Historia Arturii Aureliani - A King Arthur Advent TL
- Thread starter Tom Colton
- Start date
Thanks! I think it is just about at the very edge of plausibility, along with this version of the Grail Quest, but we are dealing with a mythopoetic version of history anyway.
The association of Arthur with Camlann is about as old as that with Badon Hill; both battles are mentioned in the Welsh Annals. The character of Mordred is exactly as old as the entry in the Annals, being mentioned in association with Arthur at Camlann, not explicitly as ally or enemy, simply that "Arthur and Medraut fell" at the "strife at Camlann." The only antagonistic son of Arthur mentioned in the Historia Brittonum is a certain Amr/Anir, of whom it is only said that Arthur killed him and buried him in a grave of variable size.
However, starting with Geoffrey of Monmouth, Mordred eventually became the Final Boss of the Arthurian saga, and forever codified the trope of the mutual kill between father and (adoptive or biological) son at Camlann, dashing Britain's last great hope at throwing off the Saxon yoke (until Cadwaladr, but anyway.) Whatever the case, Camlann has come to represent the dying of an age of glory in a titanic final clash. So it is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to Arturius...or do we?
7. But in the confusion of the battle, the report had gone out that Arturius had been slain, and his entire troop with him. When Moderatus received these he panicked and entered conspiracy with the Picts and Saxons, signing treaties to permit them whichever part of the island they wished, so long as they molested not the kingdoms to the west and the north, even handing over Guinhuamara to Malvasius the son of Malgocunus [1] and Arturius Minor to the Saxons, slaying Lilaceus with his spear when he tried to defend them [2].
So Arturius returned to the shores of Britain only to find himself declared a renegade by his adopted son Moderatus, who had usurped his position as duke of all Britain, when in fact he was merely the puppet of the conspiracy of cowards which called themselves kings, including Cuneglasus, contemptuous of God and persecutor of his order, Vortiporius, the incestuous and degenerate heir to Vortimer, and Malgocunus, the dragon of this island and father of Malvasius, who was chief amongst this nefarious lot [3].
Galvanus the valiant nephew of Arturius lost his life to the foul Saxons, but they succeded in violence to land upon this isle, and put the armies of Moderatus to flight [4]. Arturius grieved, for in such a short space he had lost not only Caius, who was unto a brother to him, and also Galvanus, who between his nephews truly was more of a son to him than Moderatus the nephew which he had appointed as his heir.
8. Moderatus claimed the false trappings of legitimacy by claiming that Guinhuamara had defected to his side, but this was a lie, for when he ravaged the court of Arturius at Callinicum, dragged her from her throne and smote her once on the face, he permitted her sister to also smite her once on the face as revenge for the perceived injustices of their past [5], for while they were twins Guinhuamacha was the younger of them. Thereafter, Guinhuamacha posed as Guinhuamara, whom he gave unto Malvasius as prisoner [5].
After Arturius sacked the stronghold of Malvasius, located upon Mons Sulis [6] in the summer country, he learned that Malvasius had fled with his wife to the Isle of Glass and now claimed sanctuary within its abbey. Finding no way of crossing the seas which rose when he attempted to traverse the plain, he took the ultimate humility and begged Gildas, whose brother he had slain, to parley with Malvasius [7]. However, Arturius gave himself over to wrath upon seeing the poor state of his wife, and no sooner had Malvasius crossed the threshold of the church, thinking himself safe, Arturius cleaved his head in twain with his sword, killing him instantly. For this crime against God Gildas forsook the soul of Arturius, cursing him with eternal damnation even as he rode away to Caer Leon, leaving his wife in safety there.
Moderatus had in his cowardice retreated to the fortress of his deceased father, claiming it as his own as his brother Galvanus had died, and the opposing armies clashed on the banks of the river at Camboglanna, or as it is locally known, Camlann. Arturius had on ill-advice divided his soldiery into three columns to surround Moderatus [8], but they had become lost in the woods, and the bulk of the cohorts of Moderatus surrounded Arturius and his guard, with few reinforcements available for Arturius.
However, the forces of Arturius were strong in both arm and spirit, and they overcame the cowards of Moderatus, briefly leaving Arturius and Moderatus alone on the field of battle. Their clash was titanic, and when the sword of steel clashed with great violence against Red Death, neither blade was able to overcome the other, and both shattered with an incredible force, knocking both men over [9]. Alas for Arturius, that Moderatus found his footing first, and impaled him with the broken blade. But Arturius was not weak like other men, and gathered up the strength to draw his dagger, and clutching its white hilt, he drew himself up the blade and slew Moderatus in a single stroke [10].
