The Birth of Arthur

The Birth of Arthur When Uther Pendragon reigned in England, confederations of petty barons obstinately refused to acknowledge his sovereignty. One haughty rival who refused his homage was the Duke of intagel. !ing Uther marshaled his armored knights and assaulted the castle of intagel. he Duke was slain in the combat. !ing Uther, captivated by the beauty of the Duke"s widow, #graine, made her his $ueen despite her mournful lamentations. %ueen #graine, who already had three daughters, now bore !ing Uther a son. &erlin, the renowned magician and esteemed deputy of Uther, then volunteered a comment. ' hese are tempestuous times. (ou are surrounded by villainous knaves and

The Birth of Arthur

rogues who would risk the gallows or the stake to sei)e your throne. #f you are slain, it is inevitable that the infant will be maliciously slaughtered to deprive him of his inheritance. # warrant you we can positively trust *ir Ector"s allegiance. +et us conceal the boy in his castle. ,e and his wife will bring your son up with !ay, their own son.!ing Uther perceived the profound wisdom of the sage &erlin"s proposal and assented to it. .nd so, one dark night, the frail infant was cautiously conveyed to the back gate of the castle. here the boy was mutely handed over to the cloaked and disguised &erlin. &erlin had an obscure holy man bapti)e the child .rthur. hen he brought him to *ir Ector"s remote castle. *ir Ector and his wife complied hospitably and reared him as their own son.

The Birth of Arthur

&eanwhile !ing Uther"s foes launched violent attacks on his castles. hey penetrated many of his fortresses and garrisons, slaying many knights. Uther countered by defending his realm valiantly, but finally he fell fatally ill. ,e lay, da)ed and feeble in anguish, hovering between life and death. &erlin, with his incredible power to foresee the future, had him proclaim .rthur heir to his scepter /ust before his fluttering pulse stopped. *ir Ector trained !ay and .rthur appropriately in the skills of chivalry. he knights, mounted on war steeds, fought in gleaming armor and helmets. heir principal weapons were long lances and heavy swords. he primary instruction for knighthood commenced at the age of seven in the castles of noble lords. 0oys destined to be

The Birth of Arthur

knights served as pages until they were fourteen. Pages routinely ran errands for the lords and ladies and mingled in the leisurely life of the castle. hey were trained in the lofty principles and ideals of chivalry. hat re$uired them to honor and protect females, to right wrongs, and to be civil and courteous to the weak. hey concentrated energetically on grooming and riding the immense war steeds that carried knights into battle. .t fourteen, a page who had manifested ade$uate aptitude attained the rank of s$uire. *$uires had prolonged, intensive training sessions in handling the keen blades and massive lances without faltering or wavering. hey learned to help their knights don their e$uipment and to follow them into combat. .t twenty1one, a s$uire who had e2celled took the vow or oath of knighthood in an

The Birth of Arthur

elaborate and complicated rite or ceremony. 3eteran knights practiced )ealously at tournaments, where they contended with other knights. here they aspired to achieve fame and glory amid the pictures$ue pomp and pageantry of the times. *uch, substantially, was the vigorous training that *ir Ector instituted for his son, !ay, and for .rthur, whose true identity remained a carefully maintained secret.

The Sword in the Stone he realm of England became a battle ground for every petty baron with the lofty ambition of becoming king. hen the

The Birth of Arthur

sage &erlin counseled the foremost church statesman of England, the .rchbishop of 4anterbury, to summon the most substantial and stable barons to +ondon for the 4hristmas festival. '. miracle may be divinely manifested in the midst of such pomp and pageantry,- he mused shrewdly. 'Perhaps we may ac$uire a strong sovereign to restore unity and harmony and thereby bring salvation to this anguished dominion of ours.When the throngs of armored knights arrived, they beheld a uni$ue marble stone e2hibited conspicuously before the cathedral. Penetrating the tremendous stone deeply was an e2$uisite sword. here appeared on the stone this $uotation5 'Whosoever e2tracts this sword is the rightful !ing of England.-

The Birth of Arthur

+egions of spectators instantly swarmed about the sword. One haughty lord after the other clutched the glittering weapon and falteringly strove to tug it loose. Despite their most intense efforts, the disgusted aspirants could not even make it $uiver in its firm foundation. o gain time, the .rchbishop desperately proclaimed that a magnificent tournament would be held on 6ew (ear"s Day. On that day, the most gallant chivalry of the realm was marshaled in impressive array. hey assembled before their pavilions on the tract of land assigned as the site of combat. One ambitious contender was *ir !ay. ,e had /ust taken his oath as knight and had deputi)ed .rthur as his official s$uire.

