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WILLIAM SHATNER:
King Arthur.

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A noble warrior, who
embodied honor and chivalry,

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wielded the legendary blade
Excalibur

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and went on epic quests with
the Knights of the Round Table.

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For more than a thousand years,

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tales have been
told about a peasant boy

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who pulled a sword out of
a stone and became a king.

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Is the legend of
King Arthur and the Knights

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of the Round Table just a myth?

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Or is it possible that the story
we all know was based on fact?

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Was King Arthur a real person?

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Well, that is what
we’ll try and find out.

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♪ ♪

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(cheering)

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Every year,
thousands of people gather at

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the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire

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to experience
a taste of medieval life.

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The fair is one of many similar
events held around the globe

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that are inspired
by age-old tales

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of King Arthur and
the Knights of the Round Table.

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I don’t know what child,
growing up, doesn’t want

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to be a knight
in shining armor.

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It’s such a romanticized
time period that the stories of

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King Arthur and Knights of
the Round Table and all of their

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quests and adventures
have branched and become

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bigger and bigger right
through today’s modern age.

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It has such a collective

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grab on our imagination
and our soul.

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DORSEY ARMSTRONG:
King Arthur is everywhere today.

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You’d be hard-pressed to find
another legendary figure that is

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as popular all over the world,
in so many times

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and so many places, whether
it’s in the 12th century,

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or the 15th century,
or the 21st century.

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SHATNER: Since the Middle Ages,
the legend of King Arthur

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has captured the imagination
of countless people

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all over the world.

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But what are the origins
of this powerful story?

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JONATHAN YOUNG:
The Arthur story begins with
a boy raised by farmers.

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One time, his brother is
in a sword-fighting contest,

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and his brother’s
sword breaks.

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And Arthur said, "No, don’t
forfeit, hold off for a second.

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I saw a sword."

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And he saw a sword stuck
in a stone.

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SHATNER:
As the story goes,
the sword that Arthur saw

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was no ordinary blade.

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It had been prophesied that
only the future king of England

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could draw
the sword out of the stone.

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Many men had tried to remove it,
but all of them failed.

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That is,
until Arthur pulled the sword,

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and it slid out of the stone.

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YOUNG:
This is the earliest that
Arthur begins to understand that

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something is happening
in his life beyond his grasp.

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Gradually,
this unusual young man

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does become king of all Britain.

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JULIETTE WOOD:
The Arthurian legend
basically tells about

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a young person who
discovers their destiny,

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and discovers how
to achieve this destiny.

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He becomes the center
of these medieval romances,

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where he is
the quintessential leader.

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He is Rex Quondom,
Rexque Futurus;

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the Once and Future King.

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It’s amazing
how much of that story

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has permeated our culture
just sort of by osmosis.

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And the image we all have
is that King Arthur

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lives in Camelot,
which is a big stone castle.

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He had a wife, Guinevere,
and also he is assisted

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by a wizard named Merlin.

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His knights of the Round Table
looked for the Holy Grail.

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And he has a fabulous sword
named Excalibur.

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It is this wonderful repository

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of symbols and themes
and adventures

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that are all interlinked,

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because they all relate
to the court

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of this one marvelous figure.

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SHATNER:
The vast influence
of the Arthurian legend

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is undeniable.

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But for more
than 1,000 years,

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a fascinating question
has lingered.

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Is it possible that King Arthur
wasn’t merely a myth

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but rather a real man?

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If we go back to the original
accounts of King Arthur,

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written during the Dark Ages,
around about 500 AD,

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the Roman Empire collapsed,
and the Roman soldiers

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withdrew from Britain.

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And this country turned
into complete anarchy.

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There were various separate
tribes fighting each other.

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And what was needed
was one single warrior

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or chieftain or king
to unite them all.

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And Arthur is said to have been
that person in myth and legend.

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TONY McMAHON:
There are lots of
theories on who King Arthur

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might really have been.

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And really,
there’s no clear answer.

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The Arthur that we think
we know came from

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many hands,
many authors, many writers,

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who had slightly different
takes on the Arthur story.

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We know the basic
elements of the story,

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but the man himself
remains a mystery.

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SHATNER:
According to historians,
there are numerous versions of

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the King Arthur legend, many
of which have been lost to time.

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But the most influential
telling of the story

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dates to the 12th century,

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when a Welsh monk
named Geoffrey of Monmouth

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claimed he’d discovered
a long-lost account of early

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British history
that recorded King Arthur

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as being an actual person who
lived around the year 500 AD.

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Monmouth then published a
translated version of this text,

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which he called The History
of the Kings of Britain.

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Geoffrey of Monmouth,
in his text in the 12th century,

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this is what breaks
the Arthurian legend wide open.

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What’s fascinating is that
so many of the things

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and places and events
he writes about in recent times

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have been proven
to be correct in terms of

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being the right time,
the right place,

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and the right elements
to be based on,

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many historians believe,
real events.

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SHATNER:
Could it be possible
that the tales

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of King Arthur are more
than mere fantasy?

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Perhaps a clue may be found
by examining a castle

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in southwest England that
Geoffrey of Monmouth claimed

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to have been the site
where King Arthur was born.

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Overlooking the rocky cliffs of

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Bristol Channel are
the ruins of Tintagel Castle.

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Built in the 13th century,
this once-mighty fortress

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is now a popular
tourist attraction

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with a fascinating history.

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Well, Tintagel is a really
wondrous and mysterious location

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because it hides
an enormous amount of

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knowledge about our past.

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There’s this fantastic castle
that is 900 years old.

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But below the ground,
there’s tons of information

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about hundreds of years
before this,

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in the period when,
perhaps, Arthur existed.

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ARMSTRONG:
What’s really fantastic
and incredible

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about this spot
in particular is that

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Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us

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that Arthur’s born in Tintagel,
and that has now been

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very conclusively proven
to have very, very strong links.

