Legacy of Arthur

ae r'th'ur symbol of assailants

Preface

The concept of England has no genetic integrity or indelible heritage. Its gallimaufry inhabitants have more need than most to find opportunity to gratuitously abuse other nationalities in order to delineate their own nebulous heritage – like Pistol, usually from safe distance. These are the heroes, said Daniel Defoe of The True Born Englishman, who despise the Dutch and rail at newcome foreigners so much, forgetting they themselves are all derived from the most scoundrel races that ever lived. Subservience to ninth century Dane Law customs influenced the shape of English identity whilst four centuries of collaboration with Norman French supremacists, enemy occupiers of England from1066 to 1485, extinguished forefather traditions forever. Norman authority was advantageously positioned through Englisc submissiveness to keep stubborn recalcitrance in Wales within manageable bounds until the gallant few Welshmen removed the last representative of French sovereignty from the throne of England in 1485. Disposition of resilient Welsh character had been sustained by ongoing oral stories of intrepid fifth century arthur guir deur (brave warriors, see Appendix 4) that metamorphosed into the allegory of Arthur – a vision so clear that he was recorded in the ninth century by Nennius as a real figure of history. It was not until the twelfth century that Arthur would be exported into French tales as the chivalric monarch of myth and romance.


Introduction

Arthur is the definable spirit of those ancient unknowable Britons (see Appendix 3) put to defend the culture of western homelands against encroaching barbarism. Their unique success eventually established the island of Britain as a three nation island state of Wales, England, and Scotsland. Attitudes on the European mainland to Germanic expansion were very different; there the Romano-Celtic and German customs had long learned to tolerate cross land border customs – the Teutons were not so abhorred and isolated as they were in insular Britain – and the barbarians quickly adopted cultures and customs of their Romano-Celtic 'hosts'. But Britons were so repelled by their odious deceptions that the Englisc were ostracised long after their land grabbing advance was halted at the final c500AD battle at Badon. (Bede virulently condemned Welsh policy of ostracism.) Englisc identity was put to develop in isolation for some four centuries until, under weight of Dane Law authority, customs and language of England frayed at the edges; what remained of Hengist heritage perished with the death of Harold Godwineson, last Englisc king of England.

By contrast the integrity of fifth century Welsh traditions, sustained by memories and stories of arthur guir deur sacrifices, survived perfidious attacks of Englisc seed of the coiling serpent (Taliesin) and Norman French oppression. Continual redaction of oral tales regarding anonymous heroic forefathers lost contact with what details remained of real history to create the surreal vision of Arthur first described by Nennius in 829AD. King Arthur fantasies took wing after Geoffrey of Monmouth compiled the spoof Historia Regum Britonicum in 1136AD based, he claimed, on facts gleaned from an 'old Welsh book' (palpably the debunked Historia written three hundred years earlier by Nennius).


Sober theories regarding further matters of Arthur can only be expedited by those with familiarity vis a vis regional phonology of spoken Welsh, ancient folk lore and intuitive interpretation of pre-Nennius history. For instance, the nebulous Greal or Grail or Graal are popularly assumed to mean the cup or chalice but few would associate the terms as being French corruptions of y gregl – still Welsh for 'the cup' or 'the chalice'. Yet twelfth century King Arthur fairy tales are still used as serious sources for academic research: historians still pontificate on probable sites of Camelot and Camlan – and on origins of The Excalibur or The Grail when ignorant of the idiosyncrasies of Welsh grammar (which has no indefinite article) and regional enunciations of vowel sounds. Fatuous catalogues of mythical names and events so bedazzle researchers that little or no consideration is given to real but unknowable shadowy arthur warrior protagonists of original tales. But it is understandable that there may be little motivation for many to confirm any notion that the illustrious 'Arthur' was arch enemy of English forefathers - and Welsh to boot.


Historical Summary

Early fifth century Romano-Britonaeg armies abandoned Lloegr (the biggest and most Romanised part of what is now England) to fight for Roman civilization on foreign fields, taking with them many if not most young men of fighting age. Left behind were affluent elderly communities primed for exploitation by barbarian hordes currently overrunning the rest of Europe. Within two centuries most of Lloegr would be colonised by Englisc coalitions of Franks, Goths, Angles, Frisians, Saxons, Jutes - inappropriately labelled Anglo-Saxons by modern historians – as well as Picts, Irish, Danes and disaffected Britons; apparently the early Englisc spoke a language that was closely related to Frisian.