9. While the cohorts of Arturius unrestrainedly ravaged the court of Camboglanna, leaving neither food nor drink in the court [11], Count Bedvero rushed to attend to Arturius, who was dying of his mortal wound. Arturius, with grave and laboured breath, spoke to Bedvero, giving his final orders in this mortal world.
“Take the holy lance, and return it to the lake of Tiberias, for that is its rightful home. Then perhaps there shall be peace between Britain and Rome.” [12]
Bedvero wept. Arturius continued, commanding him to take his banner and present it to his kinsman Cadorius, now duke of Dumnonia, but in truth Cadorius had already been usurped by the lion’s whelp, the descendant of the unclean lioness. But more on this later.
He instructed Bedvero to bury for Moderatus a grave in the silts of a river such that when it flooded the grave of the bitter one would sometimes be six feet in length, sometimes nine, sometimes twelve, sometimes fifteen, for his treachery had denied him the reprieve of a proper burial or any sort of resting place, for the stream would eat into his grave [13].
As for himself, he too had not earned a burial yet, and was instead to be put to sea by the Isle of Glass, such that he might once again look upon the blessed cup and the sacred salver and be taken by his ship to the sacred orchards of Caer Oeth and Anoeth, where he would remain its prisoner until, it is fabled, the direst hour of Britain [14], where he shall come forth, restored like Lazarus was by our Lord Jesus Christ [15].
But it has been many years since, and I fear it shall be many more yet before the name of Arturius returns in triumph to these shores. But more on this later. [16]
[1] This relates to the tradition of Melwas/Maleagant kidnapping Guinevere, which we'll see come to fruition later this update.
[2] Of Llacheu it is only said that spears brought about his premature end, so he's on the receiving end of Mordred's fratricide here. Other legends name Kay as the killer, in a fit of jealousy.
[3] Three of these kings match their descriptions in De Excidio..., and as for the other two (Constantine and Aurelius Conan) - more on this later.
[4] Geoffrey has Gawain dying on the shores of Southampton, so I have reason to contradict him on this point. Most later retellings have him die besieging Lancelot but there's no such character or plot here.
[5] This syncretises two legends surrounding Guinevere: firstly, that a fight between her and her sister Gwenhwyfach caused the Battle of Camlann, and the mediaeval tradition of "False Guinevere", her half-sister through her father, who indeed posed as her until she got afflicted with more diseases than Job.
[6] Solsbury Hill fort (not the Peter Gabriel song.)
[7] Life of Gildas (see previous parts), where Gildas amicably settles the dispute between the lords. Here, uh, not so much. Don't mess with Arthur or his wife, Melwas.
[8] One of three ill-advised strategems in the Welsh Triads. We can only guess why it didn't work out, though.
[9] Some mediaeval traditions have Mordred wielding Clarent, a ceremonial blade (which may or may not be the Sword in the Stone; here it isn't) which he stole; this is my take on it.
[10] The image of Arthur drawing himself up the spear is in fact only as recent as Excalibur, because it's the other way round in Le Morte d'Arthur. This version of the deadly duel also owes much to the 1998 Merlin miniseries with Sam Neill.
[11] Another reference to the Welsh Triads concerning the unrestrained ravagings of British courts.
[12] Bedivere is associated with a magic lance in Culhwch and Olwen, and this is of course an antecedent to him throwing Excalibur back into the lake, as watery tarts throwing swords at people is no way of governance.
[13] This is a reference to the grave of Amr, mentioned as one of the Wonders of Britain in Historia Brittonum. I've provided one explanation as to its variable size; another would be that its author can't measure worth a dam(n).
[14] One of the Welsh Triads mentions Arthur's imprisonment in "Caer Oeth and Anoeth" until his freedom through the actions of Goreu (Olwen's cousin), and William of Malmesbury (predating Geoffrey) writes that many people post-both Conquests still believed in Arthur's messianic return; Arthur's grave is described as "a mystery" in later Welsh literature. I've got my own take on that. (Also: "Orchard" is "Aballava" in Latin, c.f. Afallach/Avalon.)
[15] John 11:1-44
[16] Note to my faithful readers: IT'S NOT OVER YET!
Next update: The Shape of Things to Come.
However, starting with Geoffrey of Monmouth, Mordred eventually became the Final Boss of the Arthurian saga, and forever codified the trope of the mutual kill between father and (adoptive or biological) son at Camlann, dashing Britain's last great hope at throwing off the Saxon yoke (until Cadwaladr, but anyway.) Whatever the case, Camlann has come to represent the dying of an age of glory in a titanic final clash. So it is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to Arturius...or do we?
