There are three well-known English legends which have been popularised by film and television: Saint George and the Dragon; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and Robin Hood and his Merry men.
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table:
The legend of King Arthur is set in "the Dark Ages" soon after the fall of the Roman Empire, between 476 and 1000 AD. The story has been passed down by poems and songs and since XII Century in texts, but it is debateable whether he actually existed.
There are many versions of the story of King Arthur. Most include the wizard, Merlin who guided Arthur throughout his youth. Arthur was chosen as king because he was able to pull the sword named Excalibur from a stone. He set up a fellowship of knights and they sat at at a round table so that all the knights were equal in rank.
The knights had a code of chivalry: Never murder or assault; Not to commit treason; Not to be cruel, but to give mercy to anyone who asks for it; To protect and help women; Never to fight in quarrels about love and worldly goods. The knights were heroes in their own right and each had many magical adventures. Sir Gawain was wild and handsome and Sir Galahad was gallant and pure.
The legend of Arthur also includes how his half-sister Morgan le Fay hated him; the quest for the Holy Grail, and the adultery of Arthur's wife Queen Guinevere with his close friend Sir Lancelot. The land of "Camelot" is also important in the legends. Many believe that Camelot is in the South West of England, near Glastonbury (famous nowadays for its rock festivals).
A major modern retelling of the Arthur legend is the book "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White (1958) . The author tried to depict his vision of an ideal society. This version is the basis of many modern movies and TV series.
The relationship between Merlin and Arthur has been retold in other stories e.g. Star Wars (Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker); Harry Potter (Dumbledore and Harry) and in The Lord of the Rings (Gandalf and Frodo).
Robin Hood and his Merry Men:
Robin hood was supposed to have lived in XI Century or during the reign of King Richard 1st (XII Century). In those days there were many stories and ballads about outlaws and the original Robin was probably just a renowned thief. Some say he was from North West of England (Yorkshire), but modern stories place him near Nottingham (middle of England) in Sherwood forest. (The tourism industry has made money out of this!)
One of oldest surviving tales of Robin Hood is a ballad printed between 1492 and 1534. It includes the Sheriff of Nottingham, but not the characters of Maid Marian and Guy of Gisbourne who were added later.
The modern Robin Hood (as seen in the TV series) is based on his character as described in the the novel "Ivanhoe" by Sir Water Scott, written in 1819. Sir Walter Scott turned Robin into a cheerful, patriotic rebel, fighting the influence of "bad King John", who ruled England while his brother, "good King Richard" was away fighting the Crusades.
It is interesting to note that in history, bad King John was so bad, he was forced to sign a document called The Magna Carta, which limited his royal powers. This is considered by many to be one of the most important documents in the history of democracy.
Saint George and the Dragon:
The story of Saint George is well know throughout Christendom. He is said to have rescued a princess who was left as a sacrifice to appease a fierce dragon which was terrorising a country. He eventually slew the dragon and freed the country from oppression. Saint George was made the Patron Saint of England in 1348 and to this day many English people believe he was English and fought the dragon on English soil. They would be very surprised to learn that Saint George was probably a Roman soldier who lived in modern day Turkey or Libya and that he is also the Patron Saint of countries such as Georgia, regions such as Aragón and towns like Alcoy.
The flag of the United Kingdom (the "Union Jack" ) is composed of the cross of Saint George (red on white), the cross of Saint Andrew, Patron Saint of Scotland, (white on blue) and Saint Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland (Red on white, diagonal). And theThe Royal Society of St George, an English patriotic society established in 1894 to encourage interest in the English way of life, customs and traditions, celebrates St George's day with a banquet of English roast beef.
por Chris Betterton-Jones