Whatever, ambitions to swamp the whole island were thwarted by a series of victories by ae'rth'ur (the assailants) cavalry defence of Silurian western regions, battles that culminated at Mons Badonicus putting the invaders to lick wounds for many generations 'waiting,' according to Nennius, 'for numbers to be increased by reinforcement from Saxonlands'. Arthur warriors won time for fractious tribes of Gwalia (now Wales) to bond together as a nation of Comrades/Cymry (residents of Cumbria and Cornwall also called themselves Cymry until their customs and genomes became indistinguishable from those of gallimaufry Engliscmen). For better or worse, only the Cymry of Cymru (Wales) continue to defend heritage bestowed by those early arthur warriors, culture that is still disparaged by other island inhabitants: Welsh is more incomprehensible than are customs of overseas countries. Animosity of 'anglicised' majority rule towards the oldest culture of Britain persists to this day: the author of The Dream of Macsen Wledig would still project Arthur as saying 'how sad I am that men as mean as these now rule this land'.


Following the Mons Badon battle the victorious Britons kept more than arm's length distance from Englisc duplicity (unchristian Welsh ostracism was virulently condemned by Bede as the main reason why his forefathers remained barbarians for so long). Britons indulged in ritual multiple cleansing of dishes used by the Englisc (according to Gildas)as Irish missionaries, themselves beneficiaries of Welsh teaching, took it upon themselves to take light into Englisc communities. Tradition has it that scholars like St Beuno moved ever westwards on hearing sounds of German encroachment. Englisc traditions would be further shaped by ninth century Dane Law conquest of most of England before being completely extinguished in the twelfth century under weight of Norman French supremacy; his Frenglicised grandchildren would not have understood the language spoken by Harold Godwineson (last of the Englisc kings). Not until 1485 would pura-French ruling classes of England speak in Frenglish, the only linguistic medium the masses understood. Pistol was not first, and certainly not last, to forget that his national persona and language are moulded by subservient collaboration with enemy occupiers.


Englisc temerity contrasts starkly with arthurian intrepidity inspired by ghosts of Mons Badon (more accurately ghosts of' 'Mynydd Baddon' for Mons Badon is in essence an erroneous translation). A thousand years of psychological, political and military persecution many times more oppressive than any suffered by the Englisc failed to convert the Welsh identity. An old man at Pencader in 1163 echoed sentiments voiced by the sixth century Taliesin and by Tacitus even five hundred years earlier that “no other nation will answer for this corner of the earth unless it be the will of God.” “What other country,” added George Borrow in 1850, “has been scene of a struggle so deadly, embittered and prolonged.” Dignity that galvanised unknown arthur horsemen to assail barbarism at Badon c.500AD was the same that urged their descendants to final victory in 1485 at Bosworth where the Plantagenet crown was snatched from head of the last French ruler of England. The feat accomplished fulfilment of a debt owed to early arthur heroes symbolised by anointment of Arthur as prince of Wales.


Who or what is Arthur reality?

Even though it was a site of battle fought during the year of his birth,Gildas was not familiar with the geographical location or topography of Mynydd Baddon, a place-name he Latinised as Mons Badonicus. His inability to identify a single ae'rth'ur, arthur or aruthur (meaning assailants, warriors and heroes) also confirms how quickly violent and unrecorded events were lost to memory. Unknown and unknowable warriors would over time metamorphose in oral story into an identifiable protagonist called Arthur. Etymologically challenged romanticists eager to attribute historical authenticity to Arthur aver that the word arthur appearing on two occasions in pre-Nennius literature refers not only to a personal name but to the legendary Arthur; similar interpretation is even accredited to arthir (highland) men mentioned in the Cynddylan elegy. But rational analysis suggests that neither the name nor Arthur-legend existed until after Bede made en passent reference (730AD) to the Mons Badonicus battle without mentioning Arthur (although promise of 'more on this hereafter' may hint that quasi-history was taking shape).


A hundred years after Bede, Arthur was pasted for the first time onto the tapestry of real history when the real Badon battle had given specious authenticity not only to the Arthur illusion but to other indistinctly defined battle sites listed by the gullible Nennius. Arthur is alleged to have appeared whenever and wherever arthur guir deur attacked. Inappropriate translation of Mynydd Bad(d)on (moorland of Badon) to Mons Badonicus by Gildas enhanced the Arthurian extravaganza - by the time of Nennius the assaults made by anonymous arthur cavalry attacks over undulating terrain are portrayed by incandescent images of demi-god Arthur dispensing justice high on craggy precipices of Mons Badon. (Prior to the paragon being created and made popular in story, the term arth-ur (bear-man) was an unsociable metaphor for 'rough and churlish lout'; although the epithet also seems to have been natural military jargon denoting ruthless fighting qualities no mother would have chosen Arthur as a name for a child.)