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BOOK SIX
THE RUIN AND CONQUEST
Ruins of the Roman fortress of Camboglanna, which has come to be identified with the site of Camlann, the final battle of Arthur, through toponymy.
THE RUIN AND CONQUEST
Ruins of the Roman fortress of Camboglanna, which has come to be identified with the site of Camlann, the final battle of Arthur, through toponymy.
7. But in the confusion of the battle, the report had gone out that Arturius had been slain, and his entire troop with him. When Moderatus received these he panicked and entered conspiracy with the Picts and Saxons, signing treaties to permit them whichever part of the island they wished, so long as they molested not the kingdoms to the west and the north, even handing over Guinhuamara to Malvasius the son of Malgocunus [1] and Arturius Minor to the Saxons, slaying Lilaceus with his spear when he tried to defend them [2].
So Arturius returned to the shores of Britain only to find himself declared a renegade by his adopted son Moderatus, who had usurped his position as duke of all Britain, when in fact he was merely the puppet of the conspiracy of cowards which called themselves kings, including Cuneglasus, contemptuous of God and persecutor of his order, Vortiporius, the incestuous and degenerate heir to Vortimer, and Malgocunus, the dragon of this island and father of Malvasius, who was chief amongst this nefarious lot [3].
Galvanus the valiant nephew of Arturius lost his life to the foul Saxons, but they succeded in violence to land upon this isle, and put the armies of Moderatus to flight [4]. Arturius grieved, for in such a short space he had lost not only Caius, who was unto a brother to him, and also Galvanus, who between his nephews truly was more of a son to him than Moderatus the nephew which he had appointed as his heir.
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8. Moderatus claimed the false trappings of legitimacy by claiming that Guinhuamara had defected to his side, but this was a lie, for when he ravaged the court of Arturius at Callinicum, dragged her from her throne and smote her once on the face, he permitted her sister to also smite her once on the face as revenge for the perceived injustices of their past [5], for while they were twins Guinhuamacha was the younger of them. Thereafter, Guinhuamacha posed as Guinhuamara, whom he gave unto Malvasius as prisoner [5].
After Arturius sacked the stronghold of Malvasius, located upon Mons Sulis [6] in the summer country, he learned that Malvasius had fled with his wife to the Isle of Glass and now claimed sanctuary within its abbey. Finding no way of crossing the seas which rose when he attempted to traverse the plain, he took the ultimate humility and begged Gildas, whose brother he had slain, to parley with Malvasius [7]. However, Arturius gave himself over to wrath upon seeing the poor state of his wife, and no sooner had Malvasius crossed the threshold of the church, thinking himself safe, Arturius cleaved his head in twain with his sword, killing him instantly. For this crime against God Gildas forsook the soul of Arturius, cursing him with eternal damnation even as he rode away to Caer Leon, leaving his wife in safety there.
Moderatus had in his cowardice retreated to the fortress of his deceased father, claiming it as his own as his brother Galvanus had died, and the opposing armies clashed on the banks of the river at Camboglanna, or as it is locally known, Camlann. Arturius had on ill-advice divided his soldiery into three columns to surround Moderatus [8], but they had become lost in the woods, and the bulk of the cohorts of Moderatus surrounded Arturius and his guard, with few reinforcements available for Arturius.
However, the forces of Arturius were strong in both arm and spirit, and they overcame the cowards of Moderatus, briefly leaving Arturius and Moderatus alone on the field of battle. Their clash was titanic, and when the sword of steel clashed with great violence against Red Death, neither blade was able to overcome the other, and both shattered with an incredible force, knocking both men over [9]. Alas for Arturius, that Moderatus found his footing first, and impaled him with the broken blade. But Arturius was not weak like other men, and gathered up the strength to draw his dagger, and clutching its white hilt, he drew himself up the blade and slew Moderatus in a single stroke [10].
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9. While the cohorts of Arturius unrestrainedly ravaged the court of Camboglanna, leaving neither food nor drink in the court [11], Count Bedvero rushed to attend to Arturius, who was dying of his mortal wound. Arturius, with grave and laboured breath, spoke to Bedvero, giving his final orders in this mortal world.
“Take the holy lance, and return it to the lake of Tiberias, for that is its rightful home. Then perhaps there shall be peace between Britain and Rome.” [12]
Bedvero wept. Arturius continued, commanding him to take his banner and present it to his kinsman Cadorius, now duke of Dumnonia, but in truth Cadorius had already been usurped by the lion’s whelp, the descendant of the unclean lioness. But more on this later.
