King Arthur may have ridden in from Mongolia by Nick Fielding http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ THE legend of King Arthur, Britain's ancient king fabled for his chivalrous knights of the round table, may instead have sprung from the warrior hordes of central Asia. Claims in a new book challenge existing theories that Arthur could have been a propaganda tool to justify the Norman attack on Saxon England or a Celtic chieftain. "These tales are routinely assigned to the 'pagan' culture of the Celto-Britons, but not all of them can be found there," says Howard Reid, the anthropologist who has written Arthur, the Dragon King, to be published later this month. "The simple equation that the Arthurian world was a direct descendant of early Celtic Britain does not add up." Reid claims the legend arrived with a detachment of Sarmatian tribesmen from the steppes, brought to Hadrian's Wall by the Romans. The Sarmatians worshipped a god of war who was said to take the form of a magic sword similar to Arthur's Excalibur. Written accounts of the Arthurian legend first occur in Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain, published in 1136, before reaching their most elaborate versions in the 19th century. By then Arthur had become the hero of the ancient Britons, fearlessly defending his people against Saxon invaders. His court of Camelot was thought to be at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, although almost every part of Britain has its own version of the Arthurian legend. The stories of Excalibur, the wizard Merlin, the round table and the heroic exploits of the knights such as Lancelot, Gawain and Galahad and their quest for the Holy Grail entered the national psyche. However, Arthur's name appears in no list of kings known to historians and archeological evidence of his existence has proved elusive. Instead, says Reid, we should be looking to the mounted warriors of central Asia, later to enter history in the form of the Mongol army of Genghis Khan. According to Reid, their most powerful deity was the god of war. By about AD175 one offshoot tribe, the Sarmatians, were encroaching on Roman territories. Fearful of their battle skills, the Romans took to hiring them as mercenaries and many were sent to the distant Roman province of Britannia. Up to 5,500 Sarmatians were taken to Hadrian's Wall by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. With them they brought their myths and legends. Reid claims the word Excalibur is derived from the Kalybes, a sub-group of the Sarmatians who were famous blacksmiths. Some historians have attacked Reid's theories. Dr Oliver Padel, from Cambridge University's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, said the Arthurian legend had sprung from Wales long after the departure of the Romans. "The original Arthur found in Welsh literature is very different to the popular conception. He did not exist in a world of knights on horseback and he was not a king," says Padel, author of Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature. He claims the legend emerged over a period of 700 years from AD830, with elements such as the lady of the lake and Arthur's court of Camelot being added later. Padel said: "What Reid's book does is take little bits from the later stages of the legend and assumes them to be important for analysing the origins of the legend." http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ Mike Admin Northern-England-L@rootsweb.com http://www.genealogy45.fsnet.co.uk/ check out Dave's bits & bobs here, http://212.19.69.91/north

Is nothing sacred? King Arthur a member of the Mongol hordes? Jean ----- Original Message ----- From: "List Admin" <listowner@btinternet.com> To: <NORTHERN-ENGLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 2:42 PM Subject: [NTH-ENG] For anyone interested in King Arthur > King Arthur may have ridden in from Mongolia by Nick Fielding > http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ > > THE legend of King Arthur, Britain's ancient king fabled for his > chivalrous > knights of the round table, may instead have sprung from the warrior > hordes > of central Asia. Claims in a new book challenge existing theories that > Arthur > could have been a propaganda tool to justify the Norman attack on > Saxon > England or a Celtic chieftain. "These tales are routinely assigned to > the > 'pagan' culture of the Celto-Britons, but not all of them can be found > there," says Howard Reid, the anthropologist who has written Arthur, > the > Dragon King, to be published later this month. "The simple equation > that the > Arthurian world was a direct descendant of early Celtic Britain does > not add > up." Reid claims the legend arrived with a detachment of Sarmatian > tribesmen > from the steppes, brought to Hadrian's Wall by the Romans. The > Sarmatians > worshipped a god of war who was said to take the form of a magic sword > similar to Arthur's Excalibur. Written accounts of the Arthurian > legend first > occur in Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain, > published in 1136, before reaching their most elaborate versions in > the 19th > century. By then Arthur had become the hero of the ancient Britons, > fearlessly defending his people against Saxon invaders. His court of > Camelot > was thought to be at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, although almost > every part > of Britain has its own version of the Arthurian legend. The stories of > Excalibur, the wizard Merlin, the round table and the heroic exploits > of the > knights such as Lancelot, Gawain and Galahad and their quest for the > Holy > Grail entered the national psyche. However, Arthur's name appears in > no list > of kings known to historians and archeological evidence of his > existence has > proved elusive. Instead, says Reid, we should be looking to the > mounted > warriors of central Asia, later to enter history in the form of the > Mongol > army of Genghis Khan. According to Reid, their most powerful deity was > the > god of war. By about AD175 one offshoot tribe, the Sarmatians, were > encroaching on Roman territories. Fearful of their battle skills, the > Romans > took to hiring them as mercenaries and many were sent to the distant > Roman > province of Britannia. Up to 5,500 Sarmatians were taken to Hadrian's > Wall by > the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. With them they brought their myths > and > legends. Reid claims the word Excalibur is derived from the Kalybes, a > sub-group of the Sarmatians who were famous blacksmiths. Some > historians have > attacked Reid's theories. Dr Oliver Padel, from Cambridge University's > Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, said the Arthurian legend > had > sprung from Wales long after the departure of the Romans. "The > original > Arthur found in Welsh literature is very different to the popular > conception. > He did not exist in a world of knights on horseback and he was not a > king," > says Padel, author of Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature. He claims > the > legend emerged over a period of 700 years from AD830, with elements > such as > the lady of the lake and Arthur's court of Camelot being added later. > Padel > said: "What Reid's book does is take little bits from the later stages > of the > legend and assumes them to be important for analysing the origins of > the > legend." > http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ > > Mike > Admin Northern-England-L@rootsweb.com > http://www.genealogy45.fsnet.co.uk/ > check out Dave's bits & bobs here, > http://212.19.69.91/north > > > > ==== NORTHERN-ENGLAND Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the list in mail mode send a message to > NORTHERN-ENGLAND-L-request@rootsweb.com > that contains the word unsubscribe and nothing else. > If you are in digest mode, then send the command instead to > NORTHERN-ENGLAND-D-request@rootsweb.com > > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.230 / Virus Database: 111 - Release Date: 1/25/01