Changes

[[File: Knights 1.jpg|200px300px|thumb|left|A 19th century painting of the knights leaving Camelot]]__NOTOC__

They inspired many nobles during the Middle Ages to abide by the code of chivalry. However, did the Knights of the Round Table exist and are they based on historical figures. This article examines if the fabled knights have some basis in fact. It argues that the story of the Round Table probably has no real basis in fact, but that the chivalrous warriors were likely based on stories of elite fighters who fought for early medieval warlords and possible some historical figures whose memory survived in folklore.

[[File: Knights Three.jpg|200px300px|thumb|left|A medieval depiction of the Round Table]]

After their formation they slay may dragons and monsters making the land safe and also subdue the enemies of Arthur. The adventures of the heroes inspired some great literature such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The knights vow to go on a quest to retrieve the Holy Grail, the cup from the Last Supper, and their subsequent adventures are portrayed in many medieval works. The works vary but several of the knights, including Galahad, secured the grail. Despite their chivalrous code, the majority of the knights were killed on a variety of battlefields or searching for the grail. The dead were replaced by new members but some sources present them as inferior in character and bravery to the original band. Only a handful of knights survived the terrible Battle of Camlann, which left Arthur mortally wounded. The brotherhood of warriors effectively ended after the battle and the handful of survivors became monks or wanders .<ref> Syr Gawayne; a collection of ancient romance-poems, by Scottish and English authors: relating to that celebrated knight of the Round Table (London, J. R. and JE Taylor, 1839)</ref>. There is no more mention of the Round Table, but it was presumably destroyed when Camelot was sacked and razed to the ground by the treacherous King of Cornwall. The stories of the Knights of the Round Table have proven enormously influential and helped to spread ideas of chivalry and courtly-love in the Medieval period.  <div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'> ====Related Articles===={{#dpl:category=British History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=7}}</div>

The origin of the Arthurian legend is in the Dark Ages, when as we have seen warlords carved out their own kingdoms and fought endless wars. Now an examination of Romano-British and Celtic culture can help us to understand the inspiration for the story about the gallant knights. Arthur was based on one or more Brythonic warlords, who would have had an elite group of fighters.<ref>Sutcliffe, p 17</ref>.  They would typically be high-born warriors who had been trained since childhood in the art of war. These may have been sub-kings or chieftains and they often helped him to administer his territory. These elite warriors would have been similar to the ‘sworn swords’ who had pledged to fight for their lord or king and often acted as his personal bodyguard. They were the companions of the monarch and expected to die for their ruler.

Furthermore, they were expected to abide by a good of honor. There are definite similarities between these Dark Age warriors and the Knights of the Round Table. The noble swordsmen who fought for Arthur can be considered to be a Christianised version of an older warrior tradition <ref>Sutcliffe, p 101</ref>.