 3

It is possible that the legendary Arthur, associated with the Welsh legends of the 10th century, is based on the historical figure who commanded a British force against the Saxons. According to the 9th-century historians, this Arthur defeated the Saxons at Mount Badon in 518 and died at Camlan in 537. It seems that there was a war leader, whose name we do not know, who defeated the Saxons, checking their advance temporarily. In later years people remembered this leader with longing; "Oh, if we only had ... to lead us now". Eventually the name Arthur adhered to this folk memory, and his list of accomplishments grew. Arthur is in many ways greater because we do not know the truth; it can't get in the way of peoples' need to create a saviour who is waiting to come to their aid when times get tough. The real Arthur may have been a man named Ambrosius Aurelianus, or perhaps his war leader, who defeated the Saxons in a major battle we know as Mount Badon, (which may possibly be South Cadbury, in Somerset) halting their advance for as long as forty years. In the end, however, the superior might and numbers of the Saxons and their allies were too much for the islanders, and Arthur's efforts became little more than a historical footnote. A terrifically romantic and exciting footnote though, for Arthur and his deeds were woven like a silk thread into the fabric of myth and legend in which Celtic storytellers delight.

Answer 4

If you are looking for a free download of King Arthur Gold you can check here: http://j.mp/1qXItpe

it's a perfectly working link, no scam!
This 2D side scrolling multiplayer game is of the action and war genre, with a particular focus on the war aspect.

Answer 5

he was a king named Arthur

Answer 6

He fought successful battles against the Saxons.

Answer 7

He was cool enough to have Sean Connery play him in a movie. And some other cool actors...

Answer 8

King of all England...

Answer 9

he liked round tables

Answer 10

they say he is a gay