One of the greatest legends of Cornwall is that of King Arthur. It is steeped in mystery and the legend is probably part fact, part fiction. It is such a compelling story that it is hard not to believe. After all, the magic and romance of the chivalry and adventure are what every great story is based upon.
Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon and his wife Ygraine and was born in Tintagel. It is thought that Arthur was born at Tintagel Castle and this was also one of his homes as King (it is unclear where he spent most of his time as the legend has several different directions!). Tintagel Castle in Cornwall is a beautiful site. Although there are only ruins left, the setting is unique. On the beach beneath the castle is Merlin's Cave, which is where the wizard was said to have lived.
Arthur became the King of the Britons when, under the guidance of Merlin, he drew the mighty sword of Excalibur from the stone. Merlin was a magician and a prophet who, it is now believed, was the invention of Geoffrey of Monmouth (who wrote a book on the History of British Kings and added great interest in the Arthurian legend).
Upon becoming King, Arthur sought out brave knights from around the land to join him. This band of men became the Knights of the Round Table. Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Bedivere and Sir Gawain are probably the most well known of the twelve knights. The others were Sir Tristram, Sir Gareth, Sir Percivale, Sir Bors de Ganis, Sir Geraint, Sir Kay, Sir Gaheris and Sir Lamorak de Garis.
Their most famous adventure was the Quest for the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is widely believed to be the cup that Jesus drank from at The Last Supper. It somehow, through the years, became part of Arthurian legend. The grail was found by Sir Galahad and, according to legend, can be found beneath the spring at Glastonbury Tor.
According to the legend, Camelot was Arthur's principle city. There are several sites that claim to be Camelot, with Cadbury Castle in Somerset being the favourite. Cadbury Castle is a small, isolated Iron Age hill fort in the villages of North and South Cadbury. It is also thought that Camelot may have been Camelford in North Cornwall, due to the similarity in names. Of course, Tintagel Castle also features heavily in the Arthurian legends.
Guinevere became Arthur's queen, but she later fell in love with Sir Lancelot. As well as devastating Arthur, this led to his downfall as king. Arthur's evil son (or possibly nephew) Mordred used this affair to begin a civil war that ensured Arthur lost power and the Knights of the Round Table were no more.
Slaughter Bridge, which crosses the River Camel is the site of Arthur's demise. He fought his last battle here against his son Mordred who had betrayed him. It was such a frenzied battle that only two of the Knights of the Round Table were said to be alive at the end! Arthur killed Mordred with his sword, but Mordred with one final gasp also struck Arthur - finishing off the legend.
The sword of Excalibur is said to have been given to The Lady of the Lake by Sir Bedivere (on the wishes of the dying King), whose hand rose from the lake to accept it. Naturally, there are many sites vying for the title of 'The Lake', with Helston's Loe Pool being amongst the leading candidates. A slightly more popular candidate, however, is Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor.
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