Who is this guy Arthur, anyway

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Who is this guy Arthur, anyway?
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Facts

• No hard evidence of a historical Arthur
• Solely recorded in chronicles
• Geoffrey of Monmouth
• Nennius
• Gallet (Breton)
• Bonedd yr Arwr (Welsh)
• Nearly all chroniclers claim Arthur as their own

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Myth vs. Fact

• Whats the difference?
• Myth has no proof
• relies on faith much of the time
• Fact has at least partial proof
• Often myths are based on fact
• Event or person is real
• Becomes larger than life through retelling

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Myth vs. Fact

• Myths based on fact
• Jesus Christ
• depending on your POV
• Daniel Boone
• Davy Crockett
• Myths not based on fact
• Paul Bunyan
• Urban legends
• Poodle in the microwave, etc.

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So Which Is Arthur?

• Grey area
• Some evidence of a historical figure
• Battle of Badon Hill
• defeated Germanic tribes
• Battle of Camlann
• death of Arthur
• British ruler fighting in Gaul
• British high or battle king

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Geographical Evidence
Bamburgh Castle

• Stonehenge
• Tintagel
• Arthurs Seat
• Cadbury Castle
• Merlins Cave
• Carleton
• Glastonbury Abbey and Tor

Arthurs Seat
Glastonbury Abbey
Carleton
Tintagel Castle
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Tintagel

• Supposed place of Arthurs birth
• Geoffrey of Monmouth
• Local legend

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Tintagel
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Tintagel
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Glastonbury

• Supposedly founded by Joseph of Arimathea
• Housed Holy Grail
• Site of Avalon
• Arthurs burial place

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Glastonbury
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Glastonbury
http//www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/see/360/glastonbury/
index.shtml
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Carleton

• Arthurs chief city
• According to Geoffrey
• Central circle called Round Table
• Current site
• Roman amphitheatre
• Roman buildings
• bath houses
• barracks

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Cadbury Castle

• Associated with Camelot
• John Leland, 16th century
• Iron-age fort
• Refortified near end of Roman Occupation

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When Did Arthur Exist (If Ever)?

• Period between
• 420 CE (Rome leaves)
• 540 CE (Gildas)
• Celts
• Had a high king
• may have been war king
• Administered defense of Britain

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When Did Arthur Exist (If Ever)?

• Superlative victory at Mt. Badon
• Under Celtic High King
• Stemmed (temporarily) Anglo-Saxon advance
• Chroniclers associate with Arthur
• May have instituted brief period of peace
• Camelot era?
• Time of leisure and development?

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Arthurs Actions

• Continent
• British war leader definitely went to Gaul
  (modern France)
• Fought Germans and/or Roman legions
• Returned to Britain because of civil war
• regent claimed high kingship for his own

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Arthurs Actions

• Corresponds to
• Arthurs campaign against Lancelot
• In Lower Britain
• Probably Brittany
• Mordreds betrayal
• Imprisoning Guinevere
• Seizing kingdom
• Arthurs death