Ode to the Arthurian legend.

It may seem a bit silly to some but I watched my new favourite movie, Excalibur, yet again. The first time I watched this, I absorbed director John Boorman’s telling of the story of King Arthur. I also took in the love story between King Arthur and his wife, Guinevere. Arthur’s goodness and humility shone like a beacon as he forgave his wife for her affair with his best knight, Sir Lancelot.

Lancelot was beautifully played by actor Nicholas Clay who depicted the turmoil he was in over his attraction to Guinevere and subsequent betrayal of his best friend, Arthur. Guinevere is literally put under a spell as she seeks the arms of Lancelot. King Arthur has to learn to navigate ruling the country, being a fair King as well as being an attentive husband to Guinevere. Unfortunately for their relationship, he focuses on being King. Although as Guinevere is under a spell and as it is already written in the future, I wonder if anything could have saved her from betraying King Arthur.

Arthur has a tumultuous personal life. If you haven’t already seen the movie, then beware as here lies a big spoiler. Recovering from his wife and best knight’s betrayal, Arthur is visited by Morgan Le Fay (played sensually by Dame Helen Mirren) who is his sister. She is the one who placed the spell on Guinevere and now Morgan seeks to have a son with the King, who happens to be her brother. Mistaking her for Guinevere, they have a son called Mordred.

Remember, that Arthur was raised as a boy who did not know he would be King and so for him to take on the task of being King because he was able to pull the sword (Excalibur) from the stone and have to navigate all the goings on in his personal life, is an unimaginably humongous task. With every step that Arthur takes, as the audience I was there with him. As I’ve said before, the actor who played Arthur, Nigel Terry brought such a humanity to this role and it’s this that made me want to watch the movie, Excalibur, again.

Although, my life is very different, I find Arthur’s character to be inspiring and that as he is tied to the land and the land to him, means that the country I live in now has the beating heart of Arthur, underneath all that is going on. He maybe a myth based on someone or some people centuries ago but England and Arthur I consider to be inseparable.

I am from India originally and I doubt I would ever return but if I did, I would link India to the saga of Mahabharata. This is the story that my grandma told me, that we watched on TV also, about five brave warriors who fought the battle of good versus evil. The heart of Arjuna, expert archer and all round admirable warrior, is within India, underneath all that goes on there. Again, Mahabharata is a myth too but I consider it to be inseparable from India. India-Mahabharata. England-King Arthur. Or Britain- King Arthur.

As we move forward day to day, the Arthurian legend is a part of the past that I will cling onto, drawing inspiration as the story transcends superficialness and gets to the universal values that were also present in Mahabharata. Chivalry. Good will to all men and women. Love. Forgiveness. Honour. Humility.

Long live King Arthur.

Thank you for reading.