Introduction

In the first decade of a new millennium a vague familiarity with the stories surrounding the legendary King Arthur and his knights is more or less taken for granted in western culture. Indeed, Arthur inhabits the realm where the borders of national, cultural and mythological identities overlap. In the context of twenty-first century capitalism 'Arthur' is packaged and marketed as cultural heritage in a variety of forms: the Camelot-owned lottery has been launched for the 'good of the nation's heritage'; role-playing games, computer games and fantasy literature are dominant constituents of popular culture; the Round Table is used as a metaphor within communication studies,! and Excalibur (King Arthur's sword) has appeared in a television advertisement for Carling Black Label, in newspaper advertisements promoting Wales as a 'legendary' 'land of inspiration,2 and for sale in catalogues (you, too, can 'own the sword of myth and legend' for a mere £39.50).3 More specifically, the version of Arthurianism bought into wholesale - edited, adapted or reinvented legends as children's books or mainstream films; products adorned with Pre-Raphaelite images sold in the Past Times chain of shops - is rooted in the renewed interest in Arthurian legends which marked nineteenth-century Britain.