Arturius Aurelianus Redux - A King Arthur TLIAW

So glorious truly Tom now continue post haste even though you're posting in barbaric London time instead of glorious Central Standard :p
 
Part 3: The Sword from the Stones

You know what? I actually need to bump the schedule up to make it in time for this Saturday! :eek: So here we go, with the deeds and sins of Arthur: :D

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THE HISTORY OF ARTURIUS AURELIANUS


PAULINUS


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A Roman
spatha, or longsword, which may have been Paulinus's "sword of steel" (Caliburn). [0]
7. To prove the mettle of Arturius, as many had reacted with disbelief and refused to declare for the youth, Murrhinus brought the kings and companions of Britain to the specus periculus, a cavern where it was said that the legions of Rome, in the reign of Hadrian,[1] had been ambushed by the Picts and had perished to the last man, and it was said that any man who dared occupy it would be killed instantly. Arturius entered alone, and from the stones he drew a sword of steel (chalybs),[2] and segmented armour which rendered Arturius and his companions invincible.[3] Since no other man had dared enter the cavern, they deemed him worthy to fight alongside the kings and soldiers of Britain.

Twelve times he was made dux bellorum and twelve times he was victor over the Saxons, each time declared imperator.[4] The first was the mouth of the River Glein, the second, third, fourth, and fifth along the River Douglas, the sixth on the River Bassas, the seventh in the Forest Celidonis, the eighth was at the fortress of Guinnon, the ninth was at the City of the Legion, or as it is locally known, Caer Lion, the tenth was on banks of the River Tribruit, the eleventh was on Mons Agned, and the twelfth was on Mons Badonicus.[5]

On the eve of the battle, Arturius, like his father before him, gazed into the sky, and the sign of the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed itself to him. Thus inspired, Arturius said unto his men,

“Like Constantine before us, ‘In this sign we shall conquer’ (In hoc signo vinces)”,[6]

And so Arturius bore the cross upon his shoulders[7] for three days and three nights, and nine hundred and sixty Saxons were slain in a single charge by the might of Arturius.[8] The Britons were victorious, and thus they proclaimed Arturius dux Britanniarum, paramount leader amongst the kings and chieftains of Britain.

8. Arturius took up court at many places in the land. The three noblest courts of Arturius: the City of Legion, site of his ninth victory, and at Camulodunum,[9] once cleansed of the Saxons, and at the station of the sacred grove (Nemetostatio), or as it is known locally, Callinicum.[10] Arturius gathered unto him the finest warriors of the land, their number always at least twenty-four,[11] and assembled them round a table where all men were equals, with Arturius foremost (princeps) amongst them. Three of these companions (comes)[12] distinguished themselves. The three noblest companions of Arturius: Count Caius, father of my mother Rhelemona, and Count Bedvero, who never shrank from the enterprise of Caius, and Count Galbaneus the valiant (Valens), son of King Leudonus and Corinna,[13] sister of Arturius through Igraen.[14] Arturius made his companions swear unto him: Let the health of the people act as the supreme law (Salus populi suprema lex esto).[15]

9. And Arturius took the fair Guinevere, daughter of Goar[16] and countrywoman to my father Perphirius, as his wife. Although they were very devoted to each other, their union produced no child. Thus Arturius adopted Moderatus the son of his sister Corinna and brother of Galbaneus Valens, as his own son and heir. But the sins of Artorius Draco the father of Arturius, committed in years past unto Igraen the mother of Corinna, were unforgivable to Moderatus. Thus Moderatus was known as Amarus[17] for the hardness of his heart, and the bitterness in his words and actions.

10. And so Arturius and his companions travelled the land, serving its people, their exploits so numerous I can hardly begin to recite them, as the poets of the land already have. Let the three noblest undertakings of the court of Arturius suffice. These three greatest deeds of Arturius and his companions: The rescue of Oluana for Porculus, son of King Calidus,[18] and the pilgrimage of Arturius in pursuit of the mystery of the underworld,[19] and the repelling of Lucius Tiberius, imperator of Rome, thereafter.[20] But more on this later.[21]

11. I would be reprobate if I were not to confess the sins of Arturius. The three greatest offences of Arturius: the sacrileges he nigh performed in desiring the altar of Caradocus and the garments of Paternus, and the lust in his heart for Claudia, the mother of Cadocus, and the slaying of Cuillus, brother of Gildas, upon his release from the sanctuary of Cadocus.

