Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part B

The End of Arthur by Andrew Lang (1902)

• The King was wounded on the battlefield, laying on the ground and dying. 
• How did he wounded? 
• He told a Knight near him to throw his sword, Excalibur, into the water and to report to him what he sees. 
• Why?
• The Knight did not do it and reported back, saying he saw nothing. King Arthur knew he was lying. 
• When he did it, a hand came out from the water and grabbed the sword. 
• Story behind this hand coming out. 
• When news of King Arthur dying has spread, his wife, Queen Guinevere, was so sad that she become a nun and wept for King Arthur. Sir Lancelot tried to visit her, but after many rejections, he decided to live as a hermit for many years.  
• Story behind Sir Lancelot and Guinevere
• Sir Lancelot then eventually died with a smile on his face. He was buried next to Queen Guinevere. 

Note: Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere were rumored as lovers. However, Sir Lancelot was in love with the Queen regardless. King Arthur was suspected to have known of this infidelity. 

(Queen Guinevere bidding farewell to Sir Lancelot: Wikimedia Commons)