The session covered:
looking at the early Welsh “Saints’ Lives” that were written by monks at Llancarfan in Glamorgan, in the C12th (although the saints in question lived c500AD), so again a large time difference between when the events happened and when they were actually put in a written record. Arthur is mentioned in the Lives of St Cadoc, St Carranog, St Gildas and St Illtud, in largely unflattering terms, and in encounters in which the saint gets the better of the pagan and unruly warrior. This may have been subject to bias on the behalf of the recorders.
discussions that these various sources contain some references that could place Arthur in an actual historical context. However, there is also lots of obviously mythological material that reflects the fact that by the late C12th, Arthur was a very well-known figure in Welsh folklore. So again, possible historical references overlaid by folklore and mythology. We are really no closer to answering the question “Was Arthur ever an actual historical figure?”
Last Updated on May 2, 2018