I actually had a college class partially on this years ago, and you managed to hit on every key issue from that class in that video. I personally think the most compelling historical Arthur is just this Ambrosius Aurelianus guy that Gildas mentions and that he just somehow got renamed in the centuries after.
Ambrosius is an interesting case, and it is possible he was the inspiration for Arthur, I agree. I always find it intriguing how he got incorporated in Monmouth's work.
@@Medievalannie can't wait to see your review of it. I have personally loved Arthurian legend just about all of my life, and haven't really scratched the surface of this book or the sources behind the legend. I appreciate all of the energy you bring to this subject
Thank goodness for this video you’ve been so helpful at explaining and making it easy to understand Arthurian literature! - a senior in high school 😵💫
I am so glad it put you in an Arthurian mood, it's the best mood to be in! Best of luck with you essay (I have a video on the tristan and isolde tradition planned for the future, I absolutely love it!)
HI Annie, great summary. I think, there are two likely candidates for the historical Arthur. A king named Owain Ddantgwyn ("King Arthur" by Graham Phillips and Martin Keatman, and a warrior called Riothamus ("The Discovery Of King Arthur" by Geoffrey Ashe). Another great Book by Geoffrey Ashe: "Mythology of the British Isles".
Ever since I read The Dark Tower series by Stephen King I've been interested in Arthurian literature. In The Dark Tower there are characters named Arthur Eld and Mordred. Thanks for the very interesting backstory to these legendary names!
I was so surprised to see books written in Portuguese on your shelves! I am from Portugal :) I love your videos! At the moment I am reading a modern retelling, Lancelot by Giles Kristian, but I prefer the medieval texts. Le Morte d'Arthur is one of my favourite books of all time.
So nice to hear you're from Portugal, I'm from Brazil! I haven't read this modern retelling, I usually stick to the medieval texts as well, but I'm thinking of reading some modern works soon. Le Morte d'Arthur is also one of my favourites, I wrote my dissertation on it! :)
I recently read The Discovery of King Arthur by Geoffrey Ashe and it blew me away! He must have been based on a real person for such wonderful legends to exist.
It is fascinating, isn't it? I feel like the debate over the historical Arthur will last for a long time... I'm just happy we get to enjoy the literature that came out of this enduring legend.
@@Medievalannie if your interested in the real king Arthur you should check out welsh researchers Alan Wilson and baram Blackett talking about the places and genealogy 😀
Philologist Andrew Breeze has a very interesting lecture on UA-cam called 'The Real King Arthur: A 6th Century North British Hero'. It's very convincing compared to anything else I've come across over the years.
A very clear and balanced account of a subject which is all too often fraught with errors and assumptions. Thank you. I look forward to more from you on this interesting theme
I am so happy you like the theme! I have a lot of videos on Arthurian literature and characters planned! Is there anything specifically you'd like to see?
@@Medievalannie honestly i'll be Happy with any kind of Arthurian content related!! But maybe the story of an specific character or something like that!!
Great video!! I really love all the accurate informarion - makes everything even more interesting than it alrteady is! I've never actually read anything "arthurian" so far, even though I have great interest about the subject and certainly consume this kind of content from other medias influenced by those legends. Do you know any audiobook you'd reccomend so i can quit being a "poser" when it comes to arthurian legends? Keep on with rhe greate work! :)
I'm so glad you liked it! I would recommend the Morte D'arthur audiobook, there are a few versions of it on audible, it is a compilation/retelling of the Arthurian made by Sir Thomas Malory in the 15th century, and it's a great way to read the entire legend :)
I have been meaning to read it for a very long time now, I will definitely talk about it in future Arthurian videos! Welsh literature is absolutely amazing :)
Great video. Do you happen to know anything about there being 2 historical Arthurs? I saw this on a comment for a different video, but they didn't give any more information. So I'm curious if you know anything about this, as I haven't encounter this idea before in my research on the legend. I'm writing an Arthurian novel, so I very much appreciate your contemt, very accurate and clear. Thank you.
Hey, thanks for that summary. A lot I didn't know. I see you have a folio society edition of The Hobbit - so do I! Do you have the folio edition of Monmouth's History? It's beautiful too.
I’m glad you liked it! And yes, that edition of the Hobbit is so beautiful! I don’t have the Monmouth, I’ll look it up, would love to add it to my collection.
@@Medievalannie www.stellabooks.com/books/geoffrey-of-monmouth/the-history-of-the-kings-of-britain-901186/2125729 This link shows what my edition looks like.
