The
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the list of legendary kings of Britain, legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It ...
stories, focusing on
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
, are one of the most popular literary subjects of all time, and have been adapted numerous times in every form of media. This list enumerates some of the notable works.
Modern literature
* Adam Ardrey: ''
Finding Merlin
''Finding Merlin: The Truth Behind The Legend'' is a 2007 book by Scottish advocate Adam Ardrey, in which he puts forward the theory that Merlin was a Scottish druid, politician and scholar. The book claims that Merlin was born in 540 CE in Cadzow ...
'' (2007)
*
A. A. Attanasio
Alfred Angelo Attanasio, born on September 20, 1951, in Newark, New Jersey, is an author of fantasy and science fiction. His science fiction novel ''Radix'', winner of the French literary award, the Prix Cosmos 2000, was also nominated for th ...
: ''The Dragon and the Unicorn'' (1994), ''The Eagle and the Sword'' (1997), ''The Wolf and the Crown'' (1998), and ''The Serpent and the Grail'' (1999)
*
T. A. Barron
Thomas Archibald Barron (born March 26, 1952) is an American writer of fantasy literature, books for children and young adults, and nature books.
Biography
Barron spent his early childhood in Harvard, Massachusetts, a town full of apple orcha ...
: ''The Merlin Saga'', about the life of
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
(1996-2011).
*
Donald Barthelme
Donald Barthelme (April 7, 1931 – July 23, 1989) was an American short story writer and novelist known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the ''Houston Post'', was managing ...
: ''The King'' (1990), in which Arthurian characters fight in WWII and the atomic bomb has characteristics of the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
.
*
and
J.S. Lewis: ''
The Revenge of the Shadow King'' (2006) reveals an alternate history of Arthur who was betrayed and murdered by his half-sister
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
, who is portrayed as an evil immortal being known as the Black Witch, for possession of a sacred book which had been passed down father-to-son for thousands of years. In this case, Arthur was betrayed when he refused to pass the book on to his illegitimate son. The book was passed to Arthur's true son, and from Arthur's son came the
Knights Templar
, colors = White mantle with a red cross
, colors_label = Attire
, march =
, mascot = Two knights riding a single horse
, equipment ...
.
*
Thomas Berger: ''
Arthur Rex
''Arthur Rex: A Legendary Novel'' is a 1978 novel by American author Thomas Berger. Berger offers his own take on the legends of King Arthur, from the heroic monarch's inauspicious conception, to his childhood in bucolic Wales, his rise to the ...
'' (1978) is a tragicomic retelling of the Arthurian legend.
*
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels, and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel ''The Mists of Avalon'' an ...
: ''
The Mists of Avalon
''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (Mo ...
'' (1983) is the classic of modern reinterpretations of the Arthurian legend through the points of view of powerful women behind Camelot, namely Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and Morgause.
*
Gillian Bradshaw
Gillian Marucha Bradshaw (born May 14, 1956) is an American writer of historical fiction, historical fantasy, children's literature, science fiction, and contemporary science-based novels, who lives in Britain. Her serious historical novels are oft ...
: The ''Down the Long Wind'' trilogy ''
Hawk of May'' (1980), ''
Kingdom of Summer
''Kingdom of Summer'' is the second book in a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Gillian Bradshaw. The novel tells of the ascendancy of King Arthur and the planting of the seeds of his downfall. The tale is recounted by Rhys ap Sion, a Dumnoni ...
'' (1982), and ''
In Winter's Shadow'' (also 1982) looks at the
King Arthur legend through the eyes of a
classical scholar
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
.
*
James Herbert Brennan
James Herbert "Herbie" Brennan (born Ireland, 5 July 1940) is a lecturer and the author of over 100 fiction and non-fiction books for adults, teens, and children.
Biography
Brennan's '' Man, Myth & Magic'' was published by Yaquinto Publicati ...
: The ''
GrailQuest
GrailQuest is a series of gamebooks by J. H. Brennan. The books are illustrated by John Higgins. The stories follow the adventures of a young hero named Pip, who is often called upon by Merlin to right wrongs and save the realm from evil. The ser ...
'' (1984–87)
gamebook
A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...
s center on the kingdom of King Arthur.
*
Sallie Bridges
Sarah Bridges Stebbins, a Philadelphian better known under the pen name Sallie Bridges (1830-1910), was an American poet, best known today for her adaptations of Arthurian legend.
Writing career
Bridges's ''Marble Isle'' (1864) is a collection of ...
(1830-1910): ''Marble Isle'' (1864) is a collection of poems based on episodes in Malory.
*
Bryher
Bryher ( kw, Breyer "place of hills") is one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly, with a population of 84 in 2011, spread across .
History
The name of the island is recorded as ''Brayer'' in 1336 and ''Brear'' in 1500.
Ge ...
: ''Ruan'' (1960) is a historical novel in Britain immediately after Arthur's death.
*
Meg Cabot
Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted by W ...
: ''
Avalon High
''Avalon High'' is a young adult novel by Meg Cabot, published in 2005.
Plot
Ellie Harrison has just moved to Annapolis, Maryland. Her new school, Avalon High, seems like a typical high school with the stereotypical students: Lance the Jock ( ...
'' (2005) is a novel in which high school students find themselves to be reincarnations of characters from the
Arthurian cycle
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Western ...
.
*
Mark Chadbourn
Mark Chadbourn is an English fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and horror author with more than a dozen novels (and one non-fiction book) published around the world.
Born in the English Midlands from a long line of coal miners. he g ...
: ''
The Age of Misrule'', ''
The Dark Age'' and ''
Kingdom of the Serpent'' trilogies (2000–09) take a modern twist of Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology, using them as a basis for a dark series of novels set in modern Britain, in which the Celtic gods return to take back the land.
*
Douglas Clegg
Douglas Clegg (born April 1, 1958) is an American horror and dark fantasy author, and a pioneer in the field of e-publishing. He maintains a strong Internet presence through his website.
Early life
Born in Alexandria, Virginia to a "family of ...
: ''
Mordred, Bastard Son'' (2006) centers on a sympathetic
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he ...
, who enters into a romance with
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
.
* Molly Cochran and
Warren Murphy
Warren Burton Murphy (September 13, 1933 – September 4, 2015) was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of '' The Destroyer'' series, the basis for the film '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins''.
Early life
Murphy was born in ...
: ''
The Forever King'' (1992) is a trilogy of books set in modern-day about a boy who is King Arthur reincarnated and his protector Hal, a former police officer who is the reincarnation of Galahad.
*
Susan Cooper
Susan Mary Cooper (born 23 May 1935) is an English author of children's books. She is best known for '' The Dark Is Rising'', a contemporary fantasy series set in England and Wales, which incorporates British mythology such as the Arthurian le ...
: ''
The Dark Is Rising Sequence
''The Dark Is Rising Sequence'' is a series of five contemporary fantasy novels for older children and young adults that were written by the British author Susan Cooper and published from 1965 to 1977. The first book in the series, ''Over Sea, ...
'' is a five volume young adult fantasy collection (1965–77).
* Cemaah (author): "
The Shadows Tetralogy" (2022-) is a four-volume series of which two are released about Mordred, with the latter as the protagonist.
*
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...
: ''
The Warlord Chronicles
''The Warlord Chronicles'' or ''The Warlord Trilogy'' is a series of three novels about Arthurian Sub-Roman Britain, Britain written by Bernard Cornwell. The story is written as a mixture of historical fiction and Arthurian legend. The books were ...
'' (1995–97) consist of three novels, ''Winter King'', ''Enemy of God'', and ''Excalibur'', and reintroduce many old characters into the tale.
*
Kevin Crossley-Holland
Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (born 7 February 1941) is an English translator, children's author and poet. His best known work is probably the Arthur trilogy (2000–2003), for which he won the Guardian Prize and other recognition.
Cros ...
: ''
The Seeing Stone
''The Seeing Stone'', or ''Arthur: The Seeing Stone'', is a historical novel for children or young adults, written by Kevin Crossley-Holland and published by Orion in 2000, the first book of the Arthur trilogy (2000 to 2003). Set primarily i ...
'' (2000), ''At the Crossing-Places'' (2001), and ''King of the Middle-March'' (2003).
*
Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
: ''Knight'' trilogy depicts Arthur reappearing in the modern-day world. In the first novel, ''
Knight Life
''Knight Life'' (), is an Arthurian fantasy novel by American writer Peter David. The book was first published in 1987, and an expanded, updated edition of the book was published by Ace Books in 2002.David, Peter; Foreword to the 2002 version of ...
'' (1987), Arthur emerges from his thousand-year convalescence that followed the wound he sustained from Mordred to run for mayor of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. In
One Knight Only' (2003), he faces another epic hero for possession of the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
. In
Fall of Knight' (2006), the villain Arthur encounters is a person from actual history, who possesses the
Spear of Destiny
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...
, and wants to use it to destroy the Earth.
*
Bryan Davis: ''Dragons in Our Midst'' series (2004–05) & its sequels, ''Oracles Of Fire'' (2006–09), and ''Children of the Bard'' (2011-15)
* Mihir Dhawan: ''Knighthood: Order of Chivalry'' (2021)
*
David Drake
David A. Drake (born September 24, 1945) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now a writer in the military science fiction genre.
Biography
Drake graduated Phi ...
: ''
The Dragon Lord'' (1979), a somewhat unconventional story involving a "King Arthur" who is more great military general than quasi-enchanted king; it takes place shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire and long before the Age of Chivalry.
*
Robert W. Fuller
Robert Works Fuller (born 1936) is an American physicist, author, social reformer, and former president of Oberlin College.
