The truth beneath Arthurian legends

(Structural plan)
Introduction
The Arthurian legends have always been a quite popular theme among all
generations since the 12th century. New proofs are constantly added to demonstrate
the fact that Arthur is not just a figure from a fairy tale. Naturally, these proofs are not
enough in the eyes of the scepticists.
Historians have been arguing for centuries about what the truth is about king
Arthur. The biggest problem with him is that he lived – if he really did exist – in the
so called Dark Ages, from which times we have got very little information. We
cannot even be sure about his origins.
In the 5th century, after the departure of the Roman legios, in Britain chaos
ruled over everything. The Britons were terrorised from almost every directions: from
the West the Irish pirates, form the North the Picts and the Scotts. Vortigern called
the Saxons from the East to protect the Britons from the other barbarians, but soon
after that they began to plunder, too.
Strangely, at the end of the 5th and at the beginning of the 6th century after
some serious losses the barbarians began to stop fighting the Britons. Someone
managed to protect his people. This man is said to be Arthur Pendragon, the son of
Uther Pendragon. Finally the Britons got their peace, but it didn’t last for a long time.
No longer than a lifetime. This implises the neccesity of the existence of a single
person who had enough power to stop the Saxons.

The life of King Arthur according to the legends

- a brief summary of the life of Arthur, according to the work of Sir Thomas
Malory (La morte d’Arthur), from c. 1470
Medieval sources
(What they say, how they mention Arthur)
- De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae by Gildas, British cleric – written in the
middle part of the 6th century
 - Historia Brittonum written ap. 300 years after the supposed death of Arthur by
Nennius (monk)
- Annales Cambriae – 9th-10th century
- Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth (monk)
Possible Arthurs
(Scholars try to associate Arthur with some people from the same times, about whom
they know more.)
- Ambrosius Aurelanius
- Riothamus
- Owain Ddantgwynn
Possible nationality
- Roman – according to Historia Regnum Brittaniae
- Celt – based on a poem entitled Y Gododdin by Aneirin (British bard)
- Iazyg (etnical group of the Sarmatans, which lived in the territory of
Pannonia) – the theory of János Makkay
Proofs
- burial place & leaf cross (Glastonbury, 1191)
- a slate slab found in Tintagel
- the Round Table (found more than once)
Conclusion
Having said all these, we must take into consideration certain aspects of the
matter. Although he lived in an age, about which we have very little information, we
could make logical assumptions based on what we know. There was for evidence a
short period, no longer than a lifetime, in the end of the 5th and at the beginning of
the 6th century, when after so many losses the Britons could enjoy a little peace. This
implies the neccessity of the existence of a single person who had enough power to
stop the Saxons.
In the supposed age of Arthur we have a lack of information concerning
possible leaders or kings, who could have fought back the Saxons. We do not know
even a single man (neither Ambrosius Aurelanius, neither Riothamus, nor Owain
Ddantgwynn) about whom we could say without any doubt that every circumstance
matches to be the ”hero” of the period and the saviour of the Britons. In all cases
there are some caveats, which exclude the possibility of matching.
In my opinion the matter of Arthur is a matter of perspective. We chose if we
want to be believers or sceptics. Of course there are some implausible elements of the
story, but we must take into consideration that every legend has a point of origin
based on reality, which is interesting and important enough for people to begin telling
stories about.
Perhaps we will never get to know the whole truth about Arthur. Future might
come up with new information and proofs about the legendary king, but in the present
we cannot say objectively anything more for sure about him, than there was a
someone to protect the Britons. I believe, we should call him Arthur.

Bibliography
Makkay, J. (1995) Attila kardja, Árpád kardja. Szeged: Csongrád Megyei
Múzeumok Igazgatósága
Malory, Sir T. (1996) Arthur királynak és vitézeinek, a Kerek Asztal lovagjainak
históriája. Budapest: Háttér Kiadó
Deary, Terry (2000) A kegyetlen kelták. Budapest: Egmont-Hungary Kft.
Davidson, B. K. (1999) Tintagel Castle. London: English Heritage
Beare, B. (1999) England Myths and Legends. Bath: Parragon Books

Ashley, M. (1996) The life & times of King Arthur. Glasgow: Parrago Books
Is it real – King Arthur (National Geographic Television Production, 2007)
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