King Arthur

"Muppets in Toyland" scene from Muppet Babies.

Big Bird in Fairy Tales.

"The Spoon in the Stone" on Muppet Babies.

Abby's Amazing Adventures's sword in the stone.

King Arthur is an important figure in English mythology, where he appears as the ideal of kingship both in war and peace. He is the central character in a cycle of legends known as the Matter of Britain. Although there has been debate over whether King Arthur might in fact have existed, like Robin Hood, he is generally considered a figure of myth and folklore, but one closely tied to both the literature and political history of Britain.

Notable examples of Arthurian legend that have endured over the centuries include the story of Arthur pulling a sword from a stone (recorded as early as c. 1200 in a poem by Robert de Boron, Sir Thomas Malory's 15th-century Le Morte d'Arthur, and a 1938 novel by T. H. White), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight written anonymously in the 14th century, and the story of Arthur receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake.

Arthur and the Arthurian legends in general (including such figures as the wizard Merlin, Guinevere, and Lancelot), have often been portrayed, spoofed, or referenced in Muppet/Henson productions.

Appearances

• The human character Prince Arthur Charming is named after the king, as evident by the song that plays when he is introduced in Hey Cinderella!. The song states that although he is named Prince Charming, he will become King Arthur.

• An irate King Arthur appeared in the May 1986 issue of the Muppet Babies comic book. He mistakes Baby Fozzie for Sir Fozalot.

Muppet Babies comic

• An Elvis portrayed King Arthur in Muppets Tonight episode 106, in a "Great Moments in Elvis History" sketch called "Elvis the King and his Knights of the Round Table". Besides the King, the sketch includes Queen Guenevere, Galahad and Dance-a-Lot.

• In the 1998 TV movie Merlin, which featured effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Paul Curran appeared as Arthur.

• The 1999 Sesame Street book Fairy Tales tells a version of the story with Big Bird in the role of Arthur.

• Kermit plays King Arthur in the Muppet King Arthur comic book adaptation.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Muppets in Toyland," the characters take on the key roles from the Camelot saga: Baby Kermit as "Kermit Arthur," Baby Piggy as "Queen Piggyvere," Baby Animal as "Animerlin" and Rowlf, Skeeter, Fozzie and Gonzo as "The Knights of the Play Table."

References

• In The Muppets on Puppets, during the fairy tale using hand puppets, King Fred uses the exclamation "Good Knights of the Round Table!"

• The various froggy friends of Kermit in The Frog Prince are named after knights from the Arthurian stories: Gawain, Ector, Gareth, and Kay.

• Beauregard builds a prop for a "Sword in the Stone" sketch in the October 3, 1985 The Muppets comic strip. Upon seeing a large boulder pierced by a sword, Miss Piggy exclaims, "Somebody killed a rock!"

• A version of the story was told with sticks in a boulder in Sesame Street Episode 3171.

• In the Farscape episode "A Kiss Is But a Kiss," John Crichton, while arguing with D'Argo and Rygel, tells them, "I am the reverse King Arthur. I'm the one who could put the sword into the stone."

• Sesame Street Episode 4084 tells the story as the "Banana in the Stone."

• The Muppet Babies episode "The Spoon in the Stone" spoofs the Arthurian legends and especially T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone.

• The "Golfers" episode of Abby's Amazing Adventures (First: Episode 5016) features a sword in a stone accompanied by a two-headed dragon as prop on a mini golf course.