Biography
Robert Fuller attended Oberlin College, leaving without graduating in order to earn his Ph.D. in physics at ...
: ''The Rowan Tree'' (2013), a
political novel
Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantast ...
that casts the Arthurian legend in a modern historical setting.
*
David Gemmell
David Andrew Gemmell (; 1 August 1948 – 28 July 2006) was a British author of heroic fantasy, best known for his debut novel, ''Legend''. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. H ...
: ''Ghost King (1988)'', ''Last Sword of Power (1988)'', The entire series deals with the Stones of Power, also known as the Sipstrassi. The first two books contain a re-imaging of the Arthurian legend.
*
Parke Godwin
Parke Godwin (January 28, 1929 – June 19, 2013) was an American writer. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 1982 for his story "The Fire When It Comes". He was a native of New York City, where he was born in 1929. He was the g ...
: ''
Firelord'' (1980), ''Beloved Exile'' (1984), and ''The Last Rainbow'' (1985)
*
Roger Lancelyn Green
Roger Gilbert Lancelyn Green (2 November 1918 – 8 October 1987) was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkie ...
: ''
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
''King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' is a retelling of the Arthurian legends, principally Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', by Roger Lancelyn Green. It was intended for a child audience. It was first published by Puffin Books ...
'' (1953)
* Erik Hildinger: ''Quirinius, Brittania’s Last Roman'' (2021), a novel in which the Arthur character is a portrayed as a late Roman aristocrat fighting to protect the remains Roman culture against Saxons, Scots and the lassitude of his fellow Romanized provincials.
*
Robert Holdstock
Robert Paul Holdstock (2 August 1948 – 29 November 2009) was an English novelist and author best known for his works of Celts, Celtic, Nordic countries, Nordic, Goths, Gothic and Picts, Pictish fantasy literature, predominantly in the fanta ...
: The Merlin Codex series (2001–07) is a trilogy of
mythic fiction
Mythic fiction is literature that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes, and symbolism of myth, legend, folklore, and fairy tales. The term is widely credited to Charles de Lint and Terri Windling. Mythic fic ...
novels which trace Merlin's adventures in Europe before the time of King Arthur, placing him alongside
Jason and the Argonauts and
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon (Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur.
A few m ...
.
*
Helen Hollick: ''
Pendragon's Banner'' trilogy (1994–97)
*
Kazuo Ishiguro
Sir Kazuo Ishiguro ( ; born 8 November 1954) is a British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five.
He is one of the most cr ...
: ''
The Buried Giant
''The Buried Giant'' is a fantasy fiction, fantasy novel by the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro, published in March 2015.
The novel follows an elderly Celtic Britons, Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice ...
'' (2015), set in Britain after Arthur's death.
*
Phyllis Ann Karr
Phyllis Ann Karr (born July 25, 1944) is an American author of fantasy, Romance novel, romances, Mystery (fiction), mysteries, and non-fiction. She is best known for her "Frostflower and Thorn" series and Arthurian works.
Life and family
Karr w ...
: ''
The Idylls of the Queen
''The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere'' is a 1982 fantasy mystery novel set in the framework of the King Arthur myths written by American author Phyllis Ann Karr. It was first published in paperback by Ace Books in June 1982, and re ...
'' (1982)
*
Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Jus ...
: ''
The Fionavar Tapestry
''The Fionavar Tapestry'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, published between 1984 and 1986. The novels are partly set in our own contemporary world, but mostly in the fictional world of Fionavar. It is the stor ...
'' (1984–86) is the continuation of the Camelot story in the framework of a wider epic.
*
J. Robert King: ''Mad Merlin'' (2000), ''Lancelot Du Lethe'' (2001), and ''Le Morte D'Avalon'' (2003) is the retelling of the Arthurian legend from the perspectives of Merlin and Lancelot rather than on the usual Arthur. King weaves his tale by combining bits of folklore and mythology with both sheer invention and historical fact. Merlin is actually the god Jupiter.
*
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
: ''
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah'' (2004) reveals that the hero of King's spaghetti-western/fantasy/sci-fi magnum opus adventure series, Roland, is one of only two of King Arthur's surviving descendants. The version of Arthur in Roland's world is known as Arthur Eld, and was the founder of the order of Gunslingers, knightly warriors who wield
revolver
A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
pistols in the name of justice; Eld's own guns were reportedly forged from the metal of
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
itself.
*
James Knowles: ''The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights'' (1860)
*
Giles Kristian
Giles Kristian (born 1975) is an English novelist, known for his action adventure novels in the historical fiction genre. He is best known for his ''Raven'' series, about a young man's coming of age amongst a band of Viking warriors. His first no ...
: ''Lancelot'' (2018) and its sequel, ''Camelot'' (2020) are historical re-imagining of the Arthur myths, told from the perspective of Lancelot.
*
Sidney Lanier
Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...
: ''The Boy's King Arthur'' (1880) is a work based on
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of '' Le Morte d' ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...
'', written in such a way to appeal to the boys of the 19th century.
*
Stephen R. Lawhead
Stephen R. Lawhead (born 2 July 1950) is a UK-based American writer known for his works of fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, particularly Celtic historical fiction. He has written over 28 novels and numerous children's and non- ...
: ''
The Pendragon Cycle
The Pendragon Cycle is a series of historical fantasy books based on Arthurian legend, written by Stephen R. Lawhead. The cycle was originally planned as a four-book series, but the original publisher opted to stop after the first three books, re ...
'' (1987-1999), a more thorough examination of the myths, especially concerning
Taliesin
Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the '' Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...
,
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
,
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
,
Pendragon
Pendragon or ( wlm, pen dreic, ''pen dragon''; composed of Welsh , 'head, chief, top' and / ''dragon'', 'dragon; warrior'; borrowed from the Latin word , plural , 'dragon , br, Penn Aerouant) literally means 'chief dragon' or 'head dragon', but ...
, and the
Grail
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was an American lunar science mission in NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure. The two small spacecraf ...
.
*
C.S. Lewis
CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to:
Job titles
* Chief Secretary (Hong Kong)
* Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces
* Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...
: ''
That Hideous Strength
''That Hideous Strength: A Modern Fairy-Tale for Grown-Ups'' is a 1945 novel by C. S. Lewis, the final book in Lewis's theological science fiction Space Trilogy. The events of this novel follow those of '' Out of the Silent Planet'' and '' Pere ...
'' (1945) makes reference to Arthur and aspects of Arthurian legend, albeit with his own twist, in the final installment of his
Space Trilogy
''The Space Trilogy'' or ''Cosmic Trilogy'' is a series of science fiction novels by C. S. Lewis. The trilogy consists of ''Out of the Silent Planet'' (1938), '' Perelandra'' (1943), and '' That Hideous Strength'' (1945). A philologist named ...
.
*
Bernard Malamud
Bernard Malamud (April 26, 1914 – March 18, 1986) was an American novelist and short story writer. Along with Saul Bellow, Joseph Heller, and Philip Roth, he was one of the best known American Jewish authors of the 20th century. His baseba ...
: ''
The Natural
''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story mo ...
'' (1952), a modern reinterpretation of the
Fisher King
The Fisher King is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him incapable and hi ...
story, centered around a baseball team known as the New York Knights. Also a
1984 film.
*
John Masefield
John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels ''The Midnight Folk'' and ''The Box of Delights'', and the poem ...
: A cycle of poetry concerning the Arthurian legend. (Edwardian-Post WWII)
*
Nancy McKenzie
Nancy Affleck McKenzie (February 19, 1948) is an American author of historical fiction. Her primary focus is Arthurian legend.
Publishing career
McKenzie published ''The Child Queen'' in 1994, and its sequel, ''The High Queen'', a year later. ' ...
: ''
Queen of Camelot
''Queen of Camelot'' is an Arthurian-legend based novel shown through the viewpoint of Queen Guinevere. It is a combination of two of Nancy McKenzie's previous books ''The Child Queen'' and ''The High Queen''. She states in the foreword that she o ...
'' (2002), where Guinevere gives a first-hand account of her life, ''
Grail Prince
Grail Prince, a 2003 novel by American author Nancy McKenzie written in the tradition of Arthurian legends, recounts a version of Galahad's quest for the Holy Grail. The novel is a sequel to McKenzie's ''Queen of Camelot'' (2002).
Plot summary
Be ...
'' (2003), set directly after Arthur's death at Camlann, and ''Prince of Dreams'' (2004)
*
Rosalind Miles: ''Guenevere Trilogy'' is a fictional trilogy that follows Guenevere and King Arthur through their reign as High King and Queen.
*
Richard Monaco: ''Parsifal, A Knight's Tale'' is the first of a series set in Arthur's court. Just about all the characters are unsympathetic, and Arthur is a ruthless, brutal killer.
*
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo (''né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytellin ...
: ''Arthur, High King of Britain'' (1994)
*
Gerald Morris
Gerald Morris (October 29, 1963
Excerpt from '' Something About the Author'' at highbeam.com– ) is an American ...
: The Squire's Tales and The Knight's Tales are collections for teen readers based in the Middle Ages.
*
Garth Nix
Garth Richard Nix (born 19 July 1963) is an Australian writer who specialises in children's and young adult fantasy novels, notably the ''Old Kingdom'', '' Seventh Tower'' and '' Keys to the Kingdom'' series. He has frequently been asked if his ...
: Contained in Nix's collection ''Across the Wall'' are two stories that present a different take on the
Arthurian legends
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Western ...
: "Under the Lake", a short story that portrays the Lady of the Lake as a parasitic, monstrous creature, and "Heart's Desire", which tells of Merlin and his apprentice Nimue, and the ultimately doomed relationship between them.