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SHATNER:
Excavations beneath Tintagel
have revealed the remains of

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an earlier castle that dated
back to the sixth century AD.

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And a curious inscription found
among the prior castle’s remains

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offers evidence in support
of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s claim

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that the real King Arthur

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had a profound
connection to Tintagel.

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In 1998, Glasgow University
were excavating here,

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and they found a drain cover
behind one of the buildings.

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And that drain cover--
they were amazed to find

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it had an inscription on it.

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At the top of the stone
is very clearly Artognou.

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A-R-T-O-G-N-O-U.

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It was securely dated
to the sixth century, based on

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the items around it,

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and on that stone

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was carved a name that looks

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very much like "Arthur."
"Artognou."

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When you have
the site of Tintagel

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that has been associated with

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Arthur’s supposed birthplace
for centuries,

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and the discovery of a stone

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that has a name on it
that begins A-R-T,

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you have all the elements

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coming together at the right
time in the right place.

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The mere possibility that
one day we’ll be able to verify

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the birthplace of the real
King Arthur is thrilling.

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But could there be
other parts of the legend

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that might also be
historically accurate?

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Well, perhaps the answer
can be found by examining

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two of the most iconic
elements of Arthurian lore:

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Merlin the Magician
and Excalibur.

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SHATNER:
One of the most iconic stories

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from the tales of King Arthur

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is that of a young
Arthur singlehandedly

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pulling a sword out of a stone.

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It was a feat that revealed him

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to be the one true king
of Britain.

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But there’s another sword
in the Arthur legend

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that is no less compelling.

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There are two
swords in the Arthur story.

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One comes out
of that stone, and later,

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he gets a sword as a gift
from the Lady of the Lake.

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This is the goddess of the lake.

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And her arm comes up out
of the water holding a sword.

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And that is Excalibur,
a sword beyond other swords.

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Excalibur, we are told,
had a golden hilt,

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and had magical powers.

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It’s a sword that’s supposed
to make Arthur invincible.

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YOUNG: Arthur’s story is
the hero’s journey,

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because it has
the magic and the sacred

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and all
the mystical dimensions.

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In the hero’s journey,

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the protagonist gains
a special tool or weapon.

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This is the magical thing.

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It will be
just the thing you needed,

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although you might
not know it at the time.

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And then the moment
will arise and you see

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exactly why you have it.

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SHATNER:
According to legend,
King Arthur used Excalibur

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to win many battles and unite
Britain under his leadership.

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But, alas, Arthur finally
died on the battlefield

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when he was mortally wounded
by his son, Mordred.

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As King Arthur lies
dying on the field of battle...

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...he asks that his sword,
Excalibur,

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the source of all his power,

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be taken by a knight
and thrown into a nearby lake.

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When this happens, the hand
of the Lady of the Lake

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breaks through the surface
of the water,

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grabs hold of the sword
and takes it down

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into the crystal depths
to keep it

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until some future king
may need it

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when Britain is
again threatened.

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SHATNER:
Many scholars believe that magic
is an important part of

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what makes the King Arthur
story so powerful.

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And curiously, the supernatural
elements of Excalibur

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may not have been
merely a fantasy.

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The story of Excalibur may seem
one of the medieval additions,

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if you like,
to the tale of King Arthur,

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that sounds the least likely.

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But in fact,
the story of Excalibur

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and the knight throwing it
to the Lady of the Lake

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could be based
on historical events.

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The Celtic warriors of
the time Arthur existed had

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a tradition that their soul,
if you like,

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was in their sword.

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And at their funerals,
their swords were often thrown

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into a sacred lake, or pool,

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as an offering
to a water goddess.

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And in fact, archaeology has
discovered many ancient swords

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that had been thrown into lakes
that have since dried up.

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So the story
of the Lady of the Lake,

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this strange nymph-like woman
that takes the sword,

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could have originated
with the tradition of casting

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a warrior’s sword as
an offering to a water goddess.

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SHATNER:
Is it possible that
some of the mystical aspects

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of the legend of
King Arthur are based on fact?

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Perhaps a clue can be found
by examining the origins

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of the most mysterious
character in Arthurian lore:

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Merlin the Magician.

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Merlin is almost as
fascinating as Arthur.

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He’s such a wonderful character
who might have been

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an alchemist or a wizard.

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Merlin is Arthur’s advisor,
and we think of Merlin, really,

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as a dignified old man
with a long white beard.

242
00:14:23,780 --> 00:14:27,160
YOUNG:
Merlin is the classic sorcerer.

243
00:14:27,241 --> 00:14:28,871
We’ve had many more recent

244
00:14:28,951 --> 00:14:30,831
reincarnations, really,
of Merlin:

245
00:14:30,912 --> 00:14:35,252
Dumbledore, Gandalf,
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda.

246
00:14:35,375 --> 00:14:37,295
It comes back again and again.

247
00:14:38,669 --> 00:14:42,089
Because we need characters
in stories

248
00:14:42,215 --> 00:14:44,595
that represent a higher knowing.

249
00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,050
SHATNER:
Even though Merlin represents
a supernatural character,

250
00:14:49,138 --> 00:14:50,508
there is growing evidence that

251
00:14:50,598 --> 00:14:52,308
this wizard could have
been based

252
00:14:52,433 --> 00:14:55,903
on a real person who lived
in the sixth century AD.

253
00:14:58,439 --> 00:15:01,399
McMAHON: It’s believed
that the chroniclers

254
00:15:01,484 --> 00:15:04,034
who first wrote
the story of King Arthur,

255
00:15:04,112 --> 00:15:06,912
when they came upon
the character of Merlin,

256
00:15:06,989 --> 00:15:11,909
they were actually referencing
an ancient wizard who was known

257
00:15:11,994 --> 00:15:15,124
in either Welsh or
northern British folklore.

