Posted: 01/12/2012

King Arthur and Medieval Britain

by Ruben R. Rosario

The History Channel’s King Arthur and Medieval Britain is a fantastic insight into the interconnections of myth and history surrounding the legend of Arthur. Comprised of 5 different specials that cover different ground, this set has plenty to offer for someone that’s into the mythos or history that makes up the legends. Whether it’s the quest for the grail, the true love between Lancelot and Guinevere or the ideal brotherhood created by Knights of the Round Table, there’s plenty that is cross examined by scholars and historians to give real insight to what realities have contributed towards this medieval mythos.

In the Quest for King Arthur segment, the contributors begin at the origins of Arthur through the Roman Empire’s rule of the island as Britannia. The segment shows various battles and warlords that are very similar and can be linked to the ideals of these myths and places like Camelot. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stuart, this is the most recent of all of the specials and covers a lot of ground that gets slightly repeated in the other specials. In King Arthur: His Life and Legends, we are shown more of the mythos that has created Arthur. The Arthurian Romances are covered, as well as how these tales affected the public, that used them as hope and inspiration for a utopian society. One of the much more interesting specials is called Knights and Armor and definitely stands apart from the others. While it still includes many of the scholars from other specials, Knights and Armor gives a detailed history of how armaments and protective gear evolved from basic to the grandiose swords and body armor that are synonymous with knights.

I think that this set does a great job at covering many great things that people love about Arthurian lore and its connections to reality. Sure, some of the specials tread much of the same ground, but each one devotes a good amount of time exploring just a bit more from the previous entry or expanding on one. King Arthur and Medieval Britain does a fantastic job at approaching many of the great aspects of Arthurian lore, with just a bit of history and cool dramatic reenactments to make this set an absolute gem. Even if you think you’ve read enough of King Arthur, the quest for the Holy Grail and the legends of Camelot, this set gives you quite a bit more that make it worth your time.

Ruben R. Rosario is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio for Visual Media. He works as a freelance location sound mixer, boom operator, sound designer, and writer in his native Chicago. He’s an avid collector of films, comics, and anime.

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