http://godinakilt.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] godinakilt.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2006-01-12 06:55 pm
Entry tags:

Arthurian Traditions (01/12)

Camulus begins the lecture right away because the mun is going to go bake cookies

"Today we will be talking about Arthur before he was Arthur. Much of what is now the modern view of Arthur stems from 'A History of the Kings of Britain', written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1167 CE. As his sources, Geoffery of Monmouth named several Celtic documents, including a rather sketchy work that has never been described or proven to exist. These are the main works which have survived:

  • Gildas, 'On the Downfall and Conquest of Britain' (540 CE): Told the story of a Romanised/Christianised Welsh warrior by the name of Ambrosius Aurelianus, who was in later documents identified as the uncle of Arthur and the father of Merlin.
  • Bede, 'An Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation' (731 CE): Informs us that Ambrosius Aurelianus was killed at the Battle of Badon Hill (also known as Mount Badon).
  • Nennius, 'History of the Britons' (800 CE): Ambrosius Aurelianus was killed on Mount Badon while defending his Celtic homeland; this is also the first Latin text to mention Arthur by name.
  • Unknown author, 'Annals of Wales' (950 CE): Arthur was killed at the Battle of Badon Hill by Medraut (who evolves into Modred or Mordred).


The Battle of Badon Hill is a very important event in the history of Arthur. It occured in approximately 500 CE and was the last stand of the Celts agains the Anglo-Saxons invaders from Germany. While all of these sources clearly say that Ambrosius, who was possibly the model for Arthur, or Arthur himself died at Mount Badon. However, Geoffrey of Monmouth's work very clearly states that Arthur died in 542 CE. In some Celtic myths Arthur also appears, often as a periphery to the story. One rather famous example is the story of Culhwch and Olwen in the epic saga 'The Mabinogian'.

Homework for tonight is to read the story of Culhwch and Olwen.

[[EDIT because mun was busy baking cookies and receiving marriage proposals for said cookies and totally forgot, so just drop another comment if you could:]]

At the end of his lecture, Camulus looks up. "Oh, and Phoebe? If you could collect the assignments from Tuesday."

[[*Jedi mindtricks you all* This doesn't look familiar at all. Not at all.]]

[identity profile] allie-cameron.livejournal.com 2006-01-12 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Allie takes notes.
sensethevisions: (Default)

[personal profile] sensethevisions 2006-01-12 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Phoebe does not snicker, not at all. She also does not mention anything about last night. Or her mun forgetting that Camulus' classes were in the morning this term and how she had her wrap her doggie self around her teacher.

[identity profile] cerulean--eyes.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
Boone pulls out his notebook, occasionally jotting down notes.

[identity profile] ninja-brat.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Yuffie takes notes. There may be doodles in the margins. There's a strong possiblity that these doodles are of "Yuffie Kisagari, Ninja-Queen of the Britons".

[identity profile] cerulean--eyes.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
[[OOC: *gives shinies*]]

Boone may or may not be smiling upon catching a glimpse of Yuffie's doodles.

[identity profile] ninja-brat.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
((OOC: *takes shinies* Yay!))

Yuffie looks up at the feeling of being watched, and blushes slightly as she catches Boone's maybe smile.

[identity profile] psi16.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
Lyta listens to the lecture, having remembered some of this from her readings aboard Babylon 5. Inwardly, she smirks. Maybe he spent 42 years in Avalon?

At the end of class, she turns in her homework (http://www.livejournal.com/users/psi16/3713.html#cutid1).

[OOC: BTW, saw previews for Tristan and Isolde this weekend. Looks like they've screwed up yet another Arthurian tale. Meh.]

[identity profile] kawalsky.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
Kawalsky signed in and scribbled some notes, but he kept glancing to the back of the room where the sarcophagus was when he thought Camulus wasn't looking.


He also handed in his assignment.

[identity profile] ninja-brat.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
Before the end of class Yuffie handed in her assignment.

[identity profile] cerulean--eyes.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
Boone hands in his assignment.

I am Arthur, King of the Britons. Many people, to this day, debate my existence. And most of the subjects are under the belief that the land was an autonomous collective. Others are convinced that they live in a self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working class… well, I suppose it is not time to bring class into it again… More scholastically, my existence is dismissed by such accredited sources as one Master David Dumville, the author of Histories and Pseudo-Histories, who writes, “The fact is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur; we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books.” Peter Beresford Ellis grudgingly admits that “little is known about the historical Arthur.” However, the honorable John Morris would beg to differ. In The Age of Arthur, he notes, “The personality of Arthur is unknown and unknowable. But he was as real as Alfred the Great or William the Conqueror; his impact upon future ages mattered as much, or more so. Enough evidence survives from the hundred years after his death to show that reality was remembered for three generations, before legend engulfed his memory.”

[identity profile] cerulean--eyes.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Her blush makes him grin, though a slightly self-conscious blush darkens his cheeks. He turns his light blue gaze back to his notebook. And focuses very, very hard at doodling a crude approximation of the Chinese characters for 84. Which, admittedly, are the only ones he knows, but at least they look kinda cool.

[identity profile] ninja-brat.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
Yuffie grins a bit herself when she sees him grin, and turns her attention back to her notes. Or doodles. One of the two.

[identity profile] sea-incarnadine.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
Macbeth took a deep breath, not yet grasping the concept of taking notes. He was more concerned about his homework, anyhow.

As the assignment was collected, he hesitated a moment before handing his in as well.

[identity profile] apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com 2006-01-13 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
John signs in and takes notes. He hands in his essay. It's decent.
sensethevisions: (Default)

[personal profile] sensethevisions 2006-01-13 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Phoebe collects the homework at the end of class.
sensethevisions: (Default)

[personal profile] sensethevisions 2006-01-13 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Not as dirty as it could have been.