I’m interested in all of that old history, and how legends were formed. And it’s a treat to watch someone with your enthusiasm breaking it down. :) Still, I must admit that it wasn’t easy for me to follow, because as a non-native English speaker, I don’t always understand all the names of people and places that you mention, and my sciolism* about that part of British history is mostly based on the Uhtred book series by Bernard Cornwell. 🙈 You did superimpose some of the names, that is really helpful. I don’t know how many of your viewers are clueless foreigners like me, but I personally would love to have more context for each step of the “lesson.” 😊 *) I had to look that up. ^^
Thank you so much for the feedback! As a non-native English speaker myself, I really want to make my videos accessible to everyone, and I'm sorry it wasn't easy for you to follow! I have just finished adding subtitles with all the correct spellings of names and places, so I hope that helps a bit! But I will definitely keep all you said in mind for the next video and try to incorporate more context!
@@Medievalannie Oh, I thought that English was your native language. I looked into your channel info to see what your mother tongue may be, only to find an impressive scholar career, that explains how you are able to read those old sources.
Some heresies about Arthurian Legend for you. a. There is no mention of the Arthur story before Monmouth and Oxford in 1135. Gildas, Bede and others do not mention King Arthur, let alone the rest of the legend. b. The great hero of Arthurian Legend is Joseph(us) of Arimathaea, who is said to have been a knight working for Commander (Emperor) Vespasian. c. Perceval was said to have been the nephew of Joseph of Arimathaea. d. Several of the manuscripts (especially in the Vulgate Cycle), say that Arthurian Legend was written by Josephus Flavius in the 1st century. Troubling, eh? The answer to all this can be seen in that Arthurian Legend only appears with Monmouth and Oxford, after Crusaders and Templars arrived back in Europe from the Crusades. And note that the First Crusade went to Antioch-Edessa, Beyond the Euphrates, before it went to Jerusalem. What is the connection here? The Answer is that the Crusaders knew there were gospel secrets in Edessa, that had remained hidden behind the velvet veil of the Council of Chalcedon and the iron curtain of lslam, ever since the 5th and 8th centuries. That is why Eschenbach’s Parsival starts its Arthur story in Mesopotamia under King Barus (King Agbarus, the 1st century of Edessa). That is why High History says that Perceval was the nephew of the gospels’ Nicodemus. That is why Perceval’s father owned the donkey that had belonged to the gospel Nicodemus. All very troubling, eh? The answer is that Arthurian Legend is actually a secular gospel, about the historical Jesus as a real, secular, 1st century king of Edessa. But it was dressed up as a 5th or 6th century story of Britain, to evade Church censors (and Church funerary pyres). In reality the Galles (the Welsh) refers to the Eunuch Galli priests of Galilee and Syria. Which is why Jesus asked for his disciples to become eunuchs in Math 19:12. That is why Simon was called Peter-Kephas, the stone, because the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend was a sacred stone - the sacred omphalos-elagabal stone of the Galli priests of Syria. The stone that Scottish Templars claim they still possess x the Stone if Scone. There is much more to this story than meets the eye. See the book ‘The Grail Cypher’ Facebook: ralphellis144 Ralph Ellis
Gwyned in middle welsh is pronounced /gwin-eth/ where the th is voiced as in "there", not /gwined/. Similarly the medial d in Badon is pronounced with voiced th ie /Bathon/. Culhwch is pronounced /Kill-hooch/ in modern Welsh where the ch is pronounced as in loch or Bach. Your presentation is spoilt by poor accoustics because you have chosen an echoing environment. You need a room with more soft furnishings to absorb echo.
I first read of Arthur when I was about seven in the late 1960s in The Mabinogion and have been fascinated in early Welsh poetry ever since.
I could watch this kind of content the whole day
I'm so happy to hear that!! :)
Man, i only realized now that this video is 2 years old. Im already hooked on this channel
my fav youtube + Arthurian Legends = 💓💓💓💓
I'm so happy to hear you liked it!
(Your comment brought a big smile to my face ❤)
I actually had a college class partially on this years ago, and you managed to hit on every key issue from that class in that video. I personally think the most compelling historical Arthur is just this Ambrosius Aurelianus guy that Gildas mentions and that he just somehow got renamed in the centuries after.
Ambrosius is an interesting case, and it is possible he was the inspiration for Arthur, I agree. I always find it intriguing how he got incorporated in Monmouth's work.
I read "Once and Future King" as a kid and have loved Arthurian legend ever since, can't wait for the next video in the series!
I also read it when I was little! And it'll very likely be a part of one of the future videos in the series! :)
@@Medievalannie can't wait to see your review of it. I have personally loved Arthurian legend just about all of my life, and haven't really scratched the surface of this book or the sources behind the legend. I appreciate all of the energy you bring to this subject
Thank goodness for this video you’ve been so helpful at explaining and making it easy to understand Arthurian literature! - a senior in high school 😵💫
This is so BEAUTIFUL 🥺 I'm working in a tristan and isolde essay for school and you put me in the Arthurian mood thank you!!!
