What is the oldest known King Arthur legend?

Question

What is the oldest known King Arthur legend?

Answer 1

The oldest reference to King Arthur is found in Welsh literature. In a surviving early Welsh poem, The Gododdin (ca. AD 594), the poet Aneirin (ca. 535-600 AD) writes of one of his subjects that "he fed black ravens on the ramparts, although he was no Arthur." Another Welsh poet Taliesin in poems attributed to him refers to Arthur in the Chair of the Sovereign, Preideu Annwin and Journey to Danwy. He is also referred to in Historia Britonum, attributed to the Welsh monk Nennius, although he is described as a war leader rather than a king. He is also referred to in the Lives of a number of saints.



However, the growth of the Arthurian legend dates back to Geoffrey Monmouth's fictional Historia Regum Britanniae, a medieval equivalent of a bestseller that helped draw the attention of other writers, such as Robert Wace and Layamon, who then expanded on the tales of Arthur. This book was first published during the 1130's. Monmouth was a Breton and the Arthurian legend had spread there

Answer 2

Well, the earliest English king that's listed in my almanac is Egbert, 829 a.d., so Arthur has to have been considerably before that. I know we have scholars with the right references at their fingertips to pin it down better than that, but I'll leave them to it. My point is different.



The legendary (in whatever sense of the word) King Arthur was himself the product of earlier legends and tales, the truth value of which was largely unknown even then, let alone all these years since. The stories we have of King Arthur, therefore, are of a literally unknown truth value.



That's not what they are for, after all. They are to bring forward the underlying myths, legends and TRUTHS that are behind the stories and the decisions made over time of how to tell those stories. The symbolic value of the stories, if you will.



Arthurian legend is about chivalry, more than anything else. Indeed, it defined chivalry for a very long time. It's about the ways in which men protect women, and their families and their homes, and the respectful, dignified ways in which they went about this. It is a story of Kings and Queens and of noble activities; noble in the courtly sense as a metaphor and a symbol of the nobility of the heart. How does a gentleman treat a lady? Obviously, he loves her. He cares for her safety and well-being, and he loves to be in her company, and give her little treats and attentions to make her smile at him. He is, if you will, courtly.



And in life as in Arthurian legend, such behavior of gentleman toward lady is rewarded very, very richly. This is symbolized in the Quest for the Holy Grail which is a central theme of Arthurian legend. The symbolic value of that grail should be obvious enough to anyone with even a nodding acquaintance with the symbol system of the Tarot.

Answer 3

Unsure of the historical age but when looking for relatives on the Scilly Isles (off of Cornwall in the U.K.) I talked with several local natives who told me that the King Arthur tales ORIGINATED on the Scilly Isles. I was shown an ancient rock on St. Mary's that was referred to as 'throne rock' because it was supposedly King Arthur's rock - the rock was about 6 feet off the sand with an over-sized worn seat. On either side were two perfect hollowed areas for Arthur's hands and a large hollow big enough for his huge dog that he kept by his side. Now, being an impressionable Yankee and enrapt in attention I probably would've been gullible enough to believe about anything, but....it seemed so oddly possible. I felt as though I WAS transported to the earliest of days of the legend and the man; a magical moment.

Answer 4

The Sword in the Stone and the Knights of the Round Table

Answer 5

not really sure but the movie that is out now has him fighting against the picts and with the romans 350 to 500 ad maybe