Arthur

Also known as: Britain’s King of kings / King / King Arthur / Pendragon / Sir King / good King / our Arthur / our good Arthur / our lord the King / the King / the dread Pendragon · Family: Britain · Role: king · First appears: The Coming of Arthur 1

Arthur was born prematurely on New Year’s night and secretly delivered to Merlin, who entrusted him to Anton and his wife to raise. His parentage was disputed between Uther, Gorlois, and Anton, but Merlin later presented him as Uther’s heir: “Here is Uther’s heir, your king,” and Arthur was crowned, receiving Excalibur from Lady of the Lake and knighting Bedivere. He united the petty princedoms, defeated the rebellious Carados, Urien, Cradlemont, Claudias, Clariance, Brandagoras, Anguisant, Morganore, and Lot, drove away the heathen, and established his realm. He asked Leodogran for Guinevere as his wife, married her in May before Dubric, and refused tribute to Rome while declaring his allegiance to Christ.

As king, Arthur restored Lot’s territory after the Barons’ war, ordered Merlin’s transformation of Camelot, and restored land, law, and compensation to those wronged. He founded the Table Round and made knights of Tristram, Gareth, Galahad, Pelleas, Balin, and others, while Lancelot became the warrior he loved and honoured most. He granted Gareth service in the kitchens before secretly knighting him and assigning him quests, admitted the reformed Edyrn to the Table Round, restored Balin after exile, and made Pelleas a knight. He established an annual joust, ordered Elaine buried with costly honours, rescued Nestling and gave her to Guinevere to rear, and entrusted Kay with caring for an injured churl.

Arthur permitted Percivale, Galahad, Bors, Lancelot, and Gawain to pursue the Grail despite warning that many would not return; afterward, most of the questers were lost and his Order was greatly diminished. He later fought the heathen in the North while Lancelot presided over a tournament in his place. During Arthur’s war with Lancelot, Modred usurped the realm and raised a revolt, drawing many knights away from Arthur, while Guinevere remained tied to Lancelot rather than to the King. Arthur declared that he must leave her to her shame, yet forgave her, placed her under the protection of loyal men and then the nuns, and departed to lead his hosts.