Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

1
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Creating the hero-king(2)

2
The Marriage of Arthur

• After the former kingdoms of the island have been
  restored, Arthur marries Guinevere.
• Geoffrey says of her she was descended from a
  noble Roman family and had been brought up in the
  household of Duke Cador. She was the most
  beautiful woman in the entire island.

3
Guinevere

• Her role is largely fixed in the text of
  Geoffrey. Her role is to marry Arthur, to parade
  at the Great Plenary Session in Caerleon, to run
  away with Modred and to retreat to a nunnery.
• Her association with the crown of Britain may
  have archaic roots.

4
Guinevere

• In the Triads she is mentioned occasionally and
  especially as the most beautiful woman in the
  Island of Britain.
• She may have been in origin a sovereinty
  goddess (in pre-Christian times). Her funtion
  then would be to confer kingship on a worthy
  would-be king.
• When Modred abducts Gwenhwyfar (Guinever) he
  thereby takes the kingship of the island.

5
Arthurs foreign campaigns

• We hear ( and we are a bit alarmed to hear) that
  he has determined to subject Ireland to his
  authority (reflects Norman ambitions here-
  although, of course, Culhwch and Olwen shows
  Arthur going to Ireland to take the cauldron of
  Diwrnach).
• Arthur defeats Gilmaurius and his army.

6
Arthurs foreign campaigns

• Arthur next moves towards Iceland. There seems to
  be a sense of Arthur defeating all the
  surrounding islands around the island of Britain.
  The kings of Gotland and the Orkneys come an do
  homage to Arthur.
• This having been done, Arthur remains in Britain
  for a period of 12 years peace.

7
Arthurs entourage the knights of King Arthur

• In keeping with the internationalization of
  Arthur in Geoffrey, we hear that Arthur then
  began inviting distinguished men from far-distant
  kingdoms to join him. In this way he developed a
  code of coutliness in his household that inspired
  peoples living far away to imitate him.

8
Arthurs entourage the knights of King Arthur

• The result was that even the man of noblest
  birth, once he was roused to rivalry, thought
  nothing at all of himself unless he wore his arms
  and dressed in the same way as Arthurs knights.

9
The creation of the entourage and its effects

• The kings of countries far across the sea
  trembled at the thought that they might be
  attacked and invaded by him, and so lose control
  of the lands under their dominion.
• All this was reported to Arthur. The fact that he
  was dreaded by all encouraged him to conceive the
  idea of conquering the whole of Europe.

10
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• After starting his campaign to conquer Europe in
  Norway and Denmark, he moves on to Gaul (France).
• He confronts Frollo and they engage in single
  combat.
• Frollo is defeated when Arthur uses his sword
  Caliburnus (Caledfwlch)

11
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• 9 years pass. The whole of France is conquered by
  Arthur and his men.
• He gives Neustria (Normandy) to Bedivere
  (Bedwyr).
• He gives Anjou (W. France) to Kay (Cai).
• Arthur returns to Britain for Whitsuntide
  (seventh Sunday after Easter).

12
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Arthur holds his plenary court for all Europe
  (pre-shadowing those described in later Arthurian
  Romances).
• Places the crown of the kingdom on his head.
  (Dyfrig had already done this in Silchester when
  A. was 15).
• This great event is held in Caerleon (city of the
  legions), the main court of Arthur in Geoffreys
  work.

13
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• The text gives a list of all those in attendance
  p 227.
• This listing can be compared with the list
  found in Culhwch and Olwen there the followers
  of Arthur are hailed by Culhwch.

14
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• The event is a celebration of Arthur and his
  court Britain had reached such a standard of
  sophistication
• The women of fashion display the colours of the
  knights.
• The playing of games and athletics.
• Imitation battles.

15
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• David (ie St David) now takes the place of
  Dyfrig. David is (spuriously) described as
  Arthurs uncle.
• The events at the great feast are disturbed when
  a letter from Lucius Hiberius (procurator of the
  Republic) is read out. P.231.
• It amounts to a challenge.

