Arthur: The Once and Future King

King Arthur, a 5th-century Celtic monarch who battled invading Anglo-Saxons, first appears in a history of Britain written in 830. The story was expanded in the 12th-century by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who most modern historians regard as primarily a writer of fiction. The Tudors popularized Arthur further, as did the Victorians. Hollywood producers had a soft spot for Arthur. The musical, Camelot (1967), starring Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave, cashed in on an Arthurian revival sparked by claims that Arthur's seat was a hilltop fort at South Cadbury, Somerset. More recently, King Arthur (2004), with Clive Owen and Keira Knightley, attempted a more realistic portrayal of the legend. But the most popular version has to be Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). Silliness can endure, too.