by DOBROMIR DRAGOS-CATALIN





rom the very beginnings of the English language there have been legends of great heroes. From the first settlements of Britain come stories rooted in ancient Celtic and Germanic imagination. Out of these stories, certain figures enjoy pre-eminence as the strongest, the bravest and the best. King Arthur is one such hero, known perhaps over all other mythical medieval figures as a chivalrous knight, a powerful warrior and a just and intelligent leader.
In an age of treachery and darkness, one king brought peace and prosperity to his land, defended it from every danger, and expanded it to an empire that would rival Rome itself. His wise counselor taught him the ways of justice and to value truth. At his command a loyal band of fearless, gentle knights protected the helpless, struggled against evil, and faced unimagined peril in the search for the holiest of relics. Though his queen and his best knight would betray him, though his own son would defeat him, though the shining kingdom he had forged would fall into ruin, still he set the standard by which all other leaders would be judged for centuries.
King Uther Pendragon loved Igraine, the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. So he made war on Cornwall and in that war Igraine's husband was killed, though not until after King Uther slept with Igraine by means of magic. Arthur was conceived, and later Uther and Igraine were married. The child was raised by a knight called Sir Ector. Britain did not have a king and was divided. The future king was to draw a magnificent sword from a stone to prove himself the heir to the throne (the sword Caliburn or Excalibur is sometimes said to have been given to Arthur by the lady of the lake).
Many people tried and many strong men travelled from afar to try to claim the great prize. No one succeeded…until