00:00 King Arthur's historicity is uncertain, but his character as we know it today originated from Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, which attempted to document the kings of Britain but lacked evidence for the existence of early kings.

01:53 Geoffrey of Monmouth's depiction of King Arthur includes elements such as his defeat of Saxon invaders, his father being Uther Pendragon, his wife Queen Guinevere, his son Mordred, and his burial in Avalon, but there is still much of the legend missing; if there is any truth to the Arthurian legend, it would have to be a king who ruled in the first or second century after the collapse of Roman rule, and despite being adopted by the English, King Arthur himself was not English.

03:22 The story of King Arthur spread to France in the 12th century and was embellished by French writers, including the addition of characters like Lancelot and Percival, as well as the quest for the Holy Grail.

04:48 The modern day story of King Arthur was created by Sir Thomas Mallory in 1485, who combined the best bits from all the stories, and pretty much every subsequent Arthurian story is based on his work.

06:25 The theory that Lucius Artorias Castus was the historical basis for King Arthur is not well-supported, as there are few similarities between Castus and the Arthurian legend, but there is evidence of a battle between the Britons and the Saxons that could be associated with Arthur.

08:01 Most historians today believe that King Arthur was most likely a work of fiction and that there is no actual evidence for his existence.

09:33 The legend of King Arthur appears to have no real basis in fact, despite the possibility of having a future King Arthur.