The Quest for Arthur

There is no evidence for the Arthur of history being Cornish or Welsh or Breton. We now know that the earliest Arthur stories preserved in the Welsh language originated in Scotland.

Arthur can best be understood as an earlier version of a clan battle chief - in the 6th century Scotland was composed of a series of tribal confederations many of whom spoke a language just like Old Welsh. Tribal warriors would only follow someone they respected - after all they were all related and knew who was the fittest to lead. Kings arose later probably as a result of the increasing influence of the Christian church and ruthless politicians like St Columba. The loyalty of the warriors, like that of the chief, was to the tribe, or clan, and Arthur was a war leader, like Calgacus 400 years earlier who fought the Romans. I believe I have now mapped out his battle campaign, based on a new interpretation of the writings of the 8th century cleric Nennius, who describes the 12 battles of Arthur.

• Q. So do we know where the twelve battles attributed to Arthur were fought?
• A. Yes it's in the book
• Q. Can we suggest where Avalon - the mystic island where Morgan and her sisters took Arthur after the last battle - actually existed?
• A. Yes, it's in the book.
• Q. As we now know he wasn't fighting Anglo-Saxon invaders, can we say who he was fighting?
• A. And again yes, it's in the book.
• Q. We know he wasn't a king, so how could he have become such a famous war-leader?
• A. Check it out - it's in the book.