King Arthur left an ancient trail across Britain. Experts say it offers clues about the truth behind the myth

Editor’s note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Gerhard Zwerger-Schoner/imageBROKER/Shutterstock Legend of King Arthur Prev Next In the medieval period, Arthur’s story — or, more accurately, his myth — went viral after a writer called Geoffrey of Monmouth described King Arthur in his book, “Historia Regum Britanniae,” or “A history of Britain’s kings,” around 1136 CE. There’s also a roundabout reference to Arthur in a sixth century poem, damning another figure as, “He was not an Arthur.” “You can make of that what you will,” says Higham, who calls himself an “Arthur skeptic.” “You can’t accept the word of an early ninth-century writer who you know is attempting to rewrite the past for present propagandist purposes.” Henry VIII, an unlikely superfan Henry VIII is seen as the quintessential English king. In 1485, England’s King Henry VII seized power from Richard III by landing in Wales from his exile in Brittany, billing himself as “Arthur’s heir,” says Stoyle. Henry’s reign was, says Stoyle, a “glorious Welsh renaissance,” and Arthur — who was sent to the English town of Ludlow to govern as a young man — would have been crowned king of England had he not died early.