258
00:15:15,957 --> 00:15:19,627
Somebody who had once
really existed.

259
00:15:21,045 --> 00:15:22,955
PHILLIPS:
The name Merlin is a title.

260
00:15:23,047 --> 00:15:25,297
It’s old Brythonic for Eagle.

261
00:15:25,425 --> 00:15:28,265
And we know of
at least three people

262
00:15:28,344 --> 00:15:33,604
during the late fifth
and early sixth centuries,

263
00:15:33,683 --> 00:15:36,643
all around Arthur’s time,
with the name Merlin.

264
00:15:37,562 --> 00:15:41,112
The first person to write
one of the medieval romances

265
00:15:41,190 --> 00:15:44,900
about Arthur,
Geoffrey of Monmouth, tells us

266
00:15:44,986 --> 00:15:48,656
one of them is a character
called Ambrosius Aurelius,

267
00:15:48,739 --> 00:15:52,239
and this was Merlin’s real name.

268
00:15:52,326 --> 00:15:54,616
He’s an historical figure,

269
00:15:54,704 --> 00:15:57,584
a warrior in Britain
just before Arthur’s time,

270
00:15:57,665 --> 00:16:01,335
who seems to have retired from
the field of battle to become

271
00:16:01,461 --> 00:16:05,131
advisor to the various kings,
including Arthur.

272
00:16:05,214 --> 00:16:06,554
That’s quite amazing.

273
00:16:08,217 --> 00:16:10,467
Merlin appears in Wales,
he appears in Scotland,

274
00:16:10,553 --> 00:16:13,183
and he appears
deeply in the Breton legends.

275
00:16:14,015 --> 00:16:16,775
The energy and the power behind

276
00:16:16,851 --> 00:16:20,481
this character
and this story is so strong

277
00:16:20,563 --> 00:16:24,823
that we cannot write it off
as strictly legend.

278
00:16:24,901 --> 00:16:29,201
It was the representation
of a man who had a particularly

279
00:16:29,322 --> 00:16:32,492
spiritual power
within the British world.

280
00:16:33,367 --> 00:16:36,287
Was Merlin the Magician
based on an actual

281
00:16:36,370 --> 00:16:39,920
sixth-century mystic
who lived in northern Britain?

282
00:16:40,041 --> 00:16:41,541
It’s a compelling theory,

283
00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:43,957
but in recent years, researchers

284
00:16:44,045 --> 00:16:48,015
have put forth an idea
that’s even more incredible.

285
00:16:48,090 --> 00:16:57,310
One involving the origins of
England’s once and future king.

286
00:16:57,391 --> 00:16:59,021
SHATNER:
In the Scottish highlands,

287
00:16:59,101 --> 00:17:00,641
30 miles northwest of Edinburgh,

288
00:17:00,728 --> 00:17:02,518
lies Stirling Castle.

289
00:17:03,523 --> 00:17:06,613
Built in the 12th century,
this hardened fortress

290
00:17:06,734 --> 00:17:09,034
is surrounded by cliffs
on three sides,

291
00:17:09,111 --> 00:17:13,031
and is protected
by massive stone walls.

292
00:17:13,115 --> 00:17:17,075
For centuries, Scottish kings
used this stronghold

293
00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:19,833
to defend
their country’s independence.

294
00:17:19,914 --> 00:17:23,794
Although Stirling Castle was
built in the 12th century AD,

295
00:17:23,918 --> 00:17:27,458
archaeological records
indicate that Scottish clans

296
00:17:27,588 --> 00:17:30,838
built numerous structures
on this same site

297
00:17:30,925 --> 00:17:33,685
going back nearly 4,000 years.

298
00:17:55,116 --> 00:17:57,446
SHATNER:
Perhaps what’s most
intriguing about the site

299
00:17:57,577 --> 00:17:59,827
where Stirling Castle sits
is that, according to yet

300
00:17:59,954 --> 00:18:02,874
another interpretation
of medieval texts,

301
00:18:02,957 --> 00:18:07,247
the real King Arthur may
not have been from England...

302
00:18:07,336 --> 00:18:11,626
but rather from
this sacred ground in Scotland.

303
00:19:28,542 --> 00:19:31,462
SHATNER:
Is it possible
that England’s so-called

304
00:19:31,545 --> 00:19:35,335
"Once and Future King"
was actually Scottish?

305
00:19:36,801 --> 00:19:38,801
In recent years,
many researchers have

306
00:19:38,886 --> 00:19:41,596
suggested that it’s possible,

307
00:19:41,722 --> 00:19:43,062
and they claim that
there may be

308
00:19:43,140 --> 00:19:45,390
physical evidence
of Arthur’s presence

309
00:19:45,518 --> 00:19:48,598
deep beneath
the grounds of Stirling Castle,

310
00:19:48,729 --> 00:19:51,569
under an ancient
earthen formation

311
00:19:51,649 --> 00:19:54,229
known as King’s Knot.

312
00:20:25,057 --> 00:20:29,017
SHATNER:
In 2011, archaeologists
conducting underground scans

313
00:20:29,103 --> 00:20:32,483
discovered the presence
of a large, circular structure

314
00:20:32,606 --> 00:20:35,936
buried beneath
the center of King’s Knot.

315
00:20:36,068 --> 00:20:40,108
And there are those who believe
that this subterranean formation

316
00:20:40,197 --> 00:20:44,237
may have actually been
King Arthur’s Round Table.

317
00:21:04,305 --> 00:21:07,145
TOK THOMPSON:
One of the biggest parts
of the Arthurian tradition

318
00:21:07,266 --> 00:21:08,636
is the idea that he has

319
00:21:08,726 --> 00:21:10,476
the Knights of the Round Table.

