Real life mythology always wins out over the wholly fantastic in my mind. Arthur's amazing because he occupies the twilight realm between fiction and fact, where history and story and magic all collide.
I thought about Arthur, of course, but his majesty comes primarily in what he represents. He has his glorious moments of course, and certainly powerful (and laudable) ambitions, but for me there are far too many instances where he is anything but glorious, and downright weak, paralyzed by the pulls of justice and love. His inability to control Mordred, etc...
Don't get me wrong, I love the Arthur mythos, but as a character himself?
Eschew Verbosity
The greatest King in Fantasy
- 09/04/2010 05:18:42 AM
2313 Views
King Arthur. Hands down.
- 09/04/2010 06:40:15 AM
1689 Views
I would argue with you.
- 09/04/2010 06:54:53 AM
1645 Views
That's the point, though. Arthur's humanity is what makes him so admirable.
- 09/04/2010 06:59:07 AM
1684 Views
I have to agree with Dannymac
- 09/04/2010 02:04:44 PM
1653 Views
But he's not in a modern fantasy novel.
- 09/04/2010 07:37:14 PM
1735 Views
- 09/04/2010 07:37:14 PM
1735 Views
when I read the actual book...
- 10/04/2010 12:08:21 AM
1664 Views
"The actual character"? Which of the countless different ones? *NM*
- 10/04/2010 12:21:00 AM
800 Views
i mean the actual character of Arthur in the actual book.
- 10/04/2010 12:51:44 AM
1774 Views
There isn't an "actual book." Le Morte d'Arthur is a relatively early compilation of legends. *NM*
- 10/04/2010 03:09:40 AM
834 Views
I'm going with the most likely historical version of King Arthur
- 09/04/2010 06:45:26 PM
1758 Views
My money is still on Aragorn
- 09/04/2010 12:47:43 PM
1778 Views
Aragorn is so awesome...
- 09/04/2010 02:05:42 PM
1621 Views
Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though.
- 09/04/2010 02:18:30 PM
1589 Views
Re: Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though.
- 09/04/2010 02:49:45 PM
1661 Views
Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien.
- 09/04/2010 03:32:00 PM
1599 Views
Re: Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien.
- 09/04/2010 03:45:37 PM
1889 Views
I can't agree about the goddesses.
- 09/04/2010 04:34:15 PM
1717 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses.
- 09/04/2010 04:55:34 PM
1620 Views
If Tacitus and Graves were accurate
- 09/04/2010 05:09:20 PM
1740 Views
Re: If Tacitus and Graves were accurate
- 09/04/2010 05:26:43 PM
1649 Views
I rather liked her depiction in Rome.
- 09/04/2010 05:34:37 PM
1698 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses.
- 09/04/2010 05:02:50 PM
1705 Views
Nienna, the Valier of Mercy, was single and a wanderer. She's not the most powerful, but...
- 09/04/2010 06:55:23 PM
1702 Views
Re: Nienna, the Valier of Mercy, was single and a wanderer. She's not the most powerful, but...
- 09/04/2010 07:04:37 PM
1707 Views
thought of a better example: Arien the Maia of the Sun was single and far more powerful than Tilion
- 09/04/2010 09:17:34 PM
1947 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses.
- 09/04/2010 05:06:49 PM
1796 Views
That was my first assumption too, but evidently not. *NM*
- 09/04/2010 05:22:39 PM
766 Views
I changed it to Livia Augusta
Sheesh, you people-- a guy mistypes one time!! *NM*
- 09/04/2010 05:29:03 PM
842 Views
Sheesh, you people-- a guy mistypes one time!! *NM*
- 09/04/2010 05:29:03 PM
842 Views
I call bullshit
- 09/04/2010 08:09:49 PM
1601 Views
Re: I call bullshit
- 09/04/2010 08:31:16 PM
1605 Views
Re: I call bullshit
- 10/04/2010 08:04:15 AM
1703 Views
I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist.
- 10/04/2010 05:12:07 PM
1691 Views
He's good, but then he just doesn't have to face so many things.
- 09/04/2010 02:22:04 PM
1923 Views
Doesn't have to face many things?
- 09/04/2010 07:59:27 PM
1670 Views
As in, there are many important aspects of being king he doesn't have to face.
- 09/04/2010 08:07:16 PM
1670 Views
well technically speaking he WAS the king when he did all those things.
- 10/04/2010 12:15:26 AM
1655 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things?
- 09/04/2010 08:38:51 PM
1511 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things?
- 10/04/2010 08:24:33 AM
1679 Views
I'm sure there are many, but one coming to mind is Prince Josua from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn
- 09/04/2010 02:23:57 PM
1624 Views
I'm going to go with a tie...
- 09/04/2010 04:22:42 PM
1624 Views
Rohan was a whiny hypocritical bitch who failed at the only real test of rulership he ever faced.
- 10/04/2010 02:51:34 AM
1733 Views
Artur Hawkwing
- 10/04/2010 03:34:02 AM
1836 Views
Alexander the Great?
*NM*
- 10/04/2010 05:08:25 AM
805 Views
*NM*
- 10/04/2010 05:08:25 AM
805 Views
AH conquered more, did better, & was not a huge d-bag. Alex would have commissioned that big statue *NM*
- 12/04/2010 03:00:39 PM
796 Views
And both managed to have their so-called "empires" crumble within a year of their death. *NM*
- 12/04/2010 06:12:20 PM
796 Views
Which just reinforces how awesome AH was - no one else could do what he did
- 13/04/2010 11:50:54 AM
1720 Views
???
- 10/04/2010 10:30:13 AM
2248 Views
Ta'veren is not a power, it is an accomodation with what the Pattern demands of certain people
- 12/04/2010 02:56:57 PM
1662 Views
What's the name of the Lemur-thing that's the King in "the penguins of madagascar"? He gets my vote! *NM*
- 14/04/2010 04:46:42 AM
852 Views
