Before we start talking about Camelot Castle, as legendary and mysterious as its owner - King Arthur, we turn to the British epic and try to better imagine the appearance of this character that has passed through centuries. The leader who ruled the semi-mythical kingdom of Logres in the V-VI century, he became the most famous hero of Celtic culture. To the authenticity of the existence of his disputes, scientists do not stop to this day.
The Secret of Tintagel Castle
King Arthur's castle , called Camelot, is not the only one associated with his name. In the county of Cornwall in the south-west of England, they still show tourists the venerable ruins of another medieval building dating back to the 13th century, erected on the site of the Tintagel castle covered with legends, where the valiant hero was conceived.
This, in general, quite a routine act in this case is accompanied by a very romantic and not without piquancy story. The fact is that Arthur's father was the king of the British Uther Pendragon, and his mother was not the queen, but the wife of the court Gorlois - the beautiful Eigir.
The tricks of the sorcerer Merlin
Inflamed with passion for her and having no other opportunity to get what she wanted, the king, with the help of the sorcerer Merlin, took the form of her husband, who had left the family estate for a while, and in this form freely penetrated the beauty’s bedchamber. She noticed a forgery or not - let’s leave it on her conscience, but only after the due period the fruit of this somewhat vaudeville adventure — the future king Arthur — was born.
By the way, her husband Gorlois died at the same time. According to one version, he did not survive the accidental betrayal of his wife, and according to another, he was simply killed by order of Uther, so as not to get under his feet. But anyway, the inconsolable widow gave birth from the king also a daughter, named Anna. Arthur was given up for education to the very sorcerer Merlin, who played such an unseemly role in this story.
Accession to the throne
This, of course, is one of the legends, and in them, as you know, vice is punished. The voluptuous Uther did not greet him too - after sixteen years he was treacherously poisoned by his own courtiers. After his death, as usual, a fierce struggle for power began, and in order not to kill each other, dignitaries decided to put on the throne Arthur - the son of the recently poisoned monarch. He was only fifteen years old at that time, and they believed that they could manage the state on his behalf. Since then, the castle of King Arthur has become the site of many dramatic events.
Stone Sword
By the way, according to one version, Arthur's accession to the throne was also not without magic, and the sorcerer Merlin, already familiar to everyone, mixed it into the general plot. The fact is that, from time immemorial, a stone rested on the main square of London , from which the hilt of a sword stuck out, and no matter who tried to pull it out, no one had the strength. And Merlin inspired everyone that only those who could do it would be worthy of the crown.
Needless to say, that he gave his ward the necessary power for this? So it was or not - it's hard to say. But only since then the pupil of the sorcerer received the throne, and the castle of King Arthur - the status of the residence of the head of state.
As for the sword itself, it turned out, as we say today, to be of poor quality and soon broke. After that, the elves, who in those days were like flies on a pie, forged a new king, smashing without a miss, but on condition that he would get it from its scabbard only in the name of good deeds.
King Arthur's Wedding
In the British epic, the image of King Arthur is inextricably linked with a beautiful companion - the ideal of an elevated poetic dream, an example of chastity and purity. It was such a lady who was pleasant in all respects, according to legend, Ginevra - the daughter of King Leodegrans, whose very modest possessions spread in the south-west of Britain.
The young people fell in love (at first sight, of course), and after the wedding, King Arthur's castle became a witness to their happiness. That's just the children they did not appear. The reason for this was the machinations of one fairy who wanted her son to inherit the throne, and therefore witchcraft closed the womb of Ginevra.
With the mother-in-law, the newly-born spouse was not lucky - she was an evil witch, which, however, is not uncommon in our days. But the father-in-law fell in fame. As a wedding present, he presented the table to the young, and not a simple one, but a round one, which later went down in history, thanks to the knights who sat around it during state councils.
The solution suggested by Ginevra
The most valiant and faithful to their overlord knights were invited to Camelot - the castle of King Arthur - from all over the country. There were at least a hundred of them, which inevitably gave rise to a problem - how to plant so many arrogant and smug masters during royal councils and feasts? Sitting at the head of the table was considered an honor, at the end - a sign of neglect on the part of the owner and insult. Any negligence in this matter could result in resentment and inevitable bloodshed in such cases.
It was then that Ginevra decided on her husband to use a wedding present - the table is round, and the circle, as you know, has no beginning or end. At this table, everyone is in an equal position. From here came the expression “Knights of the Round Table,” that is, persons equal to each other.
Knight of the Knights of the Round Table
The wizard Merlin, who had once tarnished himself with the reincarnation of King Uther as a stranger, temporarily recuperated and regularly visited King Arthur's castle, the story of which approached its most dramatic part. In instructing the knights gathered there, he taught them not to do evil, to avoid dishonor, lies and in everything to follow the principles of valor and nobility.
His teachings were learned, and soon all the knights, without exception, became famous for doing good everywhere, giving mercy to the vanquished, and protecting the ladies. In addition, their skate was the destruction of dragons, evil sorcerers and the rescue of countless princesses. On occasion, they did not refuse to rid any enemies that they liked of their enemies.
