THEOSOPHY

AVALON

 

The Theosophy Wales

King Arthur Pages

 

King Arthur’s

Marriage to Guinevere

 

Return to Homepage

 

 

Nennius

Historia Brittanum

History of the Britons

800 CE

The first written mention of Arthur as a heroic figure

The British leader who fought twelve battles

against the Anglo Saxons

 

 

The Welsh Christian monk Nennius wrote around 800 CE the "Historia Brittanum" (History of the Britons) which is the first work to contain a mention " Arthur" by name as a heroic figure.

 

Little is known of Nennius but was probably an early ninth century Welsh monk, and probably did write Historia Brittonum

 

The work is a strange assortment of texts

covering the ancestries of kings, geography, the lives of saints. It mentions Julius Cæsar, Ambrosius Aurelianus, Arthur, Patrick, and other figures. Nennius says he was a pupil of Elbodugus

whi was Bishop of Bangor North Wales and known to have have died in 809)

 

The Historia Brittonum has been controversial as to its date and origin. Nennius has been described as "unrestrainedly inventive" with this work. On the one hand Nennius apparently had access to no-longer available 5th century sources, but on

the other hand can Nennius be entirely trusted as a reliable compiler of history. Apart from his native Welsh and his clerical knowledge of Latin,

‘Nennius’ seems to have understood both Old English, and Old Irish.

 

Nennius made mistakes with dating schemes, people's names and genealogical facts. However his work is nevertheless one of the earliest records of Welsh literature and history and his work is therefore very useful to researchers.

 

The work may have in fact been compiled earlier by someone else, around the year 679. Then additions were made in following years, and Nennius may have then re-compiled the whole work around 800.

 

To complicate matters even further, the revision of Nennius does not exist in a complete form. The earliest existing copy is an Irish version made in the eleventh century by Gilla Coemgin. Some of the Latin copies have extracts from the original, including the preface of Nennius and some verses by him.

 

Historia Brittanum is drawn largely upon Celtic legend, written or oral. Other writings which have been used include Gildas, Jerome’s Chronicle and a lost life of St. Germanus of Auxerre. Geoffrey of Monmouth was later to extensive use of it.

 

The brief mention of Arthur by Nennius occurs when he describes him as being the British leader who fought against the Anglo-Saxons. The battle culminated in a victory for the Britons at the Battle of Mount Badon (Mons Badonicus). Nennius

lists twelve battles with which Arthur was involved. Nennius also mentions Arthur had a dog called Cabal, which had used to hunt boar and covers the burial site of Anir, the son of Arthur, killed by his own father.

 

Nennius also mentions Ambrosius, but not the same Ambrosius Aurelianus mentioned in the works by Gildas and Bede. This Ambrosius was another name for the boy that Geoffrey called Merlin. The story of Vortigern and Ambrosius (Merlin), the falling wall and the two fighting dragons are used in Geoffrey's works.

 

 

 

Return to Homepage

 

Theosophy

Avalon

 

King Arthur &

The Round Table

 

Merlin & The Tree of Life

 

Merlin the Magician

Born circa 400 CE ; Welsh: Myrddin;

Latin: Merlinus; English: Merlin.

 

 

The Holy Grail

 

The Theosophy Wales

King Arthur Pages

____________________

 

Pages About Wales

General pages about Wales, Welsh History

and The History of Theosophy in Wales

 

 

Theosophy links

 

Life & Work of H P Blavatsky

 

Dave’s Streetwise 

Theosophy Boards

The Theosophy Website that

Welcomes Absolute Beginners

 

The Most Basic Theosophy

 Website in the Universe

A quick overview of Theosophy 

and the Theosophical Society

If you run a Theosophy Group you 

can use this as an introductory handout.

 

Theosophy in Cardiff

 

Theosophy in Wales

 

Cardiff Lodge’s Instant Guide

to Theosophy

 

Cardiff Theosophy Start-Up

A Free Intro to Theosophy

 

Cardiff Theosophical Archive

                                             

Blavatsky Blogger

Independent Theosophical Blog

 

Quick Blasts of Theosophy

One liners and quick explanations

About aspects of Theosophy

 

Great Theosophists

H P Blavatsky is usually the only

Theosophist that most people have ever

heard of. Let’s put that right

 

The Blavatsky Blogger’s

Instant Guide To

Death & The Afterlife

 

Blavatsky Calling

The Voice of the Silence Website

 

The Blavatsky Free State

An Independent Theosophical Republic

Links to Free Online Theosophy 

Study Resources; Courses, Writings, 

Commentaries, Forums, Blogs

 

Feelgood Theosophy

Visit the Feelgood Lodge

 

Theosophy and Reincarnation

A selection of articles on Reincarnation

by Theosophical writers

Provided in response to the large 

number of enquiries we receive at 

Cardiff Theosophical Society on this subject

 

Nothing answers questions

like Theosophy can!

The Key to Theosophy

 

Blavatsky Calling

and I Don’t Wanna Shout

The Voice of the Silence Website

 

The South of Heaven Guide

To Theosophy and Devachan

 

The South of Heaven Guide

To Theosophy and Dreams

 

The South of Heaven Guide

To Theosophy and Angels

 

Theosophy and Help From

The Universe

 

Wales! Wales! Theosophy Wales

The All Wales Guide to

Getting Started in Theosophy

 

The Tooting Broadway

Underground Theosophy Website

The Spiritual Home of Urban Theosophy

 

The Mornington Crescent

Underground Theosophy Website

The Earth Base for Evolutionary Theosophy

 

H P Blavatsky’s Heavy Duty

Theosophical Glossary

Published 1892

A B C D EFG H IJ KL M N OP QR S T UV WXYZ

 

 

Try these if you are looking for a

local Theosophy Group or Centre

 

 

UK Listing of Theosophical Groups

 

Worldwide Directory of 

Theosophical Links

 

International Directory of 

Theosophical Societies

 

 

 

Cardiff Theosophical Society in Wales

Theosophy House

206 Newport Road

Cardiff, Wales,  UK. CF24 – 1DL

theosophycardiff@uwclub.net

 

Arthurian Picture Gallery

 

Arthur Marries Guinevere

 

 

 

 

Death of Arthur

 

 

 

 

Arthur draws the Sword from the Stone

 

 

 

Arthur draws the Sword for the Stone

 

 

 

Guinevere

 

 

 

The Lady of the Lake

 

 

 

Guinevere lends her ring to Sir Lancelot

 

 

 

The Round Table

 

 

Cardiff Theosophical Society in Wales

Theosophy House

206 Newport Road

Cardiff, Wales,  UK. CF24 – 1DL

theosophycardiff@uwclub.net

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Bedivere returns Excalibur to the Lake

 

 

 

Sir Galahad brought before the Round Table

 

 

 

Lancelot and Guinevere

 

 

 

Sir Mordred

 

 

 

 

King Arthur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Arthur

 

 

 

 

Death of Arthur

 

 

 

Morgan Le Fay

 

 

 

 

Cardiff Theosophical Society in Wales

Theosophy House

206 Newport Road

Cardiff, Wales,  UK. CF24 – 1DL

theosophycardiff@uwclub.net

 

 

 

Merlin instructs the young Arthur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merlin instructs the young Arthur

 

 

Cardiff Theosophical Society in Wales

Theosophy House

206 Newport Road

Cardiff, Wales,  UK. CF24 – 1DL

theosophycardiff@uwclub.net