King Arthur Approximately: A Short Story Regarding the High King and Me

It was a typical summer’s day; the sun beat down mercilessly on the verdant slopes and blue stream of my family’s Wisconsin farm. Everyone else had sought refuge in the cool depths of the basement, but I braved the intense heat and settled down comfortably under a shady elm with easel, palette, and brush.

Ere long, however, I fell asleep and rudely was awakened by a great clamor, as of a horse racing noisily in hot pursuit. As I wiped the sleep from my eyes, into my field of vision came a white knight on a beautiful white horse, saddled exquisitely in Moroccan leather embedded with gold and silver and other precious gems.

Catching sight of me, he whoaed his horse therewith and inquired, “Art thou a damsel in distress?”

“Uh, no, as a matter of fact, I’m not,” I gulped hesitantly, being unaccustomed to such questions.

“Alas!” sighed the knight as he prepared to depart in search of unknown perils.

“Before you go,” I spake, “please tell me why you’re dressed up in white armor like the Ajax knight on television?”

Puzzled, my guest replied, “I have jousted these past many hours with a recreant who has been instilling terror in the hearts of the churls of the countryside. By the by, whence come ye?”

“’Whence come ye?’” I slowly reiterated his words, not knowing what he meant.

“No force, care ye not,” muttered the knight, and anon a great silence fell between us, interrupted occasionally by the rhythmic motion of the horse’s swishing tail.

“Who are you? Where do you come from, and where are you going?” I finally questioned.

“King Arthur is my name; it is of no force whence I come, but I am heading for Camelot, my residence,” was the answer.

“King Arthur . . . Camelot . . . oh no!” I repeated, realizing the full implication of the words.

“By my faith, what I have said is true, so why does it affect you thus?”

“For some weird reason, I believe you,” I told him. “You’re a hero, a legend. Thousands of books concern your adventures, the Round Table, and the code of chivalry which flourished in your time but sometimes is noticeably absent now, in my time.”

“Lo! The code of chivalry was merely an ideal, something to strive for, yet never to attain and sometimes never to follow at all!” scoffed my companion. “There is a passing great discrepancy between the Arthur appearing before you and the real Arthur. You see, the contrast between the real and the legendary can be illustrated by my garb and that of my horse. In my time, we were rudely dressed and knew naught of Moroccan leather and gold and silver.”

“Oh!” I gasped. “Then why are you attired in such manner?”

“Because I am a figment of your imagination, a mere character in a dream. When you awake, I’ll be gone, taking all visible traces of my presence with me,” Arthur explained. “Farewell, fair maid. Be not disappointed by what I have confided to you, for what greater purpose can legend serve than to stimulate our imaginations?”

The above is an example of a literary form which is called the short story. The form means exactly what it says. It refers to a story which does not take up too much time to tell.

The definition is helpful and imprecise. For example, no misunderstandings may be expected to arise over what is meant by a story. A story tends to be understood as the telling of something that happens to somebody.

But misunderstandings can be expected to arise over what is meant by short. For example, how much is not too much time taken up in the story's telling? So the time length is controversial.

One respected definition nevertheless may be found in the writings of Edgar Allen Poe (January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849). Edgar may be seen as an expert in the crafting of such short stories as "The Black Cat" and "The Cask of Amontillado." In his essay of 1846 on "The Philosophy of Composition," the Boston-born writer offered the following time limits to the short story as writing capable of being read in one sitting.

But imprecision can arise over the length of a sitting. The word charmingly pulls its listeners, readers and users back to times before the invention of computers, movies, and television. It refers to times when entertainment involved going to plays and listening to musical performances and literary readings. A sitting therefore requires a reading within the confines of one hour, possibly two.

A short story also can be quantified by length. But such quantification opens a can of contentious, wiggling worms. Maximum lengths range from 1,000 to 20,000 words. Minimum lengths range from 300 to 1,000 words. Precise lengths stop at just 55 words.