Any chivalric man of the people would be discovered in stories circulating outside the Celtic Fringe to be lost son of blue-blood parents – and so it was that Arthur, a parochial freedom fighter, became king of French romances, the international defender of the Christian faith who loses all touch with broad brush history from which he emerged. Yet even French creations retain recognisable elements of ancient Welsh lore and quasi-history – enough to give the mythical romances a distinctly Cymric flavour. Anglo-Normans, no longer familiar with the bloodied square chinned defender of Welsh customs, thought Welsh propensity for reckless warfare was inspired by 'light-headed' belief in silly Avalon fairy tales.


Splendid French Arthurian fantasies took wing after Geoffrey of Monmouth compiled the 1136AD spoof Historia Regum Britannica. Although Geoffrey claimed that an 'old Welsh book' provided authentic facts for his work, the Historia could not have been taken seriously by academic colleagues especially as renowned prankster Walter Map was admitted to be a co-conspirator. It seems that the fantasy was written to entertain and please the ruling masters – and to justify Norman contempt for the customs of 'dirty and lazy Saxons'. After all, had not the Englisc brought ruin to the grandeur of olde England? And were not Normans obligated to honour the legacy of Arthur whose crown they had inherited? They play acted superiority in Arthurian fêtes, festivals and tournaments. Edward First commissioned the oaken Round Table now housed at Winchester Hall and, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,, he toured Wales to collect “many famous relics” ascribed to Arthur. St George, the red cross insignia, Knights Templar regalia, institutions of governance, etc,, all imported from France for shows of Norman superiority. Of course, muddled concepts of their hazy identity expedited acceptance of the said rituals of subjugation as being symbols of gallimaufry Englisc heritage.


So called Anglo-Saxon sentience was already dead when Magna Carta 1215AD confirmed rights and freedoms of Norman baron rebels and put final nails into to the coffin of acquiescent 'Anglo-Saxon' sentience: only in fifteenth century fiction of Robin Hood did the deferential Englisc rise up against Norman tyranny. Despite the King John charter being put to respect ancient laws and customs of the more intractable masses of Pura Wales (“our enemies” as he called them) continuing costs of Welsh wars would nearly bankrupt the Edwardian dynasty to the Riccardi Company of Lucca.


In 1282 Edward saw opportunity to extend absolute dominion over the English with sovereign authority in Wales. Llywelyn ab Gruffydd an influential tywysog leader from northern Wales and his travelling companions (that included a priest) were ambushed and slaughtered, leaving nobody alive to gainsay the Norman story that the king's men came across street wise Llywelyn by chance. Had Llywelyn lived another two days to complete the objective of his journey it is conjectured that the whole of Wales would have been incited to rise up against the Normans. News of Llywelyn's death was relayed to Rome in record time allowing the war weary little nation little time to consider the nature of the said death. Misled by false information and no doubt attracted by the prospect of long distance administration the Welsh princes agreed to recognise Welsh born Edward son of Edward as their titular overlord. And, of course, like all members of the ruling classes of England the new prince was not English; not a word of despised English would pass his lips as long as he lived. Historians continue to minimise the long period of English submission by telling silly tales of resilient Welshmen – who had repelled political and military persecution for centuries - hoodwinked into not only accepting a foreigner as titular figurehead – but an Englishman (a persona despised by both Welsh and French). .


Notwithstanding the rush to inform the Pope of the anticipated death of Llywelyn the alleged 'conquest of Wales' was followed by periodic armed challenges to Norman assumption of authority until late fifteenth century (the century in which Robin Hood was invented to mimic real Welsh rebels). Soon after the murder of Llywelyn a sword was brandished by Iorwerth ap Cynwrig who proclaimed with Fluelen style pomposity that “such rumours will be heard in England that few will dare come to Wales. Dafydd ab Gruffydd was hanged, drawn and quartered for spearheading reckless attacks against Norman military power. Two years later the whole of Gwynedd was back in insurgent hands - and there was much unrest in Flint, Cardigan, Brecon and Glamorgan. Professor John Davies writes that Edward needed an army of 35,000, more than Henry Fifth took to Agincourt a century later, to gain a measure of control over the little nation. The sequence of insurrections ended with the execution of Prince Madog ap Llywelyn and 500 rebels slaughtered in their sleep. James of St George urged Edward to build more castles in Wales (surely the country has more castles per head per population than anywhere in the world?) because, “Welshmen......are Welshmen.”