*
Robert Nye
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, hono ...
: ''Merlin'', which gives a paganistic view of Merlin's intrigues to make Arthur king.
*
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels ''Last Call (novel), Last Call'' and ''Declare''. ...
: ''
The Drawing of the Dark
''The Drawing of the Dark'' is a historical fantasy novel by Tim Powers published in 1979 by Del Rey Books.
Plot summary
The year is 1529, and Brian Duffy, a world-weary Irish mercenary soldier, is hired in Venice by the mysterious Aurelianus to ...
'' depicts an eternal King Arthur reincarnated to participate in the
Siege of Vienna.
*
John Cowper Powys
John Cowper Powys (; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English philosopher, lecturer, novelist, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...
: ''
Porius (A Romance of the Dark Ages)
''Porius: A Romance of the Dark Ages'' is a 1951 historical romance by John Cowper Powys. Set in the Dark Ages during a week of autumn 499 AD, this novel is, in part, a bildungsroman, with the adventures of the eponymous protagonist Porius, heir ...
'' (1951).
*
Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.
In 1894, he began ...
: ''
King Arthur and His Knights of The Round Table
''King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' is a retelling of the Arthurian legends, principally Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', by Roger Lancelyn Green. It was intended for a child audience. It was first published by Puffin Books ...
'' (1903)
*
Mary Reed and
Eric Mayer: The historical mystery ''
One for Sorrow'' has the protagonist
John, the Lord Chamberlain meeting with a Knight of the Round Table who comes to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
in search of the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
.
*
Philip Reeve
Philip Reeve (born 28 February 1966) is a British author and illustrator of children's books, primarily known for the 2001 book '' Mortal Engines'' and its sequels (the 2001 to 2006 '' Mortal Engines Quartet''). His 2007 novel, '' Here Lies Art ...
: ''
Here Lies Arthur'' tells of a more tyrannical Arthur in the time of the Dark Ages.
*
Lisa Ann Sandell
Lisa Ann Sandell is an American author of young adult novels. She has written and published three books, ''A Map of the Known World'', '' Song of the Sparrow'' and ''The Weight of the Sky''.
Biography
Before she published her first book, Sande ...
: ''
Song of the Sparrow'', a retelling of the story of Elaine of Ascolat, the
Lady of Shalott
"The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the 19th-century English poet Alfred Tennyson and one of his best-known works. Inspired by the 13th-century Italian short prose text '' Donna di Scalotta'', the poem tells the tragic story of Elain ...
.
*Jacob Sannox: The Return of King Arthur consists of ''The Ravenmaster's Revenge'' (2019), ''Agravain's Escape'' (2020) and ''Tristan's Regret'' (TBC). The series is set in various time periods including Arthur's original reign, that of the Tudors and Stuarts, and from the 17th century (the time of Arthur's
messianic return) up until the present day.
*
Jack Spicer
Jack Spicer (January 30, 1925 – August 17, 1965) was an American poet often identified with the San Francisco Renaissance. In 2009, ''My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer'' won the American Book Award for poetry. H ...
: ''The Holy Grail'', a series of poems spoken by various Arthurian characters (1962).
*
Nancy Springer
Nancy Springer (born July 5, 1948) is an American author of fantasy, young adult literature, mystery, and science fiction. Her novel ''Larque on the Wing'' won the Tiptree Award in 1994. She also received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers ...
: ''I am Mordred'' and ''I am Morgan le Fay'' are two young adult novels about the two often misunderstood characters of Camelot.
*
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
: ''
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
''The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights'' (1976) is John Steinbeck's retelling of the Arthurian legend, based on the Winchester Manuscript text of Sir Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur''. He began his adaptation in November 1956. Stei ...
'' is a traditional take in modern language. Steinbeck also compared the adventures of the ''paisanos'' in his early novel ''
Tortilla Flat
''Tortilla Flat'' (1935) is an early John Steinbeck novel set in Monterey, California. The novel was the author's first clear critical and commercial success.
The book portrays a group of 'paisanos'—literally, countrymen—a small band of err ...
'' to the exploits of Arthur's knights.
*
Sara Hawks Sterling: ''
A Lady of King Arthur's Court''
*
Mary Stewart: ''
The Crystal Cave
''The Crystal Cave'' is a 1970 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. The first in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, it is followed by '' The Hollow Hills''.
Plot introduction
The protagonist of this story is a boy named Myrddin Emrys ...
'' sets up the background for the Arthurian legend. ''
The Hollow Hills'' encompasses most of Arthur's lifespan, including his childhood with Merlin as his tutor. ''
The Last Enchantment
''The Last Enchantment'' is a 1979 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. It is the third in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, preceded by '' The Hollow Hills'' and succeeded by ''The Wicked Day''.
Plot introduction
The protagonist of ...
'' deals with Merlin's later life, against the continued background of Arthur's rule. A later book, ''
The Wicked Day
''The Wicked Day'' is the fourth novel in Mary Stewart's treatment of Arthurian legend. It was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1983. It is preceded in the pentalogy by '' The Last Enchantment'' (1979), and succeeded by '' The Prince and the ...
'', was written from the point of view of Mordred in the latter period of Arthur's rule, and provides an interesting counterpoint to the original three novels.
*
Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novel ...
: ''
The Lantern Bearers'' (1959), ''
Sword at Sunset
''Sword at Sunset'' is a best-selling 1963 novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. One of her few historical novels written specifically for adults, it is her interpretation of the legend of King Arthur.
This is the first novel that Sutcliff wrote using a ...
'' (1963), ''
Tristan and Iseult
Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...
'' (1971); ''The King Arthur Trilogy'' (2007), an omnibus edition of Sutclff's Arthurian Trilogy: ''
The Light Beyond the Forest'' (1979), ''
The Sword and the Circle'' (1981), and ''
The Road to Camlann'' (1981); ''The Shining Company'' (1990), a retelling of the ''
Y Gododdin
''Y Gododdin'' () is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Brittonic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a p ...
'', which contains the earliest mention of Arthur's name. In ''Taliesin's Successors: Interviews with authors of modern Arthurian literature'', The Camelot Project at the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees.
The University of Roc ...
(August 1986),
Raymond H. Thompson Raymond H. Thompson is a Canadian scholar of medieval literature specializing in King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, and in the reinterpretation of this material in modern literature. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of English at Aca ...
described these seven works by Sutcliff as "some of the finest contemporary recreations of the Arthurian story".
*
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...
: ''
Idylls of the King
''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a Literature cycle, cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knig ...
''
*
Lavie Tidhar
Lavie Tidhar ( he, לביא תדהר; born 16 November 1976) is an Israeli-born writer, working across multiple genres. He has lived in the United Kingdom and South Africa for long periods of time, as well as Laos and Vanuatu. As of 2013, Tid ...
: ''By Force Alone'' (2020)
*
J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
: ''
The Fall of Arthur
''The Fall of Arthur'' is an unfinished poem by J. R. R. Tolkien that is concerned with the legend of King Arthur. A posthumous first edition of the poem was published by HarperCollins in May 2013.
The poem is alliterative, extending to nearl ...
'' is an unfinished poem, posthumously published in 2013.
*
Nikolai Tolstoy:''
The Coming of the King
''The Coming of the King: The First Book of Merlin'' is a 1988 historical fantasy novel by Nikolai Tolstoy drawing upon Arthurian legend and more broadly, Celtic and Germanic mythology. The novel is the first in an as-yet unfinished trilogy.
T ...
'' - part one of an unfinished trilogy, dealing with Merlin and various Arthurian characters.
*
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
: ''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...
''
*
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names.
...
: The ''
Lyonesse Trilogy
The ''Lyonesse Trilogy'' is a group of three fantasy novels by Jack Vance, set in the European Dark Ages, in the mythical Elder Isles west of France and southwest of Britain, a generation or two before the birth of King Arthur. The stories cont ...
'', set before Arthur's time on the Elder Isles, a fictional archipelago inspired by the tales of
Lyonesse
Lyonesse is a kingdom which, according to legend, consisted of a long strand of land stretching from Land's End at the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England, to what is now the Isles of Scilly in the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean. I ...
,
Ys, and other lost lands associated with Arthurian legend.
*
Kiersten White
Kiersten White is an American author of fiction for children and young adults. Her first book, '' Paranormalcy'', was published by HarperCollins in 2009.
Early life
White was born in Utah in 1983 and graduated in 2004 from Brigham Young Univer ...
: The ''Camelot Rising'' trilogy, which consists of ''The Guinevere Deception'', ''The Camelot Betrayal'' and ''The Excalibur Curse''. The story is presented as the real Guinevere having died before reaching Camelot to wed Arthur. Taking her place is a changeling, Merlin's adoptive daughter, who could be exiled should her magic nature be revealed.
*
T. H. White
Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...
: ''
The Once and Future King
''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work '' Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...
'' cycle
*
Jack Whyte
Jack Whyte (March 15, 1940February 22, 2021) was a Scottish-Canadian novelist of historical fiction. Born and raised in Scotland, he moved to Canada in 1967. He resided in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Early life
Whyte was born in Scotland on Mar ...
: ''
The Camulod Chronicles
''A Dream of Eagles'' is a historical novel series written by the Canadian author Jack Whyte. It was published in the United States as the ''Camulod Chronicles''.
The novels are a rendition of the Arthurian legend that attempt to propose a possi ...
'', a series of books containing more historical fiction than fantasy beginning with Roman Britain and leading through Arthur's reign.
*
Joan Wolf
Joan Wolf (born 1951 in Bronx, New York) is an American writer of romance novels.
