Legends of King Arthur: from medieval literature to modern myth

You're Dead to Me

BBC

Comedy, History

4.7 • 10.9K Ratings

🗓️ 7 March 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Europe by Dr Mary Bateman and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about the legends of King Arthur.

Most of us have heard of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. But where do these legends come from? Arthur first appears in the writings of a 9th-Century monk, but he’s not the king we know today: no Merlin or Lancelot, no Excalibur, and no Camelot. These elements were added later, as the legends were retold and rewritten across Europe.

This episode traces the stories of Arthur and his knights from their early medieval origins, exploring the changes made as they were adapted over the centuries by everyone from French romance authors to Victorian poets, and taking in some famous medieval texts, including the Welsh Mabinogion and Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, as well as some lesser-known tales. Along the way, we also look at the places in modern Britain that still bear Arthurian names and the wacky artefacts that have been associated with the legendary king, and ask the crucial question: did King Arthur really exist?

If you’re a fan of heroic quests, knights in shining armour and fantastical medieval stories, you’ll love our episode on the legends of King Arthur.

If you want more from Mike Wozniak, check out our episode on Charles Dickens at Christmas. And for more lovely legends, listen to our episodes on Atlantis and Norse Literature.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Hannah Cusworth and Jon Norman-Mason Written by: Jon Norman-Mason, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: James Cook

Transcript

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0:00.0	On Radio 4, the more you listen, the more you see.
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0:34.6	Hello and welcome to You're Dead to Me,
0:36.6	the Radio 4 comedy podcast that takes history seriously.
0:39.6	My name is Greg Jenner. I'm a public historian author and broadcaster. And today we are saddling our noble steeds and galloping back to the Middle Ages in search of the legendary King Arthur.
0:49.1	And to help us on our quest, we have two chivalrous companions at arms. In History Corner, she's a lecturer at the University
0:54.6	of Bristol, where her research focuses on the literature of late medieval and early modern England.
0:59.5	Luckily for us, she's also the author of the prize-winning book, Local Places and the Arthurian
1:03.9	tradition in England and Wales, 1400 to 1700. It's Dr Mary Bateman. Welcome Mary.
1:09.0	Hi, thank you so much. What a joy to be here.
1:11.5	And in Comedy Corner, making a triumphant return to the show, he's a comedian, an actor, a podcaster.
1:16.1	You'll have seen him in Taskmaster, Man Down, and again in Taskmaster, as Rose Matterfay podcasts, including my absolute fave comedy podcast, Three Bean Salad, check it out.
	...

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