16
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Lucius (procurator of the Roman Republic) accuses
  Arthur of offering an insult to Rome in the
  presumption which he displayed in his conquests
  and they call upon him to made amends before the
  Senate.
• His nobles gladly accept the challenge.

17
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Arthur now compares himself with the ancient
  kings and leaders of Britain (Belinus,
  Maximianus, Contantine) as a defendor of Britain
  against Roman pride.
• The scene now assumes an epic quality as each of
  Arthurs nobles pledge loyalty in long formal
  speeches (comp. classical lit.)
• Arthurs speech, Hoel of Brittany, Auguselus of
  Scotland.

18
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• The reader is prepared for a climax with the
  exchange of letters and preparations for war.
• Britain is left in the care of Modred(us) and
  Guinivere (Guenhuuara), as Arthur sets sail for
  Normandy.
• The narrative now enters a strange series of
  episodes reminiscent of the Arthur of earlier
  Welsh literature.

19
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• We are informed about Arthurs prophetic dream
  involving a bear and dragon (Arthbear in
  Welsh).p.237
• This leads to the famous episode in which Arthur
  fights a giant in Mont-Saint-Michel
  (Brittany-Normandy).
• The anthropophagous giant resides in Spain but
  has abducted the niece of Hoel, Helena.
  (Tombelaine).

20
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Arthur with Bedivere and Kay approach the giant.
  238.
• A description is given of the giant and his club.
• Arthur kills the giant and laughs. Bedivere
  beheads the giant.
• Arthur refers to a previous combat with a giant
  called Retho (Rhita) in single-combat.

21
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Rethos cloak of kings beards.
• These episodes bring us back to the world of How
  Culhwch Won Olwen.
• After this episode, Arthur proceeds to Autun
  where the Britons are to fight the Romans.
• Gawain is egged on to provoke the Romans.
• Hyderus son of Nu (Edern s. of Nudd).

22
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• The army of the Britons congregate in a valley
  called Saussy. Arthur sets up the golden dragon
  as his standard.
• Arthur gives his speech before battle .p249
• Long description of the battle p.249.
• The Bretons play a role in the battle (Geoffreys
  clear pro-Breton bias).

23
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• No better knights than Hoel and Gawain have ever
  been born down the ages. Gawains exploits.
• Arthur fights with the aid of his sword
  Caliburnus (255).
• Although the Britons are victorious, Bedivere
  (grandson of the first Bedivere) is killed, as is
  Kai is mortally wounded.

24
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Arthur sets out for Rome but hears that Mordred
  (his nephew) has taken the crown of Britain and
  is now living with Guinevere.
• Modred has promised land to the Saxons in return
  for their help against Arthur. (shades of
  Vortigern).
• Treachery rather than foreign superiority causes
  the downfall of the Britons.
• The battle fought at Richborough Gawain is
  killed also Angugelus of Scotland.

25
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Guinevere takes sanctuary in a nunnery.
• Modred makes for Cornwall.
• Arthur and Modreds followers prepare for battle
  on either side of the river Camlan (Camblan).
• Mordred has Saxons, Irish, Scots and Picts on his
  sideall mortal enemies of the true Britons).

26
Camlan

• Geoffrey seems to have used a coherent native
  tradition for this part of the story (the end of
  Arthur).
• Geoffrey mentions how he had heard the story of
  Camlan from Walter of Oxford as well as seeing a
  report in the treatise he refers to at the
  beginning of HKB.

27
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Arthur has his own followers as well as
  Cassivellaunus, Cador, and the King of Denmark.
• Arthur is mortally wounded and carried away to
  Avalon (comp. Spoils of the Otherworld, Avallon,
  also Ynys Avallach) so that his wounds may be
  healed. We are told this is in the year 542
  (comp. Annales Cambriae).
• The crown passes to his cousin Constantine III
  (Custennin).

28
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Geoffrey wanted to present Arthur as a credible
  historical character, despite including
  unrealistic elements (giants).
• He is an epic hero single-combats, leads by
  example, wages war in real places familiar to his
  audiences.
• He is more Norman than Brythonic, and gives land
  in France and indulges his followers with
  crowning ceremonies (like William the Conqueror).