Wolf grew up in the Bronx, New York. She obtained a bachelor's degree in Mercy College (New York), Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature i ...
: ''
The Road to Avalon'' (1988)
*
Persia Woolley
Persia Woolley (November 8, 1935 – October 3, 2017) was an American author, perhaps best known for her Guinevere trilogy. She also has written a number of works on writing, such as ''How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction'' (2000).
Wo ...
: ''
Child of the Northern Spring'', ''
Queen of the Summer Stars
''Queen of the Summer Stars'' is a 1991 novel by Persia Woolley and is the second volume of the Guinevere trilogy that relate the Arthurian legend from the perspective of Guinevere. The novel introduces Lancelot and also outlines King Arthur's vic ...
'', and ''
Guinevere: The Legend in Autumn''
Theatre
Musical theatre
*''King Arthur'' by
Laurence Binyon
Robert Laurence Binyon, CH (10 August 1869 – 10 March 1943) was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. Born in Lancaster, England, his parents were Frederick Binyon, a clergyman, and Mary Dockray. He studied at St Paul's School, London ...
, with music by
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
(1923)
*''King Arthur'' by
D. G. Bridson, with music by
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
(1937)
*''
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...
'' by
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...
and
Frederick Loewe
Frederick Loewe (, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988) was an Austrian-United States, American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including ''Br ...
(1960). It is based on the
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
legend as adapted from the
T. H. White
Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...
novel ''
The Once and Future King
''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work '' Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...
''. Originally starring
Richard Burton
Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...
as Arthur,
Julie Andrews
Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
as Guinevere, and introducing
Robert Goulet
Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...
as Lancelot. The original cast album of the show was a particular favorite of then-President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
, and the "Camelot" metaphor has been often associated with his presidency. ''
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...
'', the movie, was filmed in 1967, with
Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in ''This Sporting ...
as
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
,
Vanessa Redgrave
Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, two ...
as
Guenevere
Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First men ...
, and
Franco Nero
Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...
as
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
.
*''
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
'', a musical, with concept by
illusionist
Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...
Doug Henning
Douglas James Henning (May 3, 1947 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.
Early life
Henning was born in the Fort Garry district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and began practising magic at Oakenw ...
and Barbara De Angelis, written by
Richard Levinson
Richard Leighton Levinson (August 7, 1934 – March 12, 1987) was an American screenwriter and Television producer, producer who often worked in collaboration with William Link.
Life and career
Levinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. H ...
and
William Link
William Theodore Link (December 15, 1933 – December 27, 2020) was an American film and television screenwriter and producer who often worked in collaboration with Richard Levinson.
Biography Early life
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ...
, with music (and
incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...
) by
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...
and lyrics by
Don Black (1983)
*''
Spamalot
''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''.
Like the motion picture ...
'', by
John Du Prez
John Du Prez (born Trevor Jones; 14 December 1946) is a British musician, conductor and composer. He was a member of the 1980s salsa-driven pop band Modern Romance and has since written several film scores including ''Oxford Blues'' (1984), '' ...
and
Eric Idle
Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
, with lyrics and book by Eric Idle (2004). Adapted from the film ''
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' is a 1975 British comedy film satirizing the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) an ...
'' by
Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...
. It won the 2004–2005
Tony Award for Best Musical
The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical play, musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The awa ...
. Starring
Tim Curry
Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...
as King Arthur.
*''
La Légende du roi Arthur
La Légende du roi Arthur is a French-language musical comedy written by Dove Attia that premiered in Paris in September 2015. The show then toured through France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
Synopsis
The show opens with Merlin gathering the people ...
'' by
Dove Attia
Jules Dove Attia (Arabic: جول دوف عطية) better known as Dove Attia (born in Tunisia on 8 June 1957) is a musical producer television personality.
Beginnings
Dove Attia is a French citizen born to a Tunisian father who was an electrici ...
, a French musical comedy that premiered in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 2015.
Straight plays
* ''The Island of the Mighty'', an Arthurian trilogy by
John Arden
John Arden (26 October 1930 – 28 March 2012) was an English playwright who at his death was lauded as "one of the most significant British playwrights of the late 1950s and early 60s".
Career
Born in Barnsley, son of the manager of a glass f ...
and
Margaretta Ruth D'Arcy (1972), produced by the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
, Aldwych Theatre, which led to the creation of the Theatre Writers' Union
Verse plays
The Arthurian legend has proved a constant source of material for
verse dramatists. Several adaptations exist, most dealing with the love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. Some notable examples are:
Classical verse plays
*''
The Misfortunes of Arthur
''The Misfortunes of Arthur, Uther Pendragon's son reduced into tragical notes'' is a play by the 16th-century English dramatist Thomas Hughes. Written in 1587, it was performed at Greenwich before Queen Elizabeth I on February 28, 1588. The play ...
'' by
Sir Thomas Hughes (1587)
*''Vortigern: An Historical Tragedy in Five Acts'' by
W. H. Ireland
William Henry Ireland (1775–1835) was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories. Although he was apparently christened William-Henry, he was known a ...
(1799)
*''Tom Thumb the Great: A Burlesque Tragedy, in Two Acts Altered, from Fielding'' by
Kane O'Hara
Kane O'Hara (1711 or 1712 – 17 June 1782) was an Irish composer and playwright.
Biography
O'Hara was born at Templehouse, Connaught, Ireland, the second son of Kean O'Hara, high-sheriff of County Sligo. He graduated from Trinity College, Dubli ...
(1805)
*''King Arthur: Or, Launcelot the Loose, Gin-Ever the Square, and the Knights of the Round Table, and Other Furniture. A Burlesque Extravaganza'' by
W. M. Akhurst, with editing by Rosemary Paprock (1868)
*''The New King Arthur: An Opera Without Music'' by
Edgar Fawcett
Edgar Fawcett (May 26, 1847 – May 2, 1904) was an American novelist and poet.
Biography
Early life and education
Fawcett was born in New York City on May 26, 1847 and spent much of his life there. Educated at Columbia College, he obtained th ...
(1885)
*''The Marriage of Guinevere: A Tragedy'' by
Richard Hovey (1891)
*''The Quest of Merlin: A Prelude'' by
Richard Hovey (1891)
*''King Arthur'' by
J. Comyns Carr
Joseph William Comyns Carr (1 March 1849 – 12 December 1916), often referred to as J. Comyns Carr, was an English drama and art critic, gallery director, author, poet, playwright and theatre manager.
Beginning his career as an art critic, Car ...
, with music by
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...
(1895)
*''The Birth of Galahad'' by
Richard Hovey (1898)
*''Taliesin: A Masque'' by
Richard Hovey (1900)
*''Tristam & Iseult'' by
J. Comyns Carr
Joseph William Comyns Carr (1 March 1849 – 12 December 1916), often referred to as J. Comyns Carr, was an English drama and art critic, gallery director, author, poet, playwright and theatre manager.
Beginning his career as an art critic, Car ...
(1906)
*''Guenevere: A Play in Five Acts'' by
Stark Young
Stark Young (October 11, 1881 – January 6, 1963) was an American teacher, playwright, novelist, painter, literary critic, translator, and essayist.
Early life
Stark Young was born on October 11, 1881 in Como, Mississippi. His father, Alfre ...
(1906)
*''Mordred, A Tragedy in Five Acts'' by
Wilfred Cambell (1908)
Modern verse plays
*''The Tragedy of Arthur'' by
Arthur Phillips
Arthur Phillips (born April 23, 1969) is an American novelist. His books include ''Prague'' (2002), ''The Egyptologist'' (2004), ''Angelica'' (2007), ''The Song Is You'' (2009), '' The Tragedy of Arthur'' (2011), and ''The King at the Edge of the ...
(2011) produced b
Guerilla Shakespeare Projectin NYC
*''The Table Round'' and ''The Siege Perilous'' by
Emily C. A. Snyder
Emily C. A. Snyder (born September 10, 1977) is an American theatre maker, actor, and novelist. She is the co-founder and artistic director oTurn to Flesh Productions(TTF), a New York City theatre company, and the author of the Twelve Kingdoms ...
(2019) produced b
Turn to Flesh Productionsin NYC
Opera
*
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer.
Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...
: ''
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
'' (1691), libretto by
John Dryden
''
John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...
*
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
: ''
Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in Germany, German Arthurian literature. The son of Percival, Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which fi ...
'' (1848), libretto by composer
*
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
: ''
Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compose ...
'' (1865), libretto by composer
*
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
: ''
Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival'' ...
'' (1882), libretto by composer
*
Karl Goldmark
Karl Goldmark (born Károly Goldmark, Keszthely, 18 May 1830 – Vienna, 2 January 1915) was a Hungarian-born Viennese composer.Peter Revers, Michael Cherlin, Halina Filipowicz, Richard L. Rudolph The Great Tradition and Its Legacy 2004; , p. ...
: ''Merlin'' (1886), libretto by Siegfried Lipiner
*
Hubert Parry
Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 18487 October 1918) was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill in Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is b ...
: ''Guinevere'' (1886)
*
Amadeu Vives
Amadeu Vives i Roig (; 18 November 1871 – 2 December 1932) was a Spanish musical composer, creator of over a hundred stage works. He is best known for ''Doña Francisquita
''Doña Francisquita'' is a zarzuela in three acts composed by Ama ...
: ''Arthús'' (1895)
*
Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...
: ''
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
'' (1897–1902), intended to be the first of a trilogy, libretto by
Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer
Francis Burdett Thomas Nevill Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer (18 September 1852 – 8 June 1923) was a London solicitor, poet, librettist, and wealthy heir to the fortune of the Coutts banking family. He is now remembered chiefly as a patron ...