We move past other events of rebellion and murder (notably of the esteemed Owen Lawgoch plotting to overthrow the Normans from France) to Owain Glyndwr who is featured as Owen Glendower in Shakespearean drama. He appeals to Welsh sentiments more than any other factual or fictional leader; labourers, bards and lawyers flocked to join his campaign – as well as mercenary archers fighting for England. Of course, the claustrophobic politics of Wales spawned, as always, equally patriotic hot-head opponents such as Davy Gam (Davy Traitor) who did not look on Owain as the Merlinic Son of Prophecy. Tradition tells that a monk was prompted to reply, “You are up too early – by a hundred years.” Glyndwr disappears grave-less from history c.1415 After conducting the longest civil war in history, Glyndwr spurns offers of royal pardons and bribes to disappear grave-less like 'Arthur' to refuel the flickering flame of ancient pride and hope. Appearance of the prophesied leader was imminent.


Henry Tudor was Son of the celebrated Tudors of Anglesey who had been staunch supporters of the Glyndwr rebellion. Born almost exactly a hundred years after the birth of Glyndwr his formative first fourteen years of life were spent in their entirety surrounded by Welsh traditions and customs; Prof G A Williams says that Henry, not unnaturally, spoke English (and probably French) with a Welsh accent - no doubt his patriotic state of mind was Cymric at least to some degree. As ward of William Herbert the noted patron of Welsh bards Henry spent a considerable amount of those said formative years surrounded by panegyric literature housed at the great library of Raglan Castle where would have been recipient of traditional praise sung by visiting bards; after all he was the issue of Anglesey Tudors. “What schoolboy has not dreamed of rallying to the Glyndwr call?”, waxes Professor Williams – how paramount those dreams must have been when in 1485 Henry raised the Red Dragon standard of Cadwaladr against walls of Pembroke Castle.


Not only were grandchildren of Glyndwr supporters conscious of Merlinic and Arthurian traditions but so too were the Welsh speaking Bretons and Welsh mercenaries brought over from France. “A worthy sight it was to see how Welshmen rose wholly with him,” lauds The Ballad of the Red Rose of England as Henry gathered recruits before crossing the border into England. Their number of some five thousand was as ever far fewer than the sixteen thousand English enemy that was routed within hours; Lord Stanley with two thousand men from north Wales who surveyed the battle from distance to weigh up the odds as to which side to support; he gave chase to fleeing losers when battle was over – cowardly involvement which, needless to say, won Stanley no awards from the new king.


Historians are uncomfortable with the notion that little Wales not only conquered England but was responsible for severing French chains that had bound Frenchified English for four centuries; many even lament overthrow of the not so evil Richard Third. Professor John Davies gained their approbation with contrived suggestions that Henry was not conscious of Arthurian traditions when he raised the Red Dragon banner to lead his army into England. What other than awareness of Son of Destiny prophecy prompted Henry to name his first born son Arthur – and to anoint him tywysog leader of the Welsh. Professor Davies suggests that Henry was not at all appreciative of sacrifices made by his countrymen on the field of Bosworth. When the prince of Wales died prematurely at age fifteen the distraught Henry adorned the funeral ceremony with heraldic arms of Cadwaladr ap Guffydd and Brutus of Troy (Merlin myth progenitor of the Welsh race). It was egocentricity of the self-seeking Henry Eighth that later adopted the red rose insignia that gives specious weight to the notion that Bosworth represents a module of war of the roses rather than battle between Wales and England. The army that marched into England in 1485 is likely to have been oblivious to the the fortunes of Lancashire or Yorkshire.


Of course, it was also in best interests of the Tudor dynasty to appease propensity of the old and haughty nation proud in arm (Milton) of fellow Welshmen to rebel, to bring end to a thousand years of uprisings against perceived injustices. It transpired that swords were sheathed forever for Londoners had been put to witness a red dragon Te Deum parade wending its way to St Paul's. “The Welsh,” remarked the ambassador to Venice, “have won their independence.” But poor English self-esteem, already adversely affected from centuries of French domination, would be assuaged when the politically astute Henry Tudor became first ruler since 1066 to speak to the masses in a language they understood (albeit with a Welsh accent). Thereon, Frenglish (the once Englisc language despised by both 'Arthur' and the Normans was long dead) became a socially acceptable means of communication though pura French would continue to be used by dignitaries in formal discourse). (Many are surprised to learn that only some two or three generations earlier military directives at Agincourt would have been translated into Frenglish or Welsh (or other) only as necessary; Pistol would not have undferstood the pre-battle oratory of Henry V – little wonder he deserted before fighting commenced.)


Until he died in 1509 Henry Seventh remained faithful to the patron saint of Wales and his example was followed by the growing number of Welsh immigrants who, as a result of conquest, won right to acquire land, businesses and social influence in England. St David's Day celebrations in London, however, reawakened English xenophobia previously kept within bounds by Norman subjugation; the true born Englishman held counter celebrations involving the lynching of Welsh effigies a la modern football fan gang mentality of 'if your are not with us you are against us'. As pointed out by Defoe, fractured psyche of England trumpets dominion over others with gratuitous abuse cast from safe distance. The only question posed by Welshmen regarding such unseemly and peculiarly English practice is; 'Why?'


