My mother was a voracious reader with a love of history and legend, and she passed it on to me. I grew up on stories of King Arthur and his knights, especially her two favorites, Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad. My brother and I had toy knights by those names: they wound up having a lot of adventures with animals, dinosaurs, cowboys, and cars.
In 1956-57 there was a TV show, Adventures of Sir Lancelot, which I made sure to watch. I remember particularly well an episode in which Sir Lancelot discovered an out-of-the-way Roman fort manned by legionaries who didn’t know the Roman Empire ended some hundred years ago. Very cool!
All these years later, thanks to my mother’s stories, I’m still a King Arthur buff, still reading and writing about him and his times. Someday I’ll have to tell you how I figured out how the story of the Sword in the Stone was very likely true, albeit somewhat garbled by the passage of centuries.
Oh, to put on my armor, sling that shield across my shoulder, hop up onto my mighty steed, snatch up my lance, and ride out on adventures! My mother lived long enough to see my Bell Mountain books in print: I hope she knows that she was the one who got me started.
Them was the days!
Did you also follow Prince Valiant in the Sunday comics? I don’t remember that particular show which is strange; my dad would have wanted to watch that which means we kids would have watched it. Please post your opinion regarding the sword in the stone. I love anything about King Arthur and have books written by “Arthur- searchers” and all that. Once in a while I’ll borrow that huge big book – Thomas Mallory’s work? with the cool prints and just enjoy!
Oh, I was a big fan of Prince Valiant! And of Malory.
Suppertime: afterward I’ll try a post on the Sword in the Stone.
The first Halloween costume my mother ever bought for me was Sir Lancelot. I didn’t even know who he was. As a result, he has always had a special place in my heart, especially when I found out he raised Guinevere from the dead with his prayer power.
When did he do that???
I remember it was “Camelot” – Vanessa Redgrave played Guinnivere.
Richard Harris’ makeup ruined his whole performance as Arthur.