*
Ernest Chausson
Amédée-Ernest Chausson (; 20 January 1855 – 10 June 1899) was a French Romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish.
Life
Born in Paris into an affluent bourgeois family, Chausson was the sole surviving child of a ...
: ''Le roi Arthus'' (1903), libretto by composer
*Rutland Boughton: ''The Birth of Arthur'' (1909), libretto by Reginald Buckley
*Harrison Birtwistle: ''Gawain (opera), Gawain'' (1991), libretto by David Harsent
Film
English-language theatrical films
Relatively straightforward adaptations of the legends, reconstructed history, or modern Arthurian material.
Adaptations of the original Arthurian Legend
These films are generally based on
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the list of legendary kings of Britain, legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It ...
which are set in medieval time period and King Arthur's the main character.
* ''Adventures of Sir Galahad, The Adventures of Sir Galahad'' (1949), a film serial starring George Reeves, most known for playing Adventures of Superman (TV series), Superman, as Sir Galahad as he attempts to keep Excalibur safe from the evil Saxons and Merlin's magic with the help of Morgan La Fey.
* ''Knights of the Round Table (film), Knights of the Round Table'' (1953), a film based on ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...
,'' directed by Richard Thorpe with Robert Taylor (American actor), Robert Taylor as Lancelot, Ava Gardner as Guinevere, and Mel Ferrer in the role of Arthur.
*''The Black Knight (film), The Black Knight'' (1954), a film starring Alan Ladd as the titular Black Knight (Arthurian legend), Black Knight, a blacksmith named John who creates an alter ego to go after the men who are responsible for killing the mother of the woman he loves who are led by the traitorous Sir Palamides, played by Peter Cushing.
* ''Lancelot and Guinevere'' a.k.a. ''Sword of Lancelot'' (1963), a film directed by Cornel Wilde, who also stars as Lancelot, with Jean Wallace as Guinevere, and Brian Aherne as Arthur.
* ''Siege of the Saxons'' (1963), a British film inspired by the plot of Robin Hood in which King Arthur is killed by Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall, Edmund of Cornwall as he attempts to usurp Arthur's throne, but Arthur's daughter Katherine (played by Janette Scott) is able to escape with the help of a thieving archer named Robert Marshall who only steals from the rich (played by Ronald Lewis (actor), Ronald Lewis).
* ''
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...
'' (1967), a film adaption of the Broadway musical which is based on the novels The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle in the Wind from T.H. White's The Once and Future King, Once and Future King series. The film is directed by Joshua Logan and stars
Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in ''This Sporting ...
as Arthur,
Vanessa Redgrave
Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, two ...
as Guinevere, and
Franco Nero
Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...
as Lancelot.
* ''Lancelot du Lac (film), Lancelot du Lac'' (1974), a film by Robert Bresson based on Arthurian legend, the Lancelot-Grail cycle and the works of Chrétien de Troyes, with Vladimir Antolek-Oresek as Arthur, Luc Simon as Lancelot and Laura Duke Condominas as Guinevere.
* ''Excalibur (film), Excalibur'' (1981), a film by John Boorman based largely on Le Morte d'Arthur, Le Morte D'Arthur, featuring Nicol Williamson as Merlin and Helen Mirren as Morgana, with Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guinevere, Patrick Stewart as King Leodegrance and Liam Neeson as Gawain.
* ''First Knight'' (1995) is based on the abduction of Guinevere by the knight Maleagant, Malagant. It featured Sean Connery as Arthur, Richard Gere as Lancelot, and Julia Ormond as Guinevere.
* ''Lanval, Sir Lanval'' (2011)'','' a film adaptation of the late 12th century narrative poem by Marie de France. Lanval is a young knight at Arthur's court who attracts the attention of both Queen Guinevere and an otherworldly fairy maiden.
* ''Arthur and Merlin'' (2015), Arthur (Kirk Barker) is a banished Celtic warrior, and Merlin (Stefan Butler) a hermit wizard. (direct-to-video)
* ''King Arthur: Legend of the Sword'' (2017) is a live-action film which follows a young Arthur who is learning how to master the sword Excalibur, Caliburn and fight his way back as rightful heir and king of ancient Britain. Charlie Hunnam played the titular role.
Adaptations of Tristan and Iseult, Tristan legend
English Language films that are based on the legend of Tristan and Iseult, which originated in the 12th century
* ''Tristan & Isolde (film), Tristan & Isolde'' (2006) a film adaption of the legend produced by Ridley Scott and his brother Tony Scott and directed by Kevin Reynolds (director), Kevin Reynolds, starring James Franco as Tristan and Sophia Myles as Isolde.
Adaptations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Middle English: Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyȝt) is a late 14th-century Middle English chivalric romance. It is one of the best known Arthurian stories, the following films are directly based on the romance:
* ''Gawain and the Green Knight (1973 film), Gawain and the Green Knight'' (1973)
* ''Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' (1984)
* ''The Green Knight (film), The Green Knight'' (2021)
Films based on ''A Connecticut Yankee''
Films based on
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
's novel ''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...
'', about a modern man/woman who travels in time to Arthur's period.
* ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1921 film), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (1921)
* ''A Connecticut Yankee (1931 film), A Connecticut Yankee'' (1931) first sound film adaptation of Twain's novel, with Will Rogers as the time-traveling Yankee and William Farnum as Arthur.
* ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949 film), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (1949) a musical film adaptation of Twain's novel, with Bing Crosby as the time-traveling Yankee and Cedric Hardwicke as Arthur.
* ''Unidentified Flying Oddball'', aka ''The Spaceman and King Arthur'' or ''A Spaceman in King Arthur's Court'' (1979)
* ''A Kid in King Arthur's Court'' (1995)
* ''A Knight in Camelot'' (1998)
* ''Black Knight (film), Black Knight'' (2001)
Films based on Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant is an American comic strip set within the Arthurian Legend. The following films were based on the comic strip:
* ''Prince Valiant (1954 film), Prince Valiant'' (1954)
* ''Prince Valiant (1997 film), Prince Valiant'' (1997)
Films set in the Roman Empire
These films generally feature King Arthur, in Roman Empire settings and as the main character.
* ''King Arthur (2004 film), King Arthur'' (2004) a motion picture claiming to be more historically accurate (despite being heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies) about the legend of Arthur as a 5th-century, British-born, Roman commander, with respect to new Archaeology, archaeological findings; similar in story line to Jack Whyte's books.
* ''The Last Legion'' (2007)
* ''Pendragon: Sword of His Father'' (2008) (direct-to-video)
Animated films
* ''Knight-mare Hare'' (1955), Looney Tunes animated shorts with Bugs Bunny taking on Arthurian legend.
* ''Knighty Knight Bugs'' (1958), Looney Tunes animated shorts with Bugs Bunny taking on Arthurian legend.
* ''The Sword in the Stone (movie), The Sword in the Stone'', a 1963 Disney animated film about Arthur's childhood, loosely adapted from T.H. White's novel The Sword in the Stone (novel), of the same name.
*''Willy McBean and his Magic Machine'' (1965), as stop-motion animated film loosely based on Arthurian Legend.
* ''Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw'' (1988) contains an early scene taking place in the "Dark Ages" and featuring a young
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
as he finds Excalibur and becomes king.
* ''Quest for Camelot'' (1998) with King Arthur ruling over a besieged Camelot.
* ''Shrek the Third'' (2007), parody of the arthurian legend.
* ''Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob'' (2021), Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD film taking on Arthurian legend.
Modernization and parodies
Productions whose plot "updates" or otherwise moves the legend to modern times.
* ''Parsifal (1904 film), Parsifal'' (1904) (based on Wagner opera)
* ''Knights of the Square Table'' (1917)
* ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' (1942)
* ''Squareheads of the Round Table'' (1948)
* ''Knutzy Knights'' (1954)
* ''
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' is a 1975 British comedy film satirizing the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) an ...
'' (1975), a comedic parody of the traditional King Arthur legend. It was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical called ''
Spamalot
''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''.
Like the motion picture ...
''. Arthur was played by Graham Chapman in the film.
* ''Knightriders'' (1981)
* ''The Last Starfighter'' (1984)
* ''The Fisher King (film), The Fisher King'' (1991)
* ''Army of Darkness'' (1992), Third in the Evil Dead trilogy sees the protagonist, Ash, sent back to medieval Britain where he defends Lord Arthur from an army of the dead.
* ''Seaview Nights, Seaview Knights'' (1994) (direct-to-video)
* ''Kids of the Round Table'' (1995)
* ''Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders'' (1996) (direct-to-video)
* ''The Mighty'' (1998)
* ''Merlin: The Return'' (2000)
* ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2001 film), The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' (2001)
* ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film), The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' (2010)
* ''Merlin and the War of the Dragons'' (2008)(direct-to-video)
* ''Transformers: The Last Knight'' (2017)
* ''The Kid Who Would Be King'' (2019)
Foreign-language films
Foreign-language films based on the medieval Arthurian legends
* ''Lancelot du Lac (film), Lancelot du Lac'' (France, 1974)
* ''Perceval le Gallois'' (France, 1978)
* ''Kaamelott: The First Chapter'' (France, 2021)
Films based on
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
's ''
Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival'' ...
''
Foreign-language films that are based on Wagner opera
*''The Evil Forest'' (Spain,?1951)
* ''Parsifal (1982 film), Parsifal'' (France & West Germany, 1982)
Films based on the Tristan and Iseult, Tristan legend
Foreign-language films that are based on the legend of Tristan and Iseult
* ''L'Éternel retour'' (France, 1943)
* ''Fire and Sword, Feuer und Schwert'' (West Germany, 1981)
* ''The Woman Next Door, La Femme d'à côté'' (France, 1981) (modern day adaption of the Tristan Legend)
* ''In the Shadow of the Raven'' (Iceland, 1988)
* ''Connemara (film), Connemara'' (1989)
* ''Pardes (1997 film), Pardes'' (India, 1997) (modern day adaption of the Tristan Legend)
Other films
Foreign-language animation, derivative works, parodies and modern settings:
* ''New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (USSR, 1988) A Soviet adaption of Mark Twain's novel ''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...