Concerning his coveting the property of God: Arturius was purging the land of wild beasts when he encountered Caradocus, who was in search of his altar. Caradocus asked of Arturius the location of his altar, which Arturius told him in exchange for knowledge of a terrible serpent, sent by God to punish the heretics of Carrum. Then Arturius demanded the altar as well, seeking to convert it into a table for his court. But any object Arturius laid upon it was thrown a great distance. Repenting, Arturius removed the followers of the Pelagian heresy in Carrum and built a church there. Similarly for the garments of Paternus, considered by Arturius to be too fine for a man of the Church: when he tried to claim them for himself, the ground swallowed him up. Repenting, the ground released Arturius. In his penance Arturius made Caradocus chief elder and Paternus chief bishop in his court at Callinicum.[22]

Concerning his lust for his neighbour’s wife: the great warrior Gundleus desired Claudia the virgin daughter of King Brychan of Brychieniog as his wife, and she loved him too. But Brychan disapproved of their union, and sent many warriors in pursuit when they eloped. Slaying two hundred of them, Gundleus eventually brought Claudia to a hill where Arturius and his companions Caius and Bedvero were playing at dice. Even from afar Arturius’s heart was inflamed with lust for Claudia, and in that instant he considered adultery against his wife Guinevere. But Caius and Bedvero rebuked him, holding him to the oath he had made them swear. Repenting, Arturius and his companions rode to the rescue of the couple, sending the forces of Brychan back in confusion. In his penance, Arturius officiated the union between Gundleus and Claudia, which produced the child Cadocus. [23]

Concerning his act of blood against his fellow man: In the land there was an active warrior and distinguished soldier who answered to no king or ruler, not even Arturius. He would upon many an occasion swoop down from the Forest of Celidon, cause conflagrations, and in the confusion steal away with property of the Britons. Many of the best companions of Arturius were slain by this man Cuillus in their pursuit, and Arturius finally closed upon him, whereupon Cuillus retreated into the house of God, claiming sanctuary. Arturius demanded Cadocus release this killer of his companions. When Cadocus refused, Arturius demanded payment in oxen, not just any normal oxen, but those partly one colour and partly another, thinking to stymie Cadocus by such an impossible task. But Cadocus produced these special oxen, which were suddenly lost amongst the ferns. Repenting and asking forgiveness, Arturius permitted Cuillus refuge for seven years in the Church. But no sooner had Cuillus left the refuge of Cadocus did Arturius and his companions ambush him, slaying the brother of Gildas on the island of Mona. For this murderous act Arturius made no penance, for Cuillus had slain many of his best companions. [24]

It is perhaps for these sins, especially the last, that Gildas fairly or unfairly condemns the memory (damnatio memoriae) of Arturius, and reproaches the kin of Ambrosius Aurelianus as “shamefully degenerated” from his greatness, even as he prays for the soul of his brother and as he used to for Arturius, for it is not written in the Gospel according to Luke that:

“Love your enemies; do good unto those who hate you; bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you.”? [25]

