The name King Arthur conjures up a very specific image, thanks to his enduring presence in stories, novels, plays, movies and songs. In these, Arthur is a legendary hero and visionary leader who took control of Britain during a troubled time. The fictional king unites various regional British kings against common enemies and fights off countless invaders. He also goes on a quest for the Holy Grail, a chalice Jesus used at the Last Supper that's said to contain the secret of immortality. The story goes that when Britain is most in need of his services, Arthur will return.

stained glass of King Arthur and Lancelot
William Morris/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images
King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, 1862 (stained glass)

There are certain consistencies in every Arthurian legend, but there are also many variations and complexities. For example, in some stories, Arthur pulls his sword, Excalibur, from a stone. In others, his sword was given to him by a mysterious woman who lives in a lake. The man said to be have led to Arthur's eventual downfall, Mordred, was supposedly his son by his half-sister Morgase. But other stories depict Mordred as Arthur's nephew. Which version or versions are right?

Medieval Times
What was life like for King Arthur? Take a look at these articles to learn more about life in medieval times and some of the highlights of the Middle Ages.

The short answer is that it depends on your definition of "right." Although King Arthur was ranked number 51 in a 2002 BBC poll of 100 Greatest Britons, historians and scholars continue to debate whether he existed at all [source: BBC News]. In the next section, we'll take a closer look at the basic Arthurian legend and its variations.

It is a Silly Place
The 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," created and performed by the British comedy troupe Monty Python, parodies the Arthurian legends. For many people, this movie is the first thing that they think of when they hear the name "King Arthur." In the movie, Arthur travels around Britain recruiting knights for his Knights of the Round Table. Then God instructs the knights to search for the Holy Grail.

Although many of the characters and locations are from various Arthurian legends, there is no evidence to support the existence of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, or the Knights Who Say Ni! "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" continues to have a large cult following and was the basis for the Tony award-winning Broadway musical "Spamalot." It's not the first popular King Arthur musical -- Lerner and Loewe's 1960 "Camelot" also won several Tony Awards.