The Legend of King Arthur: From Birth to Avalon
Chapter 1 – The Coming of Arthur
The army of Uther attacked Tingatel Castle. Uther’s army sat outside the castle and waited for the defenders to run out of food. Merlin changed the shape of Uther’s face so Uther could enter Tingatel Castle. Uther promised to give Merlin his first son. King Gorlois died in the battle. Igrayne became Uther’s wife. Igrayne gave birth to a son. That night, Merlin came to the castle and took the boy, named him Arthur, and went away with him. Igrayne grieved all night and all day. Slowly, her sadness and pain drove her mad. She ran to the western walks of the castle and threw herself into the sea. Uther took Morgana to a nunnery. Uther died when his enemies poisoned his wine. For fifteen years, there was no king in the south.
One night, Merlin came secretly to Winchester and spoke to the archbishop to call people to come to the cathedral on Sunday. The people saw in the field, near the church, a stone with a sword standing in it. Words were written on it: “The man who pulls this sword from the stone is the true king of all Britain.”
Chapter 2 – The Sword in the Stone
Sir Ector was an old knight. He came to Winchester with his sons: Kay and Arthur. Arthur had fair hair. He was tall and strong. He was sixteen. Arthur said to Kay, “I will fetch your sword and bring it to you.” Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and took it to his brother. But Sir Ector said, “Arthur, this sword does not belong to you. Put it back in the stone. The sword belongs to the true king.”
Three months later, Arthur was crowned king. Sir Ector said, “Arthur, you are the true king of all the land and I am your servant. You must know the truth. I’m not your father. Merlin brought you to me more than fifteen years ago. Arthur’s parents were Uther and Igrayne.”
Chapter 3 – Excalibur
The Sword of Right was a symbol that Arthur was king. The Sword of Might was a battle sword. The sword which Arthur drew from the stone was called the Stone of the Lake. Arthur knew that he must return the sword when he saw the lake again. Arthur fought with his knights for six long years. Arthur became king of the whole country, which he called the kingdom of Logres. Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table lived in Camelot Castle.
Chapter 4 – Queen Guinevere
Many knights joined King Arthur at Camelot. Three of them would always be remembered: Sir Bedivere, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Gawain. The knights sat in special seats at the table in Camelot Castle. The empty seat was called the Siege Perilous. Arthur, Merlin, and Gawain stopped at King Leodogran’s castle. He welcomed them. Guinevere, King Leodogran’s daughter, was tall and beautiful, and her hair was golden. When Arthur saw Guinevere, he looked at no one else. Arthur said, “I shall marry Guinevere in the spring.” King Leodogran said, “I will give Caerleon Castle to you and my daughter as a wedding gift.” Merlin and Nimue spoke to each other by magic or telepathy.
Chapter 5 – Merlin and Nimue
Merlin and Nimue were always together. They used magic to speak together without words. They met Morgana Le Fay in Glastonbury, the daughter of Gorlois and Igrayne, and Arthur’s half-sister. Morgana and Nimue conspired with Merlin; they took more and more of the magician’s power, and Merlin gradually became old and weak. Arthur must rule alone and not rely on Merlin’s magic or prophecies. Merlin said to him, “You must rule without my help.” Lancelot and Guinevere liked each other. Morgana hated Merlin and Arthur because Arthur’s father put her in a nunnery and Merlin took Arthur away from Igrayne, causing her to throw herself into the sea.
Morgana cast spells: she made Guinevere sleep and dream of Lancelot. She made herself look like Guinevere. Then she went to Arthur’s bedroom, lay with him, and said, “I’ll have a son.” Merlin was ill and weak. Morgana and Nimue led him to the forest, to an oak tree. He stepped into the tree. There he slept and dreamed of the world outside.
Chapter 6 – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Green Knight challenged the Knights of the Round Table to strike him with his own axe. Sir Gawain made a bargain with the Green Knight. He agreed to strike at the Green Knight first. Then, after one year, he would go to the castle of the Green Knight, where the Green Knight would strike at Gawain. This was a terrible bargain, as the Green Knight did not die. The Green Knight’s lady gave Gawain a small green ribbon. This was a sign to her lord that Sir Gawain was an honorable knight and shouldn’t be killed.
