Frequent Questions

Were the Women that Important?

How big a part did the women in the Arthurian Legend play in the decisions and events that took place during Arthur’s reign?

Actually, there were several women who played a major role in events that happened during the Days of Arthur. First of all, there was Guinevere, who obviously was Arthur’s Queen. She caused a great change of events by her affair with Sir Lancelot. There was also, Morgause, who through a relationship with Arthur, gave birth to Mordred. So, Mordred was the son of Arthur who would eventually lead to Camelot’s downfall. Thirdly, there was the mystical females, such as Vivien or the Lady of the Lake. She was responsible for Arthur’s dealings with Excalibur. If not for her, then Arthur would have never used his famous sword. And finally, I would mention Morgan le Fay, the half sister of King Arthur. It was through her that Mordred gained such great power, and because of her that Arthur eventually was killed. Morgan le Fay played major roles in Arthurian legends, whether as the flying witch or the Lady of the Barge to Avalon. Either way, many women played important roles in all of the Arthurian legends and stories.

Was it Hendricks, Hoskyn, or Hengist?

I was told that I am a decedent of one of the Knights of the round table, I think his name is Hendricks, or Hoskyn, some thing like that, were there any of those knights with that name?

I am not familiar with any knight of the Round Table with that name. There were hundreds of knights, though, so, there very well could have been. You may be referring to Hengist, who possibly could have been a knight of the round table but that is doubtful. He was the leader of the Saxon invaders of that time and he took service as a mercenary with Vortigern. Besides him, I am not sure who you could be referring to. I hope this helps you. Good luck as you continue your search.

Where did all of this info come from?

Are the stories of King Arthur on this site taken from a book? If so who is the author and what is the title of the book? I would like to buy it.

The information on our site is taken from many different sources. I would say the book where more content came from than any other place would be the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Arthurian Legends which is listed in the book section. That particular book contains much of the information on Arthur, his knights, and many of the other characters related to the legends. It also contains the majority of the photos and pictures that are on the site. Another book that I consider the authority on the stories of Arthurian Legend is Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. That book is also in the book section. Both of these books would be worthwhile additions to any Arthurian Legend lover’s library. I hope this helps you out.

Was there a knight called Ariawen?

I was wondering whether or not there was a knight called Ariawen? I seem to recall of one but can’t find any mention of him anywhere.

I do not know of any knight by that exact name; however, you may be thinking of a different knight. There was Aggravaine who was the son of Lot and Margause and the brother of Gaheris, Gareth, and Gawaine. He was one the knights who exposed the adultery between Guinevere and Lancelot, and he was later killed by Sir Lancelot. Or you may also be thinking of Arawn who was the brother of Urien. He may have been a knight of the Round Table or a King of one of the surrounding areas.

Who was Morgan le Fay really?

I have read about Morgan le Fay on your Web site as well as seen her portrayal in movies. I would like to know which portrait of Morgan is more popular in early texts, either the Half-sister to Arthur or the magical shift-shaper?

The short, straight answer to your question is: Both. Morgan is portrayed by Geoffrey of Monmouth as the half-sister of Arthur plus a witch who was able to fly and change shape. In the earliest text, however, Morgan le Fay was the leader of the nine maidens of Avalon who came to rescue Arthur after he was mortally wounded at Camlan. I would think, personally, that originally Morgan, like Arthur, was a combination of individuals. Perhaps, she was a combination of a Celtic goddess and the real half sister of Arthur.