''
* ''Dragon and Slippers'' (1990) (Animated film)
* ''Avalon (2001 film), Avalon'' (Poland & Japan, 2001) (A parody film that updates the legend to modern settings)
Television
English-language, Live-action Television series and films
Television films and specials
* ''
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...
'' (1982) a videotaped stage performance of the Broadway musical based on T. H. White, T.H. White's
The Once and Future King
''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work '' Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...
series, presented on HBO.
''Gawain and the Green Knight''(1991) a British television film adaption of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, directed b
John Michael Phillipsand starring Malcolm Storry as the Green Knight and Jason Durr as Sir Gawain, with Marc Warren as King Arthur.
* ''Guinevere (1994 film), Guinevere'' (1994), A Lifetime Television movie based on the Arthurian legend. The story is told from Queen Guinevere's point of view, presenting her as the driving force behind the success of Camelot.
* The 2004 History (U.S. TV channel), History Channel special ''Quest for King Arthur'', hosted by Patrick Stewart, with an introduction by Ioan Gruffudd, highlights several historical figures who may have contributed to Arthurian legend. It was shown on the History Channel just prior to the release of the 2004 film ''King Arthur (2004), King Arthur'', which featured Gruffudd as the character
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
and doing a voice-over introduction. The obvious tie-in was to assert the historical accuracy of the film.
Television films and specials, modernization and parodies
* ''Once Upon a Classic: "
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...
"'' (TV film, 1978) An adaptation of Mark Twain's novel with Paul Rudd as Hank/Sir Boss, Richard Basehart as King Arthur and Roscoe Lee Browne as Merlin.
*''Merlin and the Sword'' a.k.a. ''Arthur the King (''1985'')'' is an American television movie that was filmed in 1982 about a woman falling into an icy cave at Stonehenge and waking up in Arthurian times.
* ''Merlin and the Dragons'' (1991)
* ''The Four Diamonds'' (1995)
* ''A Knight in Camelot'' (1998) based on ''A Connecticut Yankee'' by Mark Twain
* ''The Excalibur Kid'' (1999)
* ''Avalon High (film), Avalon High'' (TV film, 2010) Britt Robertson is cast as Arthur as the setting of this Disney Channel Original Movie is a mix of battle sequences and a high school setting . Allie Pennington, (Robertson) learns she is the reincarnation of the legendary king.
Television mini series
* The 1979 mini series ''The Legend of King Arthur'' is a BBC adaption of the story produced by Ken Riddington and starring Andrew Burt as Arthur.
* The 1998 television mini series ''Merlin (miniseries), Merlin'' (1998) shows the tale of Arthur and his knights from Merlin's perspective, starring Sam Neill.
* ''The Mists of Avalon (miniseries), The Mists of Avalon'' (2001) is a television miniseries produced by TNT (American TV network), TNT based on the novel by
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels, and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel ''The Mists of Avalon'' an ...
, retelling the Arthurian legend mostly from the perspective of Morgan le Fay, Morgaine and other women of the tale, with Julianna Margulies as Morgaine, Anjelica Huston as Lady of the Lake, The Lady of the Lake, Samantha Mathis as Guinevere, Gwenhwyfar, Edward Atterton as Arthur, Tamsin Egerton as young Morgaine and Freddie Highmore as young Arthur.
* ''Merlin's Apprentice'' (2006) (very loose retelling set after death of Arthur)
Television series
*The 1950s British television series ''The Adventures of Sir Lancelot'' (1956–57), recounts the knight's exploits and stars William Russell (English actor), William Russell as the titular character, most known for his role as Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who. It featured Arthur and many other characters from the legends and it was the first British television series ever to be made in colour (although surviving episodes of season 1 are in black and white), and one of the first to be aired by an American network. Although it suffered low ratings due to CBS’s Burns and Allen airing at the same time slot.
*The 1970s British television series, ''Arthur of the Britons'' (1972–1973), starring Oliver Tobias, sought to create a more "realistic" portrait of the period and to explain the origins of some of the myths about the Celtic leader.
*''Merlin (2008 TV series), Merlin'' (2008-2012) is the BBC's second Arthurian adaptation after the 1979 mini-series, this time a retelling following a young Merlin and Arthur (played by Colin Morgan and Bradley James, respectively) and their journey towards fulfilling their destiny.
*''Camelot (TV series), Camelot'' is a series on Starz TV, Starz which is an adaption of Le Morte d'Arthur, Le Morte D'Arthur that debuted February 25th, 2011. It begins at the very earliest story with twenty-year-old Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower), long lost son of Uther Pendragon, being crowned king and pulling the Sword of Mars from a stone after his half-sister Morgan (Eva Green) poisons their father. A more adult-oriented take on the Arthurian legends than the concurrent series ''Merlin'', it was cancelled after one season because of many scheduling conflicts of the cast and showrunners.
*''Cursed (2020 TV series), Cursed'' (2020) is a Netflix adaption of the Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name, following Nimue (Katherine Langford) who wields Excalibur and Arthur (Devon Terrell) who is a sellsword.
Television series, modernization and parodies
* ''Raven (1977 TV series), Raven'' (1977)
* ''Mr. Merlin'' (1981–82), Merlin lives in modern times.
* ''Small World (British TV series), Small World'' (1988)
* ''Battlefield (Doctor Who), Doctor Who - Battlefield'' (1988–1989)
* ''Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land'' (2002–2003), a children's spoof of the Arthurian legend.
* ''Stargate SG-1'' Season 9 to 10 (2006–2007)
*The BBC series ''Merlin (TV series), Merlin'' (2008-2012) is a re-imagining of the legend in which the future King Arthur and Merlin are young contemporaries in Uther's kingdom. Arthur quickly transitions from a spoiled young prince into a beloved king, while Merlin perfects his magic arts in secret. Inspired by ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville'' (which was a similar show featuring Superman (comic), Superman characters) and the subject of critical acclaim, ''Merlin'' ran for five series.
*The ABC series ''Once Upon a Time (TV series), Once Upon a Time'' (2011-2018) features many aspects from the Arthurian legends. Camelot is mentioned several times as a region within the Enchanted Forest. Also, Lancelot appears in the second and fifth seasons. In the fifth season, the heroes seek out the sorcerer
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
to battle the darkness that currently plagues hero-turned-villain Emma Swan. In the third episode of the season, King Arthur (portrayed once again by Liam Garrigan) is revealed to be a villain. As the season progresses, his villainous acts are discovered by the heroes, including his killing of Merida (Disney), Merida's father, but he is eventually defeated and imprisoned. Towards the end of the season, he is killed by the god of the Underworld, Hades, and is sent to the Underworld. It is there he encounters a deceased Killian Jones, and they work together to help the heroes in the living realm defeat Hades. With the underworld in disarray, Arthur realizes a prophecy he heard that he would repair a broken kingdom wasn't talking about Camelot, but the Underworld. He then bids Killian farewell, and hopes to redeem himself by helping the souls of the deceased.
*The Canadian TV show ''Guinevere Jones'' (2006) features a reincarnation of Guinevere who is helped by the spirit of Merlin to learn magic and fight against Morgana, and dealing with High School problems.
*The first season of the American television show ''The Librarians (2014 TV series), The Librarians'' is centered on the efforts of an elderly
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
(using his last name, Dulaque, as an alias) to restore Camelot, which he considers to be a golden age of humanity. He manages to release magic back into the world using
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
in the second episode, ("And The Sword In the Stone"), and eventually uses a collection of artifacts gathered by the Librarians to access the Fates, Loom of Fate, which he tampers with to restore his youth and restart history at the beginning of Camelot. However, Galahad (who has assumed the identity of the Library's caretaker, Jenkins), returns and distracts him long enough for the Librarians to undo the damage, causing Lancelot to disappear.
Animation
Television films and specials
* "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1970) was an animated early segment of the ''Famous Classic Tales'' specials, produced by the Hanna-Barbera Australian subsidiary, Air Programs International
* ''A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court'' (1978), also known as ''Bugs Bunny in King Arthur's Court'', a List of Looney Tunes television specials, Looney Tunes TV special.
*''A Connecticut Mouse in King Arthur’s Court'' (1980), an episode of The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show
Television series
* The Australian animated cartoon series ''Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table'' (1966–1968) was a typically wacky take on Arthurian legend.
* In ''Sabrina the Animated Series'' episode "Sabrina: The Animated Series#ep53, Hexcalibur" features Harvey Kinkle as the young King Arthur voiced by Bill Switzer (very loose adaptation)
* The animated series ''The Legend of Prince Valiant'' (1991–1993) followed the adventures of three young warriors training to become Knights of the Round Table. The series featured Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, and Gawain in its main cast and several other Arthurian characters in recurring roles.
* The animated series ''King Arthur & the Knights of Justice'' (1992–1993) featured an American Football team called the Knights led by quarterback Arthur King. When the "real" Knights of the Round Table are captured, Merlin magically transports the Knights football team to Camelot to defend the kingdom and rescue the captured knights.
