I have to do an essay on the "real" king arthur?

Question

I haven't done any research yet, but is it possible to theorize that the story of king arthur initially became popular because he was especially brutal? Weren't bards the re-tellers of history back then?

Think about modern bards like those who sing narcocorridos of Mexico. These songs are popular but they're centered around extreme violence from the drug wars.

Another example of music centered around extreme violence is the gansta-rap movement in the 90s. It seems like humans like to hear songs about killing just as much as romance.

Is it possible that bards chose to sing about king arthur because of ruthlessness or how efficiently he killed?
Can I use this as a possible thesis or does it sound too far fetched?

Answer 1

There are numerous books about the probable historical basis for Arthur. There's also a good documentary on youtube which would make a good starting point, because at this point you're out in left field. What Arthur would have been from the historical point of view was a British post-Roman occupation leader of Celtic Britain in their attempt to stop the Germanic Anglo-Saxons from invading. It's a known fact that some unnamed leader stopped that invasion from proceeding for about a generation and it's generally assumed that it would have been the person who's come to be called "Arthur" who accomplished that.

Edit: Well, probably not totally in left field since Arthur's entire existence would have been spent in warfare, which does require brutality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsLaiTrjZh0

Answer 2

Do some research on Arthur. There are 2 popular theories regarding Arthur. One theory says that he was a Celt tribal king who fought against the Saxons when they first invaded England. Another theory says that Arthur was a Roman legionnaire who fought against invading Angles and Saxons just after the Romans withdrew from England. There probably was a real life king or chieftain whose deeds were sung by the bards who gave him the name Arthur.

The legends say that Arthur was born at Tintagel in Cornwall and Tintagel was a noted trading centre.

Answer 3

No, not at all. The Arthurian legends were consolidated and expanded in Malory's "Le Morte d'Athur" from earlier French and English texts. All subsequent Arthurian tales have been based on that including T H White's "The Once and Future King". The main texts of the Arthurian legends were the notions of chivalry and fate.



You should read Malory if you are interested in King Arthur. It is written in late Middle English but it is relatively easy to understand and you soon get used to it. Read White as well. The Disney movie "The Sword in the Stone" and the musical "Camelot" are based on White. If you read Malory and White you will understand why your hypothesis fails.

Answer 4

Too far fetched. The Battle of Badon was a battle thought to have occurred between a force of Britons and an Anglo-Saxon war band in the late 5th or early 6th century. Chiefly known today for the supposed involvement of King Arthur, it is credited in medieval British and Welsh sources as a major political and military event but seems to have passed unremarked in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles. Because of the limited number of sources, there is no certainty about the date, location, or details of the fighting.

Answer 5

Research!

Answer 6

google it