Psychopathic Henry Eighth sanctioned many cold blooded murders including those of two of his own wives; in pursuit of his own egocentric indulgences he had little feeling for anyone or anything and certainly not for Welsh cousins that won the Tudors their crown. He inherited the throne by default; debt owed to Welshmen had died with the death of his late father and brother Arthur; affiliation to Wales buttered no bread. In 1535 he sanctioned the egregious enactment that submerged Wales with the politics of England to equalise civil rights to all subjects by outlawing 'sinister Welsh usages' from all offices of state: the specious rationale was to create 'amicable concord and harmony'. Compilers of the Act hoped to formally administrate extermination of arthurian forefather identity by swallowing Welshness out of existence, to make Cymric as invisible as the Englisc identity of Harold Godwineson. 'Now we are one,' thought the Frenglicised English Leviathan, 'but I am the one'. But the Welsh Jonah refused to trade forefather dignity for baubles of material gain or personal status. Within just seven years books would be published in the 'sinister' language and in 1588 Wales became first non-nation state to own a bible in its own language. Malign intent of Act was not withdrawn until end of the 20th century: (“f....ing Welsh,” exclaimed Tony Blair in the year 2000).


1535 Act or no, it was necessary for Britons who settled in England to learn English spoken in sound and structure that invited gratuitous jibes by the gallimaufry “scoundrel” races. Yet the said exiles produced sixteenth century luminarie such as William Cecil (Seisyll), Oliver Cromwell (Williams), John Donne, Inigo Jones, etc. - all of whom being conscious of Welsh heritage; John Dee (Du/Black) was mathematician, necromancer, astronomer, astrologer, physician – and Arthurian romancer at the Elizabethan court. Dee coined the phrase and concept of British Empire to give Elizabeth 'the red headed Welsh harridan' (A.L.Rowse) quasi-historical grounds to claim legal title to America – the continent allegedly discovered not by 'mere' Englishmen but by Britons (her Welsh ancestors). Henceforth all inhabitants of England used the concept 'Briton' with increasing frequency especially when expedient: that is, St Patrick, Caedmon, Henry V, John Dee, Bertrand Russell, T E Lawrence, A R Wallace, Roald Dahl, etc., all born in Wales, are hailed as Englishmen (whilst English scoundrels living in Wales, of which there are more than a few, are labelled Welshmen.) Even Arthur , exalted opponent of the English, “has been received into the Valhalla of his enemies” (Prof John Davies).


Appendix 1


According to Gildas, Britons “lived orderly according to their customs” after the Englisc defeat at Mynydd Baddon (translated as Mons Badonicus); he wrote during the three generations of relative peace eventuated by the said battle. The settled social climate gave opportunity to cavaruithuir to pick up again on oral story telling practices, tales that used what little was still known of the violent but unrecorded very recent past. Folk memory remembered little more than vague rumours of bloodied druid ae'rth'ur warriors driving back barbarians that had dipped tongues in western seas (Gildas). Over the course of many decades, perhaps a century or two, stories would be redacted to reflect changing moral codes and religious beliefs; aescuid shields were painted with Christian icons thereby enhancing perfidiousness of Hengist and his ilk. Soon the arthur aescuid insignias would coalesce and migrate as the wooden cross of Calvary onto the aescuidd (shoulder) of Arthur. Such was the illusory exemplar of gallantry that would ride with his cylch (circle of acolyte executives, disciples) of arthur guir deur into twelfth century French literature as defenders of the Christian faith. So illustrious was his new image that the original and more authentic allegory of blood-soaked history was made as invisible as the real warriors he represented. Except in Wales. From time to time until 1485 glimpses of the freedom fighter would emerge from shadows to folk memory to remind the Welsh of ancestral obligations.


Appendix 2

Deprived of young men who joined departing armies to fight on foreign fields the ageing and vulnerable communities of Lloegr, long accustomed to comforts of civilised living, were continually uprooted by federative hordes invading from Germanic regions of Europe. Troubled by day to day problems concerning self survival even literate Romano-Britons had little motivation to make or keep written records; consequently few details of fact are passed on from the alleged Age of Arthur c450 to 550AD; Englisc nihilists were more engrossed in arts of plunder than in philosophical cotemplation. When dust of war settled, folk memory was mostly coloured by vague rumour demonising hosts of Hengist and his motley descendants. Whispers from the unknowable past were used to panegyrize Welsh successes that were unique in Europe. When writing some fifty years after the event even the fastidious name dropping Gildas had access to next to no details concerning Mons Badonicus, the most definitive post-Roman battle fought on British soil; Gildas was obviously unfamiliar even with the topography of Badon for he inappropriately Latinised Mynydd as Mons. The faux pas enhanced the surreal visions of Arthur mounted on his Eponus steed high on nebular craggy heights - but it also persuades modern historians who have little knowledge of Welsh to gainsay that the modern city of Baddon/Bath, surrounded by undulating mynydd (moorland), is the location described by Gildas as Mons Badonicus.


