A
Anonymous
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I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about the origins and/or plausibility beyond the King Arthur legends?
The Spoils of Annwn
I will praise the Lord, the Sovereign, the King of the land,
who has extended his rule over the strand of the world.
Well equipped was the prison of Gwair in Caer Siddi
according to the story of Pwyll and Pryderi.
None before him went to it,
to the heavy blue chain’ it was faithful servant whom it restrained,
and before the spoils of Annwn sadly he sang.
And until Judgement Day our bardic song will last.
Three shiploads of Prydwen we went to it;
except for seven, none returned from Caer Siddi.
I am honored in praise, song is heard
In Caer Pedryfan, four-sided,
my eulogy, from the cauldron it was spoken.
By the breath of nine maidens it was kindled.
The cauldron of the Head of Annwn, what is its custom,
dark about its edge with pearl?
It does not boil a coward’s food; it had not been so destined.
The sword of Lluch Lleawg was raised to it,
and in the hand of Lleminawg it was left.
And before the door of the gate of hell, lanterns burned.
And when we went with Arthur, renowned conflict
except for seven, none returned from Caer Feddwid.
I am honored in praise, song will be heard.
In Caer Pedryfan, island of the strong door,
noon and jet-black are mixed.
Bright wine their drink before their warband.
Three shiploads of Prydwen we went to the sea;
except for seven, non returned from Caer Rigor.
I, lord of learning, do not deserve lowly men.
Beyond Caer Wydr they had not seen Arthur’s valor.
Three score hundred men stood on the wall;
it was difficult to speak with their watchman.
Three shiploads of Prydwen wen went with Arthur;
except for seven, none returned from Caer Goludd.
I do not deserve lowly men, slack their defense.
They do not know what day…,
what hour of the midday God was born,
who…
They do not know the Speckled Ox, thick his headring,
seven score links in his collar.
And when we went with Arthur, disastrous visit,
except for seven, none returned from Caer Fanddwy.
I do not deserve lowly men, slack their attack.
They do not know what day…,
what hour of the midday the lord was born,
what animal they keep, silver its head.
When we went with Arthur, disastrous strife,
except for seven, none returned from Caer Ochren.
Monks crowd together like a choir of whelps
from the battle of lords who will be known.
Is the wind of one path? Is the sea of one water?
Is fire, irresistible tumult, of one spark?
Monks crowd together like a pack of wolves
from the battle of lords who will be known.
They do not know when darkness and dawn separate
or the wind, what is its path, is its onrush,
what does it destroy, what land does it strike?
How many lost saints and how many others?
I will praise the Lord, the Great Prince.
May I not be sad, Christ will endow me
‘Tunc Arthur pugnabat contra illos in illis diebus cum redibus sed ipse dux erat bellorum, Primum bellum fuit in ostium fluminis quod dictur glein…’
‘Then Arthur fourght against them in those days with the kings of the Britons but he himself was leader (Duke) of battles .
The first battle was at the mouth of the river which is called Glein
The second third and third and fourth and fifth upon another river which is called Dubglas and is in the district Linnius.
The sixth battle upon the river which is called Bassas. The seventh battle was in the Caledonian wood
The eighth battle was in the Fort Guinnion in which Arthur carried the image of St Mary, ever virgin, on his shoulder and the heathens were turned to flight that day and a greater slaughter was upon them through the virtue of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the virtue of St Mary the Virgin his mother.
The ninth battle was waged in the City of the Legion.
The tenth battle he waged on the shore of the River called Tribruit[i/]
The eleventh took place on the mountain which is called Agned.
The twelth battle was in mount Badon, in which nine hundred an sixty men fell in one day form one charge by Arthur, and no-one overthrew them except himself alone.
And in all battles he stood forth as victor.
Easier, and faster, getting around the coast of Britain by boat, rather than by land, in those days.melf said:welsh (brythonic) was spoken in the straithclyde area so that might suggest why arthur is also known there
There's certainly a good possibility that some of these big, megalithic sites were built on important crossing points of ancient (truly ancient) trading routes, meeting points that reached across millenia, from the earliest days of mesolithic hunter gatherers, right up to near historic times.Mythopoeika said:I've always thought it possible that Stonehenge may have been the Round Table referred to in the Arthurian legend.
It may well have been a meeting place of kings and chieftains from a time before Arthur, and he may well have used it for a similar purpose. OK, a round table exists in Winchester, but it's not very big.
Stonehenge is ideal as a meeting place for knights and their pages - they don't have to dismount, they just ride straight in. There may well have been a roof of some kind over the top to keep them dry.
Just a wild theory, you understand.
Timble said:The greater problem is where the battles are supposed to be ‘the City of the Legion’ has been suggested to be Caerleon or Usk, or Chester. ‘ Dubglas, ‘dark water’ could be any of dozens of rivers. The Caledonian wood, somewhere in Strathclyde?