Between myth and truth

Arthur Pendragon is believed to have been born in 470 in Tintagel, England. There are several versions: at birth, he will be raised by Merlin as a knight, or for some, he will be raised with the parents of Keu - a future knight of the Round Table. Arthur would have always considered him as his big brother. Merlin, also called Merlin the Enchanter, is a prophet, close to nature. He would have grown up in Carmarthen. According to one of the many legends, Merlin is said to live on Bardsey Island today

... Although there is no proof of Arthur's real existence, many historians agree that this mythical character is the sum of many living Welsh heroes who led extraordinary battles against the English. Arthur would therefore be not one, but many. Originally, there was indeed a military leader who gathered the Celts to defeat the Saxons in the sixth century. The collective memory then took hold of the character to give birth to a true superman whose exploits spanned centuries, certainly taking over the acts of other warriors, perhaps descendants of the same name. Thus was born Arthur.

The Excalibur sword: the trigger

After the death of Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father, there are no legitimate successors - since Arthur has been hidden. Many nobles are fighting for the throne. One night, a sword mysteriously appears in a block of stone. On the blade, it says that only the legitimate king will be able to remove the sword. It is Arthur, as a teenager, who will manage to remove it.

Today, to see a replica of Excalibur, planted in his rock, you will have to go to the lake of Llangorse, in the Brecon Beacons.

However, for some, the origin of Excalibur is different. It would not have been taken from a rock, but offered to Arthur directly, by the Lady of the Lake - also known as the fairy Viviane. She plays a major role in Arthur's legend, since in addition to giving him the sword, she is Merlin's companion and Lancelot's adoptive mother.

Upon Arthur's death, the sword will be thrown into a lake: the lake of Llyn Dinas. It is said that the true throne of Great Britain is buried in the lake and waits for a young man to climb up on a certain rock to reemerge. You can always try it, you never know!

Another legend claims that the mythical Excalibur sword was thrown into this lake and that the Knights of the Round Table live in a cellar next to it. They will come out when the country needs them to defend itself! All of this is dominated by Mount Yr Aran, which is almost 750 meters high. A beautiful journey through nature and Celtic legends.

Arthur, the new king

Once he is king, Arthur marries Guinevere, with whom he will have a son. But the most famous of his children is Mordred, born of a relationship with the fairy Morgane, Arthur's half-sister.

His death knows several versions: the most famous is that he surprised Guinevere with Lancelot. Furious, he demanded that Guinevere be burned alive. Lancelot came to save her and was chased during a battle between the Knights of the Round Table.

Some say that Arthur didn't die there, that he took refuge on the island of Avalon. However, it is believed that his grave was found at Glastonbury.

The quest for the Grail

Arthur will surround himself with faithful knights who will all sit around the Round Table. The form is very symbolic, since it implies that everyone is on the same level. Their goal: to ensure peace and prosperity. But above all, to find the Grail, a vase that would have contained the blood of Christ. Whoever possesses it would become immortal. It is said that it was at Caerleon that King Arthur held his councils around the Round Table.

In the footsteps of the Arthurian myth

Here are some important places in the country linked to Arthurian legend: St Govan's Chapel, in Pembrokeshire. This stone chapel, in the cliffs, can only be reached by going down 52 steps. It is said to have housed Sire Gauvain, Knight of the Round Table, at the end of his adventures, who lived as a hermit. Dinas Bran is said to be the last hiding place of the Holy Grail... Arthur's Stone, on the road near Reynoldston in the Gower Peninsula. Arthur's Stone is a fifteen-ton stone that rests on six others. However, prior to 1693, this rock was much larger, until an incident that broke it and dropped more than ten tons. This event is still shrouded in mystery. Countless legends exist about the origin of the monument and the supernatural powers attributed to it. One of them is that of King Arthur, who, embarrassed by a pebble in his shoe, threw it with force. It fell eleven kilometres further on Cefn Bryn, having accumulated magical powers during its flight.

King Arthur's Labyrinth at Corris is an attraction that takes us into the tunnels and caves in the footsteps of the legend. It is said that Ruthin was beheaded Huail by his rival Arthur, on a Maen Huail stone.

Other Welsh legends

Other legends populate the Welsh stories and you will find many of them throughout this guide. But some are more famous than others, such as the legend of Lake Bala. One of them tells of a village that once stood there. Tegid Foel was a cruel king living in opulence and excess in a magnificent palace. The gods tried to send him warnings, but he did not change his behaviour. One night he threw a big party, inviting all the important princes of the country. A harpist had come to play for the occasion. But during the evening, a bird signalled to the harpist to follow him. He obeyed, left the palace and went to a hill. The bird then sang a sweet melody that put the harpist to sleep. When he awoke, a lake had engulfed the palace.

Or the legend of Mount Cader Idris, which says that the giant Idris rests here. He had the gifts of poet, astronomer and philosopher. It is also said that the mountain would be haunted and that whoever would spend a night there would go mad or become a poet!