The Passing of King Arthur

Whether there ever was a real King Arthur, or whether he lived only in the imagination of storytellers and songwriters, no one can tell. This much is true, however, that the history of his exploits and those of his Knights of the Round Table has existed in poetry and song for now almost a thousand years.

Long before there were any English books worth speaking of, the story of King Arthur was sung and recited by wandering bards to delighted listeners in the halls and castles of Old England. In the course of time, it was written down in poetry and in prose. It was turned into French, and from French back into English again. Other stories were added to it, and it became the most popular romance ever composed. In 1470, a knight whose name was Sir Thomas Malory created a version of it in…