King Arthur

King Arthur

King Arthur is the legendary British king of medieval literature who, according to tradition, led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders around the year 500 and presided over the Knights of the Round Table. Whether a historical Arthur existed is uncertain; he first appears in early Welsh sources such as the Historia Brittonum. Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (c. 1136) gave him a full royal biography, and French poets such as Chrétien de Troyes added Lancelot, Camelot and the quest for the Holy Grail. Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1485) gathered the tales into their classic English form. In legend, Arthur proves his right to rule by drawing a sword from a stone and is guided by the wizard Merlin. He stands for just kingship, chivalry and a fellowship devoted to honor and service.

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Legends of Britain and Ireland

Cú Chulainn, the young champion of Ulster, is the great hero of early Irish epic. King Arthur and the wise enchanter Merlin stand at the heart of the Arthurian legends of Camelot and the Round Table. The Old English poem Beowulf tells of a hero who battles the monster Grendel, and English ballads celebrate Robin Hood, the outlaw of Sherwood Forest who aided the poor.

  1. Cú Chulainn

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  2. Merlin

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  3. Beowulf

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  4. Robin Hood

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