He instructed Bedvero to bury for Moderatus a grave in the silts of a river such that when it flooded the grave of the bitter one would sometimes be six feet in length, sometimes nine, sometimes twelve, sometimes fifteen, for his treachery had denied him the reprieve of a proper burial or any sort of resting place, for the stream would eat into his grave [13].
As for himself, he too had not earned a burial yet, and was instead to be put to sea by the Isle of Glass, such that he might once again look upon the blessed cup and the sacred salver and be taken by his ship to the sacred orchards of Caer Oeth and Anoeth, where he would remain its prisoner until, it is fabled, the direst hour of Britain [14], where he shall come forth, restored like Lazarus was by our Lord Jesus Christ [15].
But it has been many years since, and I fear it shall be many more yet before the name of Arturius returns in triumph to these shores. But more on this later. [16]
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[1] This relates to the tradition of Melwas/Maleagant kidnapping Guinevere, which we'll see come to fruition later this update.
[2] Of Llacheu it is only said that spears brought about his premature end, so he's on the receiving end of Mordred's fratricide here. Other legends name Kay as the killer, in a fit of jealousy.
[3] Three of these kings match their descriptions in De Excidio..., and as for the other two (Constantine and Aurelius Conan) - more on this later.
[4] Geoffrey has Gawain dying on the shores of Southampton, so I have reason to contradict him on this point. Most later retellings have him die besieging Lancelot but there's no such character or plot here.
[5] This syncretises two legends surrounding Guinevere: firstly, that a fight between her and her sister Gwenhwyfach caused the Battle of Camlann, and the mediaeval tradition of "False Guinevere", her half-sister through her father, who indeed posed as her until she got afflicted with more diseases than Job.
[6] Solsbury Hill fort (not the Peter Gabriel song.)
[7] Life of Gildas (see previous parts), where Gildas amicably settles the dispute between the lords. Here, uh, not so much. Don't mess with Arthur or his wife, Melwas.
[8] One of three ill-advised strategems in the Welsh Triads. We can only guess why it didn't work out, though.
[9] Some mediaeval traditions have Mordred wielding Clarent, a ceremonial blade (which may or may not be the Sword in the Stone; here it isn't) which he stole; this is my take on it.
[10] The image of Arthur drawing himself up the spear is in fact only as recent as Excalibur, because it's the other way round in Le Morte d'Arthur. This version of the deadly duel also owes much to the 1998 Merlin miniseries with Sam Neill.
[11] Another reference to the Welsh Triads concerning the unrestrained ravagings of British courts.
[12] Bedivere is associated with a magic lance in Culhwch and Olwen, and this is of course an antecedent to him throwing Excalibur back into the lake, as watery tarts throwing swords at people is no way of governance.
[13] This is a reference to the grave of Amr, mentioned as one of the Wonders of Britain in Historia Brittonum. I've provided one explanation as to its variable size; another would be that its author can't measure worth a dam(n).
[14] One of the Welsh Triads mentions Arthur's imprisonment in "Caer Oeth and Anoeth" until his freedom through the actions of Goreu (Olwen's cousin), and William of Malmesbury (predating Geoffrey) writes that many people post-both Conquests still believed in Arthur's messianic return; Arthur's grave is described as "a mystery" in later Welsh literature. I've got my own take on that. (Also: "Orchard" is "Aballava" in Latin, c.f. Afallach/Avalon.)
[15] John 11:1-44
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[16] Note to my faithful readers: IT'S NOT OVER YET!
Next update: The Shape of Things to Come.
Thanks, dude! You're just in time for the final(ish) update, which will be after the board's downtime.
Quite so, and there's one bit left to go about the legacy of Arthur.
Well, what else is left to be said? After the glory of Celliwig, Caerleon and Camelot, I guess what's left is the grim world of Gildas's De Excidio. Where is hope to be found, if at all, now?
1. I write to you now such that you may receive this history in grace, and understand the tasks at hand for all Britain, having also translated this into the common tongue. [1]
In the time after the death of Arturius, there was great strife for now this conspiracy of tyrants, with Malgocunus proudest amongst them, chose a puppet as king, a man called Aurelius Constantinus, who was the whelp of the lion Constantinus, who himself was the son of the unclean lioness of Damnonia, murderess of the grandfather of Arturius. Many in the land called him Aurelius Caninus, because in truth he was worth less than a bitch. [2]
Indeed, he was so craven that in the times after that he pursued the sons of Moderatus into a church, and slew them before the altar. This crime was so horrific and blasphemous that the Lord instantly struck him down, and he was eaten by worms [3]. With his death there remained no king or duke over all Britain, and we have slid into ruin since.
