This book is not just one of the many that claim to have found "the real historical Arthur". While the author does not wish to discount the possibility that Arthur was, at one point, a historical character of the Dark Ages (and indeed, one chapter has been devoted to this question entirely), his focus here is a different one.
From the earliest Arthurian references on, we find that there is mention of a series of battles. Twelve to be exact, the same number as there are Zodiacal signs in a solar year. Later developments of the legend also include how he was conceived, how he fought against a revived Roman Empire under a certain "Lucius" (lux - light) and how he was taken to the Isle of Avalon on his last day. Could this be the daily journey of the Sun from East to West? Or even the annual journey through the four seasons?
The same goes for the Knights of the Round Table. Gawain's strength is said to rise from morning until noon, only to diminish again from afternoon until evening, similar to the daily pattern of the Sun. Mordred, on the other hand, seems to fit the role of an Underworld deity, which could also be said of Merlin, who arranged for Arthur's conception to take place, and Morgan Le Fay who accompanied her brother to his last resting place in Avalon.
Where do all these stories and legends come from? Can we find any similarities with the Celtic legends of Wales and Ireland? Or even with the mythology of Greece and Scandinavia? The author attempts to provide an answer for all these questions in his book. On this website, you can already discover a little more about King Arthur, and the GODS of the Round Table.
The book will make a good amount of references to several medieval sources in Latin and Welsh, such as the Historia Brittonum of Nennius, the Welsh poem 'Preiddeu Annwn', 'Culhwch and Olwen', the Welsh romances of the Mabinogion, and of course Geoffrey of Monmouth's works The History of the Kings of Britain and The Life of Merlin. Many of these texts can be found on this website as well, either in their complete form or the relevant excerpts. You can browse them through the menu 'ARTHURIAN LITERATURE ONLINE'.
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