The Once and Future King, or King Arthur, is a legend that, despite its age, is known to everyone. Everyone has heard of King Arthur and his loyal knights who make up the Round Table, but the rest of the famous legend is less known. If asked about Arthur's parentage or birthplace, most people wouldn't know. How many people can name Arthur's knights? Everyone knows Arthur's name, but the details are less defined. There are many parts to the Arthurian legend, the first being how Arthur was born, then the most well-known part of the legend, but there are also his famous knights, the possibility of a historical Arthur, and how the legend has evolved over the ages. .One thing that is unique about the Arthurian legend is that it has a story to set up the main part of the legend. It dates back to Arthur's grandfather and follows the betrayals and murders of Arthur's uncle, Aurelius Ambrosius, who is killed by poison, leaving the crown to Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon. Merlin is also first introduced in the first part of the legend. Arthur's design is not what one might expect. It begins when Uther falls in love with Igraine, wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. Gorlois notices Uther's advances towards his wife and therefore decides to leave the court, taking Igraine with him. Uther takes offense at Gorlois' sudden departure and orders him to return to court. Gorlois refuses and as a result, Uther and his royal army march into Gorlois' lands. Gorlois then placed Igraine in Tintagel Castle, a fortress on the shore which could only be approached via a narrow ridge, and set out with his own forces to meet the royal army. Merlin gave Uther a potion that gave him the appearance of Gorlois, then Uther went to Tintagel where he is...... middle of paper ...... everyone knows Lancelot, the quest for the Holy Grail and the story of Arthur's fall. These are elements that everyone has at least heard of, whether in movies or books, but there are elements that many people don't know about. The story of Arthur's birth, the names and stories of Arthur's knights, the possibility of a historical Arthur, and the evolution of the legend through literature are all parts of the story of King Arthur that people don't remember, but are part of it. nevertheless. Works Cited “Arthurian Legend”. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2013): 1. MAS Ultra -School Edition. Internet. March 11, 2014. Berthold, Paul. "Arthur - Man or myth?." In Great Britain 7.11 (1997): 21. Academic Research Premier.Web. March 19, 2014. Ashe, Geoffrey. The Discovery of King Arthur. New York: Henry Holt, 1985. 3-24. Google Scholar. Web. March 19. 2014.