[0] Spathae were being introduced in the 2nd century, so it's just about plausible.
[1] Legio IX Hispana, the “Lost Legion”, to be precise.
[2] Siege Perlious (there is some dog Latin involved) and Excalibur (chalybes -> Caliburn) in one!
[3] Arthur and his friends can indeed be knights in shining armour with his explanation, as depicted by the Roman armour-clad Arthur in Merlin (1998) and King Arthur (2004). Legio IX Hispana disappeared just before the decline of lorica segmentata.
[4] This is in keeping with the ancient Roman practice, and this will come into play when he meets Lucius Tiberius.
[5] “Nennius” 2:50.
[6] De Mortibus Persecutorum; Constantine’s vision (probably of a sun-dog) before Milvian Bridge.
[7] Annales Cambriae. Depending on what colours you envision (although I’ve preserved the tincture of Arthur’s attributed arms) I may just have had Arthur invent the flag of England, in a massive fit of irony.
[8] “Nennius” 2:50.
[9] Colchester, or Camelot.
[10] Celliwig, literally “hut of life” in this translation.
[11] Welsh triads.
[12] Instead of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, I instead have Prince Arthur and the Counts around a table (the Latin words for "around" and "round" are cognates.)
[13] Gwalchmei’s mother is given as “Gwyar” (gore, Latin: cor) in Welsh folklore and as “Anna” by Geoffrey so I split the difference with “Corinna”, a character in Ovid.
[14] Kay, Bedivere and Gawain (or Walwen), in Latin, although somewhat modified – galbanum is a Biblical plant – as “Gualguanus” is almost certainly influenced by St. Galgano - the sword in the stone is the proverbial smoking gun. I made Gawain's parentage consistent with Geoffrey's account.
[15] I have given Paul some classical knowledge, hence his cognisance of Constantine at Milvian Bridge, and of Cicero, specifically, De Legibus 3:3. This may pass as the first instance of some form of a chivalric code!
[16] The closest thing to “Gogfran” Paul (and I) could find, combining him with her other father from Gwent (Venta Silurium) as recounted in Welsh Triads.
[17] Arthur's accidental incest with Morgause is a post-Galfridian invention; Mordred (or Medraut) is only ever described as Arthur's nephew in the Welsh accounts but some have him adopt Mordred. "Amarus" is my reconciliation of Mordred with Amr, fabled son of Arthur who Arthur killed according to “Nennius”.
[18] Culhwch ("Culhwch" means "pig-run" and "Porculus" includes "pig" and "culus", which is a slightly blue term for a narrow space) and Cilydd; the next update will include my take on Culhwch and Olwen.
[19] The Spoils of Annwn, although I have my own take on it.
[20] Red Book of Hergest, more famously told by Geoffrey.
[21] Unlike Bede (1:16), I am actually going to follow up on these. :p
[22] Life of Caradoc and Life of Padarn. I've given the Cliffsnotes versions: just ignore this chapter if you regard the chronicles of the saints's lives to be unreliable sources concerning Arthur.
[23] Life of Cadoc.
[24] Life of Gildas, although Gildas wasn't as forgiving as its author would like to believe if you trust Paul's word.
[25] Luke 6:27-28​
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Next update: The three greatest deeds of Arthur, on Thursday night.
 
Outstanding and impressive, indeed!

I'm really enjoying this thoroughlly!

My congratulations for this superb work.

Thank you very much!

Sadly it's only going to be two more updates and that'll be it. If anyone who's read this has anything to say, I would love to hear your comments and feedback. :eek:
 
It's very enjoyable as a work of alternate historiography, and it's clear, at least from my layman's point of view, that you've done your research.

Are we to take any of Paul Aurelian's ancestry as anything factual in this timeline? Or is he an entirely unreliable narrator? I get that the history is totally embellished, I'm just curious if the intent here was to write a "real" king Arthur into history or if it was just to present an alternate take on the narrative.
 
It's very enjoyable as a work of alternate historiography, and it's clear, at least from my layman's point of view, that you've done your research.

Are we to take any of Paul Aurelian's ancestry as anything factual in this timeline? Or is he an entirely unreliable narrator? I get that the history is totally embellished, I'm just curious if the intent here was to write a "real" king Arthur into history or if it was just to present an alternate take on the narrative.
Thank you very much!

Well, my stand here is that this account, stripped of its more fanciful aspects, is one which matches what we know of the period from other sources, and could plausibly have accounted for the paucity of Saxon settlements c.500CE, but has as much proof as it has disproof. :)

The next update (tonight) will further blur the line between history and myth as what it suggests is in line with known historical events in Italy and the Levant, but are unlikely to have occurred the way Paul Aurelian says they did.
 
