- "Arthur was the greastest Celtic leader."
- ―Cerdic Sandyford[src]
Artorius, better known in legend as King Arthur, was a leader of ancient Britons who ruled as High King from his fortress at Camlann in the region of Logres that would become Somerset with Gwenhynfar as his queen.
Artorius was the son of Uther, uncle of Modred and half-brother to Morgana.
Biography[]
Born after the Roman occupation of Great Britain in the fifth or sixth century at a time when the nation was divided under various chieftains and warlords, Artorius was the son of the elective sovereign, or "Pendragon", Uther and the wife of one of Uther's knights. However, Artorius was taken by Uther's advisor Merlin and raised by a foster family.[1]
Upon Uther's death, it was decided that the next monarch would be decided by divine providence and that whichever knight pulled the blade embedded in a holy stone would gain the throne. During a knights' tournament, Artorius was sent to fetch a sword for his foster brother Sir Kay, retrieved the sword in the stone and was made king. While some legends held that that particular blade was Excalibur, other accounts said that Excalibur itself was not acquired until Artorius broke his sword during a joust and was guided by Merlin to request it from the Lady of the Lake.[1]
King Artorius was said to have sought the Thirteen Treasures of Britain in Annwn.[3] As a military leader, he was known to have gathered many legendary warriors and knights around him, such as Galahad, Lancelot and Perceval.
The high King led a united British force against the invading Angles and Saxons, and over the course of twelve battles managed to keep them at bay for almost half a century.[4]
Legacy[]
Upon Artorius's death, his silver dragon ring was taken along with other treasures to be kept from the Anglo-Saxon forces that ransacked Camlann. The ring was carried by a woman named Morgen who buried it within a spring where it was found many years later by a young Indiana Jones.[4]
Logres eventually fell to the invaders as the Britons couldn't maintain a united front and were driven to the edges of the island (Scotland, Wales and Cornwall) while the occupied territory became "Angle-land": England.[4][5]
However, stories of Artorius and his fellowship of the Round Table were retold over the centuries where the man became known as "King Arthur".[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Artorius is one of the suggested sources for the name "Arthur". One of the individuals that may be the historical basis for the person known as "King Arthur" was a Lucius Artorius Castus. However, Artorius as presented in Young Indiana Jones and the Ghostly Riders is closer to Ambrosius Aurelianus.
Appearances[]
- Young Indiana Jones and the Ghostly Riders (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants (Mentioned only) (As 'King Arthur')
- Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates (Mentioned only) (As 'King Arthur')
- Indiana Jones and the White Witch (Mentioned only) (As 'King Arthur')
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade novel (Mentioned only) (As 'Arthur')
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Mentioned only) (As 'Arthur')
- Indiana Jones und das Erbe von Avalon (Mentioned only) (As 'King Arthur')
- Indiana Jones and the Sword of Excalibur (Mentioned only) (As 'King Arthur')
Sources[]
- Grail Diary
- From Star Wars To Indiana Jones - The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives
- The World of Indiana Jones
- Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook
- Close Encounters of the Random Kind (Ambiguously canonical source)
- Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Templars
- Indiana Jones Artifacts
Research Begins in the Library on IndianaJones.com (backup link on Archive.org) (As "Arthur Pendragon")