Western Britons were the only Europeans to halt the advance of seed of the coiling serpent; On the continental mainland the barbarian invasion was so expeditious that the German hordes quickly absorbed regional Latin-Celtic customs. But, because of Welsh opposition,and abhorrence of Englisc customs the Germanic hordes advanced so slowly that segregated Englisc identity developed in isolation. Victory at Badon won time fore Cymry (Welshmen) to enjoy and cultivate ancestral traditions in Cymru (Wales) just as Taliesin predicted. Consciousness of Englisc identity dissolved virtually in its entirety soon after 1066; arthurian opposition had not been misplaced for Wales, like Lloegr, might today be as Frenglisc as England had 'Arthur' fraternised with immigrants who collaborated with Dane Law and Norman French occupation for over five hundred years.


Appendix 3

Historia Brittonicum was first to record not only brief notes of the oral story of Arthur but the name Arthur itselfn– three hundred years after his alleged lifetime. By 829AD druidic arthur guir deur had coalesced via continuously redacted oral stories into the Christian paragon described by Nennius, a monk of monumental ignorance (according to Professor John Davies), as flesh and blood reality. Even so, had it not been for the Historia Regum Britonicum fantasia of Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1136AD compiled from facts gleaned from 'an old Welsh book' (could the book be anything other than that of Nennius?) Arthur would today be just an obscure footnote rather than a celebrated protagonist of French romances. But the admitted complicity of renowned prankster Walter Map is affirms that Geoffrey intentionally produced spoof history to entertain and to curry approval of the ruling classes of England.


Aggrandizement of England past flattered Norman self-image for had they not inherited the crown worn by the illustrious enemy of 'dirty and lazy' Saxons? Historia Regum justified persecution of the Englisc masses, the very people who had ruined Arthurian civilisation. Ceremonies, fêtes and tournaments play acted bumptious superciliousness: Edward First even created a great Round Table. So profoundly did matters of King Arthur proliferate outside the Celtic Fringe that Anglo French insensibility to the 'historically real' Arthur led to spurious belief that Welsh propensity for warfare was due to their cervicosa leviticus (light-headed) belief in silly French romances – but, of course, the island Avalion myths were foreign perversions not in kilter with Welsh tales concerning aevailion (smithy) iron forgers.


Appendix 4

No mother would have stigmatised a child with the name of Arthur until the sobriquet arth-ur transcended its pejorative connotation with bear-man - a term ascribing crude and savage traits. Not surprisingly, manuscript evidence suggests that the term may have been early 'military' jargon denoting ursus determination in battle: when repeated – repeated in story alongside ae r'th(r)ur ('the assailant) or aruthur (hero) arthur would ultimately eventuate the phantom vision of Arthur.


An alleged eighth century Llongborth elegy used r'thur (assault) five times in the context of 'assault' – see Material.... 2 below). The word arthur appears once in the following line:

“….. y gueleis y” (I saw) “arthur (warriors), (g)uir deur” (brave men)

Palpably, the poet does not refer to anyone called Arthur; the line bears simple de facto witness to an attack made by cavalry warriors some two centuries after the alleged Age of Arthur – and probably before the name Arthur was coined.


Earlier, the poet warrior Aneirin also gives military nuance to the said term when eulogising the suicidal Gododdin assault made by a small band of horsemen that binged freely on the night before. Experienced fighters would have avoided such pre-battle carousings; they were brave posse volunteers not skilled arthuir (warriors). According to a thirteenth century copy of the poem Aneirin affirms that Guaurddur, though brave and ferocious, was 'no arthur' (no warrior). Not surprisingly the gung-ho band of some three hundred was almost entirely wiped out.


Appendix 5

From the eighth century onwards Welshmen were ever put to employ dark and stormy nights watching the hostile motions of their enemies (Giraldus Cambrensis) defending a border of some 260km and its shallow 20,000 km sq interior against invasion from England. Against all odds the tiny population has to date successfully repelled military, and political, incursions to extirpate fifth century arthurian consciousness. Small in physique, said Gerald Cambrensis, they may be overcome in single battle but are ready to resume conflict on the morrow;“they will attack an armed foe when they themselves are unarmed,” wrote Henry Second. Like Arthur straining on his chains at Avalon.