29
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Yet despite this it is clear that Geoffrey has
  used parts of the Nennius Historia Brittonum
  especially the so-called Mirabilia (Wonders).
• He does leave out the references to the hunt of
  the Otherworldly Twrch Trwyth (mentioned in
  Nennius but expanded in Culhwch).

30
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Traditional material is often there but
  transmuted.
• The combat with the giant of Mont-Saint-Michel is
  an Arthurian in-tale based on earlier
  giant-combat tales familiar in Culhwch and
  elsewhere (Rhita, Retho).
• It may well be that Mont-Saint-Michel was a
  well-known location for an onomastic tale
  involving a voracious man-eating giant, who
  abducted women.

31
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Tradition interestingly mentions that the site (a
  large rock on which a castle and monastery were
  built) was guarded by the Gaulish deity Belinos.
  This same name occurs in the earlier section of
  Geoffreys book.
• The early name for the site was Tombelaine (tomb
  of Belinos).
• The comment is made in HRB after the killing of
  the giant that the land had been freed from an
  oppression, which was one of Arthurs traditional
  roles.

32
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain

• Geoffrey of course adds onto this tale references
  to another combat against a giant (Ritho, Retho,
  Rhita) undertaken by Arthur.
• It is generally accepted that this tale is
  genuine Welsh tradition with its reference to
  beards (symbols of masculinity in Celtic
  narratives)- the Welsh swore by their beards.

33
Arthur and Giants

• Giants in myth and early legends.
• Giants and gods were seen as being descended from
  a common race.
• Hostility between gods and giants (Gods and
  Titans).
• Giants were associated with cold, dark and
  sterility.
• In Norse mythology their aim was to carry off
  Freyja goddess of fertility.

34
Arthur and Giants

• She represented the sun and moon and perpetual
  youth. Her abduction would lead to a return of
  chaos.
• Marriages between gods and the daughters of
  giants are mentioned in Norse myth.
• In English folktales they are described as
  capturing maidens and imprisoning them in
  castles. They feast on human flesh, and are
  overthrown by young heroes.
• Cornish giants.

35
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain
understanding the sources

• This inevitably leads us to some discussion of
  Geoffreys sources in writing HRB.
• He also knew what was happening in the literature
  (in Latin) of south Wales when he refers to the
  work of those undertaking pseudo-historical
  accounts of the saints, which also contained
  references to Arthur.
• There are fragmentary echoes of earlier Welsh
  tradition in the form of triads, poems and other
  texts in the HRB.

36
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain
understanding the sources

• A few examples
• Owain ab Urien, the hero of the 7th century poet
  Taliesin.
• The triadic geographical division of Britain
• The story of Maxen and Elen his wife and the
  settlement in Brittany, well-known in Welsh as
  the Dream of Maxen (see Mabinogion).

37
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain
understanding the sources

• Geoffrey obviously had access to material that
  informed him that Bedwyr and Kai were Arthurs
  close companions.
• That Arthurs nephew was Gawain (Gwalchmai,
  Gualguanus)
• Queen Guenhuuara, Arthurs weaponry,comp the
  list in Culhwch.
• Arthur does not appear to have a traditional
  genealogy in early material,

38
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain
understanding the sources

• Therefore Uthr Pendragon may or may not have been
  his father.
• The conception and birth tale difficult to
  decide where this arose out of legendary material
  or whether Geoffrey created it himself. It
  certainly has features found in other conception
  tales from Celtic literature.

39
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain
understanding the sources

• The final battle and the end of Arthur appear
  from Geoffreys own words to have been a
  well-established piece of traditional narrative
• He will in his own poor style and without
  wasting word, describe the battle which our most
  famous king fought against his nephew once he had
  returned to Britain for that he found in the
  British treatise already referred to. He heard it
  too from Walter of Oxford

40
Camlan and its aftermath in Vita Merlini

• The description of the island of Apples (Avallon
  or Avallach).
• VM 910

41
Arthur in the History of the Kings of Britain
understanding the sources

• Some of these more traditional threads of
  narrative are confirmed by other accounts still
  available to us
• Vita Gildae (Life of Gildas) abduction of
  Gwenhwyfar by Melwas.
• References to the battle of Camlan in the Triads
  (they being the reflection of actual narratives).
• The story of Arthurs translation to Avalon is
  more developed in Geoffreys Vita Merlini.

