The Story of Uther Pendragon

Uther was one of three sons of Constans, the King of Briton. Upon Constans' death, Vortigern, a usurper to the throne, became king and was soon defeated by Uther and his brother Pendragon. Merlin, a valued advisor, predicted that one of the brothers would be fatally wounded in a battle with the Saxons. As foreseen, Pendragon was killed and Uther succeeded to the throne. In honor of his slain brother he took his name, Pendragon.

Merlin, still favored as an advisor, was asked to bring huge stones from Ireland to form a shrine to the slain brother. This monument is now called Stonehenge. Merlin was also asked to prepare a great Round Table, around which were seated the greatest nobles of the land. To be accepted at this Table, the men had to swear an oath to assist one another, even at the cost of his own life. He must also attempt the most dangerous adventures, lead a life of solitude when necessary, bear arms at the first signal, and never leave a battle until the enemy had been defeated (unless it was night or he had been separated from his men).

The Arthurian Legend

A retelling drawing from many different versions. There is no one, true version.

An Island Divided

In the years of upheaval after the Roman withdrawal in 410 AD, Britain became an island of small kingdoms. Aurelius Ambrosius tried to unite the small Romano-Celtic kingdoms against their common enemies-- the Irish, the Picts and the Saxons. According to legend, after the death of Aurelius, he was followed in his quest by Uther Pendragon, the father of Arthur.

Prior to this, however, was the business of Vortigern. It was he who supposedly invited the Saxons into Britain, to aid in repelling the invasions of the Picts. Vortigern's people (most notably his sons) objected to the presence of the Saxons, and attempted to expel the Saxons. Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon leaders fought back. Vortigern tried to make a peace, but at a peace-meeting, Hengist and his Saxons pulled daggers from their boots, turned on the unarmed British lords, and slew them all.

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone (the proof of Arthur's lineage) are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was associated with the Arthurian legend very early; in Welsh, the sword was called Caledfwlch.

Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone

In surviving accounts of Arthur, there are two originally separate legends about the sword's origin. The first is the "Sword in the Stone" legend, originally appearing in Robert de Boron's poem Merlin, in which Excalibur can only be drawn from the stone by Arthur, the rightful king.

King Arthur's Twelve Battles

A discussion by David Nash Ford

The Welsh historian, Nennius, records twelve great victories in battle during Arthur's time as Dux Bellorum. Much of his material is mythical, however, and the magical number 12 does not sit well for historical evidence. Some historians have argued that this is too great a number for one man's lifetime, and their locations may well have been too widespread for a single leader to have fought in each.