Dr Mary Bateman

So that makes it even more enigmatic.

So that makes it even more enigmatic.

Just to return to these early texts, the really important mention, the first detailed mention we get of Arthur comes quite a bit later in around 830. And it's in this text called The History of the Britons. For a long time, we thought the author was this guy called Nennius. Now we're not sure. Oh, really? Yeah, we're not sure anymore.

Just to return to these early texts, the really important mention, the first detailed mention we get of Arthur comes quite a bit later in around 830. And it's in this text called The History of the Britons. For a long time, we thought the author was this guy called Nennius. Now we're not sure. Oh, really? Yeah, we're not sure anymore.

Me too. Well, people call him Pseudo-Nennius.

Me too. Well, people call him Pseudo-Nennius.

And it's an attempted history that traces the origins of Britain right back to this hero called Brutus.

And it's an attempted history that traces the origins of Britain right back to this hero called Brutus.

The Trojan dude, yes.

The Trojan dude, yes.

Yeah. Exactly that. And yet you see him in the Middle Ages being called the founder of Britain and there seems to be a kind of oversight of these giants who were originally there.

Yeah. Exactly that. And yet you see him in the Middle Ages being called the founder of Britain and there seems to be a kind of oversight of these giants who were originally there.

Yeah. There is a prequel that comes up later about some giant sisters who lived there before.

Yeah. There is a prequel that comes up later about some giant sisters who lived there before.

Yeah. I think Totnes is the place where Brutus's right-hand man chucked one of the giants over the edge of the cliff.

Yeah. I think Totnes is the place where Brutus's right-hand man chucked one of the giants over the edge of the cliff.

No. Crucially, he describes these 12 battles that Arthur has led people in, but he's not described as a king. He's described as a dux bellorum, which means a leader of battles in Latin.

No. Crucially, he describes these 12 battles that Arthur has led people in, but he's not described as a king. He's described as a dux bellorum, which means a leader of battles in Latin.

Well, I mean, the big problem for all of the Arthur truthers is that there is really only, because it is Dark Ages, scare quotes, there is really only one piece of writing, piece of writing about what's going on in Britain... that is roughly contemporaneous with Arthur. And it's written by a British monk called Gildas, who, again, we don't know much about.

Well, I mean, the big problem for all of the Arthur truthers is that there is really only, because it is Dark Ages, scare quotes, there is really only one piece of writing, piece of writing about what's going on in Britain... that is roughly contemporaneous with Arthur. And it's written by a British monk called Gildas, who, again, we don't know much about.