Zeitgeist: Davy Crockett King of the First Turning
I’ve been pondering a lot about the return of King Arthur in the new zeitgeist. I am starting to wonder if Arthur will return, and specifically, if he will return to America.
America has had two kings and neither of them were Arthur. Our kings were Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Elvis Presley the king of Rock 'n' Roll.
Crockett is the ultimate 1st turning hero and he may be who brings us from the fourth turning's crisis mode (grim dark, destruction, dystopia fatigue) to the first turning's high, where we're building institutions, restoring hope, and craving noble heroes who pull swords from stones... or in America's case, maybe coonskin caps from raccoons.
King of the First Turning
First off, the Arthurian legend is quintessential first-turning stuff. You could see Arthur as the sheriff in a western, riding in to build civilization out of chaos. In the myths, Arthur unites a fractured Britain after the Roman collapse Saxon invasions, lawlessness, the whole bit. He's the noble dark champion who forges Camelot, a beacon of justice and chivalry.
It's not grimdark where everything's hopeless and everyone's an anti-hero. It's about constructing something lasting, with a thread of hope even amid the darkness. And as we're pivoting out of this fourth turning—think post-2020 chaos, pandemics, political upheavals—people are hungry for that. We're seeing it in games like Minecraft, stories like Epic the Musical, even the resurgence of westerns where the hero tames the wild.
This brings us right to the Crockett mania of the 1950s, a perfect historical echo of that first-turning energy. Sparked by Disney's TV miniseries "Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier,” it exploded into a nationwide craze from 1955 to 1957, with kids donning coonskin caps, singing "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," and snapping up over 300 merchandise items—from toys to educational tie-ins.
It wasn't just a fad; it was a pop cultural milestone that boosted interest in American history and frontier spirit, embodying the post-WWII optimism of that era's High (first turning). A time of strong institutions, conformity, and hopeful rebuilding after a crisis.
Crockett, as the "King of the Wild Frontier," became the avatar of that vibe: taming the wilderness, fighting the Indians, making peace with the Indians, fighting the Mexicans at the Alamo, symbolizing manifest destiny and building a nation from untamed land.
But America? That's the twist. Arthur's a British archetype, rooted in Celtic lore, but myths migrate. Look at how we've Americanized everything from Robin Hood to Sherlock Holmes. If Arthur "returns" in the zeitgeist, it wouldn't be a literal king. America was founded by overthrowing the king.
Instead, it'd be through cultural avatars, stories, or figures who embody that pull-the-sword, unite-the-tribes energy. And we’ve only had two "kings": Davy Crockett and Elvis Presley.
Let's start with Crockett. "King of the Wild Frontier"
Crockett represents pure first-turning heroism. Born in 1786, right after the American Revolution (a classic fourth-turning crisis), Crockett emerges in the early 1800s, which lines up with a first turning high. He's the frontiersman taming the wilderness.
It's Arthurian: pulling Excalibur from the stone is like Crockett skinning bears or wrestling alligators mythic feats that inspire unity and expansion. And yeah, in a vibe shift toward construction and hope, Crockett could totally return. Think reboots of frontier tales, or modern stories where a rugged individualist rallies people against chaos. We've seen hints in shows like Yellowstone or even Mandalorian—lone warriors building safe havens.
Elvis King of Rock ’n’ Roll
Elvis, though? He's more second-turning awakening vibes, or maybe third turning unraveling. The 1950s-60s were post-WWII high turning into awakening—cultural rebellion, youth energy. Elvis shakes up norms, embodying charisma and excess. He's less about building institutions and more about personal liberation, romance, and vibe. Ties into our romance boom talk women swooning over the bad boy with a heart of gold. But Arthur? Elvis is closer to Lancelot: charming, flawed, ultimately tragic. If Elvis returns, it's in rom-coms or musicals, not nation-building epics.
Will Crockett Return?
So, does Arthur return to America? In spirit, absolutely especially as we lean into this first turning. But he'd be reimagined as an American archetype: maybe a tech visionary uniting divided states (like a Musk figure pulling the "sword" of innovation), or in fiction, a hero in a post-apocalyptic western rebuilding society.
Authors, this is your cue. If you're writing fantasy or spec-fic, infuse Arthurian nobility with American grit. Swap Camelot for a frontier town, Excalibur for a legendary rifle. Crockett's return? Bet on it. We're seeing pioneer vibes in survival games, homesteading trends on TikTok. Stories where heroes like him—self-reliant, honorable, community-builders—will resonate big time.
And don't forget the dark side. If we get stuck in grimdark, like the Soviets did, Arthur might show up as a ronin-type, wandering hero like in Magnificent Seven. But yeah Arthur's knocking. Skate to where the puck's going: noble bright, construction over destruction.
Remember that photo of the crockett statue at the Alamo? Its brand new. While the Alamo is 200+ years old, that statue was dedicated in the last few years.