Camlann

"Then it is at Camlann, that we make our stand."

- Arthur to the Knights of Camelot

Camlann is a plain located in the narrowest pass of the White Mountains. It is the site of the battle between the Knights of Camelot and Morgana's Saxon army.

History
Morgana had a prophetic dream about the Battle of Camlann. In her nightmare, the plain was covered in the bodies of fallen knights, and Morgana was begging an old man called Emrys for help (The Darkest Hour).

Merlin had a vision of Mordred killing Arthur at Camlann (Arthur's Bane).

The prophecy Finna gave Merlin stated that Arthur would meet his end in a battle at Camlann (The Kindness of Strangers).

After Morgana declared war on Camelot, Arthur decided to make his stand at Camlann, which he chose for its geographic location. He hoped that if the Knights of Camelot could hold the pass long enough, Morgana's army would run out of supplies and be forced to retreat.

Unbeknownst to Arthur, however, Morgana was planning to ambush Camelot's army during the night by using a hidden path to outflank them and trap them within the plain. Fortunately, Merlin was able to warn Arthur of the danger and the knights found the path in time to meet the Saxons head on.

When Merlin (disguised as Dragoon) arrived at the battlefield, Camelot's army was greatly outnumbered and under attack by both Morgana's magic and the dragon Aithusa. Merlin quickly decimated Morgana's army with lightning, even striking the witch herself, and ordered Aithusa away from the battle.

However, Merlin failed to prevent Mordred from mortally wounding Arthur, who used the last of his strength to kill Mordred. Merlin later found Arthur collapsed on the battlefield and carried him away (The Diamond of the Day).

Appearances

 * Series 4
 * The Darkest Hour: Part One


 * Series 5
 * Arthur's Bane: Part One
 * The Kindness of Strangers
 * The Diamond of the Day

In the Legend
Camlann was the site of the legendary final battle of King Arthur in Arthurian Legend. In most depictions, he was either killed or fatally wounded fighting with or against Mordred, who also perished.

In the Vulgate Cycle, Arthur went to France in pursuit of Lancelot, who had engaged in an affair with Guinevere and killed his nephews Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth. He left Mordred in charge of Britain during his absence, but Mordred betrayed him and seized the throne. Arthur and Mordred's armies later met on the Salisbury Plain, where the legendary battle broke out after one of Mordred's knights drew his sword to kill an adder during the standoff negotiations between Mordred and Arthur.

This account of the last battle was adapted into many subsequent works, including Thomas Mallory's 1485 work Le Morte d'Arthur.