* Starting within its List of Gargoyles episodes#Season 2 (1995–1996), "Avalon World Tour" story arc, a few episodes of Disney's Gargoyles (TV series), ''Gargoyles'' (1994–1997) devoted themselves partly to Arthur Pendragon, after NYPD detective Elisa Maza awakens the King from his "eternal slumber" within Avalon's "hollow hill" sanctuary. Arthur goes on to recover his sword Excalibur while visiting New York (and directly confronting List of Gargoyles characters#Macbeth, Macbeth while recovering it), and while in New York, knights List of Gargoyles characters#London Clan, the London Clan gargoyle Griff to become his traveling companion from Griff's assistance to the king in recovering Excalibur, as Arthur begins a quest to find Merlin.
* ''Blazing Dragons'' (1996–1998), The series' protagonists are anthropomorphic dragons who are beset by evil humans, reversing a common story convention. The series parodies that of the King Arthur Tales as well as the periods of the Middle Ages
* ''Dragon Booster'' (2004–2006), A teenager named Artha Penn teams up with a dragon named Beau and Artha was the chosen hero called the Dragon Booster.
* The British animated cartoon series ''King Arthur's Disasters'' (2005–2006). Where Arthur is voiced by Rik Mayall.
* The computer-animated series ''Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia'' (2016–2018) features the wizard
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
as the creator of the Trollhunter's amulet, and his arch-enemy Morgan le Fay, Morgana as one of the main villains of the third season. The series ''Wizards: Tales of Arcadia'' (2020) features the return of Merlin and Morgana. Camelot also appears, as members of the main cast travel back to Arthurian times, in the process meeting King Arthur and Lancelot.
Foreign-language television series and films
Live-action television series
*The French series ''Kaamelott'' (2005–2009) features a humorous take on the legend.
*''Het Huis Anubis en de Vijf van het Magische Zwaard, Het huis Anubis en de vijf van het magische zwaard'' (Dutch Nickelodeon series, 2010–2011)
Animated television series
* ''King Arthur (TV series), King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table (Entaku no Kishi Monogatari: Moero Arthur)'', a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation from 1979 to 1980, followed by ''King Arthur: Prince on White Horse (Moero Arthur: Hakuba no Oji)'' in 1980.
* The episode "Minnade Daietto!" (English: "Eh! History Changed!?") of the 1991 Japanese anime series ''Mischievous Twins: The Tales of St. Clare's'' deals with the abduction of Guinevere, Queen Guinevere by Maleagant, Sir Maleagant and about how she is set free by Lancelot, Sir Lancelot.
* The Japanese anime series ''Code Geass'' (2006–2007, 2008) featured The Knights of the Round, a unit of twelve elite knights in the Holy Empire of Britannia, each being assigned into the group by royalty and under direct command of the Emperor. Each knights pilot a Knightmare Frame, a humanoid shaped war machine. Their Knightmare Frame were named after the Arthurian Knights such as Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristan. The capital city of the Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon, is also named after King Arthur's surname.
* In the Japanese anime adaptation of the visual novel ''Fate/stay night'' (2006, 2014–2015), Arthur is portrayed as having been a woman (named Saber (Fate/stay night), Artoria) whose spirit is resurrected to serve a mage in the modern day as "Saber", with history recording her as a man for political correctness. She reprises this role in the adaptation's prequel ''Fate/Zero'' (2011–2012), which also features a version of Lancelot. Artoria also appears in the film ''Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (2010 film), Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works'' (2010), and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, a recreated anime series (2014–2015) based on the latter, as well as a number of spinoffs based on the franchise. In addition, the OVA ''Fate/Prototype'' (2011) (based on an earlier draft of ''Fate/stay night's'' story) features a male version of King Arthur, known in the expanded universe as "Prototype Saber", often shortened to "Proto-Saber". Meanwhile, ''Fate/Apocrypha'' (2017) features Mordred as a Saber-class familiar, wielding the sword Clarent.
* The Japanese anime ''Highschool DxD'' (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018), the Arthurian legend also plays an important factor in the series such as the Welsh Dragon, the White dragon and King Arthur's dual swords
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
and Caliburn, Merlin the wizard of Arthurian Legend was stated to be one of the most important pioneer of magic, two of the main character were direct descendants of King Arthur, Arthur Pendragon and Le Fay Pendragon, the latter being the love interest of the protagonist Issei Hyoudou.
* Arthur serves as the main antagonist in the Japanese anime ''Nobunaga the Fool'' (2014). The anime is a sci-fi telling of famed ancient heroes from the west, such as Arthur, Caesar, and Alexander, going to war against famed ancient heroes from the east, such as Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, and Kenshin over control over two planets, both of which represent Europe and Japan.
* In Season 2 Episode 15 List of Sword Art Online II episodes#ep15, "The Queen of the Lake" (2014) of Japanese anime ''Sword Art Online'', the main cast is given a quest to save an ancient race of elves from which the main characters races branch from. The reward for the quest is the item known as
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
, a legendary sword from Arthurian lore.
*''The Seven Deadly Sins (anime), The Seven Deadly Sins'' (2014-2020) is loosely based on Arthurian Legend, set in and around Lyonesse, Liones and Camelot, and featuring reimagined versions of Arthur, Merlin, and Viviane as supporting characters.
* ''Divine Gate'' (2016), Japanese anime based on the Smart phone game of same name, which retelling of Arthurian legend.
* A sword-wielding character named Arthur appears in ''David Productions anime adaptation of the manga series ''Fire Force'' by ''Atsushi Ohkubo''. As his pyrokinetic ability, he wields a sword named Excalibur whose blade is made of plasma. Believing himself to be a knight, his power increases as these convictions grow.
Audio
* ''The Sword in the Stone'', a 6-part BBC Radio series written by Marianne Helweg based on the book by
T. H. White
Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...
and broadcast on BBC National Programme 11 June - 16 July 1939, with Robert Farquharson (actor), Robert Farquharson as Merlyn, Robin Maule as "Wart", Norman Shelley as Sir Ector, Carleton Hobbs as Archimedes and Geoffrey Wincott as King Pellinorer.
* ''The Sword in the Stone'', a 1952 BBC Home Service adaptation by Marianne Helweg of T.H. White's novel, with Peter Ustinov as Merlyn, Jeremy Spenser as "Wart", Norman Shelley as Sir Ector, Geoffrey Wincott as King Pellinore and Patience Collier as Madame Mim.
* ''Tale Spinners for Children: "The Knights of the Round Table"'' (UAC 11005) (1962), a recorded dramatization of the Arthurian legend starring Derek Hart, concentrating mostly on Sir Lancelot; certain events were simplified or changed to make the story more child-friendly (for instance, Mordred is merely an evil knight and the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere is changed to make it an evil rumor spread by a henchman of Sir Mordred's to compromise Lancelot and Guinevere, resulting in their being framed when Lancelot is tricked into visiting the Queen in her chamber) and providing a happy ending.
* ''The Sword in the Stone'', a 1981 BBC Radio 4 adaptation by Neville Teller of T.H. White's novel, with Michael Hordern as Merlyn, Toby Robertson as "Wart", David Gooderson as King Pellinore and Josephine Gordon as Madame Mim.
* ''Arthur - the King'', a 7-part BBC Radio series written by Graeme Fife and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 11 November - 23 December 1990, with Keith Baxter (actor), Keith Baxter as Arthur, Paul Scofield as Merlin, Anna Massey as Morgan le Fay, Nicholas Farrell as Lancelot and Jill Balcon as Guinevere.
* ''A Stone From Heaven'', a radio play in two parts ("The Wounding" and "The Healing", both broadcast on 15 April 1995) written by Lindsay Clarke, focusing on the Grail story and on Percival, Parsifal and Gawain, with Ian Jeffs as Parsifal, Michael Lumsden as Gawain, Gary Bond as Arthur, Eleanor Bron as Cunrie, Diana Quick as Orguleuse and Edward Petherbridge as Trevrizant.
* ''Arthur'', a 6-part BBC Radio series written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Steve May and broadcast on BBC Radio 4's ''Afternoon Play'' 22 October - 26 November 2004, with Philip Glenister as Arthur, Ben Whishaw as young Arthur, Ian McDiarmid as Merlin, Jane Lapotaire as Morgan, Andrew Scarborough as Lanslot and Eve Myles as Gwenfar.
* ''The Once and Future King'', a 6-part BBC Radio series written by Brian Sibley based on the book by
T. H. White
Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...
and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 09 November - 14 December 2014, with Paul Ready as Arthur, David Warner (actor), David Warner as Merlyn, Alex Waldmann as Lancelot and Lyndsey Marshal as Guinever.
* ''Albion: The Legend of Arthur'', a 2020 Audible Original adventure written by Robert Valentine set in the brutal world of the Dark Ages. Starring Lois Chimimba as Morgan le Fay, Anna, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Guinevere, Gwenyfar, Gruffudd Glyn as King Arthur, Arthur, Craig Roberts as Owein and Owen Teale as Ambrosius Aurelianus, Ambrosius.
Paintings
* ''Morgan le Fay (painting), Morgan le Fay'', Frederick Sandys, 1864
* ''The Beguiling of Merlin'', Edward Burne-Jones, 1872-1877
* ''The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon'', Edward Burne-Jones, 1881-1898
* ''The Lady of Shalott (painting), The Lady of Shalott'', John William Waterhouse, 1888
* ''The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot'', John William Waterhouse, 1894
* ''I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott'', John William Waterhouse, 1915
Tapestry
* Holy Grail tapestries
Comics
Advertising
King Arthur is the namesake of a brand of flour, King Arthur Flour.
Games
Board games
*The board game ''Shadows Over Camelot'' features King Arthur as one of the main playable characters in the game.
*In the science fiction miniature game ''Warhammer 40k'', the Emperor of Mankind drew many similar inspiration from Arthurian legends while the treacherous Warmaster Horus and Horus Heresy is similar to Mordred.