320
00:21:10,561 --> 00:21:13,611
Round is important, because
the traditional thing was for

321
00:21:13,689 --> 00:21:15,269
the king to sit at
the head of the table,

322
00:21:15,357 --> 00:21:17,317
to sort of be
the authoritarian leader.

323
00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:18,993
But King Arthur wanted
his knights

324
00:21:19,111 --> 00:21:20,451
to be all equally empowered,

325
00:21:20,529 --> 00:21:22,609
so he created
the Round Table.

326
00:21:23,824 --> 00:21:25,914
SHATNER:
For centuries,
people have wondered whether

327
00:21:25,993 --> 00:21:28,163
the Round Table
could have been real,

328
00:21:28,287 --> 00:21:31,577
and searched for
evidence of its existence.

329
00:21:31,665 --> 00:21:36,415
Is it actually possible that
it’s been beneath King’s Knot

330
00:21:36,504 --> 00:21:39,174
at Stirling Castle
all this time?

331
00:21:39,298 --> 00:21:42,008
Many researchers
believe the answer is yes.

332
00:21:42,092 --> 00:21:45,052
And as proof, they point to
an historical account written by

333
00:21:45,179 --> 00:21:48,599
a Scottish poet
in the year 1375.

334
00:22:20,714 --> 00:22:22,724
SHATNER:
Curiously, there is another
group of people

335
00:22:22,842 --> 00:22:25,262
who believe that
King Arthur and his Round Table

336
00:22:25,386 --> 00:22:28,306
were located in Scotland,
instead of England.

337
00:22:28,389 --> 00:22:33,849
It’s an ancient Scottish family
line known as Clan MacArthur,

338
00:22:33,936 --> 00:22:36,476
who claim that they are

339
00:22:36,564 --> 00:22:39,864
descendants
of King Arthur himself.

340
00:23:52,973 --> 00:23:55,233
The idea
that the King’s Knot was

341
00:23:55,309 --> 00:23:57,229
the location of the Round Table

342
00:23:57,311 --> 00:24:00,651
brings the legend of King Arthur
to life in a profound way.

343
00:24:00,773 --> 00:24:04,733
And if these noble knights were,
in fact, real people,

344
00:24:04,818 --> 00:24:08,488
then perhaps we should examine
their most epic adventure:

345
00:24:08,614 --> 00:24:13,334
the quest to find
the Holy Grail.

346
00:24:17,039 --> 00:24:21,249
SHATNER:
In 2010, medieval literature
scholar Carol J. Chase

347
00:24:21,335 --> 00:24:24,715
published a translation of
The History of the Holy Grail,

348
00:24:24,838 --> 00:24:28,338
a 13th-century French text.

349
00:24:29,677 --> 00:24:33,217
The original ancient manuscript
is one of the earliest sources

350
00:24:33,347 --> 00:24:36,727
documenting the story of
King Arthur and his knights’

351
00:24:36,850 --> 00:24:39,390
epic quest
to find the Holy Grail...

352
00:24:41,063 --> 00:24:44,653
the most sacred artifact
in Christian lore.

353
00:24:44,733 --> 00:24:47,743
The Holy Grail is
supposed to be a chalice

354
00:24:47,861 --> 00:24:50,741
that was once used by Jesus
at the Last Supper,

355
00:24:50,864 --> 00:24:54,204
when he shared his
last meal with his disciples.

356
00:24:54,326 --> 00:24:58,656
This cup was eventually used
to collect a few drops

357
00:24:58,747 --> 00:25:01,827
of Jesus’s blood
when he was on the cross.

358
00:25:01,917 --> 00:25:05,797
And it was imbued with magical,

359
00:25:05,879 --> 00:25:08,419
mysterious, holy healing powers.

360
00:25:08,549 --> 00:25:12,259
Anyone that drank from it
could be cured from any ill.

361
00:25:12,386 --> 00:25:15,426
The signal for
King Arthur to go on his quest

362
00:25:15,556 --> 00:25:18,766
to find the Holy Grail is
when a knight called Galahad

363
00:25:18,892 --> 00:25:21,442
sits in a seat
at the Round Table.

364
00:25:22,479 --> 00:25:26,229
And when Galahad sits
in that seat, the Holy Grail

365
00:25:26,358 --> 00:25:29,778
appears miraculously
above the Round Table.

366
00:25:31,822 --> 00:25:34,282
McGOWAN:
When the knights see
the Grail in this manner,

367
00:25:34,408 --> 00:25:38,498
this vision of this incredibly
mysterious, veiled object,

368
00:25:38,579 --> 00:25:40,789
they realize that
this is sacred,

369
00:25:40,914 --> 00:25:43,674
and that this is something that
they must go in search of,

370
00:25:43,751 --> 00:25:45,291
but also that
it’s going to be a quest.

371
00:25:45,419 --> 00:25:47,249
It’s not going
to be an easy task.

372
00:25:48,505 --> 00:25:51,755
SHATNER:
As the story goes,
the Knights of the Round Table

373
00:25:51,842 --> 00:25:55,762
embarked on a perilous journey
to find the Holy Grail.

374
00:25:56,722 --> 00:25:59,852
Multiple accounts of
the legend describe how

375
00:25:59,933 --> 00:26:03,443
their quest led them
to distant lands

376
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,440
and mysterious castles in search
of this sacred artifact.

377
00:26:07,566 --> 00:26:09,646
PHILLIPS:
All the Knights of
the Round Table are involved

378
00:26:09,777 --> 00:26:12,857
in the quest, but
the great unsolved mystery

379
00:26:12,946 --> 00:26:16,776
is did King Arthur
eventually find the Holy Grail?

380
00:26:16,867 --> 00:26:20,747
Well, it depends which legend
you want to follow.

381
00:26:20,829 --> 00:26:22,659
But it’s still
supposed to be hidden

382
00:26:22,790 --> 00:26:24,830
somewhere in Britain today.

