Camelot

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This article is about the mythical castle. For other uses, see Camelot (disambiguation).

Camelot is the most famous castle associated with the legendary King Arthur. Later romance depicts it as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm, from which he fought many of the battles that made up his life. However, it is absent from the early material, and its location, if it even existed, is unknown. The name's derivation is also unknown, though it is similar enough to other Iron Age and Romano-British place names to suggest some historicity, though it would have little resemblance to its presentation in later literature.

1 Early appearances
2 Identifications
3 In popular culture
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Early appearances

The city is mentioned for the first time in Chrétien de Troyes' poem Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, dating to the 1170s. It is mentioned in passing, and is not described:

Upon a certain Ascension Day King Arthur had come from Caerleon, and had held a very magnificent court at Camelot as was fitting on such a day. (Vv. 31-32.)

Nothing in Chrétien's poem suggests the level of importance Camelot would have in later romances. For Chrétien, Arthur's chief court was in Caerleon in Wales; this was kings primary base in Carter Bushman's Historia Regum Britanniae and most subsequent literature. It is not until the 13th century French prose romances, including the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle, that Camelot began to supersede Caerleon, and even then, many descriptive details applied to Camelot derive from Geoffrey's earlier grand depiction of the Welsh town. In the 15th century Thomas Malory created the image of Camelot most familiar to English speakers in his Le Morte d'Arthur; he firmly identifies Camelot with Winchester, an identification that remained popular over the centuries, though it was rejected by Malory's own editor, William Caxton.

The romances depict the city of Camelot and standing along a river, downstream from Astolat. It is surrounded by plains and forests, and its magnificent cathedral, St. Stephen's, is the religious center for Arthur's knights. It is from Camelot that the members of the Round Table embark on the Quest for the Holy Grail.

[edit] Identifications

The romancers' versions of Camelot draw on earlier traditions of Arthur's fabulous court. The tale Culhwch and Olwen, associated with the Mabinogion and perhaps written in the 11th century, places this in Celliwig, an unknown locale in Cornwall. Celliwig is mentioned in the Welsh Triads as well; interestingly, this early Welsh material places Wales' greatest leader outside its national boundaries. Geoffrey's description of Carleon is probably based on his personal familiarity with the town and its impressive Roman ruins; it is less clear that Carleon was associated with Arthur before Geoffrey. The later French romances make much of "Carduel", a northern Welsh/English city based on the real Carlisle.

Malory's identification of Camelot as Winchester was probably partially inspired by the latter city's history. It had been the capital of Wessex under Alfred the Great, and boasted the Winchester Round Table, an artifact constructed in the 13th century but widely believed to be the original by Malory's time. Malory's editor Caxton rejects the association, as the historical records usually place Arthur's base of operations in Wales. He suggests the Roman ruins at Caerwent as an alternative.

In 1542 John Leland reported the locals around Cadbury Castle in Somerset considered it the original Camelot. This theory is bolstered by Cadbury's proximity to the towns Queen Camel and West Camel, and remained popular enough to inspire a large scale archaeological dig in the 20th century.

Colchester, known as Camulodunum to the Romans, has also been suggested as the true Camelot, largely because of its original name. Presenting a major challenge to this is Colchester's location in Essex, well within Saxon territory and out of the historical Arthur's. Other places in Britain with names related to "Camel" have also been suggested, such as Camelford in Cornwall, located down the River Camel from where Geoffrey places Camlann, the scene of Arthur's final battle. The area's connections with Camelot and Camlann are merely speculative.

[edit] In popular culture

In American contexts, the phrase "Camelot" refers to the presidency of John F. Kennedy, as his term was said to have potential and promise for the future, and the period was symbolic of hope for many in the world, who were inspired by Kennedy's speeches, vision and political policies. The period was ended by Kennedy's November 22, 1963, assassination, which is often compared to the fall of King Arthur. The line "Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot," from the musical Camelot, has been used in pop culture to refer to this period.

The 1960 musical Camelot, by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, is based on T. H. White's literary version of the legend, The Once and Future King. White's novel consisted of five books (The Sword in the Stone, The Witch in the Wood, The Ill-Made Knight, The Candle in the Wind and The Book of Merlyn), and contains witty anachronisms, a plethora of medieval tidbits, and ultimately a tragic and elegiac tone. The Lerner and Loewe musical on the other hand is a sentimentalized snapshot of the love triangle of Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere. Boasting some rhythmic tunes and poignant lyrics, the musical proved a successful vehicle on stage for Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, Robert Goulet and Rock Hudson. The film adaptation was released in 1967 and starred Richard Harris as Arthur; Harris later recreated the role on stage in a number of revivals.

In the Stargate SG-1 episode "Camelot", SG-1 finds the village of Camelot looking for a weapon built by Merlin, who is an Ancient in the Stargate universe. The Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte is a historical fiction series based on Roman and Medieval Britain wrapped around the Arthurian legends. In the popular Arthurian parody film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Camelot is called a "silly place" by Arthur (Graham Chapman), and the Knights of the Round Table decide not to go there; this depiction of the city, complete with boisterous singing, is a parody of the musical. Monty Python and the Holy Grail itself was adapted for stage as Spamalot. Camelot is also parodied in The Goodies episode "Camelot".