King Arthur: He Who Fell to Death and Rumor

At first glance, the medieval ages (being subject to a largely illiterate population) offered little foundation to build any reliable records. Comparably few texts and manuscripts h

silver mists, through which the real is strongly defined beside the ideal; but there

When and where did the term ¡¥King¡¦ enter Arthur¡¦s title? It cannot be through fictional embellishment, for the romanticized versions told by medieval editors Geoffrey of Manmouth and Thomas Mallory were faithfully based on historical belief at their respective times (Graves xiii). Assuming this royal title to be historically incorrect, the power of General Arthur seems unfittingly influential. For example, the English language and received goods experienced extensive French import which would have required a major exchange on a national level, in turn suggesting the presence of a capable and centralized leader (Lopoz 211). Perhaps the strongest piece of connecting evidence was discovered in 1970, when the Camelot Research Committee excavated Cadbury Castle (Ashe 7). First, this structure was found near the location of Cornwall, the traditional birthplace of King Arthur (Lopoz 313). Though technically the region does not exist anymore, Cornwall was annexed into the region of Wessex, a British province that has endured until today (www.britannia.com/history). In addition to this evidence, the committee discovered that the castle had undergone heavy re-fortifications in the late 5th century: a perfect match for Artonius¡¦s life and recorded death (Ashe 7). Cadbury Castle bears yet one more interesting coincidence: the fortification was remarkably costly, as Geoffrey Ashe, a member of the Camelot Research Committee, states: ¡§¡Kit would have required a great deal of wealth and very great resources of manpower to accomplish that refortification¡¨ (Ashe 7). As all the legends agree, King Arthur¡¦s deeds brought a great wealth and prosperity to Britain. The funds to accomplish such Robert Lopoz, author of The Birth of Europe, remarks that King Arthur could have quite easily filled this gap in history. From a perspective of historical probability, Artonius seems to fit the bill to the letter.

Thus Arthur¡¦s widespread familiarity could have been his own downfall; for such romantic and traditional artists existed who would seek to expand their own fame on his popularity. Among the most commonly cited source of Arthurian skeptics is Geoffrey of Manmouth, the chaplain of Wales who wrote the Historia Regum Britanniae (www.britannia.com/his

Some topics in this essay:
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