Arthurian World - F23 - BU

An Island Getaway King Arthur Carried to the Land of Enchantment , 1847, William Bell Scott (5) In Arthurian legends, Avalon is the magical island where King Arthur is whisked away to as he lays dying. In many stories, particularly earlier texts, this island is where he is taken to heal after his final battle with Mordred. Geoffrey of Monmouth writes in his Arthurian stories that Avalon is ruled by Morgan le Fay and her eight sisters, where they practice mystical healing arts (2, 7). In some 13th and 14th century texts, Morgan le Fay is also the one who ferries Arthur to Avalon and is tending to him until he returns to the throne (2). The island of Avalon is King Arthur's magical paradise island getaway till he claims his title as King of Britain.  Avalon in the Here and Now While it's highly unlikely that King Arthur was ferried from his final battle to the New World across the ocean, that hasn't stopped Americans from using "Avalon" as a name to invoke images o...

A Background of History's First Extreme Sport  The most popular form of entertainment across the world is perhaps the art of sports. However, did you know the world's first extreme sport was jousting? In the medieval ages, tournaments were equivalent to our Olympics (it was a pretty big deal). So, let's travel back in time and learn all about the famous art of tournaments and jousting.  A depiction of a Medieval tournament (4) Armour and Weaponry   Armor started off as padded linen and leather in the 13th century. However, when plate armor became popular in the 14th century, it quickly took over. Places more likely to be hit (the left shoulder, chest, and right side of the helmet/helm) were reinforced with an extra metal plate. As well as this, a manifer, a heavy steel gauntlet, protected the lance hand when jousting (1) . Knight's horses (6)  were also well protected. They typically had a padded or metal chest protector, as well as a metal plate protecting their hea...

  What is the Feudal System? Oxford English Dictionary defines it as: "The dominant social system in medieval Europe , in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labour, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection." This photo shows a visual representation of how Feudalism operated.  The Feudal system has significant importance to the Medieval World and the stories of King Arthur. The system is also known today as “feudalism” or “feudality”, but during the 9th to about 14th-century people did not have a name for the system in which they were living, and it is extremely important to note that there is not necessarily one definition to how this system works because there were different variations of rules and regulations (1). Medieval Latin terms “feudalis”...

The Legendary History of King Arthur   The history of King Arthur as a whole is one that is often questioned for its authenticity, but it is a rich history nonetheless. Whether the truth about who he was is ever discovered, most of the places influenced by his story are certainly real and contribute a lot to the world of Arthurian History. Tintagel: A King’s Conception (3). This Arthurian Historical Site holds its significance in the reason behind it being built. A religious leader, Geoffrey of Monmouth, deemed Tintagel as the place that King Arthur was conceived. Before reading any further, it is important to note that Geoffrey of Monmouth’s claims originated from a “pseudohistorical accout of British history,” meaning that there was no way to differentiate story from actual truth (10). Regardless of our clarity on the truth, the connection to the Arthurian world comes from the story that King Arthur was conceived through an affair between Britain’s king at the time, Uther Pendr...