I love tristan and isolde so much!!!
I am so glad it put you in an Arthurian mood, it's the best mood to be in! Best of luck with you essay (I have a video on the tristan and isolde tradition planned for the future, I absolutely love it!)
@@Medievalannie yes yes yes. Arthurian mood is the best mood haha, so excited for your video!!! 🥺🥺🥺
I'm writing a novel based on the legend, your videos are very useful! thank you!
HI Annie, great summary. I think, there are two likely candidates for the historical Arthur. A king named Owain Ddantgwyn ("King Arthur" by Graham Phillips and Martin Keatman, and a warrior called Riothamus ("The Discovery Of King Arthur" by Geoffrey Ashe).
Another great Book by Geoffrey Ashe: "Mythology of the British Isles".
Ever since I read The Dark Tower series by Stephen King I've been interested in Arthurian literature. In The Dark Tower there are characters named Arthur Eld and Mordred. Thanks for the very interesting backstory to these legendary names!
I’ve never read the Dark Tower, but now that I know about the Arthurian names I’m very interested!!
I’m glad you found the video interesting :)
I was so surprised to see books written in Portuguese on your shelves! I am from Portugal :) I love your videos! At the moment I am reading a modern retelling, Lancelot by Giles Kristian, but I prefer the medieval texts. Le Morte d'Arthur is one of my favourite books of all time.
So nice to hear you're from Portugal, I'm from Brazil! I haven't read this modern retelling, I usually stick to the medieval texts as well, but I'm thinking of reading some modern works soon. Le Morte d'Arthur is also one of my favourites, I wrote my dissertation on it! :)
Portugal = Port of Gaul. A Roman term.
I recently read The Discovery of King Arthur by Geoffrey Ashe and it blew me away! He must have been based on a real person for such wonderful legends to exist.
It is fascinating, isn't it? I feel like the debate over the historical Arthur will last for a long time... I'm just happy we get to enjoy the literature that came out of this enduring legend.
@@Medievalannie if your interested in the real king Arthur you should check out welsh researchers Alan Wilson and baram Blackett talking about the places and genealogy 😀
@@jackieroberts7895 Those two are a pair of charlatans and fraudsters.
Philologist Andrew Breeze has a very interesting lecture on UA-cam called 'The Real King Arthur: A 6th Century North British Hero'. It's very convincing compared to anything else I've come across over the years.
Thank you for the information. Very well done.
A very clear and balanced account of a subject which is all too often fraught with errors and assumptions. Thank you. I look forward to more from you on this interesting theme
I am glad you enjoyed it! And yes, there is more to come :)
Your Welsh pronunciation is excellent. The only pointer I'd give is that 'dd' is pronounced as a 'th' sound
ESPETACULAR . INCRÍVEL MARAVILHOSA
YESSSSS MY FAVORITE THEME EVER OMG
I am so happy you like the theme! I have a lot of videos on Arthurian literature and characters planned!
Is there anything specifically you'd like to see?
@@Medievalannie honestly i'll be Happy with any kind of Arthurian content related!! But maybe the story of an specific character or something like that!!
That's really great to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback and for watching :)
Anyone Interested in arthurian legends should check out ALAN WILSON AND BARRAM BLECKETTS WORKS, THE HOLY KINGDOM AND MANY MORE BOOKS
Great video!! I really love all the accurate informarion - makes everything even more interesting than it alrteady is! I've never actually read anything "arthurian" so far, even though I have great interest about the subject and certainly consume this kind of content from other medias influenced by those legends. Do you know any audiobook you'd reccomend so i can quit being a "poser" when it comes to arthurian legends? Keep on with rhe greate work! :)
I'm so glad you liked it! I would recommend the Morte D'arthur audiobook, there are a few versions of it on audible, it is a compilation/retelling of the Arthurian made by Sir Thomas Malory in the 15th century, and it's a great way to read the entire legend :)
@@Medievalannie Awesome! I'm surely going to look for it! :D
Thank you for mentioning wales you should read the mabinogion king Arthur is in it 😀
I have been meaning to read it for a very long time now, I will definitely talk about it in future Arthurian videos! Welsh literature is absolutely amazing :)
Thank you, this was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable especially as I have delved into Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian series recently 😁
I am so glad you enjoyed it!! :)
Great video. Do you happen to know anything about there being 2 historical Arthurs? I saw this on a comment for a different video, but they didn't give any more information. So I'm curious if you know anything about this, as I haven't encounter this idea before in my research on the legend. I'm writing an Arthurian novel, so I very much appreciate your contemt, very accurate and clear. Thank you.
an excellent presentation , you should consider reading the book " Arthur of the Gododdin " , be well , Michael
Hey, thanks for that summary. A lot I didn't know. I see you have a folio society edition of The Hobbit - so do I! Do you have the folio edition of Monmouth's History? It's beautiful too.
