Knights of the Round Table

Fun Facts About Knights of the Round Table

• Based on Arthurian legends, the Round Table was deliberately round to ensure all knights of the fellowship were equal, with no one claiming a position of greater importance.
• Legends vary wildly on the seating capacity of the Round Table, ranging from as few as 12 or 13 knights to 150 in many later versions. One extreme account claimed 1,600 men could be seated around it.
• One seat at the table was always left empty. It was reserved by Merlin for the knight destined to achieve the Holy Grail. Any unqualified knight sitting in it was instantly destroyed by fire.
• Sir Lancelot is often considered the greatest warrior of the group, embodying the height of chivalry, skill and tragic romance. He was raised by the Lady of the Lake, yet his secret affair with Queen Guinevere ultimately proved to be Camelot's downfall.
• Sir Galahad was Sir Lancelot's illegitimate son and considered the only knight pure enough to fully achieve the Holy Grail quest. He ultimately achieved the quest.
• The Knights of the Round Table were an international group. Some members hailed from across Britain, Ireland, France and even beyond Europe according to some stories.
• King Henry VIII was so obsessed with the legend that he had the 13th century Winchester Round Table repainted. He used Arthurian imagery to bolster his own royal legitimacy, and even claimed to be directly descendent from the mythical king.
• The knights followed a strict Code of Chivalry. It was a complex, evolving and romanticized set of moral and social guidelines, emphasizing honor, loyalty to God, protecting the weak, and courtly behavior toward women. Many of the tales show the knights failing to live up to the Code through betrayals, affairs, and revenge.