Appendix 6

Many Arthurian theories are based on the erroneous assumption that Arthur must be pronounced Arth-uhr/Arther but correct pronunciation of the epithet name was, as it still is in Cymru today, Artheer. (Interestingly, the suffix commonly denotes plurality.) Suffixes of many Welsh personal names include the 'ee' sound e.g. The Mabinogion quotes Peredur, Meilyr, Llyr, Beli etc., but none with the 'er' sound. Arthuhr is foreign phonological corruption.


Material contributing to twelfth century French King Arthur romance tales


1.

Traditional folk lore portrays Arthur as vengeful and generous, cruel or benign, stupid and wise – he is imbued with the diversity of traits possessed by early unidentifiable arthur warriors bands. Culhwch ac Olwen, a tenth century Welsh tale, shows Arthur to be still a war-overlord more interested in demonstrating tools of a freedom fighting trade than bombasts of a monarch. Arthur introduces treasured possessions of ship, horse and weapons (all humanised with personal names) before Gwenhwyfar is presented last as wife – not queen. His weapons:-


2.

Avalon (Avilion or Availion, etc), are erroneously interpreted to mean orchard on account of the first element being similar to aval, Welsh for apple. But soppy apple blossom bower is not a fitting resting place for any blood and thunder square jawed warrior of historical story. Cadwaladr, Rhodri, Llywelyn, Glyndwr, etc. would never be seen dead in such a setting. Welsh history exults in glorious defeat sung in the plaintive key of A minor (Giraldus), precursors of battles to come. Giraldus Cambrensis wrote that small lightly armed Welshmen may often be overcome in single battle 'but are ready on the morrow to rejoin the fray': Avalon/Availion may well be corruption of aevailion (smithies, forges) to whom broken weapons (and bodies) were taken to be mended. Folk tales would have long promoted mystical alchemical practices of turning rock to metal as gifts bestowed by the gods.


Smithy forges needed quick access to copious supplies of water; they would of necessity be sited on riparian land called ynys identified as Ynys Aevailion - a phrase that also commonly means island of aevailion, the specious and incongruous interpretation given in French romances.


3.

The Grail, The Greal and The Graal appear to be French tongue corruptions of Y Gre(g)l, Y Gry(g)l and Y Gra(g)l which in turn are Welsh phonological variations of y garegl meaning the chalice. (Maglos to Mail is another example of g disappearing in translation.) Medieval Normans posited a theory that grail is cognate of gradalis but such a universally recognisable word and artefact is hardly likely to metamorphose into The Grail enigma. Only corruption of an obscure minority language is likely to produce amorphous mysteries. Further, confusions created by y gregl lain would manifest surreal apparitions of both the holy and the bejewelled grail, explaining why Chretien de Troy describes the artefact in his unfinished Perceval poem as being 'made of the the finest gold, and in it were set precious stones of many kinds, the richest and most precious in the land or the sea.” The world is left to wonder: what is the Grail? is it a sacred wonder - or is it a materially precious relic suggested by the The Fisher King? Quest for The Grail motifs may have been manifested by posse pursuits made to retrieve frequently stolen treasures from remote religious communes.


4.

Ambrosius Aurelianus or Emrys Wledig is a real figure of history flourishing perhaps half a century before the battle at Badon. His reputation as military strategist makes him one of the few leaders to escape from under the blanket of anonymity spanning the turbulent age of arthur warriors (and the legendary Arthur). Gildas highly admires Emrys as the quintessential warrior hero “brave on foot and braver still on horseback”, qualities that characterise arthur guir deur of oral story. Emrys was never associated with Badon for he would have been long dead when the final battle was fought.

Dubious dates extrapolated for alleged Arthurian battles (see 12 below) make it possible that aer'th'ur Emrys or/and aruthur Emrys or/and arthur Emrys metabolised into Arthur in later stories; the Genghis Khan sobriquet evolved by similar route but it is improbable that stories of illustrious Emrys would be remembered under a pseudonymous name.


5.

Surviving triplic druid social conventions ascribed three wives to Arthur, all three sporting the name of Gwen + hwy + far, Blessed + blithesome spirit + much.(although Gwen, being also synonymous with Venus the morning star, sustains traditional belief that Gwenhwyvar is progeny of Other World benevolent fairy folk, see 11 below.) Sister/sister in law Gwenhwyfach, she of little purity, is little different in sound especially to foreign ears - all being heard as Guin – hoo – ee - vah[ x](Guinevere). Gwenhyfach may well have been the alter ego, or shape changing Morgan le Fay of French romances, may well have been the alter ego Guinevere that machinates the rift between Arthur and the good lady.

