University of Cambridge For centuries, the stories of King Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Guinevere and the world of Camelot have come to be known as Arthurian legend, or the matter of Britain.

The knight was Sir Gawain and the wizard was Merlin, two mythical characters of Arthurian legend—the tales of Britain’s legendary King Arthur and his Round Table. In the 16th century ...