Part 4: The Deeds of Arthur

Here comes the zenith before the nadir, because it's all downhill from here on...:eek:

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THE HISTORY OF ARTURIUS AURELIANUS


PAULINUS

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A first-century chalice, which may be the "blessed cup" mentioned by Paulinus
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[FONT=&quot]12. Concerning the rescue of Oluana for Porculus, the son of King Calidus. One day when Arturius was in court at Callinicum, Porculus, son of Calidus and cousin to Arturius, arrived. Though the porter had tried to delay Porculus as the court was feasting, and though Count Caius said such intrusion was improper, Arturius demanded Porculus enter and so he entered, giving praise and blessings unto Arturius. Then Porculus explained,

“My stepmother, once queen to my father the king, had cursed me never to marry, not till a briar with two blossoms grew upon her grave. That which she swore would never pass seven years ago has happened now, and my father the king rode forth in search of a wife. And so he did, and his counsel led him to an aged woman, who said that only the lady Oluana would be a fitting bride. And my father said, such a task would be easy if I asked you, my cousin Arturius, for a boon.”

And Arturius responded,

“Name any boon, save my ship, my mantle, my sword or my wife, and it shall be done.”

And Porculus requested of Arturius to cut his hair, and to bless him, and to obtain the lady Oluana for his wife. And Arturius cut his hair, and gave his blessing, and assembled his companions, so numerous they were that I can scarcely begin to list them all, for this task. But his messengers returned no news of Oluana. Undeterred, Arturius called to him Count Caius, and Count Bedvero, and Count Galbaneus, amongst others. And so they rode to a fortress of almost infinite distance and size, and enquired with the herdsmen and maidens, and so it transpired that Oluana was daughter to a man so giant in size he used his daughter’s bracelet as a ring for his massive thumb,[1] and so fearsome that none who ventured into his fortress returned alive. Undeterred, they enquired as to her whereabouts, and Porculus met Oluana when she bathed alone in the lake. And she brought them to the fortress, where her father attempted to slay Arturius and his companions, but was foiled thrice, by Bedvero, and then by Merrhinus, and then by Porculus himself.

He then gave Porculus twelve tasks unto those of Hercules:

The first three, concerning the tilling of new ground: to uproot a hill, and plough the earth remaining; and to compel the sons of Don to plough the earth; and to obtain two dun oxen, two bulls and two horned oxen to serve the sons of Don;

And the next three, concerning its harvest: to plant flax into the new earth in order to make a white wimple for the bride’s head; and to farm honey nine times sweeter than any virgin honey; and to obtain the vessel of Ilvus to contain this honey;

And the next three after that, concerning the wedding feast: to obtain the basket of Ceretician, to serve the meat at the wedding feast; and to obtain the horn of Votadinus, to serve the wine at the wedding feast; and to obtain the harp of Tertius, to serve the music at the wedding feast;

And the final three, concerning the grooming of the father: to obtain a comb for the father of Oluana; and to hunt the Great Boar to fashion a comb with its skull; and to obtain the blood of the black sorceress to sculpt his hair.

Undeterred, all of these tasks and many others were achieved by Arturius and his companions. Three great achievements of Arturius in his aid of Porculus: the slaying of the Great Boar by Cabal, the dog of Arturius, who in its pursuit left an imprint which still remains to this day;[2] the slaying of the black sorceress, and the drawing of her blood when Arturius rent her in twain with his white-hilted dagger;[3] and the slaying of the father of Oluana, who had considered the tasks impossible and tried once again to slay Arturius and his companions once they had completed the rest. With the death of her father Oluana was free to marry Porculus, and in its achievement did the task bring fame and glory to Arturius.[4]

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13. Concerning the pilgrimage on which Arturius embarked into the holy sepulchre, and retrieval of the sacred spear and dish. Though Arturius and his companions achieved many great deeds, the land was sick with war and famine and pestilence and the wild beasts of the earth,[5] and there seemed to be no cure for these ills. Recalling to him his pledge that the health of the people act as the law, Arturius prayed many days in Camulodonum for a sign. And so an angel of the Lord appeared, saying unto Arturius,

“Fear not, for I bring news of great joy.”[6]

And so the angel revealed unto Arturius,

“Only by taking communion of the blood of Christ in the cup of blessing, and by taking communion of the body of Christ, will the health of the people be restored.”

