Here Be Dragons: The Once and Future King

Hic jacet Arthurus Rex quandam Rexque futurus

Here lies Arthur. The Once and Future King.

Surprising to some people, my desire to read this book was not a result of my Merlin BBC obsession. I have always enjoyed Arthurian legend, just as I have always liked the stories surrounding Robin Hood and Peter Pan. The first book of The Once and Future King is the well-known story The Sword in the Stone.

Disney's amazing adaptation of The Sword in the Stone captured accurately the atmosphere of the first part of The Once and Future King. Everything was mostly silly and lighthearted but with no lack of meaning. Under Merlyn's tutelage, Arthur learns the skills that he needs to withdraw the sword from the stone and anvil. Arthur then becomes the King of England.

Immediately after this event, The Once and Future King completely transforms into a book of war philosophy and...bad things... The philosophy part was interesting to me. With the bad things however, I was frustrated with how T.H. White resolved them.

When Arthur is nineteen, he is supposedly seduced by his half-sister who is twice his age. I however interpret it differently because Morgause uses magic to make Arthur love her. To me, that does not make things consensual. And then Merlyn makes me mad because he knew what was going to happen and he didn't warn Arthur at all. And then he accuses Arthur of incest and adultery. Grrrrr. T.H. White, whyyy.

T.H. White did use Sir Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as reference so it's possible that things happened differently, but this is how I feel about White's version.

Not only is Arthur taken advantage of, Lancelot is as well. Twice.

The entire book, Arthur and Lancelot blame themselves until the end and it's really depressing to read about. It wasn't their fault :(

Arthur is the only character that I really liked. All he wants is everyone's happiness even if it means sacrificing his own and his kingdom still crumbles around him. Merlyn tells Arthur about Guenever and Lancelot before any of them have even met. When Arthur meets Guenever and Lancelot, he loves them both. Lancelot becomes his best friend and Guenever becomes his wife. Then Guenever and Lancelot have to go and be losers. Arthur knows about everything between Lancelot and Guenever. He knows. He never brings it up though ever because he loves Guenever and Lancelot and wants them to be happy. They even know that Arthur knows. There is some unspoken agreement to just not talk about it.

I blame Guenever for Camelot's demise. Lancelot was her true love or whatever, but she was the queen. She was Arthur's wife, and her level of responsibility was way beyond herself. She was selfish and took advantage of Arthur's kindness. After the quest for the Holy Grail, Lancelot told Guenever that from then on he would be a man of God only. Guenever however, didn't care about Lancelot's feelings apparently because she badgered him mercilessly for years until he relented to be with her again.

This affair leads to a series of events that eventually leads Camelot to destruction.

I liked the book, truly. I just really hate Guenever.

I'm interested to read other interpretations of the story. Maybe she isn't such a bitch in the other versions. God, she's horrible.

Really though, it is a good read overall. I found lots of quotes that I like and philosophies to live by.

"I will tell you something else, King, which may be a surprise for you. It will not happen for hundreds of years, but both of us are to come back. Do you know what is to be written on your tombstone? Hic jacet Arthurus Rex quandam Rexque futurus. Do you remember your Latin? It means, the once and future king."

"I am to come back as well as you?"

"Some say from the vale of Avilion."

The King thought about it in silence.

"I wonder," he said at last, "whether they will remember about our Table?"

Merlyn did not answer. His head was bowed on the white beard and his hands clasped between his knees.

"What sort of people will they be, Merlyn?"

Quite cool sometimes.