Chapter 7 – The Chapel Perilous
A sorceress cursed Sir Meliot: Sir Meliot’s wound couldn’t be healed except by a cloth from the Chapel Perilous, and no man could enter the Chapel Perilous and live (except Lancelot). Lancelot cut the chains to make shields fall down on the knights to help them escape from the dead knights in the Chapel Perilous. The sorceress cursed Elaine so that she could not look at a man and live, but she saw the face of Lancelot and died.
Chapter 8 – Tristan and Iseult
Queen Isaud was the powerful healer from Ireland, and she helped Tristan. Tristan taught Iseult how to play and sing. Tristan killed the dragon. The importance of the love potion was this: Queen Isaud intended for Iseult and King Mark to drink the love potion on their wedding day so they would love each other forever. Tristan and Iseult never stopped loving each other. Iseult of the White Hands was the name of Tristan’s wife. Iseult of the White Hands told Tristan that she saw a black sail on the ship because she was jealous of the love between Iseult the Fair and her husband.
Chapter 9 – Percival and Lancelot
Percival went to Caerleon to see the king’s court. The Red Knight took the cup from Sir Kay’s hand, left the hall, and rode away. Percival mounted a horse and rode after the Red Knight. Gawain and Gareth rode after Percival. Percival killed the Red Knight, picked up the golden cup, and because of this, he became a knight. The hermit said, “That is the Dolorous Tower. The lady is a prisoner in that tower.” The lady said, “I am the Lady Blanchefleur. I was a prisoner of Queen Morgana Le Fay. She is an enemy of my father, who lives in Castle Carbonek.” While Lancelot and Percival were eating, they heard the sound of music. Then three women came into the hall. They were dressed in white. The first one carried a spear; the second, a dish; and the third carried a cup of white light. King Pelles said, “It is a vision of the Holy Grail.”
Lancelot and Blanchefleur stayed together, and Lancelot gave Blanchefleur a son.
Chapter 10 – The Siege Perilous
The Siege Perilous was a chair at the Round Table on which no man might sit. Galahad was the son of Lancelot by Blanchefleur. Mordred was the son of Arthur by Morgana. Arthur didn’t know that Morgana was his half-sister. No man had dared to sit in the Siege Perilous for twenty-four years. But now Galahad sat in the chair. There was a second vision of the Holy Grail in the hall of Camelot Castle. Mordred was unworthy. King Arthur said, “Seek the Grail for the honor of Logres and the Glory of God.”
Chapter 11 – The Quest for the Holy Grail
Mordred didn’t go on the quest because he stayed to learn everything about the secrets of the palace. King Pelles was carried by the five knights to the Chapel of the Grail. Lancelot couldn’t enter the Grail Chapel because he was not worthy or pure enough. Percival married Blanchefleur and became King of Carbonek. They had a son called Lohengrin. Galahad drank from the cup and was bathed in light. He prayed and then, as the others watched, Galahad rose up into the light.
Chapter 12 – The Breaking of the Round Table
Morgana put a spell on the secret garden in the forest because she wanted Lancelot and Guinevere to fall asleep in the secret garden so that Mordred could fetch Arthur to see them together. Arthur didn’t kill Lancelot when he found him with Guinevere because he should not draw the sword Excalibur in anger. Guinevere went to a nunnery and became a nun (taking Excalibur with her), and Lancelot became a hermit. Guinevere gave Excalibur to Arthur when he needed it for a battle. Merlin appeared in Arthur, Morgana, and Lancelot’s dreams. Lancelot helped Arthur’s men. Morgana spoke words of great power. It was the spell that gave her the breath of the dragon. She killed some men, including Lancelot. As Morgana died, she breathed fire and burned. Arthur drove his sword Excalibur into the body of Mordred and killed him. But before he fell, Mordred swung his axe and struck King Arthur on the head.
Chapter 13 – The Passing of Arthur
Sir Bedivere didnt want to cast Excalibur into the lake because he was afraid that no one would remember Arthur if Excalibur was lost. Sir Bedivere did what Arthur told him. Arthur went to Avalon, which in as isle of rest. Arthur said to Sir Bedivere: You shall travel trough the world. You should tell story of the Knights of the Round Table. The stories shall be told until the ending of the world.