2. There now remains little more to be said except to expound upon the fates of the companions and allies of Arturius.
Of his companions numbering twenty-four, only Bedvero survived, travelling to the Holy Land of Jerusalem once again to bequeath the sacred spear to the Emperor in Rome, who shut it up in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Of his fate thereafter I know nothing. [4]
Of my grandfather Caius, his most beloved companion, my mother Rhelemona says that she was adopted by Arturius following his death, and that I am hence the adopted grandson of Arturius. I have hence taken up his cognomen Aurelianus in respect. [5]
Of his wife, Guinhuamara, she remained in the convent constructed in memoriam of the martyrs Aaron and Julius in the City of the Legion until the end of her days, never seeing her husband or her son thereafter. But more on this later. [6]
Of his sister Corinna I know nothing, save that it was rumoured that she was the mother of Aurelius Constantinus, marrying the whelp of the unclean lioness of Damnonia after the death of her husband King Lot, but this is only rumour. [7]
3. Finally, I write this from my exile in Britannia Minor to any man upon the island who knows the truth of this matter, in both the ecclesiastical and the common tongue such that it may be understood by one and all. [8]
I have heard rumour that Arturius Minor, the son of Arturius, escaped the bonds of his Saxon captors and fled north, into the lands of the Scots, whereupon he begat a daughter, who married a chieftain of the Scots, and she begat a son by him, and named him Arturius. [9]
If there is any truth in this matter, then hear my unworthy appeal, for Arturius the grandson of Arturius Minor remains the last of the line of the Aureliani. Let these natures of Briton and Scot be indivisible and inseparable within him, such that he may similarly unite Briton and Scot and rally this island against Pict and Saxon alike, who have ravaged the north and the south respectively.
Although I am in exile, it is known to me that in the north – let us speak not of the west, for it has been forsaken by the cowardly actions of Cuneglasus and Vortiporius and Malgocunus, whose equally craven heirs now rule whatever little of their lands are left – the Votadini still remain the last bastion of our nation.
Let this Arturius, the son of the granddaughter of Arturius, Leader of all Britain, gather these men together, and from the shadow of Mons Agned light a brand so bright that the forces which threaten to engulf this island in eternal darkness shall disperse instantly, and be banished forever.
But I am no seer, nor am I prophet, and I cannot vouchsafe as to matters considering the future. I have little time left for this world as well, for my hands grow weak and my eyelids heavy. All I can do is pray and hope that this final hope of the Britons may arise and with him the nation be reborn. There is no more history to be written; this task must fall upon the scribes and the chroniclers of the generation beyond.
May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen. [10]
[1] Geoffrey of Monmouth mentions that his work is allegedly the translation of a work in "the ancient tongue" of the British, so why not?
[2] This motley crew (Vortiporius, Cuneglasus, Malgocunus, Constantine and Aurelius Conan) are those mentioned by Gildas in De Excidio... ; I've made them into a conspiracy aimed at usurping control over Britain, with (Leo) Constantine as the son of Constantius III (see Book 1) and the "unclean lioness of Damnonia", accounting for Aurelius Conan being described as "the lion's whelp" here and in De Excidio.
[3] This follows the tradition of Constantine killing Mordred's sons in a church; his fate is a gloss from Herod Antipas's in Acts.
[4] As mentioned last update, Bedivere has both an association with a magic spear and returning weapons to lakes. A visitor to St. Peter's Basilica in 570 AD mentions seeing the Holy Lance, making the entire escapade in the Holy Land just about plausible timeframe-wise.
[5] Retcon to account for Paul's cognomen. No link with Ambrosius Aurelianus has ever been suggested with him, incidentally.
[6] This is generally Guinevere's fate in Vulgate and Post-Vulgate retellings, and I used the church dedicated to Aaron and Julius due to Caerleon's Arthurian connections.
[7] Retcon to account for Aurelius's name.
[8] As mentioned before, this accounts for both this "Latin" and a "Brittonic" version. Paul Aurelian did indeed die in Brittany, to where many Britons fled after the Anglo-Saxon conquest, and he is mentioned as one of its seven founding saints.
[9] This refers to the very first historical mention of anyone named Arthur, who happens to be Artur mac Aedan, son of the King of Dal Riata. Based on the etymology of the name, he probably did have a British mother, and the choice of his name may have been inspired by the heroic exploits of the "historical Arthur". He wasn't particularly successful, but we can find out about that later...
