The Arthur “legends” were written in the 15th century by Sir Thomas Mallory. Mallory took his idea from an 8th century monk called Geoffrey of Monmouth who had written down lore of a soldier called Arthur who saved the Britons from the invading Saxons and Franks 200 years or so earlier.

However…..All the battles attributed to Arthur by both scholars were actually fought by Lucius “Artorius” Castus, a Roman “Dux Bellorum” (War Leader) sent to Britain in AD187 to quell the naughty people north of Hadrians Wall. This is not legend, but documented. His cavalry were conscripted from the nobility of a conquered tribe from the Danube / Black Sea area, and THEIR legends describe very nicely swords in stones and a chap called Lance a Lot.

Fascinating eh :)

The Legend of King Arthur was not made up by the French it is roughly based some factual events and characters from British history told as folklore at the time but over the many many years it has been romanticised and glamorized and re-told from so many perspectives that it’s become a mess and unclear as to what the real truth is, that is why they call it a Legend.

Which of the legends is true or how “magic” Merlin was or the accuracy of it all is all speculation since no one knows for sure. But fact remains that these legends all came from the few British records and British folk lore of the time. Many of the characters mentioned were established from historical records.

You speculated that it was made into British myth based on French legends which couldn’t be less accurate.

More accurate is that a French writer wrote some romance novels that were based on the legends. If anything the British Legend was “stolen” by a frenchman.

And the only part of the arthur legend that is french is the author of the romance novels based on Lancelot. Still based on British legends.

Because some fiction was written by a french guy doesnt mean the original folk lore and historical details of Britain are suddenly French.

If that was the case, then Tolkien just made all of middle earth British.