It's (almost) that time of year again, and well I'm doing things a little different this year so I figure I'd give the prompt list a little early! Arthurian August is a yearly art/writing/gif making/whatever other creative things challenge during the month of August centered on the Arthurian Legends. In the past I've had a prompt a week for the month of August, but this year I'm trying a bingo card format, pictured below:
The idea is you can check as many applicable boxes as you want for each creation you make, so if you make one or two things you can still get a bingo, granted you include all five prompts between those creations. Of course if you only want to check one box per creation that's fine too. The goal is to kinda open this up so people who don't have much time can still complete something. (More rules and prompt explanations under the cut)
Rules:
The challenge officially runs from August 1st to the 31st, put things in the tag #arthuriana august and/or @caer-gai and I'll reblog it!
You can create in any medium you want! (Please no AI)
NSFW and gore are allowed, just tag appropriately! I will use discretion while reblogging
I will be checking the tag and reblogging between August 1st and August 31st 2026! Feel free to post before or after that time frame if you need to, but I might not see it if you don't tag me
MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF THE WHOLE CHALLENGE: have fun! Don't push yourself too hard this is a silly and fun thing! Take the time you need, just tag me when you're done. I run these because I like seeing what you make <3
As always send me asks/notes/DMs/page boys with any and all questions! I'm happy to help=)
Prompt Explanations/Ideas-
Inspired By A German Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a German Text (ie Diu Crône, Lanzelet, Daniel von dem Blühenden Tal).
Featuring An Obscure Character: Create something that centers on a character you consider to be obscure. Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Comedic: Create something with a comedic tone, in the comedy genere, or having to do with the more comedic elelments of arthuriana.
wlw: Create something involving a romantic or sexual pairing that falls under the 'women loving women' umbrella.
Inspired By An English Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from an English Text (ie Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle).
LGBTQ+: Create something with a character(s), theme(s), or story that falls under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. (gay, bi, pan, trans, intersex, ace/aro, nonbinary, ect)
Fanwork or Inspired By Med Lit: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by a medieval text.
Family: Create something that has to do with family and family dynamics.
Fanwork or Inspired By Other Media: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by some other arthuriana media, like tv shows, games, comics, songs, etc.
Based on an Obscure Text: Create something that centers on a text you consider to be obscure. Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Tragic: Create something with a tragic tone, in the tragedy genere, or having to do with the more tragic elelments of arthuriana.
Inspired By A Text In Another Language: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a text originally written in a language other than the four listed on this card (for example texts from the Dutch, Icelandic, Yiddish, Italian, or Latin traditions would count).
Woman POV/MC : Create something where a woman is the main/focus character or from a woman's point of view.
Friendship: Create something that has to do with friendship.
Happy: Create something with a happy tone or having to do with the more happy/light hearted elelments of arthuriana.
Featuring An Obscure (Non-Romantic Pairing): Create something that focuses on a pairing (or larger) combination of characters who are not often discussed/seen together in modern works. One or more characters can be popular themselves, its the combination that's obscure in this case. Additionally this must be a non-romantic relationship, there's a different square for that one. Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Fanwork or Inspired By A Retelling: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by a modern retelling.
Romance: Create something focused on or having to do with romance or romantic feelings.
Fanwork or Inspired By A Movie: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by an arthurian movie.
In A New Medium: Create something in a medium that you don't usually use. (ie if you usually write, draw something, or make a webweave.)
Inspired By A Welsh Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a Welsh Text (ie Peredur, The Mabinogoin).
Legacy: Create something that has to do with the theme of legacy, either within the arthuriana or the legacy of the arthurian legend.
Angsty: Create something with a angsty tone or having to do with the more angsty elements of arthuriana.
Featuring An Obscure Ship: Create something that centers on a romantic/sexual relationship between two or more characters that aren't frequently paired together. As with the non-romantic pairing, this is about the relationship being obscure not necessarily the characters in it. The fandom kids call this a "rarepair". Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Inspired By A French Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a French Text (ie Chretien de Troyes's Romances, The Vulgate Cycle, Le Bel Inconnu).
Once again, please let me know if you have any questions! Have fun and I hope to see y'all in August!!
merlin lowkey has no reason to be in arthur’s court like he’s kind of been co-opted over the centuries into some sort of advisor character but that is simply not what is going on 90% of the time. he just shapeshifts into different people and tells horrible prophecies and gets trapped in some rocks and dies. no motive no method. helps no one. purely there to cause problems. rest in peace to the least helpful person of all time
According to the Triads, King Urien is a twin brother, who then becomes the father of twins, Owain and Morfudd. Urien's sister Efrddyl also becomes the mother of triplets, Gwrgi, Peredur and Ceindrech (Bromwich, 2014).
On the other hand, in accordance with the "Historia Meriadoci Regis Cambrie", Urien kidnapped a young woman called Orwen, who was also herself the twin sister of Meriadoc son of King Caradoc of Cambria (Day, 2019).
In conclusion, there is a lot of twins in King Urien's life (including what plausibly seems to be his second wife).
References
Bromwich, R. (2014). Trioedd ynys prydein: The triads of the Island of Britain. University of Wales Press.
Day, M. L. (2019). The story of Meriadoc, King of Cambria. Routledge.
an incredibly belated edit for @mordredpendragon celebrating our favourite kingslayer, using clips from the white queen, game of thrones, merlin miniseries and bbc merlin. audio clipping from game of thrones.
He is everything you would expect from a legendary king and he is capable of saving Britain from certain doom but every once in a while he starts digging at the ground for yummy invertebrates.
He briefly forgets he can’t fly and steps off a 3 foot retaining wall, falling to the ground with a loud thump and immediately dusting himself off like nothing happened.
Honestly? Chough Arthur: Least weird thing in Arthurian lore. We had a Knight with a dagger that could change size, so he made it giant to use as a bridge so his companions could cross a stream but he forgot his sheath also grew and it dangled into the stream and he was swept away and drowned. We had sorcerers and werewolves on the side of good. We had chastity superpowers and the weirdest sex and whatever hot nasty mess Merlin has going on at any given moment, so sure, give me an Arthur who digs for worms and occasionally demands his knights drive off a mean looking hawk. I think this actually fits the tone.
Based on initial results, the groupchat thinktank has refined the Gawain Diagnostic Criteria to prevent false positives and clarify terms. Please disregard all previous results.
The Gawain kin list has been reset to tabula rasa
You know, Gawain, from medieval literature. Many characters are A Gawain, archetypally speaking
'that sign can't stop me because I can't read,' said lancelot, and lo, it was true, and it had been previously established in the narrative that he really genuinely couldn't.
Based on initial results, the groupchat thinktank has refined the Gawain Diagnostic Criteria to prevent false positives and clarify terms. Please disregard all previous results.
The Gawain kin list has been reset to tabula rasa
You know, Gawain, from medieval literature. Many characters are A Gawain, archetypally speaking
love the casual lore drops in the middle of the arthurian narrative like oh yeah the magical seats that spell out the name of the knights so long as they’re living. of course
This is very angsty in itself if you think about it. Imagine...
A knight dies alone with no one to witness his death, but his death is known in Arthur's court. Maybe, some knights are talking in the room and suddenly they see their fellow knight's name disappear. Mayhaps, the talking dies down, and someone says that they'll tell sir Kay so he tells the king.
Or maybe... No one is there to see the name of a knight of the Round Table disappear. And no one notices until much later when they see that a name isn't there anymore.
Just... Yeah, just food for thought that occurred to me. 🥹
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