The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

The initial chapter covers events orchestrated by the famed wizard Merlin relating to the early reign of the legendary King Arthur. The tale begins with King Uther of Britain and his infatuation with Lady Igraine of Cornwall. Merlin casts a spell that allows Uther to appear to Igraine as her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, several hours after the duke has been killed during a castle siege. Uther later reveals his true identity and marries Igraine. The result of their first liaison is a baby boy whom Merlin takes away to be raised in secret by Sir Ector and his family.

Years after Uther’s death, the land is divided by warring nobles who all want to claim the throne: “The barons surrounded themselves with armed men and many of them wished to take the crown for themselves. In this anarchy no man was safe and the laws were forgotten” (9). Merlin places a magical sword inside a large stone and proclaims that anyone who can draw it out is the rightful king of England. On New Year’s Day, squire Arthur seeks to retrieve a sword for his foster brother, Sir Kay, and easily removes the magical sword from the stone.

Everyone is amazed when Arthur repeatedly demonstrates this feat even though no other knight can do the same: “Then many of the lords were jealous and angry and they said it was an insult and a shame that the realm should be governed by a boy who was not of royal blood” (12-13). After months of wrangling, the barons finally agree to recognize Arthur’s authority. However, 11 lords from northern realms rebel and plan a war to unseat the young king.

On Merlin’s counsel, Arthur forms an alliance with the French kings Bors and Ban. They agree to help Arthur in exchange for his help with their enemy, King Claudas. The two French kings come to England with a fresh army to supplement Arthur’s own forces. When they confront the army of the 11 lords, the fighting lasts for days. Neither Arthur nor his adversaries can claim a decisive victory. The 11 lords withdraw to the north for a while to deal with invaders threatening their realms, leaving Arthur to settle into his role as king.

While Arthur is holding court, he meets King Lot’s wife, Margawse, and they begin an affair: “And Arthur did not know that she was his half-sister and that, unwitting, he had fallen into sin” (33-34). Margawse is fated to bear a son named Mordred, who will be Arthur’s undoing. At another royal gathering, a knight publicly blames Queen Igraine for all the uncertainty about Arthur’s parentage. Igraine finally declares that she is the king’s mother, even though she didn’t realize this until many years after Arthur was born. Her statement calms any remaining doubts about Arthur’s right to rule and reconciles Igraine with her son.

As Arthur becomes more comfortable in his role, he hears news of a knight who challenges all who cross his path. Arthur battles Sir Pellinore and is nearly killed until Merlin intervenes. Because Arthur’s sword was destroyed in the battle, Merlin leads him to the Lady of the Lake. She offers a magical sword in exchange for Arthur’s promise to give her a gift someday when she requests it. Arthur agrees and claims the sword. Merlin says that the sword’s scabbard is more valuable than the weapon itself. As long as Arthur wears the scabbard, he cannot be wounded in battle.

Despite this magical protection, Arthur’s mind is uneasy: “But Arthur could not taste the full flower of the fellowship because his mind went brooding back to Merlin’s words about the king’s sin with his sister and the bitter prophecy that his own son would destroy him” (46). When Arthur learns that Margawse has given birth to a son on May Day, he orders all the infant boys born on that day to be collected and set adrift in a ship: “King Arthur, with shamed and evil eyes, watched the little ship carry its evidence of his fate away, shrinking in the distance” (50). The ship runs aground, and all the babies drown except one—Mordred. He is rescued by a peasant and his wife and will live to fulfill Merlin’s prophecy.