383
00:26:26,126 --> 00:26:28,996
SHATNER:
If King Arthur and the Knights
of the Round Table

384
00:26:29,129 --> 00:26:31,299
were, in fact, real people,

385
00:26:31,423 --> 00:26:36,643
then is it possible that they
actually found the Holy Grail?

386
00:26:36,762 --> 00:26:40,142
And if so,
is the Grail still hidden

387
00:26:40,224 --> 00:26:42,814
somewhere in England today?

388
00:26:42,935 --> 00:26:44,445
McMAHON: There are
lots of theories on where

389
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,190
the Holy Grail
was allegedly buried.

390
00:26:47,314 --> 00:26:50,864
But if you believe
in King Arthur,

391
00:26:50,984 --> 00:26:54,654
if you believe that he went
on a quest for the Holy Grail,

392
00:26:54,780 --> 00:26:56,700
you have to go to the area

393
00:26:56,824 --> 00:26:58,994
around the Chalice Well,
at Glastonbury.

394
00:27:00,994 --> 00:27:04,214
McGOWAN:
The Chalice Well in
Glastonbury is a beautiful area

395
00:27:04,331 --> 00:27:06,041
that is also known
as the Blood Well,

396
00:27:06,166 --> 00:27:08,746
because the water
that flows from it is red.

397
00:27:09,837 --> 00:27:13,047
Now, one of the legends
is that it flows this way,

398
00:27:13,173 --> 00:27:16,053
because the Holy Grail
was once buried within it.

399
00:27:16,176 --> 00:27:19,926
And because the Grail was
related to the blood of Jesus,

400
00:27:20,013 --> 00:27:24,233
that the spring itself then
flowed with the blood of Jesus.

401
00:27:25,102 --> 00:27:27,902
There’s a long-standing story
in England

402
00:27:28,021 --> 00:27:30,821
that Joseph of Arimathea,
the great-uncle of Jesus,

403
00:27:30,899 --> 00:27:34,319
brought the Holy Grail
to Glastonbury,

404
00:27:34,403 --> 00:27:36,453
where he concealed it.

405
00:27:37,364 --> 00:27:40,914
ARMSTRONG:
In the early legends,
there’s an account of how

406
00:27:41,034 --> 00:27:43,754
Joseph of Arimathea plants
his staff

407
00:27:43,871 --> 00:27:46,831
where there is a spring, at
the bottom of Glastonbury Hill,

408
00:27:46,915 --> 00:27:48,625
which grows into a thorn tree.

409
00:27:50,210 --> 00:27:53,170
And so, the idea grew up
over the centuries that

410
00:27:53,255 --> 00:27:56,055
the Holy Grail has been hidden
in the bottom of the spring.

411
00:27:57,467 --> 00:28:02,757
McMAHON:
Once he did that, the water
from the well gushed forth red.

412
00:28:02,890 --> 00:28:05,060
Red as blood.
Warm as blood.

413
00:28:05,142 --> 00:28:08,102
Coagulating even
like hemoglobin, it’s said.

414
00:28:08,228 --> 00:28:12,858
And that this water is very
literally the blood of Christ.

415
00:28:14,109 --> 00:28:18,659
It’s been a very durable legend
because the water is stained

416
00:28:18,739 --> 00:28:21,239
because the sand which it flows

417
00:28:21,325 --> 00:28:23,495
out of is rich in iron.

418
00:28:24,745 --> 00:28:27,465
And the iron stains it red,

419
00:28:27,581 --> 00:28:30,751
so, naturally, people must have
looked at that,

420
00:28:30,834 --> 00:28:34,344
and they must have thought,
"This looks like blood."

421
00:28:35,339 --> 00:28:37,879
SHATNER:
According to some versions
of the Grail legend,

422
00:28:37,966 --> 00:28:41,086
after being
gravely wounded in battle,

423
00:28:41,178 --> 00:28:44,968
King Arthur sought healing from
the waters of the Chalice Well,

424
00:28:45,098 --> 00:28:47,638
perhaps indicating
that he knew that

425
00:28:47,768 --> 00:28:49,518
the Grail was hidden there.

426
00:28:51,939 --> 00:28:53,939
The idea that
the Holy Grail is buried near

427
00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:57,436
the Chalice Well was
so inspiring

428
00:28:57,527 --> 00:29:01,777
that in 1959, a man named
Wellesley Tudor Pole decided to

429
00:29:01,907 --> 00:29:06,287
spend a fortune in the hope
of recovering the Grail.

430
00:29:06,370 --> 00:29:10,670
Wellesley Tudor Pole was
an eccentric English aristocrat.

431
00:29:10,791 --> 00:29:13,211
He bought the area
around the Chalice Well,

432
00:29:13,293 --> 00:29:16,463
and commissioned
an archaeologist, Philip Rahtz,

433
00:29:16,588 --> 00:29:19,548
to conduct some digs
there to find evidence

434
00:29:19,633 --> 00:29:21,973
that Joseph of Arimathea
had been there.

435
00:29:22,970 --> 00:29:26,180
ALLAN:
He did a great dig,
and what he found was that

436
00:29:26,306 --> 00:29:29,476
there is a well house
around the well,

437
00:29:29,601 --> 00:29:32,271
and it goes right back
to 2,000 years ago.

438
00:29:32,354 --> 00:29:35,984
So that would be about AD 63,

439
00:29:36,066 --> 00:29:40,446
when people thought Joseph
of Arimathea sailed to Britain.

440
00:29:40,529 --> 00:29:43,869
SHATNER:
Could the Holy Grail
really be hidden

441
00:29:43,991 --> 00:29:46,201
somewhere near the Chalice Well?

442
00:29:46,326 --> 00:29:50,366
Perhaps. But whether or not
the Grail is buried there,

443
00:29:50,497 --> 00:29:53,167
the legend of King Arthur
and his knights’ quest

444
00:29:53,250 --> 00:29:54,670
to find this sacred object

445
00:29:54,793 --> 00:29:58,963
still inspires people
to visit the Chalice Well today.