42
Summarizing the Arthurian section of HKBsources
and inspiration

• The conception and birth tale
• Probably based on a native account.
• Comparable with love-tales and conception tales
  in Irish and Welsh literature.
• Seems to have associations with SW tradition.

43
Summarizing the Arthurian section of HKBsources
and inspiration

• The lists of his weapons
• Comparable to Culhwch, which influenced the
  other?
• His sword, shield, knife, ship,horse, hound are
  mentioned in Culhwch.
• The ship is mentioned in Spoils of the Otherworld
• List possibly based on an oral list
• Geoffreys version simpler. (sword, spear, shield)

44
Summarizing the Arthurian section of HKB

• The Breton Connection
• The frequent introduction of Breton elements
  (Hoel, troops in France etc)
• They fight in Britain with Arthur before the
  battle of Badon.
• They join him in Europe (Saussy).
• They fight at Camlan.
• The Culhwch tale also mentions Arthur going to
  Brittany as part of the preparations for the hunt
  of Twrth Trwyth.
• The Legend of St Goueznou

45
Summarizing the Arthurian section of HKB

• The Battles fought throughout Britain
• The battles are largely taken from Nennius
• He has taken 3 or 4 battles from the twelve
  mentioned by Nennius ch lvi
• With the addition of the siege of York these
  become the framework of Arthurs early career.

46
Arthurs battles in Geoffrey

• The battles fought in Europe by Arthur seem
  spurious. Eg Saussy.
• However, in the Breton Legend of St Goueznou
  (early 11th century?), Arthur is described as
  fighting in Europe

47
Arthur in Europe

• These men , as Pagans (ie the Saxons) brought
  many ills upon the Britons. Their arrogance was
  later on repressed by Art(h)ur the Great, king of
  the Britons..this same Arthur after achieving
  numerous glorious victories in parts of both
  Britain and Gaul, was finally summoned from human
  endeavour.

48
Arthurs conquests

• The Conquest of Ireland and Iceland
• Pure Geoffrey of Monmouth invention.
• However the connection with Ireland may be due to
  the native tradition that appears in Culhwch
  where Arthur goes to Ireland and is met like a
  conqueror.
• Again this raises questions about the two texts
  Culhwch and HRB.

49
Summarizing the Arthurian section

• Arthurs military adventures in Europe (Norway,
  Denmark, France and his defeat of the Romans)
• This Europeanization of Arthur is original to
  Geoffrey and prepares the way forward for the
  Arthurian Romances of the next century (12-13).

50
Summarizing the Arthurian section

• The treachery of Mo(r)dred (Arthurs nephew)and
  the adultery of Guinevere with him.
• Comp. the abduction of G. by Melwas in the
  Saints life (St Gildas)
• The abduction of G. will become a very fruitful
  source of Arthurian material in Europe with the
  invention of Lancelot and their love-affair.

51
Summarizing the Arthurian section

• The treachery of Modred seems to be well known in
  the native tradition. He is mentioned in the
  Annales Cambriae as Arthurs presumed opponent at
  Camlan.
• Geoffrey seems to have conflated two names
  Modred and Melwas.
• Modred seems to be a Conish form. In Welsh he
  usually called Medrawd (Medrod).

52
Summarizing the Arthurian section

• The Battle of Camlan
• First mentioned in Annales Cambriae.
• Referred to frequently in Triads, Culhwch etc as
  the final battle in which Arthur is either killed
  or mortally wounded.
• The carrying of Arthur to Avalon is here first
  recorded by Geoffrey. But probably reflects
  actual tradition in some form
• Arthur is associated with Avalon on several
  occasions the Spoils, his sword is made in
  Avalon.