The historic King Arthur : authenticating the Celtic hero of post-Roman Britain

Who was King Arthur? How did the story originate? Through careful research of the many primary documents, a picture of the true Arthur can in fact be set down. He reached power shortly after the Romans evacuated Britain at the end of the fifth century and died at the Battle of Camlann. He became king at 15 under the name of Ambrosius Aurelianus and fought against the Saxons on the mainland as Riothamus, thus explaining the regeneration motif so closely tied to the mythical Arthur. This study reveals that the integrity and ideals central to Arthurian myth were very much a part of the real Arthur. Acknowledgments Table of Contents List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Preface Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The Ancient Manuscripts Gildas Badonicus The Annales Cambriae =>>-===>>-= =>>>== Nennius CHRONOLOGY GEOGRAPHY The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle/ Chapter 3 The Cardinal and Ordinal Years for the Arthurian Chronology Systems of Calibration Cardinal Years for the Arthurian Chronology THE EASTER CHANGE: CARDINAL YEAR #1 BATTLE OF BADON/BIRTH OF GILDAS: CARDINAL YEAR #2, AND SAXON LANDING: CARDINAL YEAR #3 POSTULATIONS FROM SCHOLARS: CARDINAL YEAR #2: BADON BATTLE AS ASSOCIATED WITH BIRTH OF GILDAS AND SAXON LANDING ADVENTI OF THE SAXONS: CARDINAL YEARS #4 AND #5 DEATH OF MAELGWN: CARDINAL YEAR #6 CERDIC OF FACT CERDIC THE WEST SAXON KING: CARDINAL YEAR #7 CERDIC, THE SON OF CUNEDDA: CARDINAL YEAR #8 CUNEDDA: CARDINAL YEAR #9 CERDIC AS VORTIGERN’S INTERPRETER: CARDINAL YEAR #10 THE BATTLE OF CAMLANN: CARDINAL YEAR #11 Ordinal Years of the Arthurian Chronology THE PENNING OF THE DE EXCIDIO: ORDINAL YEAR #1 SAINT COLUMBA: ORDINAL YEAR #2 SAINT DAVID, THE SYNOD OF VICTORY: ORDINAL YEAR #3 Summary of Cardinal and Ordinal Years, Arthurian Chronology Chapter 4 Hillforts and Roman Roads The Roman Empire and Conquest of Britain The Vestigial Remnants of a Civilization HILLFORTS ROMAN ROADS Chapter 5 The Geography of Mount Badon General Geography Badon: Badbury Possibilities BAUMBER LIDDINGTON CASTLE: BADBURY/BADBURY HILL BADBURY RINGS Badon: Bath Possibilities LITTLE SOLSBURY HILL VIROCONIUM Chapter 6 The Geography of Camlann The Heartland The Annales Cambriae Gildas, Nennius, John of Glastonbury The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Literary Tradition Conclusion Chapter 7 Other Sites: Camelot and Tintagel Camelot Tintagel Chapter 8 The Isle of Avalon: Arthur's Resting Place Glastonbury as an Island Archaeological Evidence: The Abbey and the Tor Arthurian Connections with Avalon/Glastonbury TWELFTH-CENTURY WRITING: WILLIAM OF MALMSBURY GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH THE GRAIL MANUSCRIPTS CARADOC OF LLANCARVAN: GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS: THE ARTHURIAN LINK GVi DECADES LATER TURN OF THE 13TH CENTURY: ADAM OF DOMERHAM FOURTEENTH CENTURY: JOHN OF GLASTONBURY THE PER CONTRA ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF GLASTONBURY’S ARTHURIAN EXHUMATION LAND GRANTS TO GLASTONBURY ABBEY Arthurian Connections with the ContinentalAvallon Conclusions Chapter 9 Ambrosius Aurelianus: History and Tradition Ambrosius Aurelianus in History and Tradition AMBROSIUS AURELIANUS IN THE DE EXCIDIO AMBROSIUS AURELIANUS IN THE HISTORIA BRITTONUM AMBROSIUS AURELIANUS AS VORTIMER AMBROSIUS AURELIANUS AS EMRYS THE VITALINUS CONNECTION The Assessment of Ambrosius Aurelianus Chapter 10 Riothamus: The Briton from Across the Ocean The Historical Chronology of Riothamus Chapter 11 Arthur: Historical and Literary Data The Historical Arthur Literary Data on Arthur CULHWCH AND OLWEN THE DREAM OF RHONABWY GEREINT AND ENID Arthur in The History of the Kings of Britain Poetry of Arthur’s Period ANEIRIN TALIESIN The Collation of Information BADON: OSLA BIG KNIFE AND CERDIC CAVALRY ARTHUR’S RELATIVES THE CONNECTION BETWEEEN GILDAS AND ARTHUR ARTHUR’S COLORS AND BLAZONS CAMLANN ARTHUR’S COURT Chapter 12 The Phoenix Arises Statement of Hypothesis Titles of Rank and Royalty Ambrosius as Riothamus Riothamus as Arthur Arthur as Ambrosius Aurelianus Arthur THE LONGEVITY OF ARTHUR THE REGENERATION MOTIF CERDIC, ARTHUR’S ADVERSARY The Triumvirate Chronology Appendix A. The Arthurian Chronology Glossary Notes Chapter 1— Introductory Background Chapter 2 — The Ancient Manuscripts Chapter 3 — Cardinal/Ordinal Years Chapter 4 — Hillforts and Roman Roads Chapter 5 — The Geography ofBadon Chapter 6— Geography of Camlann Chapter 7— The Geography of Camelot!Tintagel Chapter 8— The Isle of Avalon Chapter 9—Ambrosius Aurelianus: History and Tradition The Briton from Across the Ocean Historical and Literary Data Chapter 12 — The Phoenix Arises Selected Bibliography Index Ch. 1. Introduction -- Ch. 2. The Ancient Manuscripts. Gildas Badonicus. The Annales Cambriae. Nennius. The Anglo-saxon Chronicle/genealogical Preface -- Ch. 3. The Cardinal And Ordinal Years For The Arthurian Chronology. Systems Of Calibration. Cardinal Years For The Arthurian Chronology. Ordinal Years Of The Arthurian Chronology. Summary Of Cardinal And Ordinal Years, Arthurian Chronology -- Ch. 4. Hillforts And Roman Roads. The Roman Empire And Conquest Of Britain. The Vestigial Remnants Of A Civilization -- Ch. 5. The Geography Of Mount Badon. General Geography. Badon: Badbury Possibilities. Badon: Bath Possibilities -- Ch. 6. The Geography Of Camlann. The Heartland. The Annales Cambriae. Gildas, Nennius, John Of Glastonbury. The Anglo-saxon Chronicle. Literary Tradition -- Ch. 7. Other Sites: Camelot And Tintagel. Camelot. Tintagel -- Ch. 8. The Isle Of Avalon: Arthur's Resting Place. Glastonbury As An Island. Archaeological Evidence: The Abbey And The Tor. By Frank D. Reno. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 413-419) And Index.