446
00:30:00,007 --> 00:30:02,297
YOUNG:
For a small fee,
a tourist can have a drink

447
00:30:02,384 --> 00:30:04,394
from the Chalice Well.

448
00:30:04,511 --> 00:30:07,061
If you long for transcendence,

449
00:30:07,180 --> 00:30:09,180
it is good to make
such a pilgrimage.

450
00:30:09,308 --> 00:30:11,268
It doesn’t matter whether
it’s true or not.

451
00:30:11,351 --> 00:30:12,811
It’s true in the heart.

452
00:30:13,854 --> 00:30:17,324
McGOWAN:
The idea of the Grail
is our human

453
00:30:17,399 --> 00:30:19,899
quest for something
that is bigger than we are.

454
00:30:20,819 --> 00:30:23,399
This is what the Arthurian
legends are all about.

455
00:30:23,530 --> 00:30:26,570
The legend of Arthur
and the legend of the Holy Grail

456
00:30:26,700 --> 00:30:28,660
will always be intertwined.

457
00:30:29,703 --> 00:30:33,213
SHATNER:
The Holy Grail is one of
the most popular aspects

458
00:30:33,332 --> 00:30:37,592
of Arthurian lore, and the quest
to find it is ongoing.

459
00:30:37,711 --> 00:30:42,221
But there’s another
elusive relic that many hope

460
00:30:42,299 --> 00:30:45,549
could prove King Arthur’s
existence. His body.

461
00:30:46,762 --> 00:30:49,762
And believe it or not,
some people claim they know

462
00:30:49,890 --> 00:30:52,350
where it just might be buried.

463
00:31:00,776 --> 00:31:02,236
SHATNER: Rising above
the clay roofs of this

464
00:31:02,361 --> 00:31:05,781
humble town
in the English countryside

465
00:31:05,906 --> 00:31:09,906
is the ancient hill
known as Glastonbury Tor.

466
00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:16,250
Atop its peak lies the ruins
of a 14th-century church,

467
00:31:16,375 --> 00:31:19,885
the last remnants of what
many researchers believe

468
00:31:19,961 --> 00:31:23,261
was a series of religious
sites constructed here.

469
00:31:24,549 --> 00:31:28,889
McMAHON:
Glastonbury Tor is
the very center of Glastonbury.

470
00:31:28,970 --> 00:31:32,890
This hill has always
been a sacred place, going back

471
00:31:32,974 --> 00:31:35,604
to the Christians,
to the Romans, to the Celts,

472
00:31:35,727 --> 00:31:39,057
and right back to
the dawn of civilization

473
00:31:39,147 --> 00:31:43,397
as a center of prayer,
sacrifice, and ritual.

474
00:31:43,485 --> 00:31:46,745
SHATNER:
Perhaps what’s most intriguing
about Glastonbury Tor

475
00:31:46,822 --> 00:31:49,122
is that many believe it to be

476
00:31:49,241 --> 00:31:52,081
the place where
King Arthur was buried

477
00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:56,160
after legends say
he died in 537 AD.

478
00:31:57,624 --> 00:32:00,004
The legend is that, um,

479
00:32:00,127 --> 00:32:02,497
Arthur’s mortally wounded
in battle,

480
00:32:02,629 --> 00:32:05,509
at a battle called Camlann,

481
00:32:05,632 --> 00:32:08,972
where his son, Mordred,
was also killed.

482
00:32:09,845 --> 00:32:13,605
ARMSTRONG: The Battle of Camlann
is first attested

483
00:32:13,682 --> 00:32:16,432
in a 10th-century Welsh text.

484
00:32:16,518 --> 00:32:20,398
And it seems as if it may be

485
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,270
referring to earlier texts

486
00:32:23,358 --> 00:32:25,988
that had accounts of this
battle, that it was well known,

487
00:32:26,111 --> 00:32:31,241
and seems to be based on, many
historians believe, real events.

488
00:32:32,159 --> 00:32:35,619
The Battle of Camlann
is Arthur’s final battle.

489
00:32:36,621 --> 00:32:38,671
It’s against Mordred.

490
00:32:39,833 --> 00:32:44,303
And as Arthur’s dying,
he’s taken away from there by

491
00:32:44,379 --> 00:32:46,629
a bunch of mysterious maidens

492
00:32:46,715 --> 00:32:50,055
and buried on a nearby island,

493
00:32:50,177 --> 00:32:51,927
seemingly
in the middle of a lake.

494
00:32:52,012 --> 00:32:54,602
An island known as Avalon.

495
00:32:55,557 --> 00:32:58,177
SHATNER:
For centuries,
people have been fascinated

496
00:32:58,268 --> 00:33:00,558
by the idea
of a mystical island where

497
00:33:00,687 --> 00:33:03,647
this brave warrior
was supposedly buried.

498
00:33:04,524 --> 00:33:06,534
But if it’s true
that King Arthur was buried

499
00:33:06,651 --> 00:33:08,491
on the Isle of Avalon,

500
00:33:08,570 --> 00:33:13,120
then where is this
supposed island located?

501
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:19,040
Well, one popular theory
suggests that the Isle of Avalon

502
00:33:19,164 --> 00:33:23,174
and Glastonbury Tor
are one and the same.

503
00:33:24,044 --> 00:33:26,384
There’s a very,
very strong tradition in England

504
00:33:26,463 --> 00:33:30,383
that Glastonbury Tor is Avalon,
the Isle of Avalon.

505
00:33:31,384 --> 00:33:33,724
Now, you might say,
wait a minute, this is inland,

506
00:33:33,845 --> 00:33:35,555
it is not an island,

507
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,730
but Glastonbury Tor
actually has a lot going for it

508
00:33:38,808 --> 00:33:41,598
as a potential site
for the Arthurian tradition.

