What is the real story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?

Answer 1

In "The Discovery of King Arthur", historian Geoffrey Ashe argues very convincingly that the arthurian legends are ultimately based on a British leader who probably held sway from 455-470 A.D. and is known in historical documents as Riothomus. This was probably some kind of title rather than a personal name since it translates roughly as king-most. Little is definitively known about his career except that in 470 he led a substantial force of Britons across the English channel to help the Romans fight barbarians. Yes. It is also thought that he originated from the southern England - Eastern Wales area. He is believed to have held off Anglo-Saxon advances into Wessex until his death. Read the book Le Morte D' Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table by Sir Thomas Malory, it gives you the whole story. No, it did not happen. Yes it is nice to refer to books. But those books are made up. It all started out with Parzival but that book was written ages after Arthur was sayed to have lived. And before the publification of the book there are no records of King Arthur. There is no evidence that there was a round table with knights. There is no evidence that Arthur has been king of England. It appears that the real Arthur was a Roman-British military leader in the period after most of the Romans had left Britain. He was active in the west or north-west of England and possibly also Wales. Arthur became a cult figure, a myth, an icon for the Britons as they fought against the Anglo-Saxons. It's this mythology that was later developed into "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" and all that. The fact is that Le Morte D' Arthur was written in the middle ages by Thomas Malory and is a work of brilliance but is pure fiction. The events were supposed to have happened during 'the age of chivalry,' but there was nothing chivalrous about the 'Adventus Saxonum' which is a period much earlier in English (real) history around mid 5th to beginning of 6th century AD and when Arthur was most likely to have lived, albeit as a Brython/Roman leader.

Moreover, any 'real' Arthur living around AD 500 wouldn't have had knights, and that round table wasn't mentioned till several centuries later.

Answer 2

The real story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is unclear, as many aspects of the legend are based on myths and folklore rather than historical facts. Some scholars believe that King Arthur may have been a real historical figure in early medieval Britain, but much of his story has been embellished over time through various legends and literary works. The Knights of the Round Table, as depicted in Arthurian legends, symbolize the ideals of chivalry, honor, and loyalty.

Answer 3

There is no "real story" of Arthurian legends, because it is just that- a legend. Arthur's very existence is a matter of debate, though there is evidence of a King Arthur of Britain.

However the legends vary and whilst the crucial plot usually stays the same the vast majority has been fiddled with over time. Lancelot and Guinevere; the Grail knight(s), although Galahad is almost always involved; even who the villains were- were Mordred and Morgan really At Fault or were they victims?