The Birth of Arthur

'&y sword7 # left my sword at our lodging place7 .rthur, run $uickly and get it7- implored !ay in dismay. .rthur hastened mechanically to obey, but found the lodging securely locked. 8ecalling that he had seen a sword e2tending from a stone before the cathedral, he alertly resolved to secure it in this critical emergency. *purring his reluctant steed vigorously, he clattered to the shrine. here he alighted, darted forward, and withdrew the sword with incredible ease. !ay stared in ama)ement at the sword. ,e instantly recogni)ed it as the coveted symbol of English monarchy. 9rantically, he sought his father, flourishing the da))ling weapon triumphantly. '0ehold the sword7- !ay e2ulted shrilly. '# am destined to become !ing7-

The Birth of Arthur

*ir Ector grimly escorted .rthur and !ay to the stone. ' he truth7- he cautioned sternly. ',ow did you ac$uire this sword:he terrified !ay acknowledged that .rthur had brought it to him. .rthur complied by frankly recounting how he had withdrawn the fabulous sword without encountering the least obstacle. ,e demonstrated by thrusting it deliberately into the massive stone and casually plucking it out. !ay valiantly endeavored to duplicate the feat, but failed. *ir Ector knelt down before .rthur as if to pledge allegiance to an esteemed lord. he astonished .rthur was unable to comprehend. '9ather7- he lamented in reproachful embarrassment. 'Why do you kneel to pay homage to me:-

The Birth of Arthur

10

'# perceive now that you are destined to be !ing of England,- declared *ir Ector soberly. '# am not your father, .rthur. We deemed it wise not to reveal your true identity or to refer to it in any way.hen he recounted to the da)ed .rthur how &erlin had secretly conveyed him as an infant to his castle. .rthur and !ay stared in mute bewilderment as *ir Ector hastened to notify the .rchbishop of the dramatic incident.

Arthur Becomes King he .rchbishop summoned the barons to another public ceremony. .ny candidate could essay to withdraw the sword. .s in the prior trial, nobody overcame this obstacle. hen .rthur

The Birth of Arthur

11

grasped the lustrous weapon and routinely e2tracted it. he throng of spectators gasped in astonishment. he haughty and envious barons muttered sullenly. 'We deem it humiliating to the realm to bestow our homage upon an immature knave without royal blood.hey loftily compromised on another trial at the cathedral, then another at Easter, and a third at the festival of Pentecost. Each time .rthur, escorted by &erlin, unfalteringly withdrew the sword with one tug and thrust it back. he common people had previously been mute and neutral. 6ow a substantial multitude rose in sheer indignation at this petty and obstinate malice. hey vigorously demanded that .rthur be crowned. he conservative .rchbishop wilted under the pressure. ,e assented

The Birth of Arthur

12

and proclaimed the coronation. With great pomp and pageantry at 4amelot, .rthur took his oath as sovereign monarch. .ll with grievances to recount petitioned the young monarch for /ustice. .rthur, spurred on by &erlin, dealt chivalrously and indulgently with them. ;radually he e2panded his dominion and accumulated the allegiance of immense tracts of frontier areas. hen .rthur courteously invited those radical monarchs who still contemplated rebellion to a magnificent ban$uet at 4amelot. he foremost was !ing +ot. ,e was united in marriage with &argawse, a daughter of #graine, whom Uther had married. .nother was !ing 6entres, whose $ueen was #graine"s second daughter, Elaine. . third was !ing Uriens. ,is $ueen was &organ le 9ay, #graine"s

The Birth of Arthur

13

third daughter. &organ le 9ay could perform uni$ue feats of magic, e2celled solely by &erlin himself. *o, three antagonistic adversaries were actually husbands of !ing .rthur"s sisters. hese older sister had no suspicion that .rthur was #graine"s son < and their own half1brother. &ore significantly, !ing .rthur was not yet aware that he was the son of !ing Uther and %ueen #graine. hus he did not comprehend that these confederated rivals were, in reality, his brothers1in1law. hese alienated sovereigns apparently accepted .rthur"s invitation. ,e assumed that the wavering climate of pre/udice against him had diminished. ,e was therefore distressed to find that a profound gulf still e2isted. hey pompously returned his liberal gifts with defiant scorn. hen they rudely notified