Nowadays, other terms are interchangeable with short story. Alternative terms depend upon length. For example, at the shorter word count end of the spectrum, they include the flash fiction of 300 to 1,000 words.

Despite the variable lengths and terms, the short story can be traced back to recognizable origins. It is recognized as the descendant of known ancient literary forms. An expert, respected opinion tends to cluster around evolution from the anecdote.

An anecdote goes straight to the point. It may involve just one incident in one plot which requires a minimal number of characters and takes place in one setting over a short time period. It may or may not cooperate with breaking down its structure into the typical drama of the novel or play. It therefore may or may not have a recognizable introduction, crisis, climax and resolution. What an anecdote always must have is a compact, sometimes ironic or satirical telling of a real incident in a real person's life in an identifiable location.

The story "King Arthur Approximately" can be considered a short story in general and flash fiction in particular by its total of 507 words. It also can be deemed an anecdote's direct descendant by concise structure and gentle irony. Specifically, it deals with my dreamed/imagined interaction with the historic/legendary King Arthur (5th to 6th centuries) at the family farm in Wisconsin.

King Arthur was born to King Uther (Uthyr) Pendragon and Queen Igraine (Eigyr). He was married to Guinevere (Gwenhwyfar). He was parent to Mordred (Medraut).

Arthur the High King's marriage began happily. But the romance cooled. The cause was the couple's childlessness and the queen's attraction for Lancelot of the Lake (Lancelot du Lac).

Lancelot's name commemorated a formative event in the knight's life. Lancelot's parents, King Ban and Queen Elaine, ended up homeless. Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake.

Lancelot fathered Galahad (Gwalchavad) before romancing Guinevere. He occupied the unenviable position of surviving his child. Galahad recovered the Holy Grail (of the Last Supper of Jesus of Nazareth, 7-2 B.C.E. to 30-36) before dying young.

The romance between Guinevere and Lancelot divided King Arthur's court. Guinevere entered a convent where she became abbess. Lancelot took vows as a monk in France, to which he was banished by King Arthur.

Guinevere never became a mother. She learned that her husband fathered a child before their marriage. That child was Mordred.

Gwyar (Morgause) or Morgana (Morgan le Fay) incestuously became the mother of the High King's first-born son. Mordred grew up hostile to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Specifically, he was his father's absolute opposite.

Morded led an unhappy life. His anger mismanagement resulted in warfare. All was ended on a battlefield where father and son fought and wounded each other.

Mordred died from his wounds at the battle of Camlann. That battle is linked with a specific date. It took place in 537 according to Chronicles by the cleric Gildas (ca. 500 - 570).

Arthur the High King left the battlefield. Lucas helped him travel to the waters surrounding Avalon (Afal) before dying. Bedevere, Round Table knight and royal councillor, transfered King Arthur into the boat and tossed Excalibur (Caledfwich) to the Lady of the Lake before dying. His sovereign last was seen making his way to having wounds healed in Avalon.

But Arthur the High King's legacy and reputation did not disappear. They instead entered into the realm of common knowledge. People worldwide linked King Arthur with an intelligent youth, loyal friend, valiant warrior and wise ruler.

Arthur the High King has household recognition. He is honored as the youth who withdrew Excalibur from stone. He is memorialized as the devoted student of the Welsh wizard Merlin (Myrddin Emrys). He is recognized as the valiant warrior who opposed Anglo-Saxon invaders of England in the 5th and 6th centuries. He is remembered as the wise king who inspired all Camelot (Caer Lleon?).

King Arthur is known through ancient and modern sources. He may be encountered in local tales and written records preserved within the modern United Kingdom and beyond. He may be found in research efforts and literary works by modern investigators and writers.

As for me, I believe that King Arthur was a real person whose life inspired oral storytellers and subsequent writers to not

"...let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot" (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe, "Camelot").

What say you, gentle reader?

Copyright Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by Derdriu