Arthur in Early Histories

Arthur emerges into history in the Historia Brittonum , written in North Wales in the ninth century. That is, though, a problematic work as regards establishing the ‘original’ text, its author’s purpose and its claim to historicity. Arthur’s inclusion as a ‘British’ hero who defeated the Saxons twelve times is compared to other war-leaders this author included, with attention drawn additionally to the geographical spread of these conflicts, likely borrowings from earlier works and the (probable) ‘Roman’ origin of the name. Overall, it is suggested that Arthur’s portrayal herein was, at best, heavily fictionalised. He emerges as a primarily literary figure, rather than historical, who was developed as a means of asserting the Britons had shown courage and military prowess, and received divine support, in their long struggle with the Anglo-Saxons, pushing back against their negative stereotyping in influential works by both Gildas and Bede, which were both still circulating.