00:00 King Arthur is a figure of folklore and mythology rather than a historical figure, with the sources that mention him being incredibly late and potentially subject to distortion over time.

05:13 Gildas, a writer from around 500, does not mention Arthur, leading to the possibility that Arthur may be an imaginary figure rather than a historical one.

10:00 The idea of King Arthur as a romantic figure and folk hero for the Welsh originated during the Anglo-Saxon period, but was not embraced by the Anglo-Saxons themselves, and it was Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century who popularized Arthur as a historical figure through his writings.

15:05 Geoffrey of Monmouth's writings on King Arthur were essentially back projecting the achievements of Athelstan, the Anglo-Saxon king who united the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and claimed supremacy over all of Britain, onto the figure of Arthur, making him a Britainized version of Athelstan.

19:58 The connection between King Arthur and Tintagel is a mix of history and legend, with Tintagel being associated with Arthur's conception according to the legend, and its status as a medieval castle being attributed to Richard Duke of Cornwall's construction in a consciously retro style.

24:50 The story of King Arthur's return is tied to Anglo-Welsh politics in the Middle Ages, with the Welsh believing that Arthur will come back and reclaim Britain, while the English, particularly Edward I, want to focus on Arthur as a ruler of all of Britain and not as a future conqueror. The monks at Glastonbury play a role in promoting the idea of Arthur's tomb and his connection to England, and this tradition is later embraced by the Tudors, who saw themselves as the new Arthur.

29:30 Swords in the Arthurian legend hold political power and are seen as relics that can be taken and used by those who need them, such as Richard the Lionheart, and the enduring interest in the Arthurian story may be attributed to the idea of hidden inheritance and the fantasy of being the child of rich and powerful people.

33:48 The enduring hold of the Arthurian legend on the cultural imagination is due to the ideal of Camelot, the tragic arc of Arthur's story, the tantalizing possibility of its return, and the powerful narrative of Lancelot's desire to be the best, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the round table.

38:34 The Fisher King and the idea of the grail as a healing force is a recurring theme in various portrayals of the Arthurian legend, such as T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland," the film "Excalibur," and the Glastonbury Festival, which captures the sense of magic and mystery associated with Arthur.

42:57 The question of whether King Arthur was a real person or not is irrelevant because the mystery and fascination surrounding the myth is what matters.

47:21 The afterlife of King Arthur is more interesting and important than whether he was a real person or not.