I have a problem. I figured some people here could help me out. I am writing a book of the Arthurian legend sort. There are other things going on in this world, but they are in other books I'm going to write. The things I need are a location for the Lady in the Lake's lake, and the location of the stone that Arthur pulled the sword out of. I'm also looking for a source of Celtic mythology and stuff. A book will work. Can anybody help me?

Just make sure you leave out that Lancelot crap. In case you don't know already, Lancelot was introduced into the mythology in about the eleventh century by a Frenchman who thought it would be a good joke to have a Frenchman as the best knight in the world and have a Frenchman cuckolding the great British king. Lancelot does not appear in any Arthurian texts prior to that work. Even the name is a joke.

I did not know that.

Was this frenchman by any chance named Lancelot?

I think the poet who introduced Lancelot into the mythology was called Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Monmouth, yes that's an odd name. I can see why he prefered Lancelot.

Could someone be so kind as to provide me with a source? Something like a book where someone talks about the stuff?

http://www.britannia.com/history/h12.html
http://www.legends.dm.net/kingarthur/

Both very good, with good links.

Well the most definitive sources of Arthurian legend is "Le Mortre D'Arthur' by Sir Thomas Mallory and "History of the Kings of Britain" by Geoffrey of Monmouth. There are also many books and essays you could find on the topic, althought I can't think of any other specifically. 'Songs of the Talesin' (who was a Bard who was become a part of the Arthurian Saga) is also a good read, as well as many books about Celtic Mythology that can help you get a good idea of the background.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by Geoffrey of Monmouth (1100-1154) being French and adding the Lancelot stuff. He was an Englishmen (probaly of Welsh/Breton descent) and he wrote "History of the Kings of Britain". Later Sir Thomas Mallory (1405-1471) wrote 'Le Morte D'Arthur' and I believe he was born into the English midlands.

Here is something I just found http://www.britannia.com/history/h12.html

Oops, maybe it was someone else. Can't recall. BUt I'm pretty sure it was a Frenchman around 10th or 11th century who added Lancelot.

I'd hate to disappiont you guys, but I'm going to be inventing some stuff too. Purely artistic, you know.