Celtic Legends: The Arthurian Legends

This documentary traces the Arthurian legends from their inception in the 6th century historical figure of an British chieftain, through his metamorphosis into the romantic figure of grail legends and the round table we know today. By the 12th century, Arthur was a national hero to the English. The exploits of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, immortalized by the French poet Chretien de Troyes, fired the imagination of other writers down through the centuries, notably in "The Idylls of the Kings", by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Richard Wagner's opera "Parsifal", and "Morte D'Arthur, by Sir Thomas Mallory. These works, and others, and the myths they embodied, are explored in the film. Considered are the essentials of the Arthurian myth, such as his relationships with Guinevere, Lancelot, and his magical teacher Merlin, and his nemesis Mordred. This is a fascinating look at one of the Europe's most enduring heroes.