The Birth of Arthur

14

him that they denied him their homage and would strive to depose him. #n this critical emergency, &erlin boldly invaded their cluster of pavilions /ust outside of 4amelot. aunted and /eered at by the contemptuous rebels for supporting .rthur, &erlin tried to clear the atmosphere. ,e dramatically revealed .rthur"s ancestry. ',e is the legal, bapti)ed son of !ing Uther Pendragon,- he asserted. ',e was borne to %ueen #graine and is rightful heir to the throne, warranted both by inheritance and by the trial of the sword in the stone.&erlin"s positive claim made the foe more cautious. 0ut, !ing +ot ridiculed &erlin"s testimony. ,e denounced it as an incredible falsehood and slyly demanded more concrete evidence.

The Birth of Arthur

15

#n the tempestuous conflict that followed, !ing .rthur marshaled his most valiant and gallant knights. hey sent the alliance of rebels clattering frantically in all directions. hen he deliberately concentrated his forces in the garrison in +ondon. here he awaited the more violent and massive attack that his opponents would inevitably launch. he war to deprive !ing .rthur of his scepter and crown had commenced.

The Fabulous Sword Excalibur #n +ondon, !ing .rthur now summoned his valiant knights to a war council. &erlin also attended the session. '(our antagonists will marshal a substantial force,- &erlin commented.

The Birth of Arthur

16

'9rankly, we desperately need some concrete help in this emergency. #n 9rance there are two mature, veteran sovereigns, !ing 0an of 0enwick and !ing 0ors of ;aul. hese brother monarchs will need our help in the future. We need their allegiance now to combat our rebellious foes. We must essay an alliance for our mutual benefit.Everyone comprehended that &erlin"s counsel was patently sound. !ing .rthur dispatched two trusted knights to submit the proposal to the 9rench kings. !ing 0an and !ing 0ors assented, and gallantly pledged !ing .rthur their homage. hey crossed the English 4hannel with their knights to help .rthur repel his foes. Prior to the conflict, &erlin shrewdly instructed .rthur"s new allies from 9rance to hover inconspicuously in the ad/oining forest of 0edegraine. .t the same time,

The Birth of Arthur

17

.rthur"s knights rode from +ondon and sought refuge in 0edegraine 4astle in order to defend the fortress. &eanwhile !ing +ot and his confederates rallied other rebellious monarchs and barons to their banner. heir combined forces now swarmed menacingly forward to penetrate .rthur"s garrison. !ing .rthur"s knights spurred their steeds and sallied forth with glittering lances to assail the invaders. 0ut neither adversary faltered, and neither could achieve a significant advantage. .t the most critical moment, the concealed knights of !ing 0ors and !ing 0an launched a torrential counter1 attack at the flanks of !ing +ot"s forces. he tide of battle abruptly turned. .rthur"s da)ed foes wavered, wilted, and collapsed.

The Birth of Arthur

18

!ing .rthur promptly proceeded to 4ameliard, where his ally, !ing +eodegrance, was being besieged. ,e subdued the alien invaders and restored peace to the realm. ,ere, at !ing +eodegrance"s court, .rthur"s romance with the king"s e2$uisitely beautiful daughter, ;uinevere, began. .rthur instantly loved the gorgeous damsel, and resolved to overcome any obstacle to have her share his throne at 4amelot. .s .rthur had suffered grievous wounds in combat, &erlin now conveyed him to a hermit who e2celled in healing. hen &erlin escorted the king to an enchanted lake. o the king"s astonishment, a female arm, clad in glistening white silk, emerged from the midst of the lake and poised itself there. he clenched hand flourished a magnificent sword encased in a scabbard.

