Was
Arthur a historical figure? When
did Arthur live? Where
did Arthur live? Who
was Arthur's father? What
is known of Arthur's mother?
Was
Arthur a historical figure? Yes.
Although through the centuries
Arthur's life has been clouded
by legend, romanticised in
poetry and distorted for
political and economic ends,
King Arthur as a war leader
and defender of his country
undoubtedly existed.
When
did Arthur live? Arthur's
life spanned the 5th and 6th
centuries. He was born in 482
AD (some 70 years after the
Romans left Britain) and died
aged 80 in 562 AD.
Where
did Arthur live? Arthur's
birthplace was the former
Roman military station of
Caput Bovium, now Boverton,
near Llantwit Major in South
Glamorgan. It was in reality
in this part of Britain (what
is today southern Wales and
the Herefordshire area) that
Arthur lived and not in
Cornwall and the "West
Country" as legend
suggests. As King of the
Britons, Arthur travelled
extensively around Britain and
fought various defensive
battles around the kingdom.
Beyond
Britain, Arthur held lands in
his own right in Brittany and
Armorica (today north-western
France) through his marriage
to Guinevere. After recovering
from critical wounds received
at the Battle of Camlan in
537, Arthur abdicated and
subsequently settled in
Brittany where he died at St
Armel des Boschaux.
Who
was Arthur's father? Arthur's
father was King Mouric of
Morgannweg, grandson of the
great King Teithfallt, last of
the great Silurian kings. When
the Roman legions left Britain
in 410, the Roman republic of
the Silures was replaced by a
monarchy and Teithfallt was
made king of the former
Silurian area which included
what we know as West Glamorgan
in south-east Wales.
What
is known of Arthur's mother? The
"Book of Llandaff"
gives the genealogy of the
kings of Morgannweg and Gwent
contained in the ancient
register held in Cardiff at
the cathedral church of
Llandaff. In this we find that
Athrwys (Arthur) is the son of
Onbrast, wife of King Mouric
of Morgannweg and daughter of
Gwergant Mawr, the king of
Erging.
Onbrast
had 4 sons (Athrwys, Idnerth,
Frioc & Comerg) and 3
daughters (Anna, Gwenonwy &
Afrella). The marriage of the
three daughters to the sons of
the Emperor of Armorica formed
a strong link between the
royal families in Britain and
those whose lands and fortunes
lay in Armorica or Brittany
(in what is today
north-western France).
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