1 Noah Y.

Garza English II- Period 7th October 1, 2013 Medieval Misconceptions Most people think of the medieval times and associate them automatically with the legendary King Arthur and men in huge suits of armor swinging their swords. However, all three of these things are common misconceptions about the real medieval times. In fact, King Arthur is just a legend and rather, is a compilation of different aspects of historical men in Britains history. The medieval times were also filled with people of all ranks using many kinds of weapons and wearing different types of armor. Thus, the medieval times was the prime era for advancement in armor and weaponry and the perfect age for assembling legends about people, most notably King Arthur. When you think of King Arthur, you think of a great king and war general and this is true according to his legends, but what most people dont know is what his legends are based on. Its interesting that the basis of the legends of King Arthur are the workings of people who have taken the traits of certain men in Britains history and put them into one man, Arthur. This is illustrated in the research articles where they talk about the various candidates that could be possible Arthur-like people who they combined to form the Arthur weve come to know. Some men who could have been a part of this combination are Magnus Maximus, Ambrosius Auelianus, Arthnou, and Lucius Arthorius Castus. (Alchin) Maximus was a great leader of the Britons during the Roman times. (Alchin) Auelianus is believed to be a great commander and the 2nd son of the famous emperor Constantine. (Alchin) Arthnou is thought to be the prince of

2 Tintagel Castle; his and Auelianus names could have been the influence for the name Arthur. (Alchin) One thing that could provide evidence for this theory is that in the book The Once and Future King by T.H. White, White writes that King Arthur was the founder of the famous Knights of the Round Table, but what is inconsistent here is that a man who is believed to be a possible Arthur lived in the 6th century, yet the Round Table is a work of 12th century literature. (An Archeological Quest) Thus, the two could not be historically connected with each other proving that Arthur had to have been developed over a great length of time. There are various ideas about Arthurs place of residency and where his main base of Camelot was, but one thing that can be concluded, using the research and The Once and Future King by T.H. White, is that Arthur was born at Tintagel Castle. (Alchin) A piece of evidence was found that could support the suggestion that Arthur has a connection with Tintagel, a stone that was found outside of a terrace at Tintagel. The stone is called the Arthurian Stone and says, Arthognou father of a descendant of Coll, has had this built.(Alchin, Walker) The name Arthognou could translate to a name resembling Arthur, thus Arthur could have a connection with Tintagel. Another piece of evidence that is consistent with the research articles and The Once and Future King by T.H. White is that Glastonbury is the believed location where Arthur was laid to rest. As T.H. White writes, it was his destiny to dieto be carried off to Avilion [Avalon], where he could wait for better days. What this quote says is that it was Arthurs time to die and hed be taken to Avilion for his burial. The thing that is constant with this and the research articles is that the Isle of Avalon is currently thought to be an actual place in Britain, Glastonbury. Glastonbury resembles Avalon because when it floods, the hill looks like an island, thus they thought it was an island. (An Archeological Quest) In 1191, some monks at the abbey in Glastonbury found a coffin with a man and woman in it containing a metal cross that when translated says, Here lies

3 King Arthurand Guinevere but the bones and cross were not preserved and have not been rediscovered. (Gildow) When you think of the medieval times, almost everyone pictures a man fully clad in shining, clunky and heavy armor, but medieval armor began as something completely different than what we believe it was. Medieval armor changed numerous times to accommodate for the weapons and arms of the time, going from simple chain mail to full suits of metal. In the medieval times there were multiple kinds of armor, but the bulky and over encumbering armor we think of was the armor that the knights used for tilts and jousts, not for regular combat. If a knight was using their tilting armor, they would only wear it for a short amount of time because it was very heavy. As T.H. White writes, the armor used in tilting was made so that lances, and other similar shaped weapons, could glide off the knight as seen on the front of this armor with its outward curves. The real medieval armor that was used, however, changed from chain mail, which was metal loops linked together, to the full suits of armor that we are familiar with. Chain mail is thought to be obsolete since it is light and does not cover much of the body at times, but it is very effective against a slash from a sword but is weak against an arrow or thin, thrusting sword. (All About Medieval Armor) So, plates of metal were introduced to provide better protection to address the issues that chain mail possessed. (All About Medieval Armor) However, the metal plates too had flaws in their design; they had gaps in between the plates and a thin sword or well placed arrow could easily harm the wearer, thus two were worn together for maximum protection. (All About Medieval Armor) Yet still, the two worn together was not enough, thus, they produced full suits of metal armor, the kind of armor we are accustomed to seeing. (All About Medieval Armor) Armor is also thought to be only for the knights and nobles of the time, but anyone could wear and use armor if needed in times of war and fighting.

4 (Breiding) The only drawback is that the quality of the armor would decrease the less you paid. The made to fit armor of the highest quality was reserved for royalty, knights and the wealthy due to the high price and was a status symbol of high class and great power. (Breiding) Lastly, when you think of the medieval times you think of men just swinging swords, but this too is a misconception. The medieval weaponry, like the medieval armor, went through some very dramatic changes in design and all the while kept their lethalness. What is fascinating is that the weapons, as big and heavy as they look, were very light and easy to handle with the proper training. According to The Once and Future King by T.H. White and the research articles, a knights training was his most valuable thing next to his sword. (Alchin) This was so important to them that their training to become a knight lasted for a span of about 14 years. (Alchin) The weapons used in the medieval time ranged from swords and knives to maces and bows and all of them were just as fatal if used properly. (Medieval Weapons Glossary) According to T.H. White and the research, the most common weapon used in combat was the sword for the cavalry and foot soldiers and bows for the infantry behind them. (Alchin) A mans sword was his most valuable item that he held, with his armor next in line. The reason for this was because of the unimaginable time and effort that went into making a sword. The prices were so high that they could by afforded by a few of the higher-class townspeople or the nobles, royalty and knights of the area. (Alchin) Similar to how the quality of armor goes up as the price does, the same principle applies to swords. The higher quality of the sword, the more it is worth due to the more time and effort needed. Arthur was not a real person, rather a compilation of multiple people who used many different weapons in warfare and could have used many kinds of armor in his life. It could have been possible that Arthur existed, but science and logic have said otherwise. However, his

5 weapons and armor are nothing of legend and are as real and deadly as the legends portray. Every weapon and piece of armor was so expertly crafted, sharpened and balanced that they all were strong in their own ways. So, I learned from my research that Arthur is only a legend and that the weapons and armor that the people of the medieval times were not as heavy nor slowed anyone down like we think they do. They were, in fact, extremely effective and a single knight, with his high skill and mastery, was as deadly as 10 foot-soldiers. (Alchin)