Gone Medieval King Arthur
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Sep 26, 2025 Dr. Mary Bateman, a lecturer at the University of Bristol and expert on Arthurian traditions, joins Matt Lewis to unpack the enduring legend of King Arthur. They discuss Arthur's transformation from a Roman warlord in early texts to a romantic hero in the Middle Ages. Mary explores the political motives behind Geoffrey of Monmouth's tales and Arthur's connections across Europe, revealing how his story reshaped notions of kingship and ideal leadership. The podcast also highlights the importance of powerful women in these narratives and Arthur's ongoing relevance in modern culture.
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Arthur As Early Warlord
- The Historia Brittonum (c.829-830) records Arthur not as king but as a dux bellorum leading twelve battles.
- Early Latin sources provide a skeletal, militaristic blueprint that later romances expand into myth.
Arthur And The Old North
- Early Welsh material places Arthur in the Old North (around Hadrian's Wall to southern Scotland).
- That geography explains why multiple regions later claimed Arthur as their own.
Arthur Lived In Oral Memory
- Surviving Welsh poems and saints' lives imply Arthur was already famous in oral tradition.
- Fragmentary written traces hint at a broad, popular storytelling culture before full literary accounts.