509
00:33:43,063 --> 00:33:45,693
When you’re looking
at Glastonbury Tor,

510
00:33:45,774 --> 00:33:49,534
it stands out from
this misty valley floor.

511
00:33:49,611 --> 00:33:52,611
It is this massive mound
that comes out of an otherwise

512
00:33:52,739 --> 00:33:56,489
flat ground,
surrounded very often by mist.

513
00:33:57,452 --> 00:34:00,082
So, it looks like an island
When you’re looking at it.

514
00:34:01,957 --> 00:34:05,917
McMAHON:
Glastonbury was
surrounded by a misty swamp,

515
00:34:06,044 --> 00:34:10,054
more than likely a malarial
swamp, for thousands of years.

516
00:34:11,007 --> 00:34:14,587
So, in Arthur’s time,
those approaching Glastonbury

517
00:34:14,678 --> 00:34:17,428
literally would
have had to sail across,

518
00:34:17,514 --> 00:34:21,184
because what we see today--
the hill, the Tor--

519
00:34:21,268 --> 00:34:23,438
was essentially an island.

520
00:34:23,562 --> 00:34:24,772
The Isle of Avalon.

521
00:34:25,939 --> 00:34:28,899
SHATNER:
Is it possible that
King Arthur was laid to rest

522
00:34:28,984 --> 00:34:31,864
somewhere on Glastonbury Tor?

523
00:34:31,945 --> 00:34:33,615
It’s a fascinating theory.

524
00:34:35,198 --> 00:34:38,198
But many researchers claim
that Arthur’s remains

525
00:34:38,285 --> 00:34:40,625
weren’t buried on
the massive hill

526
00:34:40,704 --> 00:34:45,004
but rather at another location
that is nearby.

527
00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:48,095
Less than a mile away
from Glastonbury Tor

528
00:34:48,169 --> 00:34:51,259
lie the ruins
of Glastonbury Abbey,

529
00:34:51,339 --> 00:34:54,969
an ancient monastery that
some believe was Arthur’s

530
00:34:55,051 --> 00:34:57,801
real final resting place.

531
00:34:57,887 --> 00:35:01,427
And as proof,
they point to a discovery made

532
00:35:01,516 --> 00:35:05,476
by the monks who lived there
almost a thousand years ago.

533
00:35:06,813 --> 00:35:11,113
McMAHON:
In the year 1191,
the monks at Glastonbury Abbey

534
00:35:11,192 --> 00:35:15,612
claimed that they all
had this collective vision

535
00:35:15,697 --> 00:35:18,947
which led them to
the secret tomb of King Arthur,

536
00:35:19,034 --> 00:35:23,374
which was allegedly
buried in Glastonbury.

537
00:35:23,496 --> 00:35:27,786
What they found there
was a huge coffin.

538
00:35:27,876 --> 00:35:31,416
And within it was a skeleton,

539
00:35:31,504 --> 00:35:34,634
which they claimed
had to be King Arthur,

540
00:35:34,716 --> 00:35:38,846
and next to him a female
skeleton, obviously Guinevere.

541
00:35:39,763 --> 00:35:43,893
ALLAN:
A cross was apparently
discovered

542
00:35:44,017 --> 00:35:47,477
in the excavation in 1191,

543
00:35:47,562 --> 00:35:52,442
and it had Latin letters
on it that said,

544
00:35:52,525 --> 00:35:56,695
"Here lies the famous Arthur
in the Isle of Avalon."

545
00:35:58,156 --> 00:36:03,366
McGOWAN:
We know from the 12th century
that a grave was found.

546
00:36:03,495 --> 00:36:05,835
And there’s a lot of
evidence that there might be

547
00:36:05,914 --> 00:36:10,674
something to this; this idea
of Arthur being buried here.

548
00:36:10,752 --> 00:36:14,092
And there are at least
six different sources,

549
00:36:14,214 --> 00:36:16,554
some going back to the latter
part of the Dark Ages,

550
00:36:16,633 --> 00:36:21,763
that indicate that Guinevere was
buried in Glastonbury as well.

551
00:36:21,888 --> 00:36:26,018
SHATNER:
According to historical
records, Arthur’s supposed tomb

552
00:36:26,101 --> 00:36:30,561
and remains were destroyed
in a fire in the 16th century.

553
00:36:31,731 --> 00:36:35,281
But people still come
from all around the world today

554
00:36:35,402 --> 00:36:39,572
to see the site and pay their
respects to the deceased king.

555
00:36:40,782 --> 00:36:44,202
There’s not much to see
at the King Arthur grave site,

556
00:36:44,285 --> 00:36:46,155
but you can see the outline

557
00:36:46,246 --> 00:36:48,326
of where the marble tomb
once was.

558
00:36:48,415 --> 00:36:52,255
It’s just grass everywhere
around and a modern sign

559
00:36:52,335 --> 00:36:55,335
telling you King Arthur
was once buried here.

560
00:36:56,256 --> 00:36:59,216
So, of course, there’s
a certain degree of skepticism,

561
00:36:59,300 --> 00:37:02,430
but that is the story that
was told in the Middle Ages.

562
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,930
THOMPSON:
There’s also another
interesting factor

563
00:37:06,057 --> 00:37:07,477
with the Arthurian tradition,

564
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:10,060
and that is there’s
a long-standing belief

565
00:37:10,145 --> 00:37:11,605
among many people in England

566
00:37:11,730 --> 00:37:13,940
that Arthur is
the once and future king.

567
00:37:14,774 --> 00:37:16,734
In other words,
he’s not really dead yet.

568
00:37:16,818 --> 00:37:18,568
He’s going to come back.

