About the book

The book "King Arthur and the Gods of the Round Table" was published by David Dom in 2013. The foreword was written by author Yuri Leitch (Glastonbury, UK). The artwork on the front cover was drawn by artist Narcissa Mia (USA). Editing and corrections were done by Karen Han (Singapore) and Jules Mather (UK). The book has been dedicated to the late Dr. Jorge Ranero, passionate expert on Arthurian Studies.

ISBN: 978-1-291-36652-5

Published by Lulu.com

Text on back cover of the book

Did King Arthur really exist? The oldest manuscripts refer to him as a "Lord of Battle" who emerged soon after the Roman Empire crumbled. But what would be the origin of all these stories that turned a war leader into a king, an emperor, a legend... even a god? What if Arthur was really a deity similar to Zeus and Odin, with his roots in the rich Celtic mythology of the British Isles? A study of Arthurian myths reveals Britain’s most legendary king as an ancient Sun God, known by many different names in the myths of Wales and Ireland. Even his Knights of the Round Table, and his sister Morgan le Fay can all be identified as ancient Gods and Goddesses of earth, sea and sky. Their survival in Arthurian legend stands as a shining testament of a story far more ancient, but by no means lost to us...

Table of Contents

Introduction

Foreword by Yuri Leitch

CHAPTER 1: The Story of King Arthur

The ‘Man’ behind King Arthur

The ‘Legend’ behind King Arthur

CHAPTER 2: King Arthur as a God

King Arthur in the Sky

King Arthur and the Seasons

CHAPTER 3: King Arthur in the Underworld

Lady Morgan and the Isle of Avalon

The Treasures of the Underworld

Thirteen Treasures and Thirteen Knights

The Cauldron and the Holy Grail

CHAPTER 4: King Arthur in the Welsh Pantheon

The Sons of Morgause

Kay and Bedivere

Merlin and the Lady of the Lake

The Quest for Queen Guinevere

CHAPTER 5: King Arthur in the Irish Pantheon

Gawain and Cúchulainn

Mordred and Midhir

Three Irish Guinevere’s

Arthur in the Fenian Cycle

CHAPTER 6: The Romance of Tristan and Isolde

Conclusion

Appendix

Appendix I: Camelot in the Heavens

Appendix II: Avalon in Atlantis

Appendix III: The Family Tree of King Arthur

Appendix IV: Table of the Zodiacal associations with Arthur’s battles, knights and treasures

Appendix V: The Knights and Ladies of Arthur’s Court

Appendix VI: The 38 Labours of Culhwch

TEASER: King Arthur in the White House

Further Reading

Image Credits

Index

Notes

Excerpt from the book

With the help of his magical objects, such as his sword Excalibur, Arthur was victorious in all his battles – as a powerful God ought to be – except for his last battle at Camlann, in where he technically didn’t die either. He established a pantheon of his own, encompassing many of his relatives who became the knights of the Round Table. Not only do we consider his cousin, Sir Gawain, and his son Mordred, but also his foster brother, Sir Kay. They all dwelled in the majestic court of Camelot, a place of feasting and revelry nearly all year round.

These are not merely the attributes of a hero and his retinue, but rather of a pantheon of supernatural beings – even ‘Gods’. Of course, it may be pointed out that Arthur did not create the universe, nor the human race. Perhaps traces to such aspects are now lost to us, or we are giving him too much credit as a ‘Supreme God’. So if Arthur was really a God, then what kind of deity would he have been, and is there any evidence for it?

The first step in our search to answer the question above, is to investigate the name ‘Arthur’ itself. It is generally believed that it originates from the Brythonic name Arto- which translates to ‘bear’. We find evidence for this in the derivative name Artaius, a Celtic bear-god , which is attested from one inscription only. The inscription is found on a stone in Beaucroissant in southeastern France, and it equates Artaius with the Roman god Mercurius – with whom the Germanic God Odin is often associated as well. A female counterpart can be found in the bear-goddess Artio, once again attested from a statuette and from inscriptions found in Switzerland and Germany.

Unfortunately, our information on both bear deities is limited to the above mentioned evidence only, and we have nothing of myths or legends that may once have been told of either Artaius or Artio. The continental Celtic tribes were conquered by Rome at a far earlier stage than Britain, and it would seem that the native stories have been largely forgotten when Gaul was implemented into the Roman Empire. Yet, we have an Arthur who emerges in Britain as soon as the Empire has crumbled, and before long he becomes the magnet for a great number of legends. What, then, would be the origin of all these tales and stories that turned a mere dux bellorum into a king, an emperor, a legend – even a ‘God’?

From "Chapter 2: King Arthur as a God"