[10] Revelation 22:21
Well, that's it, folks. I'll repost the epilogue so you know exactly what happens to Arthur III.
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THE EPISTLE
The so-called "Vortiporius Stone", alleged to contain an inscription referring to the Sub-Roman British king.
The so-called "Vortiporius Stone", alleged to contain an inscription referring to the Sub-Roman British king.
1. I write to you now such that you may receive this history in grace, and understand the tasks at hand for all Britain, having also translated this into the common tongue. [1]
In the time after the death of Arturius, there was great strife for now this conspiracy of tyrants, with Malgocunus proudest amongst them, chose a puppet as king, a man called Aurelius Constantinus, who was the whelp of the lion Constantinus, who himself was the son of the unclean lioness of Damnonia, murderess of the grandfather of Arturius. Many in the land called him Aurelius Caninus, because in truth he was worth less than a bitch. [2]
Indeed, he was so craven that in the times after that he pursued the sons of Moderatus into a church, and slew them before the altar. This crime was so horrific and blasphemous that the Lord instantly struck him down, and he was eaten by worms [3]. With his death there remained no king or duke over all Britain, and we have slid into ruin since.
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2. There now remains little more to be said except to expound upon the fates of the companions and allies of Arturius.
Of his companions numbering twenty-four, only Bedvero survived, travelling to the Holy Land of Jerusalem once again to bequeath the sacred spear to the Emperor in Rome, who shut it up in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Of his fate thereafter I know nothing. [4]
Of my grandfather Caius, his most beloved companion, my mother Rhelemona says that she was adopted by Arturius following his death, and that I am hence the adopted grandson of Arturius. I have hence taken up his cognomen Aurelianus in respect. [5]
Of his wife, Guinhuamara, she remained in the convent constructed in memoriam of the martyrs Aaron and Julius in the City of the Legion until the end of her days, never seeing her husband or her son thereafter. But more on this later. [6]
Of his sister Corinna I know nothing, save that it was rumoured that she was the mother of Aurelius Constantinus, marrying the whelp of the unclean lioness of Damnonia after the death of her husband King Lot, but this is only rumour. [7]
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3. Finally, I write this from my exile in Britannia Minor to any man upon the island who knows the truth of this matter, in both the ecclesiastical and the common tongue such that it may be understood by one and all. [8]
I have heard rumour that Arturius Minor, the son of Arturius, escaped the bonds of his Saxon captors and fled north, into the lands of the Scots, whereupon he begat a daughter, who married a chieftain of the Scots, and she begat a son by him, and named him Arturius. [9]
If there is any truth in this matter, then hear my unworthy appeal, for Arturius the grandson of Arturius Minor remains the last of the line of the Aureliani. Let these natures of Briton and Scot be indivisible and inseparable within him, such that he may similarly unite Briton and Scot and rally this island against Pict and Saxon alike, who have ravaged the north and the south respectively.
Although I am in exile, it is known to me that in the north – let us speak not of the west, for it has been forsaken by the cowardly actions of Cuneglasus and Vortiporius and Malgocunus, whose equally craven heirs now rule whatever little of their lands are left – the Votadini still remain the last bastion of our nation.
Let this Arturius, the son of the granddaughter of Arturius, Leader of all Britain, gather these men together, and from the shadow of Mons Agned light a brand so bright that the forces which threaten to engulf this island in eternal darkness shall disperse instantly, and be banished forever.
But I am no seer, nor am I prophet, and I cannot vouchsafe as to matters considering the future. I have little time left for this world as well, for my hands grow weak and my eyelids heavy. All I can do is pray and hope that this final hope of the Britons may arise and with him the nation be reborn. There is no more history to be written; this task must fall upon the scribes and the chroniclers of the generation beyond.
May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen. [10]
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[1] Geoffrey of Monmouth mentions that his work is allegedly the translation of a work in "the ancient tongue" of the British, so why not?
[2] This motley crew (Vortiporius, Cuneglasus, Malgocunus, Constantine and Aurelius Conan) are those mentioned by Gildas in De Excidio... ; I've made them into a conspiracy aimed at usurping control over Britain, with (Leo) Constantine as the son of Constantius III (see Book 1) and the "unclean lioness of Damnonia", accounting for Aurelius Conan being described as "the lion's whelp" here and in De Excidio.
[3] This follows the tradition of Constantine killing Mordred's sons in a church; his fate is a gloss from Herod Antipas's in Acts.
