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A legendary king in England in the Middle Ages. Became king by drawing the sword in the stone and gathered the greatest warriors in Europe to him at Camelot. Betrayed by his wife, Guinevere, and best friend, Lancelot, and slain by his son, Mordred.
The ideal of kingship in both war and peace. Legend tells that he will someday return.
"The Once and Future King" |
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| The wife of King Arthur. In some versions of the legends of Arthur, she has a love affair with Sir Lancelot that leads to the end of the reign of Arthur and the fellowship of the Round Table. |
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The sword fo King Arthur. In one version of the tale he pulls the sword from a stone. In another it is given to him by the Lady of the Lake to whom he returned it at the end of his life. Wounds received by one wearing the scabbard of Excalibur would not bleed.
Excalibur translates as "cut-steel" |
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| In legends of King Arthur, a magician who acts as Arthur's principal advisor and mentor. |
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| Known in Arthurian legend as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann where he and Arthur slew each other. Most legends hold him to be Arthur's son by his half-sister, Morgause. |
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A legendary island somewhere in the British Isles famous for its beautiful apples. Said to be the place where the body of King Arthur rests supposedly to awaken at some future time. Also said to have been visited by Jesus and to be the site of the first church in Britain.
Thought by many to be located at present day Glastenbury. |
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| The capitol of King Arthur's kingdom. The city represented a utopia where truth, goodness, and beauty reigned. |
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| A young knight in the tales of King Arthur, Galahad's exceptional purity and virtue enabled him to see the Holy Grail in all its splendor, while many other knights who sought it could not see it at all. Son of Launcelot. |
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| One of the knights of the Round Table; the greatest and most trusted of Arthur's knights. He betrays Arthur and the knights by becoming Lady Guinevere's love. This sin prevents Lancelot from seeing the Holy Grail and eventually destroys Camelot. |
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| Knight in British and Irish myth. Tristram was the greatest knight of his time rivaling even Lancelot. He brought the maiden Iseult from to Britan to be the bride of his uncle, King Mark. He fell in love with her and was banished by his uncle. Tristram sent for Iseult as he was dying but she arrived his death, and died herself beside his corpse. |
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In the legends of King Arthur one of the Knights of the Round Table. Gawain was a kinsman of Arthur, and was known for his integrity and decency as well as his red hair and beard.
Protagonist of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" |
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| In English legend the beloved of Tristan. |
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