Is king Arthur a legend of did he really exist?

Answer 1

There is no physical proof of Arthur. Most historians believe that the legends concerning Arthur are based around a real person, although generally he is considered not to have been a "king" but more of a general or battle leader.

Arthur is first mentioned by name in several 7th Century Welsh manuscripts. Later in the 12th Century certain Breton scholars (Welsh and Cornish exiles living in Britanny) began embellishing these tales and the legends surrounding "King Arthur" which we are familiar with today were created. These Breton scholars may well have been referring to ancient documents that have since been lost.

The same 7th Century Welsh documents that assert the existence of Arthur also name other characters from Dark Age Britain which we know did exist. This supports the theory that Arthur was a real person and accordingly most historians consider him to have lived in the late 5th Century and early 6th Century AD.

The body of a man said to be that of Arthur was exhumed at Glastonbury Abbey by the monks in 1193. This body was kept at the abbey until the abbey was destroyed in 1541. No one knows where that body is now.

Answer 2

-King Arthur is a fictional character in an old story. His character is probably based on many different leaders from those times, plus the imaginations of the storytellers who carried the tale down through the ages.

-Some say yes: scientists have found a cracked anvil... and more. There are also places that link to the King Arthur legend (Cornwall). Of course, legendary figures may well be linked to real places also.

There is almost no Welsh literature that mentions Arthur before the 12th century, and what mentions there are do not appear in texts which are historically creditable. The Arthurian Merlin is first mentioned in the 12th century by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

For a long discussion of attempts to prove and disprove the historicity of Arthur see the Related Link below.

Answer 3

yes

Interestingly, the American historian/reporter Arthur CLARKE presented an programme called 'The Search for King Arthur' in the early 1970s. From various sources including legend, historical accounts and myths he determined that Arthur was a leader who existedsometime in the late first millenium. Whether Arthur was a Captain, a King or some other leader is of course open to conjecture and opinion. Unfortunately, records of the time are scarce and often cite two different people as the same person or two different areas as the same. CLARKE's investigations led him to a grave site in Avalon which contained the bones of a tall man buried with the weapons of a King or noble. Unfortunately the famed Excaliber (or a sword resembling its believed description) was not present. Rather like Robin Hood (who appears to be the compilation of several persons) Arthur may never be definetively identified but the romance of the character and the period representative of him is unlikely to be forgotten.

Answer 4

No body really knows, Scientists and other people are trying to find out though, but if King Arthur really did exist, it'll be a tough job finding him

Answer 5

It is possible that there was an Arthur in the 5th century that inspired the tale. But the tale is highly romanticized.

Answer 6

a bit of it is true and a bit is mot

Answer 7

No. He was a legendary king.