But it was well known that both blood and body of Christ had been restored three days after his crucifixion,[7] and both had been taken up to heaven forty days after his return to the Apostles.[8] So how were the people of Britain to take this communion? And so Arturius assembled his many companions, so numerous they were that I can scarcely begin to list them all, for this task. And he said unto them:

“We have been given a command by the Lord to retrieve the blood and body of Christ: only through partaking of this sacrament can we achieve salvation.”

To solve this mystery, Arturius despatched his companions to make pilgrimage in the holy land of Jerusalem. When they arrived in Palestine, they found the country overrun with Samaritan pagans,[9] and many other untold terrors and perils on the way there, within the holy land and on the way back, so much so that of the three companies of men which Arturius had commanded to retrieve the blood and body of Christ only seven returned.[10] And casting aside all obstacles in their path, they reached the four-peaked sepulchre which Josephus of Arimathea had given up for the body of Christ when it was removed from the cross.

And so the companions of Arturius were received in the church without, taking sanctuary within, and they partook in the communion. Again and again during the taking of the communion the servants of the Lord passed before them, carrying in procession the holy lance which had drawn the blood of the lamb,[11] and the sacred dish in which the bread was consecrated,[12] and the cup of blessing, a dark ridge on its border, crusted with pearls.

And so the companions of Arturius received the holy spear and the sacred dish and the blessed cup, and brought them to Britain, traversing through the dominions of the Franci in Gaul, so dangerous the journey was that of the three companies of men which had set forth from Britain only seven returned. When the communion was taken in Callinicum, with Arturius as chief prince, and Paternus as chief bishop, and Caradocus as chief elder,[13] the health of the people was restored, and all was set to rights.

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14. Concerning the rebuke Arturius dealt unto Lucius Tiberius, imperator of Rome. When Justinian learned of the rescue of the holy spear and the sacred dish and the blessed cup, and their flight to Britain, he was incensed, and despatched his procurator Lucius Tiberius beyond the mountains of the Alps and sent messengers to Arturius in Caer Leon demanding tribute for him and for Rome. When Arturius did not respond, Lucius made war in Armorica. And so Arturius assembled his many companions, so numerous they were that I can scarcely begin to list them all, and went across the sea to oppose Lucius, leaving Moderatus in charge of his court. And so the two leaders met, Lucius saying unto Arturius:

“As it has been written, pay unto Caesar what is due unto Caesar; pay the tribute which has been sent by the kings of Britain from the times of antiquity till the reign of Constantine.”

And this was the response which Arturius gave to Lucius:

“Once tribute was given in return for protection from barbarians; where was this protection when the groans of the Britains reached the ears of Agitius, thrice consul during our hour of need? When no answer came, that proud usurper invited disaster upon this island until Ambrosius opposed him. The men of Rome have no greater claim to tribute from the men of this island, than the men of the island of Britain have from Rome.”

And so they made war. In the end Arturius slew Lucius, and for this victory he was declared for the thirteenth and final time imperator, greater even than the legions of Rome.[14] A great many of the best companions of Arturius lost their lives that day, including Count Caius.

Arturius wept for three days and three nights, for Caius was like a brother unto him. And Arturius adopted my mother Rhelemona the daughter of Caius swearing to raise her as his own. In so doing I became the grandson of Arturius, and took his name for myself. But when Moderatus had heard of the great many dead, he turned against Arturius, believing him dead along with his men. And so Moderatus invited Picts and Scots to declare for him, along with the Saxons, like the proud usurper Vortigern had before him.[15]

[FONT=&quot][0] I think we all know what this cup actually is. ;)[/FONT]
[1] Historia Augusta, “The Two Maximini” (6:18)
[2] “Nennius” (2:73)
[3] Carnwennan
[4] Culhwch and Olwen, paraphrased
[5] Revelation (6:8)
[6] Luke (2:1)
[7] Gospels
[8] Acts (1:9)
[9] The Ben Sabar Revolt of 531, or other Samaritan revolts of the century
[10] The Spoils of Annwn
[11] The Lance of Longinus and/or Rhongomyniad
[12] Perceval, the Story of the Grail
[13] Welsh Triads
[14] Hence resolving how Arthur came to be known as “Emperor” (along with Lucius).
[15] Welsh Triads, as influenced by Geoffrey[/FONT]
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Next (and last?!) update:

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"Come, Father. Let us embrace at last."
 
