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Was a Saracen ever a member of the Round Table?

posted 10 years ago by bcamphome
2 replies | jump to latest

In this film, Peter Cushing plays a treacherous Saracen named Palamides (a Greek name, I'm guessing) who just happens to be a Knight of the Round Table in Camelot. The guy's behavior is suspicious from Frame One, yet nobody but Ladd is ever on to him and Ladd gets into trouble for it!

Were Saracens allowed on the Round Table? That just doesn't make historical sense to me. No account I've ever read of King Arthur has ever mentioned Saracens.

Does anyone know?

Thanks.

[–] qatmom 10 years ago

Yes!

Sir Palomides is in some of the Arthur stories (even Lancelot does not appear in all of them...) but of course he was never, ever in league with renegade Cornishmen or wild English pagans!

No, his appearance does not make historical sense, but remember, the Arthur stories have roots going back to Dark Age Britain, and were embroidered upon for more than a thousand years afterward. One noble Saracen could be blended into the story.

[–] hg_b1 10 years ago

First of all King Arthur was fictional and second of all an Arab as a member of the round table just doesn't sound like the original story would have suggested. They took a lot of liberties with this film.
It wasn't meant to be humorous yet I had to laugh several times here.
Exciting musical score couldn't help the plot. I liked Alan Ladd but here he was miscast.