Polly

As promised, the lectures on the Arthurian legend(s) and its lore begin.
( This is just an introductory post, though, and it will also serve as a table of contents for later blog entries, so you'll be able to browse all entries and articles from this post. )

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There's no denying the fact that the Arthurian legend and some of its characters play a vital role in the Fate series and its lore, and that it has captured the interest and imagination of many a T-M fan. From the poster-girl of the Fate franchise ( and, I dare say, T-M in general ), Arturia, to her illegitimate son/daughter Mordred's appearance in the latest installment in the franchise, Fate/Apocrypha, the Arthurian characters seem to have reserved themselves a slot for every new work in the franchise.
Fate/Zero went a step further than other installments by featuring two Arthurian characters, and making use of their intertwined fates and giving a fresh and interesting spin on the relationship between King Arthur and her greatest and noblest knight.

Having grown up with the animated series "Prince Valiant" ( which you absolutely must watch if you haven't already! ) and Disney's animated adaptation of "The Sword in the Stone" by T.H. White, the Arthurian legend has always had a special place in my heart, so you can understand how thrilled I was to see an anime featuring one of my favourite mythological figures ( and, since I like strong female characters, the twist of Arthur actually being female only served to strengthen my interest ). I've read many modern retellings and reinterpretations of the legend, from White's "Once and Future King" series to Marion Z. Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon", and I have to say that Nasu's spin on the legend and the character of King Arthur is one of my favourite, if not the favourite one.

But enough of that; the reason why I've started this is because I've encountered, on many occasions, people spreading false ( or, at least, partially false ) information about Arthuriana around BL. Whether they've simply been misinformed, or if they're just making stuff up and spreading fanon, I've noticed that their knowledge of the lore is... not perfect, and I wish to correct that, both for their sake, and for mine ( since I get bothered a bit by people posting only partially true info on the legend while appearing 100% confident that it's fact - Morgan isn't always a faery from Avalon, you know ).

One of the most common mistakes I've seen is people claiming this and that about character X as if it were God's own truth while it's just one out of many different versions and portrayals throughout the stories and legends.
And that is also one of the main reasons why I've decided to write these lectures; there is no single "canon" work for the Arthurian legend ( just as is the case with Greek and Roman mythology, and the closest you can get to a canon work in Arthuriana is T. Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur" ).
The legend has existed for over a thousand years, with the earliest mentions of Arthur dating from somewhere between 7th and 9th centuries, and since that time it has underwent several major changes and retellings. The early Welsh tales differ significantly from the later legend of Arthur as a champion of chivalry and knighthood, and several modern reinterpretations tend to turn their back on the High and Late medieval French and English stories of knighthood and courtly love, and instead try to tell the tale of a "historical" Arthur.


Therefore, I have decided to start these "Arthurian Lectures" with the aim of educating more people on the legend and the lore. I don't want anyone to think of this as me being condescending and "educating the unwashed common folk" or something; I'm doing this out of a sincere wish for my fellow forumites to learn more about the Arthurian legend, so that they can have a better grasp of the lore and the characters. I think we can all agree that, whatever the work at hand, fanon is a cancer that should be eradicated.

Also; as I said, many people get some things wrong about the legend, but there's also several people here whose names I can't remember, but who've shown to have a very good grasp of the legend, and seem to be well informed. I ask of those who feel confident enough in their knowledge of the Arthurian legend to help me out with these lectures, either by correcting me if I happen to get something wrong, or to point out if I overlook something they deem important to include in the lectures.

The first lecture shall be about a historical basis for Arthur, and I hope to have it posted today or tomorrow.