King Arthur - history or myth?

This article relates to The Killing Way

No one is sure if there was truly a person named Arthur who was a ruler of the Britons. Evidence for his existence is scant at best.

The first complete account of the life of King Arthur appeared in Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), written in 1137 - 1138 CE by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Geoffrey surely used historic accounts, but modern scholars believe that he fabricated much of his text, and that other parts were a combination of traditions relating to multiple rulers. Regardless of its inaccuracy, it was very popular and influential. Many manuscript copies of this document have survived into the 21^st century.

The legends surrounding King Arthur are generally divided into those written before Geoffrey's Historia, which are referred to as pre-Galfridian (from the Latin for Geoffrey, "Galfrius"), and post-Galfridian. The later stories added Lancelot and the quest for the Holy Grail, and focus less on Arthur. Scholarly opinion is that they are purely fictional. Tony Hays omits references to these post-Galfridian amendments in The Killing Way.

In the Pre-Galfridian traditions, a warrior-ruler named Arthur is mentioned in two ancient texts. Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons), a 9^th century compilation, lists twelve battles, including the Battle of Mons Badonicus (Mt. Badon) in which Arthur supposedly took part. Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), 10^th century, also links Arthur to the Battle of Mt. Badon (516 – 518 CE). Additionally, it mentions the Battle of Camlann, in which both Arthur and Medraut (Mordred) were killed (537 – 539 CE). Both sources, however, are considered to be of questionable reliability because there are other earlier references to the Battle of Mt. Badon, none of which mention Arthur.

Still earlier tales portray Arthur as a figure of folklore, the leader of a band of superhuman heroes who protected Britain. At one time this group included pagan gods. Arthur's companions Kay and Bedivere appear in these earliest tales. This version of Arthur emerges in folktales, poems and songs throughout southern Scotland, Wales, the Welsh borders, south-west England, and Brittany. One of the most famous references to him comes from a 6^th century collection of Welsh heroic death-songs known as Y Gododdin.

Tony Hays bases his portrait of the historical Arthur on the work of Geoffrey Ashe. Ashe theorizes that the prototype for King Arthur was really Riotomus, a military leader active c. 470 CE. Riotomus is named the "King of the Britons" by Jordanes, a 6^th century Roman historian. Ashe further suggests that Riotomus was a title, and may have first referred to Ambrosius Aurelianus, the ruler immediately before or after Arthur.

More interesting links:

• Arthurian Resources site
• Historical time line according to Geoffrey Ashe
• The archeological quest for King Arthur
• A list of books about King Arthur from the 9th century to the 21st.
• Tony Hays's website with information on the setting of the book - Cadbury Castle, near Glastonbury in Somerset.

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This "beyond the book article" relates to The Killing Way. It originally ran in May 2009 and has been updated for the March 2010 paperback edition. Go to magazine.

This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access become a member today.