What Are the Historical Inaccuracies of the Movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

Some believe that there are surprisingly few historical inaccuracies in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail because part of the joke was that the Monty Python movie was designed to be historically accurate. However, others argue that the movie is full of historical inaccuracies.

In almost any film that has been produced relating to an event that has happened in the past there are historical inaccuracies which can be found. While some movies, such as Braveheart starring Mel Gibson as the infamous Scotsman William Wallace, have done an excellent job with little inaccuracy relating a historical event, other films have done a poor job doing the same.

One of these movies that has received negative attention from movie critics for historical inaccuracy is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The list of historical inaccuracies in this film is long:

• Attire: In the opening credits, the movie is said to be happening in the year 932 A.D. However, the dress of both King Arthur and his knights is way off in order to correspond with this date. Arthur and his knights are dressed in chain mail and carry kite-shaped shields. This is synonymous with the time period which dates the 11th or 12th century.
• Construction of Buildings: The construction of the buildings does not correspond with the event’s time period of 932 A.D. Even though there were buildings constructed during this period of time, history shows us that during this period buildings would have been made primarily of wood and they would have littered the landscape in a way which protected or fortified a central location. In this film, however, the characters encounter many buildings constructed of stone in the Medieval style which was not popular for building construction until nearly a century after the stated time period in the beginning of the film.
• Weaponry: Based on the time period as stated in the beginning of the movie, the weaponry they are carrying is inaccurate. Weaponry carried by Arthur and his knights in the movie suggests Medieval times. During this period of time, the knight and King Arthur would have been dressed in Viking-like garb and would have carried more simple weaponry rather than the sophisticated shields and hand grenades as shown in the movie. 

About Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a movie that you will either love or hate. For those that love the movie it has become a must see cult classic.

However, for those that hate the movie, the hate runs very deep often because:

• They do not understand the British humor.
• The movie has historical inaccuracies.

The movie follows the quest of King Arthur and his knights as they go on a quest ordained by God to find the infamous Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is the chalice used in the Last Supper of Christ. The film is supposed to take place during Medieval times.