The Welsh Triad

The Welsh Triads are otherwise known as the Triads of the Island of Britain (Britain is also referred to as Prydain).

The word Triads is gotten from the word “Tri” which means three. In literature the Triad is a rhetorical form whereby Items/ objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading or title that shows the point of similarity. For instance “Three things cannot be controlled; the speed of light; the flow of a torrent; and the tongue of a fool.”

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Annales Cambriae (The Annals of Wales)

banner of the annales cambriae or the annals of wales

The Annales Cambriae are a complex of Cambro-Latin chronicles compiled or derived from diverse sources at Saint David’s in Dyfed, Wales.  The earliest is a Twelfth-Century AD presumed copy of a mid-Tenth Century AD original; later editions were compiled in the Thirteenth Century AD.  Despite the name, the Annales Cambriae records not only events in … Read more

Vortigern

Vortigern, called “Gurthigern” by monk Gildas, was a 5th century ruler known for inviting the Saxons to Britain in order to stop the Picts and Scots from their incursions and allowing them to control the land. Vortigern is not a name per se; it means “Supreme Lord”. His actual name is unknown as are many … Read more

Was Camelot Real?

An artistic representation of Camelot.

There is no location more firmly associated with King Arthur in popular media today than Camelot. This was his famous capital city, usually depicted as a grand castle or walled settlement. But surprisingly, for a place that is so intimately connected with Arthur, scholars regularly state that it never existed at all. What is the … Read more

Morgause

Morgause (also known as Mogawse) is a lesser known character in Arthurian lore, but one of particular importance in many versions. The Literary History of Morgause In the 11th century, Morgause was known only as Orcades which is linked to the Latin name for the Orkney Islands. This is where Gawain, one of Mogause’s sons, … Read more

Igraine/Ygraine

Igraine is the mother of Arthur, formerly Duchess of Tintagel and later the Queen of England. According to the Welsh tradition, her name was Eigyr or Eigr. She’s the daughter of a prince. She also has a son named Gormant and seven brothers and two sisters. In the English tradition she had three husbands before … Read more

The Picts

The Picts are a group of people who lived in Northern Britain during the Roman times and the traditional Arthur period. The Picts were some of the very first settlers of Scotland. There are myths that tell of their lineage, being apparently descended from the Celtic goddess “Brighid”. The first king of Scotland, Kenneth I, … Read more

The Lady of Shalott

Lord Alfred Tennyson’s four-part poem is based on the Arthurian Legend of Elaine of Astolat, who died for that love that surpassed all human understanding. Its recounted version was in the 13th-century Italian book Donna di Scalotta but the poem is an 18th Century work. Lord Tennyson composed the poem in 1842. The poem is … Read more