King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries,who,led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century.The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention,and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians.
Although the themes,events and characters of the Arthurian legend varied widely from text to text,and there is no one authorized version,one version of events often served as the starting point for later stories.It is depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established an empire over Britain,Ireland,Iceland,Norway and Gaul.Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in history books,including Arthur's father Uther Pendragon,the wizard Merlin,Arthur's wife Guinevere,the sword Excalibur,Arthur's conception at Tintagel,his final battle against Mordred at Camlann and final rest in Avalon.The 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes,who added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story,began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature.In these French stories,the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters,such as various Knights of the Round Table.Arthurian literature thrived during the Middle Ages but waned in the centuries that followed until it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century.In the 21st century,the legend lives on,not only in literature but also in adaptations for theatre,film,television,comics and other media.