44 Quotes About King Arthur

King Arthur was an English king of the mythical Camelot. He is the subject of many stories, poems, plays, and songs. According to these stories, he was a knight who served under King Uther Pendragon. At some point, Arthur went on a quest for the Holy Grail Read more

According to various versions of the story, he succeeded in this quest and became king of England.

Yet some men say in many parts of England that...
1
Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place; and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross. Thomas Malory
Oh dire, dreadful death, you drag your heels. Why dawdle...
2
Oh dire, dreadful death, you drag your heels. Why dawdle and draw back? You drown my heart. Simon Armitage
The gods do not visit you to remind you what...
3
The gods do not visit you to remind you what you know already. Mary Stewart
Used every man according to his capacity.
4
Used every man according to his capacity. Mary Stewart
5
So endeth the story of the winning of Excalibur, and may God give unto you in your life, that you may have His truth to aid you, like a shining sword, for to overcome your enemies; and may He give you Faith (for Faith containeth Truth as a scabbard containeth its sword), and may that Faith heal all your wounds of sorrow as the sheath of Excalibur healed all the wounds of him who wore that excellent weapon. For with Truth and Faith girded upon you, you shall be as well able to fight all your battles as did that noble hero of old, whom men called King Arthur. Howard Pyle
6
The big knight fell heavily to the ground, and lay there, as nearly dead as possible. His servants came running from the castle and took him in. He got better in the end, but nobody cared much about that. Roger Lancelyn Green
7
A kind heart is like a slow poison for a warrior. Sandeep Sharma
8
Oh, what a lovely owl! " Cried the Wart.But when he went up to it and held out his hand, the owl grew half as tall again, stood up as stiff as a poker, closed its eyes so that there was only the smallest slit to peep through - as you are in the habit of doing when told to shut your eyes at hide-and-seek - and said in a doubtful voice" There is no owl." Then it shut its eyes entirely and looked the other way." It is only a boy, " said Merlyn."There is no boy, " said the owl hopefully, without turning round. T.h. White
9
It is dangerous to become attached to a du Lac. He will break your heart, and you will not recover. Mary Anne Yarde
10
I mean, ” he said, “that by your own showing, the greatest threat to heaven comes from within the ranks of the angels themselves. Before you can prove to me that heroes can defeat villains with nothing but the purest chivalric ideals, you must convince me that heroes do exist, and that villains are not a fanciful tale for children. You must tell me, sir, if you dare, that you are incorruptible, and that your colleagues and commanders are as pure as you. Suzannah Rowntree
11
Blanchefleur felt a quick rush of affection for her. When the world frowned, Branwen went on smiling. There was a heart of steel under all that froth and bubble. Suzannah Rowntree
12
In the dim sunset Perceval looked the glade over and said, “Does your lady wife think so little of sending you out on deadly errands?” Sir Gareth unstrapped the blanket from behind his saddle. “It’s our fourth child. I’ve grown accustomed to it.” “Of course, ” Perceval said with a grin, “even dragonfire might burn less hot than my lady aunt’s temper.” Sir Gareth cuffed Perceval across the ear. “For that piece of insolence, youngster, you take the first watch. And be glad you are so tender in years that I dare not risk my honour upon you in single combat to prove my Lynet as sweet-tempered as she should be. Suzannah Rowntree
13
Perceval said to the Grail Knight: “Will you break a spear with me this day?” He did not expect Galahad to look down on him from Lancelot’s immense height and say, gently, as if he knew it must disappoint, “Sir, I cannot.” “No? Well, there are others to fight, ” said Perceval, trying not to show how vexed he felt to be denied the honour. “Not for any lack of love, ” Galahad added. “But for the regard in which I hold you, Perceval of Wales. Suzannah Rowntree
14
How you must hate Logres, ” she said in a dry mouth. “Hate Logres?” He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “There is an anger that is deserved, Blanche. Tell me. Look me in the eye, if you can, and tell me–to my face–that Logres is without sin. Suzannah Rowntree
15
That night she dreamed about the King again. She stood in a riverside meadow between greenwood and castle. Overhead the sun shone gilt in a sky like powdered lapis and struck golden sparks from the King's blood-red dragon banner. Suzannah Rowntree
16
She slipped off the lid and took out a little hourglass hanging on a silver pivot from a black ribbon, its belly full of twinkling black sand. "Oh, it's beautiful! " "You like it." Her guardian, the antiquarian, who invested every colour, gemstone, beast, and planet with arcane and symbolic meaning, would likely give her a lecture on saturnine influences. Blanche decided not to care. "Yes, I do. Suzannah Rowntree
17
I have fled from the wilderness fasting, with woe and unflagging travail, I have sought for the light on the mountain, and skirted the devilish dale. I have laid my mouth in the dust, and begged the Might to be kind, I have come to the feast, and I famish. Now grant me the Holy Grail. Suzannah Rowntree
18
It was like listening to the universe in motion. Planets spinning on their appointed courses, the lives of men intersecting and parting, the unimaginable harmony of the human body itself in hierarchy and order, were all implied in the song, but something greater as well: the genius of the composer, which must surely approach the miraculous. Perceval closed his eyes and was lost in the weaving music. Suzannah Rowntree
19
He grinned. “Do not fear. I am here to serve you, as I promised.” Despite the fit of schoolgirl giggles that had seized her in Carbonek when he first proposed to be her knight, his assurance annoyed her now. “You inspire me with confidence, ” she said, honey-sweet. “With a few more years and experience, you would make a capable guardian, I’m sure.” “And you an amiable ward, ” he said, bowing again. Suzannah Rowntree
