The legend of King Arthur is just that – a legend – but it appears that there was an actual man named Arthur upon which the massively exaggerated myth is based. Interestingly enough, amongst all the talk of chivalry, prophecy and damsels in distress, Wales has more of a connection with King Arthur than is first obvious.
Two Welsh men in particular played two very different but nonetheless crucial parts in the way the stories were preserved in history and ultimately probably the way we see the Arthurian legend today.
Humble Beginnings with the Welsh Bard Aneirin
The first Welsh man to consider is the bard Aneirin, who composed an epic poem called “Y Gododdin” around the year 594, which went on to be the earliest known written reference to Arthur. The Gododdin gives a detailed insight into the lives of the Britons and includes one verse in particular which includes a reference to Arthur himself:
More than three hundred of the finest killed.
In the middle and on the flanks he laid them low
Splendid before the host, most generous willed,
Bestowing horses from his own herd every winter’s snow.
He brought down black crows to feed before the wall
Of the city, though he was no Arthur.
Of men he was amongst the mightiest of all,
Before the fence of alderwood stood Guarthur.
Although Arthur is referred to as superior to the main character Guarthur, he is just a normal person – albeit a very brave and impressive one. There is nothing to imply he was thought of as a person of legend then. At the time, poetry was passed from person to person by word of mouth, making embellishments inevitable. The Gododdin was only recorded in writing during the 13th century.
It is believed by some that the reference to Arthur was just a later addition, to fit this later famous figure into the text. However it has been noted that the poem was written in an old form of Welsh in-keeping with the date it was composed, and that all the lines in original Welsh rhyme correctly. From this it seems unlikely that the name was just stuck in there later on.
Geoffrey of Monmouth's Role in the Legend
Some of the responsibility for King Arthur becoming such an iconic figure must fall on the shoulders of another Welshman, Geoffrey of Monmouth. Geoffrey is probably the main reason why the legend of Arthur has endured so long in history, and it is believed his tales influenced the later works of Sir Thomas Malory and Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Geoffrey’s major work was the so-called “History of the Kings of Britain” which was written in Latin, and was largely a product of the author’s imagination. It is however unique, and one of the great books of the Middle Ages. The first mention of the Arthurian legend in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s book begins with Merlin foretelling the coming of Arthur, the “Boar of Cornwall”.
It then goes on to describe the reign of Arthur after his coronation, following the death of his father Uther Pendragon. According to Geoffrey, the new King Arthur went on the offensive against the Saxons, restoring Britain to peace and a stable government and consequently winning the love of his subjects and the lady Guinevere.
Geoffrey is also responsible for the basis of the legend of the Knights of the Round Table, with Arthur supposedly inviting men from distant kingdoms to join his inner circle and then turning his attention to conquering Europe. King Arthur's battles took place throughout Europe, beginning with meeting the Roman forces in France.
According to Geoffrey, Arthur made his presence felt in Burgundy over the coming winter, and was preparing to march on Rome when word came to him from Britain that his nephew Modred had turned traitor. He had been left in charge during Arthur's absence, but was now living as king in all ways, including in his relationship with the queen.
King Arthur returned to Britain, and killed Modred in the ensuing battle. At this point in his book, however, Geoffrey goes on to say that Arthur was mortally wounded and was “carried off to the Isle of Avalon so that his wounds might be attended to” and the crown was passed to a cousin. Geoffrey does not mention where Avalon is, and there is no further mention of Arthur in the book.
The Legend of King Arthur in the Present
It would seem that the glorious King Arthur has become the famous legendary figure that we know of today, the subject of many novels and films, through the very active imagination of Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Like a game of Chinese whispers spanning hundreds of years, the legend of King Arthur has grown and become more fantastical until it reached our modern age, when historians stripped the legend right back to where it started – seemingly a character in a poem composed by a Welsh bard.
Sources
- Ashe, G (2005) The Discovery of King Arthur. Sutton Publishing.
- Gidlow, C (2005) The Reign of Arthur: From History to Legend. Sutton Publishing.
- Hibbert, C (2007) King Arthur. Tempus Publishing.
Stacey Mitchell - I have always loved writing for pleasure, and have written fiction to amuse myself ever since I can remember. Since going to university, ...
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