What follows is a simple summary of why I think Arthur belongs to the Banna Roman fort at Birdoswald.
1) Banna and Arthur's Camboglanna/Camlann are both in the Irthing Valley. Irthing as a place-name has been rendered (by Dr. Andrew Breeze) as Cumbric erthinn/erthyn, 'Little Bear.' Arthur, although from Roman Artorius, was early on linked by British speakers with their own word for bear, *arto-/arth.
2) Arthwys, a chieftain at the head of some of the families in the Northern royal genealogies, means 'Man of the Arth.' As such, like the Welsh Glywys, this is an eponymous place-name. He may designate the Irthing Valley.
3) The Dacian garrison at Banna may have had a bear god (Zalmoxis), and they are known for their draco standard. The Draco named on the Ilam Pan/Staffordshire Moorlands Pan, whose name takes the place of Banna found on two other similar cups, is thought to be a Dacian whose name was chosen in honor of the draco. If there is anything to Geoffrey of Monmouth's story about Uther Pendragon taking his name from the dragon-star and his carrying a draco standard into battle, there could be no more appropriate place in all of Britain to find such a man than Birdoswald. The Terrible Chief-dragon would be a title for the leader of the Dacian-descended elite of that fort, who still held their draco standard in veneration.
3) The son of Arthwys is named Ceidio. This name is a shortened or pet-form of a longer, two-part name that (given his status as a ruler) would have meant either Battle-ruler or Battle-leader. If the last, this would perfectly match the dux bellorum descriptor used for Arthur in the HISTORIA BRITTONUM.
4) Ceidio's son was Gwenddolau, a personal or place-name preserved at Carwinley not far to the NW of the Irthing Valley. It is curious that Gwenddolau was Myrddin's/Merlin's lord.
5) Arthur's 'Avalon' is to be found at Burgh-By-Sands (Roman Aballava/Avalana, 'Apple-orchard'), several miles to the west of the Irthing. Two altars to Dea Latis, 'Lake Goddess', have been found. One is from Birdoswald/Banna, and the other from Burgh-By-Sands (once surrounded by the extensive Burgh Marsh). She may well be the prototype for the Arthurian Lady of the Lake. The dedicator's name from the Burgh-By-Sands stone is especially interesting: Lucius Urseius (from ursus, 'bear').
6) Banna in the Tyne Gap is the Bannaventa Bernia birthplace of St. Patrick. This suggests the fort was of significant cultural importance.
7) The Dacian falx or sickle-like weapon is given symbolic prominence on stone monuments at Banna. This is an unusual decorative practice for auxiliaries, and I have wondered about not only a connection with the 'Sword in the Stone' motif, but a connection with Arthur's sword Caledfwlch (from Caledbwlch). While Caledfwlch is a borrowing of the famous Irish sword Caladbolg, the Welsh b-f mutation that led to -fwlch produces an element which at least superficially resembles falx. Thus the falx at Banna could have influenced the borrowing of Caladbolg as Arthur's sword in Welsh heroic lore.
8) While Arthur's father Uther may have ruled from Banna, it is possible we should see Ceidio's/'Battle-leader's/dux bellorum's court as the Stanwix fort directly between the Irthing, Avalon and Carwinley. There are three reasons for thinking this. First, Stanwix was a sort of command center for the Wall, and had a very close relationship with the York of the Roman period Lucius Artorius Castus. [In fact, Arthwys is said to be the father of Eliffer of York. Eliffer's sons Peredur and Gwrci fought at Arthuret and Carrawburgh on the Wall.] Second, it was garrisoned by the largest cavalry force in all of Britain, the Ala Petriana. The NOTITIA DIGNITATUM refers to the place as Petrianis, thought to be an error, but also possibly a nickname for the fort, given to it in honor of the unit that served there. I've thought that perhaps Pedr/Petrus of Dyfed named his son Arthur because the earlier, more famous one had been of the Petriana (named for a man named Petra). And, three, Etterby, which literally lies against Stanwix, was known as Arthur's Burg. This tradition, though late, may preserve a folk-memory of Arthur's presence at the great cavalry fort.
