Discussion
of King Arthur's Camelot
By
David Nash Ford
C A M E L O T
Where
are you Now?
King
Arthur's Court of Camelot evokes visions of lofty
church spires and bustling city streets, a vast
post-Roman-cum-Medieval Capital from where the
mightiest of British Kings dispensed justice and
oversaw peace and prosperity. From where did this
over-romanticized view come though, and where is
Camelot today?
The
Tradition: A town named
Camelot was first introduced into the Arthurian legend
by the late 12th century French poet Chrétien
De Troyes in his tale of Lancelot. However, it
is mentioned but briefly and its status within the
Kingdom of Britain is certainly never established. It
was writers of the following century who declared it
to be the chief residence of the High-King Arthur and
embroidered the elaborate portrayal that we recognise
today.
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