T.J. Laverne
author of supernatural historical fiction
The Real King Arthur
The King Arthur legend may not have always been a legend. Though very little is known for certain, it is believed that the Arthur from legend was based upon a real life Celtic hero from around 500 AD.
In 43 AD, the Ancient Romans invaded and occupied England, ruling over the native Celts (they called themselves Britons) for a couple hundred years. When the Roman Empire fell, the Romans left England, exposing it to invasions from the Anglo-Saxons from Germany.
Arthur was one man (he may have been half-Celt, half-Roman), who fought successfully against the Saxons, staving off their occupation of his part of England for a while, before the Saxons swooped in again and successfully claimed the land as their own. Stories were told of this heroic man for many years, because he had led the last successful revolt in defense of the Britons' homeland.
Not much is known about the historical Arthur, or much of anything else about that time in history (a reason it's referred to as the Dark Ages). It is believed that Arthur's last stand was at the Battle of Badon Hill, though the location, year, and circumstances of the battle are still unknown.
The romantic stories about King Arthur and his knights, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the quest for the Holy Grail were added much later, and evolved over hundreds of years. But the Celtic origins of the legend can be found peppered here and there. For example, it is theorized that the basis for the powerful sorceress, Morgan le Fay, was the Irish Celtic warrior goddess, the Morrigan, who has a large role in Puddle Jumper.
The possibilities for interpretation and imagination in the King Arthur legends are endless. Which is why retelling them is so compelling, and oh, so fun!