The Birth of Arthur

19

. mysterious damsel came gliding over the lustrous surface of the water toward &erlin and .rthur. ' hat"s the +ady of the +ake,cautioned &erlin. '*peak courteously and graciously if you yearn to ac$uire the sword.'!ing .rthur,- volunteered the maiden solemnly, '# have destined that weapon solely for your use to achieve harmony and accord in your dominion.he maiden then mutely beckoned &erlin and him to board a pictures$uely ornamented barge which ferried them to the weapon. !ing .rthur clasped it impulsively and the mysterious arm vanished. .rthur contemplated the sword with profound reverence and awe. ' hat is the fabulous sword E2calibur,said &erlin. 'Which do you deem better, the blade or the scabbard:-

The Birth of Arthur

20

' he sword, obviously,- replied .rthur positively. ' he scabbard is superior,- retorted &erlin. 'it is a magic scabbard. *o long as you have it, you will never lose blood, no matter how severely you are wounded..nd so, the chronicle recounts, !ing .rthur ac$uired his legendary sword E2calibur and the uni$ue scabbard of which we will hear more. King Arthur Acquires a Queen and a Round Table When !ing .rthur had ade$uate leisure to contemplate his interrupted romance with ;uinevere, he sought the sage counsel of &erlin. '# assume your affections are still concentrated on the daughter of !ing

The Birth of Arthur

21

+eodegrance, the fair princess ;uinevere:- asked &erlin. !ing .rthur promptly confirmed &erlin"s suspicion. &erlin shrugged in melancholy resignation. '# deem it unwise,- sighed &erlin with a groan. '*he is patently a da))lingly attractive maiden, but # foresee tragedy for the realm. *he will compound your woes. *he will create a gulf between you and your foremost knight and comrade. *he and he will become mutual victims of an enchanted affection. # perceive that a malicious scandal will erupt, inflicting great anguish upon you.0ut !ing .rthur obstinately declined to heed his veteran patron"s grim prophecy. &erlin reluctantly sallied forth with a deputation of officials to e2ecute .rthur"s mission of proposing the romantic alliance. hey encountered no obstacles.

The Birth of Arthur

22

!ing +eodegrance was immensely flattered. he normally poised ;uinevere obviously was also. ,er e2$uisite countenance flushed a vivid scarlet with intense emotion. ,er pulse fluttering and $uivering violently, she graciously assented to the proposal. '# shall pay the noble !ing .rthur homage with a uni$ue wedding gift,declared !ing +eodegrance. ',e shall have the 8ound able his father, !ing Uther, gave me. #t will seat precisely =>? of our sovereign"s valiant knights.!ing +eodegrance"s 8ound able inspired &erlin and !ing .rthur to establish the illustrious Order of the 8ound able that achieved an international reputation of unparalleled luster. '&ankind is grossly brutal and villainous by instinct,- mused &erlin.

The Birth of Arthur

23

'(ou, .rthur, are destined to lead a crusade to alter the philosophy that &#;, &.!E* 8#;, .'+et us found an order of noble knights who will dedicate their lives specifically to chivalrous ideals,- cried .rthur. ' hey shall attain eternal glory here at 4amelot,- said &erlin. 'We will assign the knights to seats at our 8ound able in token of their common devotion to their oaths of chivalry.*purred on by these lofty motives, &erlin instructed that the massive 8ound able be placed in the tremendous hall of the castle at 4amelot. ,e dramatically beckoned awed spectators to behold a gorgeous chair on which an inscription appeared in glistening gold symbols5 .8 ,U8, !#6;. ' hat is the *eat 8oyal,- &erlin said. 'Opposite that chair is the *eat Perilous.

The Birth of Arthur

24

Only the perfect knight may sit there. he seat ad/oining yours at the right will be assigned to the most valiant and gallant warrior of your dominion.hen &erlin nominated the twenty1 eight most eminent knights of !ing .rthur"s empire whose achievements merited entry into the distinguished order. !ing .rthur proclaimed a solemn ceremony to initiate the twenty1eight charter members of the order. &erlin ceremoniously escorted each on to his place. .ll swore sacred vows to be faithful to the condensed creed, or code, of the 8ound able5 hat they would be gentle and courteous to the frail and feeble@ that they would sternly penali)e the wickedness of rogues and knaves@ that they would defend the helpless@ that all females would be accorded priority in

The Birth of Arthur

25

their esteem@ that they would strive to be true in friendship and faithful in love. *o !ing .rthur was united with %ueen ;uinevere at the cathedral altar. .nd so was the fabulous and legendary 8ound able conceived and founded with impressive pomp and pageantry in 4amelot.