King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary British ruler and the central character in Arthurian legend. He is possibly based on an actual historical figure who may have ruled parts of southwestern England in about the fifth or sixth century between the departure of the Romans and the completion of Anglo-Saxon settlement.

Major stories within Arthurian legend are Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table, a body of heroic soldiers who uphold chivalric standards. Prominent knights are Lancelot, who loved Queen Guinevere; and Galahad, who sought the Holy Grail. Much of the legend was compiled by Thomas Malory, whose work influenced Alfred, Lord Tennyson and later writers including T. H. White. Several films have been made about the legend.