*In the fantasy miniature game ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', the background of Bretonnia (Warhammer), Bretonnia is strongly based on Arthurian legends, including the Grail and the Lady of the Lake.
*King Arthur alongside many of his knights appear under stylized names in the card game Yugioh in the "Knight of the Round Table" set. Merlin, the Lady of the Lake and Avalon are also referenced.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon(2019) is a story-driven survival and exploration campaign game set in a grim universe written by ''Krzysztof Piskorski'' that blends Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology. Avalon is an island that exists at the edge of reality, bordering an ancient power known as the wyrdness.
Role-playing games
*The role-playing game ''Pendragon (role-playing game), Pendragon'' details how to run adventure games set in the time of the Round Table. Its setting integrates Malory with post-Roman Britain, Celtic myth and English Folklore.
*In ''Rifts (role-playing game), Rifts'' from Palladium Books, the main story of Britain revolves around the future equivalent of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
and his knights. This is not the original King Arthur awoken from Avalon and he has many different characteristics and strengths, not the least of which is his new blade, Calibur-X, a vibrating gun blade with magical properties.
*The King Arthur Supplement for the GURPS role-playing game gives three different Arthurian settings, a historical setting based upon post-Roman Britain, a legendary setting based upon Malory, and a cinematic setting based upon modern stories.
* The roleplaying game, storygame
Arthur's Legacy (Rise of Avalon)' presents a world where Avalon rises from the sea triggering a Rebirth of magic and mystical creatures, as well the return of immortal nobility including King Arthur, his bastard son Mordred, and the witch Anna Morgause. Participants portray reincarnated knights, who embody ideals and wield the ability to perform miracles.
Video games
* ''King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame'' a real time strategy and role-playing game by Neocore Games from 2009
* ''Excalibur: Morgana's Revenge'', a real time strategy and role-playing game by ExcaliburWorld Software from 2007.
* ''King Arthur (video game), King Arthur'' by Krome Studios is based on the 2004 King Arthur (2004 film), film of the same name.
* ''King Arthur & the Knights of Justice (video game), King Arthur & the Knights of Justice'' by Enix is based on the King Arthur & the Knights of Justice, cartoon series of the same name.
* ''Stronghold Legends'' by Firefly Studios campaign includes King Arthur's legend
* ''Conquests of Camelot'' by Sierra Entertainment centers around the quest for the Holy Grail.
* ''Knights of the Round (video game), Knights of the Round'' by Capcom is a light-hearted take on the Arthurian legend in a sword fighting beat-em-up similar to the video game ''Final Fight (video game), Final Fight''.
*''Blazing Dragons (video game), Blazing Dragons'' by Crystal Dynamics and Nelvana that the game controls Flicker, a young inventor in Camel-hot who dreamed about becoming a knight. It is based on the Blazing Dragons, cartoon TV series of the same name.
*''Tomb Raider: Legend'' by Crystal Dynamics revolves around the King Arthur legend resembling those of other cultures around the world; pieces of artifacts are forms of Excalibur.
*''Tomb Raider: Underworld'' by Crystal Dynamics revolves around Lara trying to find Avalon to find her mother.
* In ''Final Fantasy VII'', the final and most powerful summon materia is Knights of the Round which has 12 knights striking an enemy with the last knight obviously being King Arthur through his extended entrance and grander appearance.
*''Fate/stay night'', a visual novel/eroge and anime, features a young female knight called Saber (Fate/stay night), Saber whose true name is Artoria. She became King by pulling free the sword from the stone. Knowing that armies wouldn't follow a woman, she renamed herself King Arthur and used Merlin's magic to hide her gender. Bedivere attends to her as she is dying.
**''Fate/Zero'', a prequel, features not only the above King Arthur/Saber, but also
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
as a Black Knight under the class Berserker.
**The spinoff game ''Fate/extra'' features Gawain as an enemy-exclusive Saber-class character.
**The light-novel series ''Fate/Apocrypha'' - a parallel world spinoff based on a cancelled MMO concept - features
Mordred
Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he ...
as a Saber-class for one of the two factions, who, like King Arthur/Saber, is gender-swapped, detailed in the story as being a homunculus half-clone of King Arthur that was created from mixing the King's genes with those of
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
. Mordred wields the sword Clarent.
**All of the aforementioned characters would later appear in the mobile game ''Fate/Grand Order'' alongside versions of Galahad, Gareth, Agravaine and Tristan. Lancelot would come to have another version summonable as the Saber-class in which he is sane, unlike his Berserker form. Artoria would also receive multiple versions of her character, notably a Lancer-class version wielding the spear Rhongomyniad, in addition to corrupted Alter forms and an alternate-universe male form known as "Proto-Saber".
*''RuneScape a MMORPG '', King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are portrayed as having settled in the game's fictional world while awaiting Britain's 'time of greatest need'.
*''Dark Age of Camelot'', a MMORPG that takes place after King Arthur's death.
*The ''Soul (series), Soul'' series by Namco features Arthur (Soul Calibur), Arthur as a samurai. He wields a katana named Gassan.
*''Sonic and the Black Knight'' on Wii features the main protagonist, Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic the Hedgehog saving the city Camelot from
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
after he becomes corrupt and calls himself the Black Knight. After defeating the Black Knight/King Arthur, Merlin's granddaughter Merlina reveals to Sonic & the Knight of the Roundtable that the King Arthur they knew was a fake created by her grandfather. In the end, Sonic was revealed to be King Arthur himself, as Caliburn (actually
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
) said he was the one who decides who is worthy of the crown.
Sir Lancelotis used as character in a 1984 platform / arcade game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
*Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi a tactical JRPG contains many characters whose names allude to the King Arthur legend. Although there is no Arthur, List of characters In Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi, characters include: Guinevere, Igraine, Gorlois, Lancelot, Lance, Percival, Uther, Lot, Bors,
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
us, Lady of the Lake, Niime and Nacien. The game's prequel, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, introduces Lady of the Lake, Ninian, but on the whole this game draws more from medieval French mythology than British and Arthurian.
* Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, a 2006 Namco game, is heavily based on the Arthurian legend, with allusions to Excalibur, Avalon, etc.
*''The Order: 1886''
*''Wizard101: Morganthe's Arc, Avalon story line (Arc 2 World 3) (video game)''
*''Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'': King Arthur represented by a champion infantry.
*''Young Merlin'', a 1994 Super NES game.
*''Smite (video game), SMITE'', a 2014 free-to-play game.
MMOs
*Kingdoms of Camelot (KoC) a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy browser game created by Canadian studio Kabam. A build and warfare game, released in 2009 and linked to Facebook Game platform.
*Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC) a massively multiplayer online game created by Mythic entertainment. A role-playing game with elements of Arthurian legend, released in 2001.
Music
* The concept album ''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' (1975) by Rick Wakeman tells a version of the legend.
* The 1986 concept album ''The Legend'' by Italo Disco singer Valerie Dore.
* The 1995 album ''Imaginations from the Other Side'' and 2015 album ''Beyond the Red Mirror'' by the power-metal band Blind Guardian contain numerous songs referencing Arthurian legends, including "A Past and Future Secret", about the battle of Camlann, "Mordred's Song", and "The Holy Grail".
* The 2004 expanded edition of heavy metal music, heavy metal singer Bruce Dickinson's 6th solo album '' The Chemical Wedding (Bruce Dickinson album), The Chemical Wedding'' features a song called "Return of the King," which heavily references Arthurian elements including Uther Pendragon.
* The American power-metal band Kamelot has many songs with Arthurian elements in their discography.(''Once and Future King'' and ''Shadow of Uther''
* In 2003 hard rock musician Gary Hughes put out two albums, ''Once and Future King Part I'' and ''Once and Future King Part II'', based on the legend.
* The German metal band Grave Digger (band), Grave Digger released a concept album about the story of King Arthur called ''Excalibur (Grave Digger album), Excalibur''
* English folk singer Maddy Prior released a 2001 concept album ''Arthur the King''
* The 1995 album ''The Final Experiment'' by Ayreon, its concept is located in King Arthur's timeline.
* England based metalband Cradle of Filth wrote a song called "Haunted Shores", which deals with the subject of King Arthur from a pagan perspective.
* Canadian folk singer Heather Dale has released several albums and songs relating to Arthurian legends, chiefly the 2000 album ''The Trial of Lancelot,'' the 2003 album ''May Queen,'' and the 2010 album ''Avalon''
* The 2014 album ''High Noon Over Camelot'' by British folk band The Mechanisms is a sci-fi western retelling of Arthurian legends
Anthem of Cornwall
* ''Bro Goth Agan Tasow'' ("Dear Land of Our Fathers"), the official anthem of Cornwall, includes the words: "Kingdom of King Arthur, ancient saints and the
Grail
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was an American lunar science mission in NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure. The two small spacecraf ...
/No other land is more beloved."
See also
* Lists of movie source material
* Fiction featuring Merlin
References
External links
''Rodney Parish's Arthurian Comics List'' Rodney Parrish.
''Camelot In Four Colors: A Survey of the Arthurian Legend in Comics'' Alan Stewart.
Michael Torregrossa, part of ''The Arthuriana/Camelot Project Bibliographies''.
*[http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/acpbibs/harty.htm Arthurian Film] by Kevin J. Harty
{{DEFAULTSORT:King Arthur In Various Media
Cultural depictions of Arthurian legend,
Games based on Arthurian legend,
Arthurian literature,
Arthurian theatre,
Lists of films by source, Arthurian legend
Works based on Arthurian legend,
Lists of television series based on works