c.550AD, Gildas (or Gilias, Gallaeous, depending on where you get your information), a British monk, goes on a pilgrimage throughout the Isles in hopes of rekindling his disillusionment with the church by finding the “Heart” of the people. In many of the places he goes he comes upon a common story, legend, and myth. Many of the same names are given and many of the same deeds are told and all circle around figures such as Arturus, Vortigern, Boers, etc. Gildas becomes infatuated by the men who attempted to save Briton from the darkness. The monk writes The Ruin of Briton, but follows this up with several other volumes which put a distinctly religious twist on the attempts of one small group of people in a tiny corner of southern Wales and Briton and their attempt to hold back the tide. Arturus is lifted to a level bordering on Great Prophet and his deeds and exploits go on to be held up as the ideal. (fast forward) 1400 years later we have a religion that has spread out of Briton rivaling Christianity for control of Europe.
This was something I was thinking about the other day. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it – I really haven’t even worked out any of the details – but I wanted to put the thought out there and see what any one else had to say on the matter.
This was something I was thinking about the other day. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it – I really haven’t even worked out any of the details – but I wanted to put the thought out there and see what any one else had to say on the matter.