Evidence King Arthur Actually Existed | BBC Timestamp

From Camelot to Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table, we all know the legend of King Arthur: but is it really just a legend? Geoffrey Ashe, who was one of the world’s leading Arthurian experts, found evidence in a rare 6th Century document that led him to a warlord called Riothamus, who’s own history shares remarkable parallels with that of Britain’s legendary King. Could this have been the real King Arthur?

 
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[BBCTimestamp]

Do you think that Riothamus was the real-life inspiration for King Arthur? Tell us your thoughts on Geoffrey Ashe's famous theory in the comments below.

[AntifoulAwl]

On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place.

[petrovonoccymro]

Arthur was King Arthrwys, of Gwent, also named as King Arthur in the Charters of Llandaff Cathedral. Arthur is mentioned several times in the Charters both for land gifts to the early Church and for attendance at ecclesiastical meetings alongside other nobles and bishops.
He is referred to either as Arthrwys or Arthur, the more Latinate version being Artorius.
The Bruts of England in the Bodlian also say Arthur was to be crowned in south Wales.
Wilson and Blackett have shown beyond doubt that Arthrwys was also Arthur. They discovered the electrum cross in south Wales inscribed Pro Anima Artorius, for the soul of Arthur, and even a gravestone inscribed Rex Artorius, Fili Mauricius (Meurig in Welsh).
Meurig was his father and Tewdric his grandfather, both also kings of Gwent. Arthur was crowned at Caerleon by his uncle, Dubricius, (Dyfrig in Welsh) a bishop who is interred at Llandaff, as is Arthur’s father, King Meurig.
King Tewdric is buried at Mathern Church, near Chepstow. He was mortally wounded in a battle against the Saxons near Tintern, the town named after him (Din Teyrn, the hill of the king). Mathern is also named after him (either Dyma Teyrn, place of a king, or Merthyr Teyrn, martyred king).
Tewdric was made a saint by the Catholic Church for defeating the Pagan Saxons at nearby Pont Y Saeson (Bridge of the Saxons) and giving his life doing so. Interestingly, he was on his way to the island of Ynys Echni, Flatholm, in the Severn sea, to be buried alongside other nobles and royals but died at Mathern, so his son Meurig built a chapel there over his grave which later became the modern church.
Ynys Echni could well be the inspiration for the later tale of Avalon being an island where nobles were buried. Bardsey off north Wales has a similar reputation and is known as the island of twenty thousand saints. Indeed, Dyfrig, the bishop who crowned Arthur at Caerleon, was initially buried on Bardsey but his remains were later transferred to Llandaff Cathedral.
Tewdric’s wounds were bathed in a spring at Mathern a few hundred yards from the church. It is now called Tewdric’s well and you can visit it. Tewdric’s remains were examined in the 1600s and again in the 1800s and his skull displayed the hole where he had been struck by a Saxon lance in the battle at Pont Y Saeson, Bridge of the Saxons, (still on the map today).
Llandaff Cathedral is ancient. It had a bishop before York and before London.
Google Pro Anima Artorius to be enlightened.
All of this was taught in history lessons in Welsh schools until the Welsh teachers were sacked and replaced by English speaking ones and Arthur was dropped from the curriculum. All this happened a century ago.
The German royals and their Establishment wanted Britishness, not Welshness.
Two other footnotes of interest. The Glamorgan/Gwent kings lived in a castle near Cardiff called Caer Melyn, the Yellow Fort, whose outlines can still be seen. It does not take a huge stretch of imagination for that name to have been wrongly labelled Caer Melot, or Camelot.
The field in Caerleon where the Roman amphitheatre stands was known throughout the Middle Ages as Arthur’s Meadow. The amphitheatre was not uncovered until early in the twentieth century but the mound which built up and disguised it for hundreds of years was also known throughout the Medieval period as King Arthur’s Round Table. It is a reasonable surmise that he held meetings there in the 500s as it would still then have been an impressive place, probably surrounded by wooden seating.
And Caerleon itself would also still have been an impressive place at that time. The ancient Roman port and quayside walls not far from the amphitheater were uncovered by archaeologists from Cardiff University and a visit from Time Team. Geoffrey of Monmouth had been vilified for centuries for suggesting that VIPs arrived for King Arthur’s coronation revels at the port of Caerleon, as there was no port or harbour or quayside there. We now know better. There are also palatial size buildings near the River Usk still waiting to be excavated.

[stephenlitten]

I remember reading about this theory 45 years ago

[Immortal-Headcase]

If the BBC told me water is wet, i'd check it to make sure, because the BBC has been shown they can be a bit free with facts when it concerns history.

[michaelhurley]

We all know what happened to King Arthur. He was put into police custody for a murder he did not commit. We do not know where he is now because the film was abruptly cut off!!!

[MikeyArthur-uc]

Still looking for Arthur are you? I've been here the whole time

[thomaszaccone]

Well, I read Asche's book on Riothamus and it was convincing. Arthut is called "Dux bellorum" a Roman Title by one of the earlier chroniclers - Gildas I believe.

[BrotherPatriot]

Wow!

Some new information that...kinda seems to add up well.

Interesting...!!

[peterweeks]

Surely the simple answer is that Geoffrey of Monmouth read Jordanes' Gothic History and based his 'history' on that? Saying that The Gothic History is a rare/ unknown book is simply not true.
Geoffrey could simply have used the name Arthur, from well-known Welsh stories to replace Riothamus.

[roydownes]

"riothamus", like most of the royal/divine "names" associated with figures of celtic legend, is a use name - a title - like "Medb" or "Cu Chulainn". it derives from the british celtic "rigotamos" - "most royal".

[BSdetected]

Interesting concept…. Fighting aged britons where sent off in legions serving in other lands, just as legions in Britain where from foreign shores, so local experienced battle commanders where hard to find, and usually retired legionnaires … i cant help but wonder if this pretender to the mythical throne of “arthorius the bear”, and, “ambrosius” was perhaps a roman/Britton serving with Aetius in the wars with Attila, returning to his fathers land as an experienced battle commander after Aetius’s murder… the start of a concept, perhaps.

[Dak]

Myths of an Arthur like figures in many pre-medieval tribes. The Arthurian legend was kept alive in Britton by British writers who used the names familiar to us today. The ancient kings of Scandinavia, Scotland and Northern Europe might all be some part of Arthur.

[joanware]

I watched a bbc programme on yesterday with Graham phillips from his book `King Arthur a true story`, it was so interesting, you can buy the book but I cant find the programme, it was really good and informative.

[penandsword]

King Arthur and Merlin the Magician were created in the fantastical "History of the Kings of Britain" written in 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He omitted Alfred the Great (a Saxon). Geoffrey's patrons were Normans. Alfred was left out on purpose. "Arthur" was to be the new founding hero myth.

[Magnus-vx]

I understand the need for King Arthur to be real, but wouldn't it be disappointing to learn if he was nothing like in the wonderful Legend?
We all need a bit of Magic, right?

[c.coleman]

Case not proved: Riothamus was too early for the ruler who defeated the Saxons at Badon ca 495 AD.

[ConradAinger]

There are no contemporary sources for an 'Arthur' in the 5th century.
Geoffrey of Monmouth lived centuries later.

[Notacladist]

This is not how history scholarship is done.

[USSResolute]

I just want to appreciate that you only used the word evidence instead of the overplayed and often inaccurate word "proof".