COMING SOON: The Arth and the Irthing - Two Rivers, But Only One Arthur?

Aberarth and the Afon Arth

Gorge of the River Irthing

Over the past few months, I have explored a number of different possible Arthurs.  The end result of my researches can be summarized rather simply: the name Arthur from Roman/Latin Artorius had to have been chosen for two possible reasons.  One, the Dark Age Arthur of Nennius and the Welsh Annals was a purely Northern figure who was named, ultimately, for the 2nd century A.D. Lucius Artorius Castus. Or, two, the name Arthur was utilized because the champion in question originated from a place where a notable 'bear' name was prominent.  That 'bear' name may well be an indicator of some kind of bear cult in that same location.

It is impossible to find an Arthur of the right time period properly linked to any extant legitimate genealogy either in the North or the South.  Arthur Penuchel son of Eliffer of York is, sadly, a clear and certain corruption.  And Uther/Illtud as Arthur's father shows all the hallmarks of forgery - or, creative genius, if one wishes to look at things more positively.  We are left with other "maybe" candidates for Arthur whose recorded names are purely Celtic and which do not derive from a Latin prototype.  

We seem to only have one good clue to go on and, interestingly enough, it can be made to work for either a Northern or a Southern Arthur.  This concerns the 'dux erat bellorum' title given to Arthur by Nennius.  While it could designate Lucius Artorius Castus, it could also be found as a name for a chieftain of the North and as a rank for a chieftain of the South.  As it happens, both men are associated with Bear Rivers.

I will discuss these two men in my next blog post.