The Arthur of History: A Reinterpretation of the Evidence

King Arthur dominates the mythic landscape of Britain, the Once and Future King who reigns in the psyche of the English and Welsh peoples. He is the “Shadow in the Mist” of British history and legends, glimpsed through numerous accounts, tales and place-names since his battles were first recorded in the 9th and 10th centuries in the ‘History of the Britons’ and the ‘Welsh Annals’. Cutting through centuries of arguments based on medieval romance and poetry, August Hunt presents a challenging and convincing argument for both the existence of a historical war-leader named Arthur and his presence on the borders of England and Scotland. He also examines and integrates the evidence for Irish influences in the tales and life of King Arthur. By thoroughly considering the place-names associated with Arthur’s battles and other significant sites such as towns and Roman forts, the author shows through onomastics, geography, archaeology and philology how they are all based on real historical places in northern England and southern Scotland. Not only this, but they also point to both the location of Camelot and to Arthur’s final resting place of Avalon. From this basis, the author explores traditional genealogies, chronicles, myths and folklore to present the possible identities of the important figures of Ambrosius, Cunedda and Vortigern, as well as that of the hero who was transformed into a mythic leader exemplifying chivalric ideals and the hope of national rebirth.