I’m glad you liked it! And yes, that edition of the Hobbit is so beautiful! I don’t have the Monmouth, I’ll look it up, would love to add it to my collection.
@@Medievalannie www.stellabooks.com/books/geoffrey-of-monmouth/the-history-of-the-kings-of-britain-901186/2125729
This link shows what my edition looks like.
That's stunning!
Let me tell thee, milady, of the strife of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut fell...
I’m interested in all of that old history, and how legends were formed. And it’s a treat to watch someone with your enthusiasm breaking it down. :)
Still, I must admit that it wasn’t easy for me to follow, because as a non-native English speaker, I don’t always understand all the names of people and places that you mention, and my sciolism* about that part of British history is mostly based on the Uhtred book series by Bernard Cornwell. 🙈
You did superimpose some of the names, that is really helpful. I don’t know how many of your viewers are clueless foreigners like me, but I personally would love to have more context for each step of the “lesson.” 😊
*) I had to look that up. ^^
Thank you so much for the feedback!
As a non-native English speaker myself, I really want to make my videos accessible to everyone, and I'm sorry it wasn't easy for you to follow!
I have just finished adding subtitles with all the correct spellings of names and places, so I hope that helps a bit! But I will definitely keep all you said in mind for the next video and try to incorporate more context!
@@Medievalannie
Thank you so much! I’m going to watch it again, with subtitles! 😃👍
@@Medievalannie
Oh, I thought that English was your native language. I looked into your channel info to see what your mother tongue may be, only to find an impressive scholar career, that explains how you are able to read those old sources.
I'm from Brazil! But yes, studying in English for years helps a lot with the reading of these works. It's all about practice though! :)
Some heresies about Arthurian Legend for you.
a. There is no mention of the Arthur story before Monmouth and Oxford in 1135. Gildas, Bede and others do not mention King Arthur, let alone the rest of the legend.
b. The great hero of Arthurian Legend is Joseph(us) of Arimathaea, who is said to have been a knight working for Commander (Emperor) Vespasian.
c. Perceval was said to have been the nephew of Joseph of Arimathaea.
d. Several of the manuscripts (especially in the Vulgate Cycle), say that Arthurian Legend was written by Josephus Flavius in the 1st century.
Troubling, eh?
The answer to all this can be seen in that Arthurian Legend only appears with Monmouth and Oxford, after Crusaders and Templars arrived back in Europe from the Crusades. And note that the First Crusade went to Antioch-Edessa, Beyond the Euphrates, before it went to Jerusalem.
What is the connection here?
The Answer is that the Crusaders knew there were gospel secrets in Edessa, that had remained hidden behind the velvet veil of the Council of Chalcedon and the iron curtain of lslam, ever since the 5th and 8th centuries. That is why Eschenbach’s Parsival starts its Arthur story in Mesopotamia under King Barus (King Agbarus, the 1st century of Edessa). That is why High History says that Perceval was the nephew of the gospels’ Nicodemus. That is why Perceval’s father owned the donkey that had belonged to the gospel Nicodemus.
All very troubling, eh?
The answer is that Arthurian Legend is actually a secular gospel, about the historical Jesus as a real, secular, 1st century king of Edessa. But it was dressed up as a 5th or 6th century story of Britain, to evade Church censors (and Church funerary pyres). In reality the Galles (the Welsh) refers to the Eunuch Galli priests of Galilee and Syria. Which is why Jesus asked for his disciples to become eunuchs in Math 19:12.
That is why Simon was called Peter-Kephas, the stone, because the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend was a sacred stone - the sacred omphalos-elagabal stone of the Galli priests of Syria. The stone that Scottish Templars claim they still possess x the Stone if Scone.
There is much more to this story than meets the eye.
See the book ‘The Grail Cypher’
Facebook: ralphellis144
Ralph Ellis
Keel-hew'ch' or thereabouts
Why don't you mention Malory and the French texts? From the 13th and 15th centuries
Because its origin is welsh not French
Cymru am byth
O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau
Wales is a Celtic country like Scotland and Ireland
Gwyned in middle welsh is pronounced /gwin-eth/ where the th is voiced as in "there",
not /gwined/. Similarly the medial d in Badon is pronounced with voiced th ie /Bathon/.
Culhwch is pronounced /Kill-hooch/ in modern Welsh where the ch is pronounced as in loch or Bach. Your presentation is spoilt by poor accoustics because you have chosen an echoing environment. You need a room with more soft furnishings to absorb echo.