King Arthur

Lesson 1 – Answer three of the questions, using the sources. (You can choose which to do!) Remind yourself of the stories of King Arthur before you start this task by reading ‘The Story of King Arthur’ document or doing your own research. This clip will also help you fully understand the sources. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBsY88Lir-A.

Top Tip from Miss Tinsley – Remember great historians see that sources of evidence can be both reliable (trustworthy) and unreliable. Think about: Who has made the source and why? Also, when and where the source was made (is it a primary or secondary source?).

1. Look at Source A. Why do you think the Angles, Saxons and Jutes decided to leave their homeland and invade England?

2. Source B shows only a few of the many sites associated with King Arthur. Why do you think a large number of places in Britain like to claim some link to Arthur?

3. How would King Arthur have dressed? Look at Sources C, D, F and G. Create a list of what the sources tell you Arthur would have worn.

4. Sources I, J and K all suggest a link between Arthur and Christianity. Use the sources to explain what they are telling their audience and analyse why the writers might have said this?

5. Source L is from a modern animation of the King Arthur story. Why do you think that the King Arthur legend became so popular both in the Middle Ages and today?

6. Source M was once believed to be the Round Table of King Arthur. Use your own knowledge and ideas to explain why the table is round rather than a rectangular?

7. Look at the evidence of Sources E and N. Do you think that these sources prove the existence of King Arthur? Do you believe King Arthur existed? Explain your answer.

BONUS QUESTION:

What does the search for the historical Arthur tell us about the way in which historians (and archaeologists) work?

IN SEARCH OF KING ARTHURThe World’s first superhero

Introduction: Historians have tried to piece together the story of King Arthur from a few clues. However, it is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing. We know that about 500 AD the Britons fought back for a time against the Anglo-Saxon invaders. A British monk called Gildas wrote about the end of Roman rule in Britain and about the Anglo-Saxon invaders. Gildas tells us about events near the time he was born (515 AD). Arthur was supposed to have lived around this time. Is he man or myth?

SOURCE A: The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

SOURCE B: A map showing a few of the many hundreds of sites associated with King Arthur

SOURCE C: Reconstruction of typical arms and armour of soldiers in the 5th and 6th Century AD, the time Arthur was supposedly around.

“Over the outer tunic would be a leather tunic, over which would be a coat of mail… The mail coat was worn with a leather belt at the waist. Under it the leather tunic hung down to about the knees. Warriors might also have worn some sort of leg protection , such as leather breeches… British weapons included the long-bladed Roman sword known as a spathia; a spear with wooden shaft and diamond-shaped iron head. For his own protection the warrior carried a large oval , or round whitewashed shield.”

SOURCE D: The Quest for Arthur’s Britain by Jill Racey (1968)

SOURCE I: “Arthur fought against the Saxons alongside the kings of the Britons, but he himself was the leader in the battles (dux bellorum)… The eighth (battle) was by Castle Guinnion, in which Arthur carried on his shoulders an image of the Virgin Mary, The twelfth (battle) was on Mount Badon… in all his battle{s} he remained victor.”

History of the Britons by Nennius, a Welsh monk writing shortly after 800 AD. Nennius mentions 12 battles in all.

SOURCE F: Arthur and his knights as they appear in the motion picture Excalibur

SOURCE G: Arthur and his Knights fighting the Saxons as they appear in the 14th century Rochefoucauld Grail Manuscript.

SOURCE J: “518: The Battle of Badon in which Arthur carried the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for three days and three nights, on his shoulders, and the Britons were the victors… 539: The Battle of Camlan in which Arthur and Medraut were slain.”

The Welsh Annals, church records compiled about 995 AD from earlier writings.

SOURCE K: “ … Arthur of whom the Britons talk so much nonsense even today, a man clearly worthy not to be dreamed of in false stories, but to be proclaimed in true histories as one who long supported his trembling country and gave the shattered minds of his fellow citizens an edge in war. Finally, at the siege of Mount Badon, relying upon the image of the mother of the Lord which he had sewn upon his armour… single-handed against nine hundred of the enemy and overpowered them “

Act of the Kings of England by William of Malmesbury, a monk and writer, 1125 AD.

SOURCE L: A photographic still from the 1963 Disney Film The Sword in the Stone.

SOURCE M: The Round Table made in the reign of Edward I and painted during the reign of Henry VIII

SOURCE N: The so-called Arthur’s Stone dated to the 5th/6th Century with the name Artognou (a possible variation of Arthur) written on it. It was found at Tintagel Castle, the alleged birthplace of King Arthur.

SOURCE E: This is supposedly where King Arthur was buried, the bones were found by Monks of the Abbey in about 1191.

King Arthur

Lesson 2

In light of your discoveries about King Arthur, there is going to be a new film made showing the real King Arthur. You can choose how you want to present this task, here are several ideas for you to consider:

Create one scene from the film/film trailerMake the film/ film trailer (e.g. stop motion)Storyboard film or trailerMake a film poster to advertise the new film

Success Criteria Clearly show the character of Arthur that was revealed through your study of the

sources Make it persuasive (remember you want people to want to see this film) Think about when the film is set and what the fashions would be like Set out a plan for your ideas before you begin – summarise what Arthurs character was

really like, where his story would be set and who the other characters might be