Camelot is the name of the stronghold of the legendary King Arthur, from which he fought many of the battles that made up his life. Its specific location is currently unknown and may be a fictionalized Romano-British province of post-Roman Britain. It is described as many days' journey from Avalon. Various stories present Camelot's court in varying ways, anything from welcoming followers of both the Celtic and the Christian gods, to exclusively one or the other. Since the location of Camelot is still a mystery, the truth about it—if there is one—is still unknown.
Geographical references
Possible locations of Camelot include:
Though the name "Camelot" may be derived from Camulodunum (modern Colchester), the stronghold of the Catuvellauni kings, and later the provincial capital of Roman Britannia, its Essex location (in East Anglia) places it in the wrong Anglo-Saxon kingdom.
In popular culture
The Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte is a series of historical fiction based on real facts of Roman Britain and Medieval Britain wrapped around the Arthurian legends.
In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Camelot is called a "silly place" by King Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table decide not to go there.
The musical Camelot, by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, is loosely based on the legend.
Last updated: 10-10-2005 06:31:43