6.

Carn defines mountain block, crag, stone boulder, pile of stones, burial mound - any stone structure looming sinisterly out of timeless hill and valley mists. Carn also means fist or grip, and hilt of any sword or dagger (see Carnwennan 1. above) oft interred in carn tombs alongside bodies of past heroes. Anyone brave enough to grasp in his carn (grip) the carn (handle) weapon ironmongery bequeathed to Other-world smithy forges (aevailion) won Son of Destiny applause of his Carn cylch (circle of followers, tribe). Stone motifs are legion throughout the arthurian story: carn (hoof) simulacrum indentations on carn surfaces are traditional signs that Arthur over on his Eponus deity, perhaps in quest of stolen artefacts such as ae garegl lain (the holy and/or bejewelled grail – (see 3 above).

7.

With no indefinite article in Welsh grammar, singular emphasis is given for example to, for example, 'the assailant' – separating the subject from the crowd of anonymous warriors. Phonological expression of the assailant is herein represented orthographically as aer'th'ur - the assailants aer'th'ueer also similarly pronounced artheer. Note that the said prefix transforms the Calibur (see 1 above) to aexcalibur and ae gregl into The Greal/Grail/Graal nebulosity (see 3 above).


8.

Stories told before the fifth century Germanic invasion of Britain would have been laced with druid mysticism. It was immortal Merlin legerdemain that assisted arthur warriors, then Arthur, to defy dimensions of space and time for over half a century. PhantomArthur, appeared wherever and whenever arthur heroes coalesced to thwart Englisc ambitions to overrun the west. Merlin epitomises Welsh 'sinister' character, permeating perceptions of Owen Glendower (Shakespeare), The Bard (Thomas Gray), the nineteenth century father of Jesus Christ called Dr William Price and Lloyd George a.k.a the Welsh Wizard. Outside the Celtic Fringe the merlinesque pantheist poet R S Thomas and Rowan Williams (the anointed cultural Druid Archbishop) are unfathomable. The biographer of the Welsh born Edward Second wrote “according to the sayings of Merlin (the Welsh) will one day repossess England....but know not the hour.”


9.

Druid is founded on Celtic deruidd (d'ruid) orthographically represented in modern Welsh by derw [oak] + wydd [woods] - derwyddion meaning oak wood community. Druidic social codes permeated Welsh religious beliefs into late eighth century: pseudo Druidism complements the fiercely Christian culture of the modern Eisteddfod – a festival celebrating the cultural life of Wales. Dafydd Ap Gwilym, the 14th century poet, uses pantheistic imagery of the garegl (grail)(see 3 above) in The Woodland Mass poem. Variable phonology and orthography as in The place name Cerrig-y-D'rudion - Stones of Druids – demonstrates variability of 'derwydd' phonology.


10.

Tradition remembers uneasy relationships between taller Celts and very much shorter aboriginal Iberians of folk lore as Y Tylwyth Teg (The + Folk + Benevolent). Tylwyth Teg appear to be stone age ancestors of dark skinned Silurians inhabiting the region from which arthur heroes were recruited – that is, the area extending from southern Wales into what is now Devon and Somerset. Tales tell of Tylwyth Teg sprites flitting in and out of Other-worlds through mist soaked stone circles, disappearing when touched three times by iron wielding Druidic Celts. (Silurians went on to invent the perfect longbow, perfecting skills that made the pixie green and white clad mercenaries the most celebrated archers in Europe; they excelled at Crecy and Agincourt.)


11.

The name Arthur does not exist, as far as is known, before 829AD but it can be extrapolated that it evolved not only after the battle of Mons Badon but after the time of Bede. Nennius consequently erroneously affirms his presence at rumoured un-locateable sites at which arthur warriors are alleged to have been present. Mons Badon is a real enough place but where is river Glein - or which of the several rivers so named is the river Dubglas? Where is Bassas or Tribuit or Celidon Wood or Castellum Guinnion (the white fortress where arthur of cavaruithuir stories transfigured into Arthur who carried the image of Saint Mary on his shoulder)? Authenticity of Baddon/Badon gives tentative credibility to all twelve sites at which cavaruithuir allege Arthur to have been present. Places perpetuated by four centuries of oral rumours seem to be as unknowable to Nennius as they are to us today; passage of time leave unrecorded fifth century details clouded in mystery.


[Jack Lindsay argues in 'Arthur and his Times' that had Nennius intended to spin false history (as some suggest) he would have cited more palpably identifiable places rather than obscure rumour. Battle concocted to have taken place in the arena of an authentic location would have been no less academically ungainsayable, but more credible, than that fought at a nebulously described topography.]