[4] As mentioned last update, Bedivere has both an association with a magic spear and returning weapons to lakes. A visitor to St. Peter's Basilica in 570 AD mentions seeing the Holy Lance, making the entire escapade in the Holy Land just about plausible timeframe-wise.
[5] Retcon to account for Paul's cognomen. No link with Ambrosius Aurelianus has ever been suggested with him, incidentally.
[6] This is generally Guinevere's fate in Vulgate and Post-Vulgate retellings, and I used the church dedicated to Aaron and Julius due to Caerleon's Arthurian connections.
[7] Retcon to account for Aurelius's name.
[8] As mentioned before, this accounts for both this "Latin" and a "Brittonic" version. Paul Aurelian did indeed die in Brittany, to where many Britons fled after the Anglo-Saxon conquest, and he is mentioned as one of its seven founding saints.
[9] This refers to the very first historical mention of anyone named Arthur, who happens to be Artur mac Aedan, son of the King of Dal Riata. Based on the etymology of the name, he probably did have a British mother, and the choice of his name may have been inspired by the heroic exploits of the "historical Arthur". He wasn't particularly successful, but we can find out about that later...
[10] Revelation 22:21
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Well, that's it, folks. I'll repost the epilogue so you know exactly what happens to Arthur III.
“Arthur.”
“Myrddin?”
“Arthur.”
“Myrddin! I am the strongest! I am the one!”
The rider raised his helmet, revealing his face to the man in the cloak. Around them there was nothing save effusions of blood and fire, and the passing of an age, terrible in its death-throes, although neither man knew it yet.
“The sword! You promised me the sword!”
“And you shall have it! But to heal, not to hack! Tomorrow, a truce! We meet at the river.”
“Talk! Talk is for lovers, Myrddin! I need the sword to rule!”
And the horseman sped away, disappearing into the ambuscade. And there was nothing save blood and fire for the remainder of the night.
=
The next day, by the river.
Two armies stood along the stream, each facing the other defiantly. The rider sat upon his steed, his hand resting gently upon a pommel.
The wise man said, “Show them the sword!”
And he drew it, and held it with its point towards Heaven above. And upon the sword were written the words ENSIS·ARTVRII·AVRELIANI·EX·CHALYBEIVS, and both parties stood amazed at the sight.
“Behold, the sword of Arthur! Forged from the sword drawn from the stones!” said Myrddin.
And the crowd murmured amongst themselves, as they remained in awe.
The rider spoke. “One land, one king! That is my peace!”
The leader of the opposing cohort replied, “If I yield to the authority so spoken by your sword, what shall you yield?”
“Me, yield?!” Arthur shouted in response.
Myrddin whispered to him, in a harsh tone. “He has given! Now you must!”
Nodding, Arthur spoke. “The land from here to the Wall shall be yours again, if you enforce the king’s will!”
After a pause, Mynyddog Mwynfawr nodded, saying, “Done!”
And there was a great cheer in the multitude, as many hands left their sword-belts, and their grips upon their bows and the shafts of their spears slackened. And thereafter both parties feasted together in Din Eidyn, the castle which lay in the shadow of Mons Agned.
=
Many months thereafter, on the banks of the river Camleon.
A multitude of corpses lay upon the marshy soil, embedded forever into the silts, dampened by water mixed with blood. Some of the men groaned in agony, but were already dead, for the end had come for all of them, regardless of whether they were men of the Miathi, the Goddodin, or the Scots of Dal Riata. They were all dead, or soon to be.
Of the Goddodin, all three hundred of them had been slain to man, no matter how noble or how craven; Cynon, whose horses they rode, and Heinif, savage and sudden on his horse’s back, and even Gwawrddur, the bulwark of the front line, who had glutted many blackbirds on the walls of Catraeth with the gore of men and beasts. But even then he was no Arthur.
Arthur himself lay gasping for breath even as the life was drawn from him with every sigh, for he had been dealt a mortal wound, but had slain his killer with a final exertion. Beside him was his steward, who among the scarce seven who had survived was the only one who had done so not merely by fortune, but by the strength of arms.
With gravely laborious breath Arthur spoke. “Take my sword. Bring it to the Isle of Glass, in the summer country, and cast it into the sea there if the abbey atop the tor no longer stands, for if even that has fallen, the sword shall never be safe upon this island.”
“No!”
Even as he lay dying, he gathered the strength to rebuke his steward. “Obey me, Derfel!”
“But the sword cannot be lost! Surely, other men-”
Again he rebuked me, saying, “Do as I command! One day, a king will come. And the sword will rise…again.”
