The Round Table

Painting of the Knights at the Round Table

Overview: 

Typically associated with King Arthur, the Round Table is an object with tons of significance and it is rich with history. Different from a rectangular or square-shaped table, a round table allows all of those who are sitting at it to be equal, one person does not have an advantage over another. The Round Table signifies unity, equality, and oneness which heavily influenced King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Lewis F. Mott says in his journal article “The Round Table” that “The characteristics of the Round Table imply some mystical and religious signification, a fact in thorough consonance with the continual association of its heroes with magic, fairyland, and the other world” (Mott). While different stories of the Round Table account for a different number of seats available at the table, those who sat there were part of a brotherhood that was highly regarded and valued. The Round Table gave King Arthur’s knights a shared persona and a name as well. At the Round Table, the knights were able to share their accomplishments and adventures and it would often be the place where they would plan their future quests and adventures. In some cases, the Round Table also designates a courtly festival or celebration typically hosted by Arthur.

History: 

The painting on the Round Table that hangs in Winchester Hall

The Round Table first appears and is mentioned in Wace’s Roman de Brut, which is known to be the earliest surviving chronicle of British history and was written in Norman French. The manuscript of the Roman de Brut was created sometime between 1325 and 1350 despite Wace writing it much earlier in 1155. Layamon was a poet in the 13th century who translated the Roman de Brut into Middle English, and there are minor differences between his version and Wace’s. In the Roman de Brut, the Round Table is made for King Arthur because he wanted a place where none of his knights could gain precedence over each other when seated at the table. The Round Table in some accounts has ties to religion, it is said to be symbolic of the table from The Last Supper. Despite the iconic painting of The Last Supper displaying a long rectangular table, the Round Table is often associated with it. While this is the first account of the Round Table, it would go on to be a prevalent object and symbol in Arthurian literature. A replica of the Round Table can be found in Winchester, England in The Great Hall of Winchester Castle. The replica dates back to the 13th and was made under the rule of Henry III. The artwork on the replica dates back to the rule of Henry VIII and has a Tudor rose in the center and a depiction of Henry as Arthur and has 24 spaces going around the table with the names of King Arthur’s knights. 

The Round Table and its Role in Arthurian Literature:  

                      Sir Galahad sitting in the Siege Perilous                     

The Round Table plays a key role in many Arthurian romances and is arguably the most known feature of the time period besides King Arthur himself. Laura Hibbard Loomis speaks to the influence of the Round Table in her journal article “Arthur’s Round Table” stating that “Despite its unlikeliness to all contemporary usage and belief…the idea took instant hold and henceforth every Arthurian storyteller had something to say about the Table Round, it’s making, its owners, its fellowship” (Loomis). In the Arthurian romances, the origin of the Round Table varies from story to story but the three main origin stories for the table are that it was made for King Arthur by a common workman to quell the issue of the knights holding precedence over one another. The second version is that the table was made by Merlin for Arthur’s father, and the third version is that it was given to King Arthur by Leodogran, who is Guinevere’s father, as a part of the dowry for their marriage. While in Wace and Layamon’s account, the table is meant for the knights, in the stories of Merlin and the Holy Grail, the table has religious significance. An important feature of the Round Table is the siege perilous, which is an empty seat at the table destined to be filled by the knight who finds the Holy Grail and is not to be filled if it is not found. There were hundreds of knights associated with the Round Table across the various stories but some of the most well-known are King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Galahad, Sir Geraint, Sir Gareth, and Sir Kay to just name a few. It was a general consensus among the knight’s that by becoming a knight of the Round Table you would never go against it and if you do it is only for game or sport. This understanding is what helped create such a strong bond and brotherhood between the Knights, they knew they had each other to rely on. The influence of the Round Table is undeniable and Britannica states that “The fellowship of the Round Table, in fact, became comparable to and in many respects the prototype of the many great orders of chivalry that were founded in Europe during the later Middle Ages”.

 Works Cited:

 “Arthurian Artifacts.” King Arthur’s Knights, 3 Aug. 2019, kingarthursknights.com/arthurian-artifacts/.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Round Table". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 2013, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Round-Table-Arthurian-legend. Accessed 6 September 2023.

Loomis, Laura Hibbard. “Arthur’s Round Table.” PMLA, vol. 41, no. 4, 1926, pp. 771–84. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/457447. Accessed 6 Sept. 2023.

Mott, Lewis F. “The Round Table.” PMLA, vol. 20, no. 2, 1905, pp. 231–64. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/456625. Accessed 6 Sept. 2023.

“The Knights of the Round Table.” King Arthur’s Knights, 13 Aug. 2019, kingarthursknights.com/the-knights-of-the-round-table/.

“The Round Table.” King Arthur’s Knights, 5 Aug. 2019, kingarthursknights.com/the-round-table/.

“The Round Table.” The Round Table | Robbins Library Digital Projects, 1 Jan. 1889, d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/round-table.

Ugc. “The Round Table of Knights Fame.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 4 Aug. 2016, www.atlasobscura.com/places/winchester-round-table.

“Wace’s Roman de Brut.” British Library, www.bl.uk/collection-items/waces-roman-de-brut. Accessed 6 Sept. 2023.

Image Citations: 

Lancelot Manuscript Ms. 343 Arthur and His Knights Sit at the Round Table. c.1380-90. Bibliothèque nationale de France, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.13716435. Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.

Table (Painted Oak; Diam. 18’). Painting., ca. 1486. Winchester: Castle; Great Hall., JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.11663415. Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.

Vulgate Cycle, Fr. 120, Fol. 524v . Ill. MS., ca. 1460. Paris: Lib., Bibliothèque Nationale; fr. 117-20., JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.11663827. Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.