“A remnant, to whom wretched citizens flock from different places on every side … take up arms and challenge their victors to battle under Ambrosius Aurelianus. In his work, Gildas gives us the first impression of the heroic figure which would come to define how Arthur was represented in later texts: With Gildas’s writing though, the legend of Arthur was first written down in Latin, and thus became part of the Romano-British literary caucus. However there is earlier evidence that tales about Arthur were passed down orally in the Celtic languages before being written down, and so it is possible they had already been circulating for some time by the 5th century. The mythology of “Arthur” in its primordial form seems to have begun soon after the Roman occupation of Britain - his name is mentioned in the heroic poetry of the Welsh bards Taliesin and Aneirin, as well as the mysterious “Ambrosius Aurelianus” spoken of in Gildas’s famous work On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain. It is impossible to know when the earliest tales of King Arthur were first told. But was Arthur more than just a hero to these people? Britain has had countless heroes throughout its history, but is Arthur’s enduring, overwhelming popularity a sign that he has become something more? Something like a Messiah? The Early Mythology As a result of his popularity through the ages, King Arthur has come to represent various political causes as a symbolic figurehead, earning him a reputation as “champion of causes”.įrom medieval Welsh rebels to 20th century anti-Nazi campaigners, the British peoples have rallied behind Arthur’s war banner since a time before the idea of “Britain” ever existed. Over time, the mythology of Arthur grew as new stories were added to the existing ones and his fame spread throughout Britain and beyond. King Arthur is undoubtedly one of the most enduringly popular heroes to come out of the medieval era, and he has meant many things to many people for hundreds of years.
0 kommentar(er)
