More King Arthur

Sir Thomas Malory
I often wonder how much influence the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table had on the authors of Chainmail and White Box. As I continue to read more of the classic Arthur stories in an effort to inspire additional medieval "flavor" in my game, I am struck by the unique elements common to the period legends which differ from more contemporary sword & sorcery stories. Jousting as pictured on the cover of this volume of Malory seems practically a way-of-life for knights in many of the Arthurian stories. Most male characters are knights and they spend a lot of time jousting and courting the ladies, who often watch the jousting, cheering their champion on.
Chainmail includes a jousting mechanic involving a matrix matching one's target point against the seating/shield position of his opponent. It's a fun mechanic and I have fond memories of our group using it during adventures many years ago. I admit it has been some time since I have used jousting in an adventure, however.
The middle ages presents as a period of stricter social classes and more formal social interactions than is typically seen at the gaming table. How much of that would be fun for gamers to use is, I suppose, a question to consider before introducing it to the campaign. Court intrigue, romance and rivalry could all be a lot of fun to play (and read about), but being limited by social expectations and feudal obligations might not be so much fun.
My own experience with trying to instill a more historic medieval society feel into my campaign has not been well received in the past. Some players seem to enjoy the era's pageantry and role-play the courtesy and chivalry stuff to a point. It seems our modern sense of a right to "freedom of action" soon conflicts with medieval style societal expectations and everyone becomes an "outlaw" or robber baron in the end. Improving character abilities and acquiring material wealth are the real game motivators. Authors Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson hit on a winning formula with White Box, one which keeps players interested and coming back for more.
A little flowery language and a joust now and then may be all the historic middle ages feel needed. Reading Arthurian literature, the stories can be seen as adventure tales with some fantastic elements thrown in. There are a few monsters, some fey, and a couple magic users that can serve as inspiration. The setting adds color, but can also detract from the fun if over emphasized.