And so I, Derfel the son of Hywel, took up the sword forged from the sword of steel, drawn from the stones by Arthur the son of Uther, and rode to the Summer Country, and cast it into the waters there. And so perished Arthur the son of Aedan, and great-grandson of Arthur, last of the Britons, and no man has seen him since.
=======
Arthur here is not the legendary King Arthur also known as Arturius, dux bellorum, but (as mentioned before) is Artúr mac Aedan, the first recorded instance of the name. Although Aedan was a king of Dal Riata, Arthur itself has Brittonic roots, so his mother may have been a Sub-Roman Briton, so why not a descendant of the "real" Arthur? Here he's capitalising on the fame of Arturius Aurelianus, whom the TL will actually be about.
Myrddin Wyllt is associated with the Battle of Arfderydd, which is alleged to have occurred in 573 - far too late for Arthur to have been active if he was indeed the victor of Badon Hill in ~500. Merlin comes in many forms, so this might be Merlinus Caledonensis, given the locale of these events.
The Goddodin are the subject of the first poem to mention Arthur, who is mentioned as an ideal to which Gwawrddur, the "bastion of the front line" did not compare. Their slaughter is alleged to have occurred at the fortress of Catraeth, but I decided to have it occur at Camleon for Arthurian reasons.
Saint Derfel is alleged to have been a companion of Arthur and survivor of Camlann but he was born in 560 - once again, too late.
Hence my smooshing together of the Goddodin and Derfel with the death of Artúr mac Aedan, which occurred before the death of St. Columba in ~596, with the opening of Excalibur. Clearly the Scots and the Goddodin/Votadini allied together against the Miathi/Meteae and rallied behind Artúr in the hopes that his name alone would deliver them victory. but they all died in this version of events.
Thank you all, guys. It really means a lot to me. Happy holidays to you all.
I'm working on some supplementary material to be released after Christmas, but it's basically similar to the actual situation in Sub-Roman Britain at the time.
Alex Richards
Donor
Nice way to tie up loose ends there.
And thanks for the video link- worth it just for Siegfried's Funeral March if nothing else.
And thanks for the video link- worth it just for Siegfried's Funeral March if nothing else.
Thanks for following this wild ride! It's been a blast to do this TL and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, if not more.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
If Excalibur had nothing else going for it John Boorman had excellent taste in music.
Thanks! In what sense though?
There's two [5]s in the text.Thanks for following this wild ride! It's been a blast to do this TL and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, if not more.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
If Excalibur had nothing else going for it John Boorman had excellent taste in music.
Thanks! In what sense though?
Oh, that. I wanted to highlight both aspects of the stuff mentioned in the footnote. But thanks though!
Hello Tom. I'm new here. In fact I joined because of your Arturius work. (Someone on the King Arthur FB page pointed it out.) I put an intro to myself in a test post, but briefly I am a physicist by profession, but an amateur of history. I have a bunch of history pages at http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/wiseman/History.html, including one Alternate history, and links to my papers (some peer-reviewed) in Arthurian-related history and literature.
Anyway, I really liked what you did, especially your justification for the Roman war, and your use of the Bible (which Paul Aurelian would certainly have done). I've got some detailed feedback I could give you if you want. But I also thought you might be interested in a work of mine, which takes a similar approach to yours in many ways. But I went the full hog and wrote a book. Here's its web page: http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/wiseman/ThenArthurFought/ThenArthurFought.html.
I've pasted its cover at the end of this message just for fun (I didn't mean it to be this huge, but that's just the size of the file on the book's webpage.)
I call my book a quasihistory. To quote from my preface, "a work with the appearance of a history, and not actually falsifiable." I'm curious as to why you consider your work an "alternate history" rather than a quasihistory (to use my term). As I said, I'm new to this forum, so perhaps I don't understand its scope.
Best, Howard.
Anyway, I really liked what you did, especially your justification for the Roman war, and your use of the Bible (which Paul Aurelian would certainly have done). I've got some detailed feedback I could give you if you want. But I also thought you might be interested in a work of mine, which takes a similar approach to yours in many ways. But I went the full hog and wrote a book. Here's its web page: http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/wiseman/ThenArthurFought/ThenArthurFought.html.
I've pasted its cover at the end of this message just for fun (I didn't mean it to be this huge, but that's just the size of the file on the book's webpage.)
I call my book a quasihistory. To quote from my preface, "a work with the appearance of a history, and not actually falsifiable." I'm curious as to why you consider your work an "alternate history" rather than a quasihistory (to use my term). As I said, I'm new to this forum, so perhaps I don't understand its scope.
Best, Howard.
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