Part 5: Once King, King To Be

Apologies for missing my self-imposed 196-hour deadline by 5+ hours. :p

Love the whole thing! :D

Thank you very much! It means a lot to me. :)

Camlann awaits there, methinks...
And, where shall the mighty Prince sleep his sleep not of death until England has need of him again?

Read on, my friends...:cool:

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THE HISTORY OF ARTURIUS AURELIANUS


PAULINUS

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The "Votiporius" stone, used by some as proof of the historical existence of Vortiporius of Gwynedd
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15. And now to the final chapter, the strife at Camlann where Arturius and Moderatus fell.[1] When Arturius heard of the betrayal of Moderatus, he turned back with what remained of his army, landing on the shore despite great opposition from the allies of Moderatus. Moderatus ravaged the court of Arturius at Callinicum, leaving neither food nor drink that he or his allies did not consume, and he dragged Guinevere from her royal chair, and his consort the sister of Guinevere smote her upon her face. In response Arturius ravaged the court of Moderatus, leaving neither food nor drink nor beast behind.[2] And so did these events lead to the strife near Ariconium,[3] at the crooked bend of the river, or as it is known locally, Camlann.

On poor counsel did Arturius divide his men into three to face Moderatus, and thereupon great bloodshed began,[4] and Count Galbaneus died, slain by the hand of his own kin. In the end, Arturius and Moderatus fell, each slain by the other; in the moment which Arturius smote Moderatus with his sword of steel Moderatus landed a dolorous wound on Arturius with his own dagger. Arturius buried his adopted son next to a spring. So passed Moderatus Amarus. In his final breaths Arturius commanded Count Bedvero:

“Take my holy spear and return it from whence it had come. Then there will be peace once again between Britain and Rome.”

Count Bedvero wept. And Arturius said unto him:

“But grieve not, for like the Son of Man who was entombed for three days and three nights before he was returned to his apostles, so too must I rest at Caer Oeth and Anoeth, remaining the prisoner of Afallach[5] till such time that my wound is healed.”

And so Count Bedvero returned the holy spear, and Arturius thus passed into the islands of Caer Oeth and Anoeth, where it is fabled that in the direst hour of Britain he shall come forth, restored like Lazarus was by our Lord Jesus Christ.[6] But it has been many years, and much evil has come unto this island since then; I fear that such promises may be many years more in their fulfilment.

So ends the story of Arturius Aurelianus, last of the Britons. If nothing else, let he be remembered for the twenty years of peace he brought between the battle at Mons Badonicus and the strife at Camlann.

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Part III. THE EPISTLE

1. After the passing of Arturius, the tyrant Aurelius Constantinus, last and least of the Constantines and of the Aureliani, seized the rule of Britain for himself, although the title was hollow and empty given the burdens the Saxons and Scots and Picts have lain on this island. So insecure was this lion’s whelp that he stalked the two sons of Moderatus and, disguising himself as an abbot, murdered them within the sanctuary of a church.[7] For this the Lord struck him down with a lingering death, from which only repentance may bring salvation, lest Hell open up to provide eternal torment for him. He was named Aurelius Caninus[8] (or Conanus), as he was worth less than a bitch, [9] respected by none, not even the Saxon Cerdic he invited.

Since then the rulers of Britain have degraded in morals with every successive tyrant, till now there are none worthy of being called king or leader. Not even Vortiporius, tyrant of the Demetians, matches any of the valour of his predecessor Vortimer, nor does his successor, the usurper Malgocunus, nor the bloody defiler of God Cuneglasus, tyrant of Rhos. Repent, you sinners who call yourself kings, and salvation may yet come!