569
00:37:19,404 --> 00:37:21,784
And so,
wherever Arthur’s buried

570
00:37:21,865 --> 00:37:25,795
then becomes a potential site
for his rebirth,

571
00:37:25,910 --> 00:37:28,080
for his reemergence
into our world.

572
00:37:28,913 --> 00:37:32,083
Will further investigation
uncover

573
00:37:32,167 --> 00:37:35,667
King Arthur’s
final resting place?

574
00:37:35,795 --> 00:37:37,665
Perhaps.

575
00:37:37,797 --> 00:37:40,047
But while Arthur
may be long dead,

576
00:37:40,133 --> 00:37:41,933
there are many
around the world who believe

577
00:37:42,010 --> 00:37:45,640
that his spirit
can still be found.

578
00:37:53,605 --> 00:37:55,985
SHATNER:
Scholars at Bristol University

579
00:37:56,107 --> 00:37:58,107
make an astonishing discovery

580
00:37:58,193 --> 00:38:02,243
hidden inside the bindings of a
16th-century French manuscript.

581
00:38:02,322 --> 00:38:06,282
They find seven ancient
handwritten notes

582
00:38:06,367 --> 00:38:09,997
revealing a previously unknown
tale of Merlin

583
00:38:10,079 --> 00:38:14,499
inspiring King Arthur
and his knights in battle.

584
00:38:14,584 --> 00:38:17,924
JULIAN HARRISON:
It’s always incredible
when anybody finds a new remnant

585
00:38:18,004 --> 00:38:20,974
of the works of King Arthur
for the very first time.

586
00:38:21,049 --> 00:38:23,179
Subsequent analysis
has suggested

587
00:38:23,259 --> 00:38:26,349
that it was written
probably in the 13th century

588
00:38:26,429 --> 00:38:29,099
in the language which
is known as Old French.

589
00:38:29,182 --> 00:38:33,312
And we now believe it belongs
to the so-called Vulgate Cycle

590
00:38:33,394 --> 00:38:34,734
of the legends of King Arthur.

591
00:38:34,854 --> 00:38:37,274
It’s one of those things
which makes you sit up

592
00:38:37,357 --> 00:38:39,817
and think, well,
what else is out there?

593
00:38:39,901 --> 00:38:41,571
What else can
we potentially find?

594
00:38:43,238 --> 00:38:45,908
SHATNER:
The discovery of each
new ancient manuscript or

595
00:38:46,032 --> 00:38:48,492
fragment of
medieval poetry adds

596
00:38:48,576 --> 00:38:52,826
a new piece to the puzzle
of King Arthur and his origins.

597
00:38:54,082 --> 00:38:56,882
But what’s even more intriguing
is that there are scientists

598
00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,500
who believe that
by using new technology,

599
00:39:00,588 --> 00:39:05,548
we might find evidence that
this mythical hero was real.

600
00:39:14,477 --> 00:39:17,017
Scientists working at
Family Tree DNA

601
00:39:17,105 --> 00:39:19,945
conduct an analysis
of genetic samples

602
00:39:20,066 --> 00:39:23,066
from 400 ancestral
British families,

603
00:39:23,152 --> 00:39:28,032
whose lineage date
back to the sixth century AD.

604
00:39:28,116 --> 00:39:31,786
The goal of the study is to
determine whether these families

605
00:39:31,911 --> 00:39:35,251
could be descendants
of the real King Arthur.

606
00:40:25,089 --> 00:40:27,509
SHATNER:
Will genetic analysis be able

607
00:40:27,634 --> 00:40:29,804
to prove
that King Arthur was real?

608
00:40:29,928 --> 00:40:32,388
For now,
that question is unanswered,

609
00:40:32,472 --> 00:40:34,642
but one thing is certain.

610
00:40:35,516 --> 00:40:38,186
The appeal of
the legend of King Arthur

611
00:40:38,311 --> 00:40:41,061
will endure
for generations to come.

612
00:40:42,023 --> 00:40:45,283
WOOD:
Arthur has really become,
in many ways, immortal.

613
00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,110
He represents
what’s best of the past.

614
00:40:48,196 --> 00:40:53,116
Heroicism, courtliness,
even an element of magic.

615
00:40:53,201 --> 00:40:57,791
He represents to us the past
that we want to recapture.

616
00:40:57,872 --> 00:41:00,292
He’s still the hero
that everybody wants to be,

617
00:41:00,375 --> 00:41:04,135
and so he is really
the Once and Future King.

618
00:41:04,212 --> 00:41:07,132
People look at
the Arthurian legends

619
00:41:07,215 --> 00:41:10,935
and the stories about
King Arthur in different ways.

620
00:41:11,844 --> 00:41:14,854
Some look at it
for the brotherhood.

621
00:41:15,723 --> 00:41:18,433
Some look at it for the action.

622
00:41:18,518 --> 00:41:21,148
And some look at it
for the love stories.

623
00:41:22,063 --> 00:41:26,323
Some look at it as a piece
of history throughout time.

624
00:41:26,401 --> 00:41:31,741
And that’s why I think we’ll
always be chasing the legend

625
00:41:31,864 --> 00:41:35,034
of Arthur and the Knights
of the Round Table.

626
00:41:36,619 --> 00:41:40,409
Was King Arthur
a flesh and blood man,

627
00:41:40,540 --> 00:41:42,330
or just
a larger-than-life legend?

628
00:41:42,417 --> 00:41:46,207
Well, some parts of the story
are almost certainly fantasy

629
00:41:46,295 --> 00:41:49,005
while others definitely
make you wonder

630
00:41:49,090 --> 00:41:51,220
whether there was
a real man behind the myth.

631
00:41:51,300 --> 00:41:55,390
So, while our quest
to find answers continues,

632
00:41:55,471 --> 00:42:00,021
the truth behind
this iconic king remains...

633
00:42:00,101 --> 00:42:01,691
unexplained.

634
00:42:02,603 --> 00:42:04,233
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