The Battle of Agned

The Battle of Agned

The Battle of Agned was said to have been Arthur’s eleventh battle against the Saxons. It is a particularly interesting battle, because different versions of the Historia Brittonum contain different information about it. It is also the only one of the twelve battles, apart from Badon, that may have independent support for its historicity. Let’s … Read more

The Fall of the Roman Empire in Britain

Hadrian's Wall marked the edge of the Roman Empire in Britain

After almost 400 years, Roman rule in Britain finally came to an end. However, just as the start of Roman governance in the island was a gradual process, the end likewise took place gradually. First of all, it is important to acknowledge that it is not perfectly understood, and new discoveries are still being made which clarify how it … Read more

The Saxon Invasion of Britain

The arrival of the Saxons into Britain is one of the most important events in the whole history of the British Isles, and in fact, the world. If the Saxons had never taken over control of what is now England, then the entire subsequent history of the country would likely have been completely different. Given the impact that the … Read more

Was King Arthur Welsh?

Castell Dinas Bran, near Llangollen, Denbigshire, Wales, UK

In some casual commentaries on King Arthur, we sometimes encounter the statement that he ‘defended the English from the Anglo-Saxons’. Of course, such a statement is deeply flawed, because the Anglo-Saxons were the nation from which the English developed. The very word ‘English’ is rooted in the word ‘Angle’. So in other words, the English … Read more

Was King Arthur Real?

Perhaps the single most fundamental and important question a person could ask about Arthur is, Did he exist? This is the foundation on which all other questions about the man are constructed (such as ‘Who was his wife?’, ‘Where did he live?’, ‘Did he have descendants?’).

There is no universal consensus on this issue, but scholars generally fall into two main camps. One of these is the idea that there most likely was a historical military leader named Arthur at the core of the stories. The opposing theory is that Arthur was actually a figure of mythology or folklore, but then he came to be ‘historicized’ as the centuries went on.

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