All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

King Arthur

AI illustration of King Arthur King of Britain and the sword in the stone. Source: dan/Adobe Stock

The True Story Behind the Sword in the Stone (Video)

The legend of King Arthur , with his famed sword Excalibur and the magical stone, has captivated imaginations for centuries. Rooted in the chaos of 5th-century Britain, the historical existence of...
Was the marshland of Flag Fen the location of King Arthur’s Excalibur legend. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

This Marsh May Be Where King Arthur Found Excalibur (Video)

In the marshland of Flag Fen, situated in eastern England, a treasure trove of ancient artifacts has emerged from the murky depths. Among these finds, thousands of oak timbers, remnants of a pier or...
The ancient landscape of Cornwall. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

The Evocative Scenery of Cornwall, An Ancient Landscape (Video)

Cornwall, located at the western edge of England, holds a unique place in the tapestry of Britain's diverse landscapes. The Cornish people, part of the Celtic heritage, have their distinct identity,...
A young knight illustration, representative of Mordred.         Source: warmtail/Adobe Stock

Deciphering Mordred: The Enigma at the Heart of Arthurian Legend

In the vast realm of Arthurian legend, few characters evoke as much intrigue and controversy as Mordred. Described as the treacherous nephew of King Arthur, Mordred's role in the Arthurian saga is...
The King Arthur Tapestry. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.

Watch the Restoration of the 500-Year-Old King Arthur Tapestry (Video)

Experts at The Met recently took on the task of revitalizing the King Arthur tapestry . Part of the “Nine Heroes Tapestries”, the King Arthur piece hadn’t been touched since it joined the Met’s...
Visiting mythical places, like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland pictured, helps us connect with our past, as well as nature. Source: drimafilm / Adobe Stock

Live the Legend: 8 Mythical Places That Actually Exist

When it comes to ancient mythology it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact from fiction. While most myths are obviously fictional, they often contain at least a grain of truth. The ancients...
Medieval Knight. Many of the Knights of the Round Table were fated to an early death. Source: Tony Marturano / Adobe Stock

King Arthur's Tragic Knights of the Round Table

Few stories in English folklore have had the staying power of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. While many people are familiar with the legend, few people realize how many different...
Was King Arthur's Guinevere a Real Historical Queen?

Was King Arthur's Guinevere a Real Historical Queen?

There is perhaps no more famous character in British legend than that of King Arthur. For centuries, people have been reading tales of King Arthur and his knight’s exploits. Of all the characters...
Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, England. Source: gary / Adobe Stock

Glastonbury Tor: The Mysterious British Hill Steeped in History and Legend

Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, where a very important hill exists known as the Glastonbury Tor. On top of the Tor stands the remains of St. Michael’s Tower, with a strange system...
Glastonbury Tor. Source: vlorzor / Adobe. Inset: Representational image of a skeleton.

The Glastonbury Giant: Who Did the Mystery Bones of A Nine Foot Skeleton Belong To?

When researching the reality of giants in the past, one story which has survived the ages is the apparent discovery of the ‘Glastonbury Giant’ which was allegedly unearthed in 1190, on orders of King...
Detail from one of the fragments showing the name Merlin.  Source: University of Bristol

13th Century Magical Merlin Manuscript Shares Original Legend

After two years of hard work, scholars have now finished an Old-French-to-English translation of a centuries-old manuscript that tells of the adventures of Merlin the Magician , King Arthur, and...
Arthur's Stone in Herefordshire, England, which is also on Dorstone Hill where the "halls of the dead" were discovered along with a number of Neolithic artifacts. Source: University of Manchester

The True Origins of Arthur’s Stone in Herefordshire Finally Revealed

After years of speculation, archaeologists from the Universities of Manchester and Cardiff have found evidence that reveals the truth about the origin of Arthur’s Stone , a double-chambered rock tomb...
Statue of King Arthur at Tintagel. Source: Ian Capper / Gallos / CC-BY-SA-2.0.

King Arthur: A Very British Messiah?

King Arthur is undoubtedly one of the most enduringly popular heroes to come out of the medieval era, and he has meant many things to many people for hundreds of years. Over time, the mythology of...
Pseudo-History or Famed Fiction? Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia

Pseudo-History or Famed Fiction? Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia

Geoffrey of Monmouth has gone down in history for his classic epic, the Historia Regum Britanniae , known in English as The History of the Kings of Britain . This masterpiece of medieval literature...
Medieval knight.

Sir Lancelot: Exploring the History Behind the Legend

There is no doubt that most of us, in our childhoods and later in life, heard all about the stories and legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. For many, the stories of Arthur and...
Bardsey Island

Bardsey Island – A Small Land for 20,000 Holy Souls

For being only one mile long by less than a mile wide, Bardsey Island is a small piece of land, but it is of great historical and cultural significance. The island’s reputation is bolstered through...
King Arthur. Detail. Charles Ernest Butler, 1903.

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

The discovery of 1500-year-old ruins at Tintagel in south-west England made headlines around the world. What appear to the be the walls of a Dark Age palace have been found in the exact place, and...
Merlin the Magician representation

The Legendary Origins of Merlin the Magician

Most people today have heard of Merlin the Magician, as his name has been popularized over the centuries and his story has been dramatized in numerous novels, films, and television programs. The...

Legacies of Otherworldly Celtic Faerie Kings

The Fairy Queen is a famous mythological figure featuring in Irish and British folklore for at least 1000 years, who after Shakespeare's influence, was often named Titania or Mab. In Irish folklore,...
Representation of a medieval knight walking along a beach. Credit: bint87 / Adobe Stock

Medieval Knight Wielding ‘Excalibur’ Stopped By Armed Police

Three police officers from the Welsh police special firearms unit have confronted a sword-wielding “medieval knight,” by a lake in Cardiff. King Arthur was one of the most illustrious legendary...
Sword in the Stone is one tale from Arthurian legend. Source: Melkor3D / Adobe Stock.

Arthurian Legend – Medieval Literature Laced With Truth?

Arthurian legend refers to the body of works surrounding King Arthur and his knights. Arthurian legend forms the centerpiece of the Matter of Britain, which is the body of medieval literature and...
Sword removed from stone in the Vrbas river, Srpska             Source: Izvor / N1

Medieval Bastard Sword Pulled From River Stone

Weapons experts confirm that a medieval bastard sword found in a stone is a significant archaeological find. This summer at the bottom of the river Vrbas in Republika Srpska, archaeologists...
The Magic of Merlin ( denissimonov/ adobe stock)

The Magical Message of Merlin Versus Modern Materialism

Approaching a subject such as lore about Merlin the Magician is to engage an old, old story that has been cast in poetry, history, music, art, and literature. Through it all is woven a story that has...
Detail from one of the fragments showing the name Merlin.

Fragments of Ancient Manuscript About Merlin Have Been Discovered and Could Change Arthurian Legend

A lucky discovery in a rare book has the potential to transform our knowledge of perhaps the most famous story from the entire Middle Ages. Some damaged manuscript pages found inside the volume are...

Pages