Dea Artio of Bern
2) Arthwys, a chieftain at the head of some of the families in the Northern royal genealogies, means 'Man of the Arth.' As such, like the Welsh Glywys, this is an eponymous place-name. He may designate the Irthing Valley.
3) The Dacian garrison at Banna may have had a bear god (Zalmoxis), and they are known for their draco standard. The Draco named on the Ilam Pan/Staffordshire Moorlands Pan, whose name takes the place of Banna found on two other similar cups, is thought to be a Dacian whose name was chosen in honor of the draco. If there is anything to Geoffrey of Monmouth's story about Uther Pendragon taking his name from the dragon-star and his carrying a draco standard into battle, there could be no more appropriate place in all of Britain to find such a man than Birdoswald. The Terrible Chief-dragon would be a title for the leader of the Dacian-descended elite of that fort, who still held their draco standard in veneration.
Draco Bearer from Chester
3) The son of Arthwys is named Ceidio. This name is a shortened or pet-form of a longer, two-part name that (given his status as a ruler) would have meant either Battle-ruler or Battle-leader. If the last, this would perfectly match the dux bellorum descriptor used for Arthur in the HISTORIA BRITTONUM.
4) Ceidio's son was Gwenddolau, a personal or place-name preserved at Carwinley not far to the NW of the Irthing Valley. It is curious that Gwenddolau was Myrddin's/Merlin's lord.
5) Arthur's 'Avalon' is to be found at Burgh-By-Sands (Roman Aballava/Avalana, 'Apple-orchard'), several miles to the west of the Irthing. Two altars to Dea Latis, 'Lake Goddess', have been found. One is from Birdoswald/Banna, and the other from Burgh-By-Sands (once surrounded by the extensive Burgh Marsh). She may well be the prototype for the Arthurian Lady of the Lake. The dedicator's name from the Burgh-By-Sands stone is especially interesting: Lucius Urseius (from ursus, 'bear').
7) The Dacian falx or sickle-like weapon is given symbolic prominence on stone monuments at Banna. This is an unusual decorative practice for auxiliaries, and I have wondered about not only a connection with the 'Sword in the Stone' motif, but a connection with Arthur's sword Caledfwlch (from Caledbwlch). While Caledfwlch is a borrowing of the famous Irish sword Caladbolg, the Welsh b-f mutation that led to -fwlch produces an element which at least superficially resembles falx. Thus the falx at Banna could have influenced the borrowing of Caladbolg as Arthur's sword in Welsh heroic lore.
Falx on an Inscription from Birdoswald
8) While Arthur's father Uther may have ruled from Banna, it is possible we should see Ceidio's/'Battle-leader's/dux bellorum's court as the Stanwix fort directly between the Irthing, Avalon and Carwinley. There are three reasons for thinking this. First, Stanwix was a sort of command center for the Wall, and had a very close relationship with the York of the Roman period Lucius Artorius Castus. [In fact, Arthwys is said to be the father of Eliffer of York. Eliffer's sons Peredur and Gwrci fought at Arthuret and Carrawburgh on the Wall.] Second, it was garrisoned by the largest cavalry force in all of Britain, the Ala Petriana. The NOTITIA DIGNITATUM refers to the place as Petrianis, thought to be an error, but also possibly a nickname for the fort, given to it in honor of the unit that served there. I've thought that perhaps Pedr/Petrus of Dyfed named his son Arthur because the earlier, more famous one had been of the Petriana (named for a man named Petra). And, three, Etterby, which literally lies against Stanwix, was known as Arthur's Burg. This tradition, though late, may preserve a folk-memory of Arthur's presence at the great cavalry fort.
Flavinus, Signifer of the Ala Petriana
9) The locations of Arthur's battles and traditional burial site really only make sense if we have someone ruling from the Wall. York is the only other candidate and we have a corrupt TRIAD which mentions an Arthur Penuchel as son of Eliffer. And Arthur did fight a battle at York. But the chronology for this man is totally wrong - as in much too late - and any defense of the corruption as a correction or substitution is not, in my opinion, a credible position to assume.
Arthurian Sites in the North
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