Fascinating how linguistic evolution plays into narrative development. Now I wonder how many perceived ‘moral failings’ in legendary figures were retroactively invented through philological misunderstandings or poetic license. As for the famine of 537, that gives a more plausible historical backdrop to the Strife of Camlann than the later love triangle trope, which seems almost quaint in contrast. Perhaps we’re looking at a myth built on bread, not betrayal.
It's amazing how the climate data was used to verify the history. The historians and the scientists seem like separate groups. How well do they work together?
Historians didn't work together with scientists in this instance. There are some historians who focus on climate change and history, but in this instance it was more a case of historians being influenced by work published by scientists and joining up the dots.
The earliest mention of the Battle of Badon Hill (and the most contemporaneous) was by Gildas. He talks of the battles with the Saxons going backwards and forwards until Badon Hill, which resulted in a period of peace. Unfortunately, there is no mention of Arthur in his account.
I believe the battle took place at a site on The Ridgeway rather than Bradbury Rings or Bath.
Just read your piece on Badon Hill. If only I had known about the ‘shining’ interpretation when I wrote my MA essay all those years ago, I might have got a better mark. Beacons, of course. This is why historians need etymologists.
Fascinating how linguistic evolution plays into narrative development. Now I wonder how many perceived ‘moral failings’ in legendary figures were retroactively invented through philological misunderstandings or poetic license. As for the famine of 537, that gives a more plausible historical backdrop to the Strife of Camlann than the later love triangle trope, which seems almost quaint in contrast. Perhaps we’re looking at a myth built on bread, not betrayal.
It's amazing how the climate data was used to verify the history. The historians and the scientists seem like separate groups. How well do they work together?
Historians didn't work together with scientists in this instance. There are some historians who focus on climate change and history, but in this instance it was more a case of historians being influenced by work published by scientists and joining up the dots.
The earliest mention of the Battle of Badon Hill (and the most contemporaneous) was by Gildas. He talks of the battles with the Saxons going backwards and forwards until Badon Hill, which resulted in a period of peace. Unfortunately, there is no mention of Arthur in his account.
I believe the battle took place at a site on The Ridgeway rather than Bradbury Rings or Bath.
Just read your piece on Badon Hill. If only I had known about the ‘shining’ interpretation when I wrote my MA essay all those years ago, I might have got a better mark. Beacons, of course. This is why historians need etymologists.
I did a post a while ago on the Battle of Mt Badon that you may be interested in: https://ageofarthur.substack.com/p/the-battle-of-mount-badon
Thank you very much. I shall definitely look back to that one.
Fascinating, like all Arthurian history.