King Arthur Timeline

King Arthurs Birth

499

Son of King Uther Pendragon and Queen Igraine. However these were very troubled times and Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place and that none should know his true identity. It is unknown the exact date of his birth, but the events happened between the 5th and 6th century.

Death of King Uther

500

Just months after giving away his only son, Uther Pendragon turned ill, and died shortly after.

Rightful Heir

500

"With no heir to lead the kingdom, the country fell into despair. Rival dukes and lords disputed over who was the best fit to rule England."

Sword in the Stone

505

In the midst of the turmoil, the nobles called on Merlin to find a solution. Having seen to it that baby Arthur was safe, he erected a large stone, on top of which sat an anvil, in a churchyard in Westminster, a region of London. Stuck in the anvil was a sword. An inscription on its blade read: “Whoso pulleth out this sword from this stone, is right wise King born of all England.”

King of England

514

One day, when Arthur was fifteen, Merlin brought him before the Sword in the Stone. A crowd had been assembled, and was waiting anxiously. Arthur's stepbrother, Sir Kay, was the first to try and pull the sword, but it would not budge. Then Arthur tried. The sword came loose. The crowd cheered, and Arthur was crowned King of England.

Battle

515

King Arthurs main concern is to drive the Saxons out of Camelot

Marriage

518

Arthur was awakened by the sound of a harp echoing throughout the castle halls. He arose from his bed and followed the sound until he came upon a woman sitting all alone in her bed chamber. Her name was Guinevere, and she was the most beautiful woman Arthur had ever seen. He married her the next day. As a wedding present, her father gave them a huge round table.

Excalibur

518

Later that day, Merlin took Arthur out to a misty lake. On the other side of the mist, he told Arthur, was the island of Avalon. The beings who lived there possessed supernatural powers, which they used for both good and evil.All of a sudden, a beautiful woman came rising up out of the waterIn her hand, she held a magnificent, jeweled sword. She said "For, whoever holds the scabbard shall never die of his wounds. Always keep it by your side. Never let yourself be parted from it.”

The Knights at the Round Table

519

All the knights in the country wanted to be soldiers for King Arthur. The bravest of them were allowed to sit at the round table. They were known as the 'Knights of the Round Table'. Because it was round, the positions of all the seats were equal. No-one could say they were more important because they sat at the end

Mordred

523

4 strangers come to the gates of Arthurs castle; 3 women 1 boy. One of the women said the boy was Arthurs son by his half-sister Morgause. Morgause tricked Arthur many years ago into giving her a son. He had no idea she was his sister. Morgause is evil. She wanted to have Arthurs son because she believes his son, Mordred, will be the key to his downfall.

Lancelot

526

One day, Nimue came to him and asked for a boon.
“Take him into your castle and train him in the art of knighthood,” she asked, referring to the handsome, young man beside her. “Knight him whenever he asks for it.” The young man with her was Lancelot du Lac, and Arthur could see he had the promise of a great fighter. He agreed, and the lady took her leave.

Lancelot's Dissappears

528

Once Lancelot was knighted, he swore to always protect the Queen as is honorable duty to the King. The three became very close until one day he disappeared and never came back. Until one day when Arthur found him walking in Camelot.

Affair

529

Guinevere and Lancelot fell in love and were going behind Arthurs back. Arthur learned of this and was going to punish them but they both ran away. Arthur left to search for them, leaving Mordred in charge.

Rebellion

533

As Arthur had no children, Mordred was going to inherit the kingdom when Arthur died; but he could not wait.Mordred told everyone that King Arthur had been killed fighting in Brittany. People believed him and Mordred made himself High-King of Britain.Luckily, Arthur heard about what was going on. He returned to Britain with his army.Mordred had given away lots of money and so some people liked him. They helped him put together his own army and start a rebellion against Arthur.

Death of King Arthur

539

The armies of Arthur and Mordred fought at the Battle of Camlann. Unfortunately, Arthur did not have Excalibur's scabbard with him. It had been stolen by his wicked sister, Morgan Le Fay.
The battle was so bad that only a few people were left alive at the end. Two of these were King Arthur and Mordred. They fought each other in single combat. Arthur killed Mordred, but was very badly hurt himself. Arthur knew he was going to die. He gave Excalibur to Sir Bedivere.

Aftermath

540

Three Queens arrived in a boat and took Arthur away to the Isle of Avalon.