Middle Age Superstition and Legend
In the Middle Ages life was very different from today. Superstitions and legends were a key difference. During the Middle Ages superstition and legend heavily influenced day to day life and rituals. Witches, common superstitions, mythical creatures, and Arthurian legend each affected life in their own way. Each of these things were truly believed in, and this belief brought fear, hope, and excitement into people’s lives. During the Middle Ages witches were feared by all people. This belief had a substantial impact on daily life. Witches were finally, after much deliberation and unrest established as people that made a deal with the devil. Witches were known to have a demon advisor, also known as a familiar, …show more content…
King Arthur was, by all accounts, considered the once and future king of Britain. He was noted for his chivalry and military skill. His knights were the epitome of glamor and gallantry. (“King Arthur and”). There were several versions of this classic tale. In each version the betrayal of his wife, Guinevere, and his most trusted knight, Lancelot and his relative, Mordred are key elements of his demise. However, the tale ends on a happy note. Though dead Arthur was delivered by fairies to the island of Avalon. There he waited until the people of Britain needed him most. Geoffrey of Monmouth, author of History of Kings of Great Britain, wrote conclusively of Arthur. His book was clearly well researched and regarded not as fact and fiction as it was today, but truth. Due to the popularity of Arthur and his reign several royal families claimed Arthurian descent. (Alchin.”The Legend of”). The Plantagenets tried to lay claim to Arthur’s lineage, however due to their English nationality it was improbable. More notably, the Tudors, struggling to legitimize their weak claim to the throne also claimed Arthur as an ancestor. They named their heir, the Prince of Wales, Arthur and claimed to create a new Camelot. After Arthur’s death his brother, Henry, became heir to the throne. “Henry VIII continued the belief in a descent from King Arthur through his Tudor ancestors by having a figure of King Arthur painted on the Round Table, with Henry VIII’s own face painted as that of Arthur” (Tichelaar). However, due to their Welsh origins and the original Welsh tale of King Arthur their claim is more likely than that of the Plantagenets. (Tichelaar). Obviously, Arthur’s legendary reign lingered on in the minds of the people, common and noble
In the Middle Ages life was very different from today. Superstitions and legends were a key difference. During the Middle Ages superstition and legend heavily influenced day to day life and rituals. Witches, common superstitions, mythical creatures, and Arthurian legend each affected life in their own way. Each of these things were truly believed in, and this belief brought fear, hope, and excitement into people’s lives. During the Middle Ages witches were feared by all people. This belief had a substantial impact on daily life. Witches were finally, after much deliberation and unrest established as people that made a deal with the devil. Witches were known to have a demon advisor, also known as a familiar, …show more content…
King Arthur was, by all accounts, considered the once and future king of Britain. He was noted for his chivalry and military skill. His knights were the epitome of glamor and gallantry. (“King Arthur and”). There were several versions of this classic tale. In each version the betrayal of his wife, Guinevere, and his most trusted knight, Lancelot and his relative, Mordred are key elements of his demise. However, the tale ends on a happy note. Though dead Arthur was delivered by fairies to the island of Avalon. There he waited until the people of Britain needed him most. Geoffrey of Monmouth, author of History of Kings of Great Britain, wrote conclusively of Arthur. His book was clearly well researched and regarded not as fact and fiction as it was today, but truth. Due to the popularity of Arthur and his reign several royal families claimed Arthurian descent. (Alchin.”The Legend of”). The Plantagenets tried to lay claim to Arthur’s lineage, however due to their English nationality it was improbable. More notably, the Tudors, struggling to legitimize their weak claim to the throne also claimed Arthur as an ancestor. They named their heir, the Prince of Wales, Arthur and claimed to create a new Camelot. After Arthur’s death his brother, Henry, became heir to the throne. “Henry VIII continued the belief in a descent from King Arthur through his Tudor ancestors by having a figure of King Arthur painted on the Round Table, with Henry VIII’s own face painted as that of Arthur” (Tichelaar). However, due to their Welsh origins and the original Welsh tale of King Arthur their claim is more likely than that of the Plantagenets. (Tichelaar). Obviously, Arthur’s legendary reign lingered on in the minds of the people, common and noble