However, the Knights of the Round Table considered the main goal of their life to be the search for the Holy Grail - the cup from which Jesus Christ drank during the Last Supper and in which His blood was then collected. All these exploits are described in detail by chivalric novels that appeared in subsequent centuries and gained considerable popularity.
The end of family happiness
But the days of the serene love of King Arthur and his chosen one, alas, are over. And the reason for this was Ginevra, in the heart of which, apart from her husband, fit his closest friend - the knight Lancelot. She met him, barely arriving in Camelot. This young handsome man was one of the most zealous seekers of the Holy Grail, but after the sin of adultery committed by him and the wife of his sovereign, he lost hope of success - the greatest Christian shrine could only fall into clean hands.
The second son of King Arthur
Her husband Arthur, who had an illegitimate son Mordred, born of his half-sister, the Fairy Morgan, was not at the height either. However, he deserves leniency, since, according to him, he entered into a sinful relationship under the influence of the charms of the same wizard Merlin.
The old pimp in collusion with the mythical Virgin of the Lake (a very suspicious lady) had a hand in ensuring that, succumbing to passion, brother and sister did not recognize each other. When they figured out what was the matter, it was too late. The child who was born was given to the education of evil sorceresses, and from this, of course, nothing good could come of it. As a result, he grew up as a cunning, power-hungry man and not respecting his parents.
The nobility of the deceived king
This last quality of Mordred became fatal for the inhabitants of Camelot, and because of him, the knight's castle of King Arthur became a target for secret ridicule. The fact is that the unfortunate husband of the traitor Ginevra, knowing about her adventures, remained a true gentleman who did not allow himself to dishonor a lady (especially his own wife), exposing her weakness, so characteristic of young women.
In addition, he loved her and greatly appreciated his friend Lancelot. Not wanting, as they say, to take dirty linen out of the hut, the deceived husband tried to close his eyes to this novel and thus preserve peace in the family and calm in the state. Mordred, being his only heir, in every way compromised his father, hoping to expedite his path to the throne.
Mordred's Insolence
Since that time, calm has left King Arthur's castle forever. Legends place the blame on the ill-fated Mordred. Once, wanting to discredit the queen, he burst into her chambers with a group of his minions just at the moment when she was hosting Lancelot. On that day, their meeting was not intimate, but purely businesslike, but Mordred’s so bold behavior infuriated Lancelot, and before the queen fainted (as is the case in such cases), he chopped off the insoles with his sword.
Flight through the English Channel
However, the case became public, and the courtiers, greedy for scandals, spread the word about what had happened, giving him unnecessary details. As a result, the lovers were forced to flee to France, and the unfortunate spouse pretended to be chasing them on the other side of the English Channel. He returned home alone, inconsolable from grief that befell him. Genevera disappeared without a trace, and no one else ever saw her.
Legend has it that, realizing the whole depth of its fall, it was forever shut up in one of the remote monasteries, where, through fasting and prayer, it tried to atone for the deed. However, evil tongues were found here that claimed that the fugitive was soon spotted at the French court.
The death of the inconsolable king
From then on, the castle of King Arthur darkened. The description of the life that filled him paints a picture of sorrow and gloom. The cunning Mordred, who always wanted to take his father’s throne, took advantage of his absence and persuaded the courtiers to treason, promising them rich gifts. When Arthur returned from France, an ambush arranged by his son awaited him near the castle. The king drew his sword, but was killed in an unequal battle. The only person loyal to him, though belatedly, but rushing to the rescue, was Lancelot.
But legend says that the story did not end there. After the death, King Arthur was transferred by magic power to the mythical island of Avalon, where he was dozing under a stone slab, ready at any moment to rise and come to the aid of England, if only she would be in danger.
The riddle of an ancient castle
About whether the legendary king had a real historical prototype, the opinions of scientists differ. Everything related to his home is also controversial. The name of the castle of King Arthur, every Englishman knows, but where he was - it is hardly possible to get an answer. Some researchers believe that it was built in the county of Cheshire in the west of England, but there are other judgments.
The difficulty is caused by the fact that in most chivalric novels the name of the castle of King Arthur, although mentioned, is without a specific topographic reference. It should be noted that in the earliest works the word Camelot does not appear at all. About the name of the castle of King Arthur, readers first learned only in the XII century from the novel of the French writer Chretien de Trois “Lancelot”.
The discovery of British scientists
Noteworthy is a message recently published by foreign media. In the county of Cornwall, located in the south-west of England, British archaeologists discovered fragments of the castle, which stood there in the V-VI century. For a number of signs, they were able to ascertain its resemblance to the legendary Camelot, as it is presented in medieval literature.
This aroused widespread interest in their discovery. The surviving foundations of the walls and internal buildings made it possible to create a model of the castle of King Arthur. However, their discovery is in doubt. The fact is that it is not actually established whether King Arthur’s castle actually existed. Photos from the excavation site circled the pages of newspapers and television screens, but they can hardly reveal the secret.
Another message that appeared on the pages of the Daily Telegraph indicates a find made in Chester, twenty-five kilometers southeast of Liverpool. The leading British historian Chris Gidlow, who led the excavations, believes that with a high degree of probability it can be argued that the artifacts he discovered are fragments of the legendary Camelot. However, the British sober in their judgments repeat their usual phrase in such cases: "It is too good to be true."