SAWYL BENISEL, FATHER OF ARTHUR, AND THE 'IRISH CONNECTION'

I have frequently mentioned that when we seek to propose a historical candidate for the legendary Arthur, we must account for the fact that subsequent Arthurs all belonged to Irish-descended dynasties in Britain.  Otherwise, whatever theory we come up with must automatically be considered null and void.  

When I argued for Sawyl Benisel at Ribchester as Arthur's father, I pointed out that his wife, according to Irish sources, was a princess, none other than the daughter of Muiredach Muinderg of the Dal Fiatach of Ulster. But I did not bother to delve more deeply into possible Ulaid influences present in the Arthurian legends.  I would like here to remedy that deficiency.

My readers will notice first that on the map above, the Dal Fiatach were neighbors of the Dal nAraide.  Well, Fiachna son of Baetan, whose son Mongan is sired upon Caintigern by Manannan mac Lir in a story that perfectly parallels the begetting of Arthur, was of the Dal nAraide.  The Dal nAraide, in turn, were neighbors of the Dal Riata who settled in Scotland and who named one of their princes Arthur.  Arthur son of 'Bicoir' (= Petuir of Dyfed) is said to have slain Mongan off the island of Islay, a part of Dalriada. 

But this is not the only fascinating connection between Arthur and Ulster.

Fergus Mac Roich, whose sword Caladbolg is the prototype for Arthur's Caledfwlch, was an Ulster king. [See https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2020/07/king-arthurs-sword-excalibur-lightning.html and https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-sword-in-anvil-and-sword-in.html.]

Findabair, the prototype for Arthur's wife Guinevere, was of Connacht, the enemy of Ulster in THE TAIN.  [Most Arthurian scholars have failed to observe that in Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudo-history, Arthur must marry Guinevere before he can conquer Ireland.  This is at least literary evidence that Findabair was acknowledged as an Irish Goddess of Sovereignty, a role she most certainly played in the Irish sources.]

I have elsewhere pointed out that Sawyl's Irish wife bore the same name (Deichtine) as the mother of CuChulainn.  Lugh was CuChulainn's father, and this god came to play a huge role in Arthurian story, first as Geoffrey of Monmouth's 'Lucius Hiber[n]us', and then as Lugh/Llwch Lamhcalad/Llawcaled or Lancelot of the Lake.  Although the case for the Setantii of Lancashire being etymologically related to CuChulainn's original name of Setanta has been challenged, the marked resemblance of the British tribal name and Irish personal name is intriguing.  

Although Arthur's 'Avalon' is certainly the Aballava Roman fort at Burgh-By-Sands in Cumbria, we have record of Aedan son of Gabran (variously father or grandfather of the Dalriadan Arthur) fighting

Baetan, father of Fiachna father of Mongan, on the Isle of Man.  As Mananann was linked with the Isle of Man, it is often identifed with his Emain Ablach. I have shown that all of the goddesses of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Avalon are Irish in origin. 

Given all of the above, I feel that an identification of Sawyl as Arthur's father is considerably strengthened.  Indeed, I can find no other possible candidate for Arthur's father that will better explain the Irish associations so prevalent in the story of our great British hero.  It makes sense that Ulster traditions would have infiltrated the court of Sawyl, given his marriage to an Ulster princess.  These traditions then found their way through the usual channels of transmission to Geoffrey of Monmouth.