Camelot Forever

Imaginary Worlds

Eric Molinsky

Arts, Science Fiction, Fiction, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2021

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The myth of Camelot runs deep in our culture. For over a thousand years, storytellers have felt compelled to tell the tale of King Arthur and add their own spin on the mythical legend. But we live in pretty cynical times where the idea of a wise and noble king feels like just as much of a fantasy as a boy pulling a magical sword from a stone. So why does the character of Arthur still endure? I talk with Arthurian scholars Martha Bayless, Elizabeth Archibald and Ingrid Nelson about why we can never forget that for one brief shining moment, there was a Camelot – even if there probably never was a Camelot. Today's episode is brought to you by Faraway Stories from Amazon, and BetterHelp. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? We have partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email [email protected] or click the link below to get started. Imaginary Worlds AdvertiseCast Listing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Tab for a cause is a browser extension that lets you raise money for charity while doing
0:04.9	your thing online.
0:06.6	Whenever you open a new tab, you'll see a beautiful background photo and a small ad.
0:11.6	And part of that ad money goes towards a charity of your choice.
0:15.6	It's free and incredibly easy.
0:18.1	Transform your tabs into a force for good in just 30 seconds.
0:22.4	Sign up at tabforacaws.org slash imaginary worlds.
0:29.9	You're listening to imaginary worlds.
0:31.9	A show about how we create them and why we suspend our disbelief.
0:35.5	I'm Eric Mollinsky.
0:37.9	When the lockdown began last March, I was desperate to delve into the most pleasant
0:43.6	escapist fantasy world that I could think of.
0:47.3	And I found that place in Camelot.
0:50.5	You probably know the story or elements of it.
0:53.8	As a boy, Arthur is tutored by the wizard Merlin and then Arthur pulls a sword out of
0:58.7	a stone which proves that he is going to be king.
1:02.7	At Camelot, Arthur creates a round table of knights, including Lancelot, who has an
1:08.2	affair with the queen Gwenevere, and the knights go on a quest to find the Holy Grail.
1:14.6	It's all very glorious.
1:17.3	Until the end.
1:19.0	And I hadn't actually read in the Arthurian tales since I was a kid.
1:23.9	But I did grow up in Massachusetts, where the myth of the Kennedy administration as Camelot
	...

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