Mfalme Arthur

Mfalme Arthur ni mhusika mashuhuri katika masimulizi ya mitholojia ya Britania. Anakumbukwa kama mfalme aliyeishi katika kasri yake ya Camelot akiwa na upanga wake unaojulikana kama Excalibur, aliopewa na Bibi wa Ziwa (the Lady of the Lake).

Katika kumbukumbu hiyo Arthur alikuwa kiongozi au mtawala wa Britania katika kipindi ambako Waroma walikuwa wameondoka tayari na Waanglia-Saksoni walivamia kisiwa na kuenea humo.

Kufuatana na masimulizi hayo Arthur alifaulu kuwashinda mara kadhaa. Hadithi moja maarufu ya Mfalme Arthur ni ile ambapo anatoa upanga kutoka kwa jiwe, tendo linalomfanya kuwa Mfalme wa Wabritania.

Hakuna uhakika kama Arthur aliishi kweli; labda masimulizi juu yake ni kumbukumbu ya kiongozi fulani wa Britania aliyeitwa jina tofautihttps://www.britannica.com/topic/King-Arthur. 

 Camelot 
Kuna kasri mbalimbali zinazodaiwa kuwa ni Camelot ya Arthur, lakini ile inayokubaliwa na wengi zaidi ni kasri ya Tintagel, Cornwall (ingawa hakuna ushahidi). Huko Camelot Artur alikaa kwenye meza ya mviringo (the round table), pamoja na malkia wake Guinevere, Merlin, Morgan le Fay, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Percival na mashujaa wengine. Arthur na mashujaa wake waliondoka huko kwenda safari kama ile ya kutafuta Kikombe cha Kristo (Holy Grail).

 Kifo 
Baada ya vituko vingi mtoto wake, Mordred, alinyakua ufalme wake pamoja na malkia. Hivyo alimlazimisha Arthur kupigana naye. Walipigana kwa muda mrefu na Mordred alimpiga King Arthur katika sehemu nyingi, lakini mwishowe ni Arthur aliyemuua Mordred. Baada ya ushindi huo, Mfalme Arthur alikuwa dhaifu akafa kutokana na kupoteza damu kutoka kwa majeraha yaliyopatikana katika mapigano. Wakati mashujaa wake walipokuwa wakirudi Camelot, walitupa upanga Excalibur ndani ya ziwa ili uweze kurudi ulikotokea. "King Arthur." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. Hadithi moja ni kwamba Arthur hakuwahi kufa lakini atarudi wakati Waingereza watakuwa wanamhitaji.

 Marejeo 

 Viungo vya Nje 

 International Arthurian Society 
 King Arthur, tovuti ya Encyclopedia Britannica
 . An excellent site detailing Welsh Arthurian folklore.
 . A detailed and comprehensive academic site, which includes numerous scholarly articles.
 Arthuriana: The Journal of Arthurian Studies, published by Scriptorium Press for Purdue University, US. The only academic journal solely concerned with the Arthurian Legend; a good selection of resources and links.
 . Provides texts and translations (of varying quality) of Welsh medieval sources, many of which mention Arthur.
 .
 The Camelot Project, The University of Rochester. Provides valuable bibliographies and freely downloadable versions of Arthurian texts.
 The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe. An online peer-reviewed journal that includes regular Arthurian articles; see especially the first issue.

Jamii:Fasihi ya Kiingereza