2. And what of the companions and kin of Arturius? Count Caius perished in Gaul, and Count Galbaneus died at Camlann, and Count Bedvero finished the pilgrimage of Arturius, returning the holy spear to the Sea of Tiberias where it has remained in Jerusalem since.[10] Guinevere, wife of Arturius, entered a convent which would become that of Derfel Cadarn the son of King Hoel, and she lived there till she died,[11] and Corinna, sister of Arturius through Igraen and daughter of Gorlois, is said to have married again, this time to her cousin the whelp of the Lioness of Dumnonia,[12] although this is rumour, and Murrhinus Ambrosianus, last of the generation of Arturius, disappeared, though legend says he, upon witnessing needless carnage once again, went insane and returned to the wilderness from which he came, renouncing God and Heaven and becoming an apostate.[13]

3. That hence leaves me, Paulinus Aurelianus, son of Perphrius, chieftain of the Silures, and of Rhelemona, daughter of Caius adopted by Arturius, as the last to tell this tale. May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.[14]

[0] See here.
[1] Annales Cambrae
[2] Welsh Triads
[3] “Nennius” (2:73)
[4] Welsh Triads
[5] Welsh Triads
[6] John (11:39-44), also influencing “Bedvero wept”
[7] Geoffrey (11:4-6)
[8] Gildas (3:30)
[9] Literally, as in a female dog.
[10] Hence generating the Lake legend as well as resolving how it came back into Byzantine possession.
[11] This is actually a Vulgate tradition, but I don’t have much ideas beyond this. Derfel Gadarn was born too late to be part of Arthurian legend here, but he gets a shout-out nonetheless.
[12] Retcon to account for Aurelius Conanus’ name.
[13] Annales Cambrae
[14] Revelation 22:21
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Next(?!) update: Some bonus material! :D
 
Part 6: Epilogue

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Look upon this moment. Savor it. Rejoice with great gladness. Great gladness!

Remember it always for you are joined by it. You are one under the stars. Remember it well then, this night, this great victory.

So that in the years ahead, you can say "I was there, that night, with Arthur - the king!".

For it is the doom of men that they forget.


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I was not born to live a man's life, but to be the stuff of...future memory.

The fellowship was a brief beginning, a fair time that cannot be forgotten. And because it will not be forgotten, that fair time might come again.

Now I must ride once more with my knights to defend what was...and the dream of what could be.



Bloody beautiful Tom well done :D

Beautiful indeed!

You have improved what was already b****y good. Well done.
Thank you all so much, especially Lindseyman and Germania09 for being there both times. :eek:

It just feels so good to be able to finish something I've started. I might actually try to publish this online on the cheap given that it should probably be original enough to count. :p

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Now, as to the bonus content, the family trees of some of the people involved:


Arthur's lineage:
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(Larger version)

Vortigern's lineage and the rest of Britain:
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(Larger version)

All the British kings:
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(Larger version)

Magnus Maximus's extended family, if you believe The Dream of Macsen Wledig:
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(Geoffrey of Monmouth identified "Octavius" as a half-brother to Constantine and the son of Caradog, and Saint Helena is more of a logical common ancestor than Maximiana Theodora as Geoffrey also considers St. Helena to be an honorary Briton.)

Bonus Late WRE shenanigans (Valentinian III and Licinia are actually cousins but there's no way of neatly incorporating that):
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===

Names in white boxes generally refer to British rulers, with bolded boxes meaning overlords of Britain; the blue boxes with bold outlines are Western Roman Emperors. Greyed-out lines mean adoption, greyed-out names mean individuals I have more or less invented, and the "broken" checkered-pattern lines mean relationships I have invented too.
 
