The Story of King Arthur is debatably one of the most famous collections of tales ever told. Widely known throughout the ages and passed down for centuries, from its origin based in oral tradition like Beowulf, to being the topic of or referenced in thousands of books, poems, movies, comics, games, and other forms of media. In addition, the stories of King Arthur can be seen everywhere in the modern world. Some of the greatest examples of where Arthurian themes can be found are in Lord of the Rings, examples being Gandalf being comparable to Merlin, and the Sword of Anduril and Excalibur only able to be wielded by the true king of the realm (Aragorn vs. Arthur Pendragon). Other examples from the story include the round table being comparable to the gathering of the races lead by Elrond, where each of the members have an equal say, but the entire gathering is headed by a leader -> King Arthur and Elrond, King of the Wood Elves.
As with many stories of its time, King Arthur’s various adventures were first recounted and passed down by word of mouth. The origins and tales of Arthur have huge variations in the time period when they took place, but most speak of a time spanning the 4th 5th and 6th centuries. Arthur has been described as a Roman commander, a Celtic demigod, and most commonly, a Scottish King who defeated thousands of enemies single-handedly with the mythical sword Excalibur and the mysterious wizard Merlin at his side. These varieties of time periods and descriptions have kept King Arthur legends on the mind of historians for centuries. However, the first written account of King Arthur can be found in the Annales, written by monks during the 12th century. The popularity of the tales of King Arthur was immense during the Medieval times, but died down once they had come to a close. A revitalization of the tales occurred in the 20th Century, with the publishing of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Idylls of the King, and T.H. White’s The Once and Future...