King Arthur and Merlin Fact or Fiction? This essay is about wether King Arthur and Merlin were in fact real.

Essay by HomerCSMHigh School, 10th gradeA, March 2004

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King Arthur and Merlin: Fact or Fiction?

Many people have enjoyed the legendary tales of King Arthur through numerous writings and movies. With so many people reading, listening, and watching the tales of King Arthur come to life the question has been posed, "Was Arthur in fact truly real?" Although there is no conclusive evidence that King Arthur and the characters in the tales are real, there are faint hints that can answer the question. Due to the fact that there are no conclusive pieces of evidence, people are required to develop their own opinion about whether Arthur was truly real.

Several books have been written by researchers solely on the question of whether Arthur was actually real. These researchers have all faced the problem of determining whether older sources are reliable. Despite the inaccuracies that oral tradition causes, it became the basis of proof of King Arthur's existence. But, excluding the fact that nothing can be proven, people have come to the conclusion that Arthur was in fact a person named Arthur the Dux Bellorum.

According to De Excidio Britorum, which was written by the British priest Gildas, a man named Artorius acquired the title Dux Bellorum after leading his side to victory in the Battle of Badon Hill. Artorius the Dux Bellorum is said to be the basis of the legendary character King Arthur and through him and word of mouth sprung the tales of King Arthur.

The conclusion that King Arthur was in fact Artorius the Dux Bellorum leads us to ask "Who was Artorius the Dux Bellorum?" The story of Artorius the Dux Bellorum is compiled from many pieces of historical documentation. Through the help of many books, such as De Excidio Britorum, Historia Brittonum, and The Annales Cambriae, the adventures of Artorius were compiled.