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Part 7: Epilogue, Part II

And here's the canonical list of rulers of Britain discussed in the text:

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Britannic Emperors
383 - 388: Magnus Maximus (Maximian Dynasty)
384 - 388: Flavius Victor (Maximian Dynasty)
406 - 407: Marcus Artorius (House of Aurelian)
(usurper)
407 - 407: Gratian (Non-dynastic) (usurper)
407 - 411: Constantine III (Constantinian Dynasty)
409 - 411: Constans II (Constantinian Dynasty)
411 - 438: Julian II (Constantinian Dynasty)
438 - 480: Constantius III (Constantinian Dynasty)
(ousted 449, pretender 449-480)
480 - 523: Leo Constantine (Constantinian Dynasty) (pretender)
523 - 540: Aurelius Constantine "Caninus/Conanus" (Constantinian Dynasty) (523-537 pretender)

Superb Tyrants
449 - 455: Vortigern (House of Vortigern)
(de facto)
455 - 460: Vortimer (House of Vortigern) (de facto)

Commanders of Britain
460 - 476: Ambrosius Aurelianus (House of Aurelian)
476 - 500: Artorius Draconis (House of Aurelian)
516 - 537: Arturius Aurelianus (House of Aurelian)
537 - 537: Moderatus Amarus (House of Leudonus)
(usurper)
 
Apologies for taking a while to get round to replying, but I think that what you've done here, Tom, is a pretty good job of reconstructing a hypothetical 6th century source, surviving (and perhaps different) parts of which could have been used by both 'Nennius' and Geoffrey of M.

As I said in the thread in ASB, given that there must have been a continuous tradition of Latin literacy in the Welsh clergy (as proved by the transmission of Gildas), I find it quite plausible for such a document (or documents) to have existed.

A couple of things I find quite interesting in G of M are the importance he places on Tintagel, and the list of 'Consuls' of various cities at Arthur's great feast. The cities listed correspond to some extent to those that e.g. Ken Dark lists in 'Civitas to Kingdom' and 'Britain and the End of the Roman Empire' as showing possible archaeological evidence of survival into at least the late 5th century. (He even suggested possible survival of some kind of civil government in cities such as Gloucester and Dorchester, as these have such archaeological evidence but don't seem to obviously fall within the realms of Gildas's tyrants.) For Tintagel there is of course ample archaeological evidence for 5th/6th century importance as a probable royal site for Dumnonia and also a (the most important?) centre for imports from and possibly diplomatic contacts with Byzantium, which are relatively recent discoveries.

Obviously much of G of M is patently bollocks (as is some of your reconstructed 'source'), which means none of it is usable as history, but there are these frustrating hints at something behind it...

Unfortunately, since Dumville's skewering of Morris's use of 'Nennius', professional historians and archaeologists are steering well clear of Arthur :eek:
 
Apologies for taking a while to get round to replying, but I think that what you've done here, Tom, is a pretty good job of reconstructing a hypothetical 6th century source, surviving (and perhaps different) parts of which could have been used by both 'Nennius' and Geoffrey of M.

As I said in the thread in ASB, given that there must have been a continuous tradition of Latin literacy in the Welsh clergy (as proved by the transmission of Gildas), I find it quite plausible for such a document (or documents) to have existed.

A couple of things I find quite interesting in G of M are the importance he places on Tintagel, and the list of 'Consuls' of various cities at Arthur's great feast. The cities listed correspond to some extent to those that e.g. Ken Dark lists in 'Civitas to Kingdom' and 'Britain and the End of the Roman Empire' as showing possible archaeological evidence of survival into at least the late 5th century. (He even suggested possible survival of some kind of civil government in cities such as Gloucester and Dorchester, as these have such archaeological evidence but don't seem to obviously fall within the realms of Gildas's tyrants.) For Tintagel there is of course ample archaeological evidence for 5th/6th century importance as a probable royal site for Dumnonia and also a (the most important?) centre for imports from and possibly diplomatic contacts with Byzantium, which are relatively recent discoveries.

Obviously much of G of M is patently bollocks (as is some of your reconstructed 'source'), which means none of it is usable as history, but there are these frustrating hints at something behind it...

Unfortunately, since Dumville's skewering of Morris's use of 'Nennius', professional historians and archaeologists are steering well clear of Arthur :eek:

(With apologies for an inexcusable delay)

Thank you very much for your high praise and your deep insight! It was a lot of fun trying to put this legacy of British kings in Sub-Roman Britain in language which probably would have been comprehensible to people of the time whilst also providing plausible enough antecedent for the various legends that we all identify with Arthur.

Thanks once again! I'm still toying with maybe publishing this as a micro-novella or part of an anthology - we'll see. :)
 
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