Camelot is the name of the stronghold of the legendary King Arthur, from which he fought many of the battles that made up his life. Its specific location is currently unknown and may be a fictionalized Romano-British province of post-Roman Britain. The city is first named in Chrétien de Troyes' poem Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, where it does not seem as important as it would become in later iterations of Arthurian legend. Since the location of Camelot is still a mystery, the truth about it—if there is one—is still unknown.

Geographical references

• Saltwell Park, in Gateshead
• Cadbury Castle
• Tintagel Castle
• Viroconium
• Caerleon-on-Usk, in South Wales
• Dinerth Castle near the River Arth, West Wales
• Carlisle, Cumbria
• Camlet Moat, Trent Park, Middlesex

Though the name "Camelot" may be derived from Camulodunum (modern Colchester), the Iron Age capital of the Trinovantes, and later the provincial capital of Roman Britannia, its Essex location close to the east coast - and so very close to the earliest Anglo-Saxon settlement - places it in the wrong Anglo-Saxon kingdom.

In popular culture

• The phrase 'Camelot' is often used to refer to the period in US history of 1960-1963. More specifically, it refers to the presidency of John F. Kennedy, as his term was said to have a lot of potential and promise for the future and the period was idyllic for many in the world, encouraged by Kennedy. The period was ended by Kennedy's tragic November 22, 1963, assassination, which is often compared to the fall of King Arthur. The line "Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot," from the musical Camelot, has been used in pop culture to refer to this period.
• In Stargate SG-1, in the episode "Camelot", SG-1 finds the village of Camelot looking for a weapon built by Merlin, who is an Ancient in the Stargate Universe.

• The Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte is a historical fiction series based on Roman and Medieval Britain wrapped around the Arthurian legends.

• The musical Camelot, by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, is based on T.H. White's version of the legend, The Once and Future King. Consisting of 5 books The Sword in the Stone, The Witch in the Wood, The Ill-Made Knight, The Candle in the Wind and The Book of Merlyn this monumental work contains witty anachronisms, a plethora of medieval titbits, and ultimately a tragic and elegaic tone. The Lerner and Loewe musical on the other hand is a sentimentalised snapshot of the love triangle of Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere. Boasting some rhythmic tunes and poignant lyrics, the musical proved a successful vehicle on stage for Julie Andrews, Robert Goulet and Richard Burton and Richard Harris played the film version's King Arthur, going on to recreate the role on stage in a number of revivals.
• In the television show, Third Watch, the precinct is nicknamed by the officers "Camelot" due to its location on the corner of King and Arthur.

• In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, when Forrest (Tom Hanks) meets President Kennedy after making the All American Team and makes his "I gotta pee" statement, the opening instrumental for the Camelot movie can be heard while Forrest is using the bathroom.

• In the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Camelot is called a "silly place" by King Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table decide not to go there. Since this version of Camelot is full of singing, this may be intended as a critique of the musical.

• The company which operates the UK Lotto is called Camelot Group. Humphrey Lyttelton made a joke about this in the introduction to one episode of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: "King Arthur was in some war when there came an urgent message from Camelot... that it was a bonus roll-over jackpot week!"

• There is a theme park in the North West of England called Camelot Theme Park

See also

• Ancient mysteries

External link

• About Camelot and King Arthur

Ancient mysteries | Arthurian legend | Fictional castles and fortresses | Lost cities and towns

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