King Arthur
Possibly the greatest figure in the history and folklore of Britain
is the fabulous King Arthur. According to legend he lived in the late
5th to early 6th centuries at a time when Britain was the scene of a
bloody struggle between the Britons and the invading Saxons and their
allies, the Picts and Scots. Arthur is famed as being the great figure
at the forefront of the Britons' heroic defence of their homeland and
heritage. Based mainly in the South West of England he also seems to
have waged a national campaign to defend the Island against its
invaders.
He was truly a Christian Warrior, being raised in an
area thought to be one of the first, if not the first to be introduced
to Christianity in Britain. Legend has it that he led a contingent of 28
knights, the legendary Knights of the Round Table. One of these Knights
was Launcelot, who fell madly in love with Arthur's Queen, Guinevere
with tragic consequences.
Was there ever such a man as Arthur and is
there substance behind all the folklore? Modern research has uncovered
behind the figure of legend a real person of historical significance in
those troubled times. Chroniclers and documents were few in those times
so the details of Arthur's life must remain uncertain. We cannot know
exactly what he was like but he still lives today in the heart of the
English who refuse to be conquered.
"The South-Western Peninsula, made up of
the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, in certain aspects has a
character akin to that of the ancient Celtic Atlantic seaboard
communities of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. In common with these
communities the Peninsula possesses a powerful tradition of independence,
a durable strain of mysticism taken from early paganism and modified by
Christian practice and not least of all, a breathtaking combination of
scenery and climate which dominates the individual and heralds the power
of forces outside the control of man. Such areas are the homes of most
of our Island's legends and it would be natural for a man of power and
great fighting prowess to become a 'folk-hero' in the Peninsula." -
Graham Ashton B.A.
Below you will find a series of articles about
Arthur and the places in Somerset that are associated with him.
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