20
Do not deceive yourself, Gawain. There are black places in the heart of every man. Suzannah Rowntree
21
A knight will give a lady a ring from his hand and take a kiss from her lips, when he wishes to love her and serve her all his days, " she recited, as she had when he was small. She pulled the ring from the chain and held it out to him. "This ring is the knight's who swore to serve me. Take it. One day you may find a lady to wear it. Suzannah Rowntree
22
Oh, Perceval, a falcon is born to hunt, and so are you. One day you will hunt indeed--but not yet." "Why? Am I not ready?" She looked at him sadly and said, "Give me a little longer. Suzannah Rowntree
23
Sir Ector looked into the fire, fidgeting with something in his pocket. "I have something for you, " he said at last. "It was your mother's." And he drew out the thing in his pocket and held it up to her. The ring Blanche took from him was antique silver, cabochon-set with a glimmering moonstone. Her mother's ring! Blanche folded it into her hand and held tightly to the only thing her parents had left her. Suzannah Rowntree
24
I did not do it for you, sire." Gawain was deadly serious now. "Death comes to us and all mortals. I shall still lose you one day. But Logres! The only perfection under heaven would fall if I could not save you. Suzannah Rowntree
25
Then this is for you, " Galahad said, and drew a knife from the pouch at his belt. It was an odd little thing, T-hilted and small enough to fit into a woman's hand. Its translucent blade, only an inch and a half long, was bound with scrolling bronze wire to the bone hilt. "Have a care. Obsidian is sharper than anything else in the world, sharp enough to make sunlight bleed. Suzannah Rowntree
26
It is the kind of stoicism which had been seen as characteristic of Anglo-Saxon poetry, perhaps nowhere better expressed than in 'The Battle of Maldon' where the most famous Saxon or English cry has been rendered - 'Courage must be the firmer, heart the bolder, spirit must be the greater, as our strength grows less'. That combination of bravery and fatalism, endurance and understatement, is the defining mood of Arhurian legend. Peter Ackroyd
27
Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” “ Unfortunately, ” he said as gently as he knew how, “it would appear so. Thea Harrison
28
Just when I was coping with the idea that I’d necked with a werewolf, ” she muttered. “Just when I was beginning to flirt with the idea of possibly… possibly inviting sex with a werewolf. I’m trying to imagine how I would tell this story to my best friend. I think it would go something like this: See, I’ve never seen him in daylight. He’s just this werewolf guy.” Beside her, he had stiffened. Very quietly, he said, “Sex? . Thea Harrison
29
Each male dragon has one female, the other half of his soul, the light to his dark. She has been fashioned by the Universe especially for him. Dragons mate for life. Once we find our one perfect mate, there will be no other. Julia Mills
30
Even sporting a frown, his upper lip was full with a pronounced 'Cupid's bow' that inspired the image of her nibbling his tender flesh to manifest in her mind. At the thought, her cheeks heated with a blush she knew he saw by the smirk that lifted the corner of his mouth." What are ya thinkin' about?" He winked, adding insult to injury where her pride was concerned. Taking a step back and turning on her heel, Abigail growled, "I was thinking you have the manners of a stable boy but are dressed like knight. Julia Mills
31
How was she supposed to be in the same room with the man that made her want to simultaneously kiss him and kill him? Julia Mills
32
This is beyond understanding." said the king. "You are the wisest man alive. You know what is preparing. Why do you not make a plan to save yourself?" And Merlin said quietly, "Because I am wise. In the combat between wisdom and feeling, wisdom never wins. John Steinbeck
33
People keep telling me that I’m a legend in Merthyr and a legend in many other places. Here’s my understanding on that, what’s a legend? I don’t really know what a legend is, I don’t even know the word. I’m not a King Arthur reincarnate either. I might be one of the Round Table, but I’m not King Arthur. Stephen Richards
34
Arthur without Excalibur was still Arthur. Kendare Blake
35
Wake up! You’re a sacred soul and glory is yours for the taking. Stefan Emunds
36
At least I’m the one leaving. It’s so much easier to leave than to be left. Stefan Emunds
37
Waiting for one’s execution is worse than dying. To seek my beheading is glory. Who went to his execution willingly? Jesus did. Jesus even dragged his cross half way to Golgotha. I think he would have nailed himself to the cross if he had to. Stefan Emunds
38
The world is an ambitious business. It continuously expands and evolves. But people are lazy and God is far too lovely to do something about it. Stefan Emunds
39
Honor is a balancing act and only the heart can strike that balance. Stefan Emunds
40
But even the longest day wears to sunset. Marion Zimmer Bradley
41
I want you too, so much, ” she whispered. He murmured in her ear, “Then take me. Thea Harrison
42
Gawain laid his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Sir Perceval, when the priest reads the lesson, he says that he who would save his life must lose it. Good words for any man, for there are moments when cowardice will bring death more surely than boldness. But the ordinary man knows, when he goes out to meet the wolf in his road, that he may yet come home in peace. Not so the knights of the Round Table. We win through one deadly peril only to face another. If we banish one evil, we must go on to the next and after that, to the next–until death meets us in the path. We yield up our bodies every day, not for glory and fortune but so that those weaker than ourselves may live. Do you understand?” “I do, ” said Sir Perceval. “And I say that there is no nobler calling. I am content.” But then he thought of the Lady Blanchefleur kissing his brow on a night of fire and blood, and with a sudden ache of grief told himself that even a hundred years of peace would not be enough time to spend with her. Suzannah Rowntree
43
Look out your window on a morning in spring, ten or twenty years hence, and perhaps you'll see me coming. Suzannah Rowntree