09-15-2008, 04:54 AM
Yes and no on the Theodoric theory.
The premise that his grandson, Arthwys or Arthwyr, was King Arthur goes back to Thomas Carte in 1747. From Carte, I've followed the line through Hume, Whitaker, Williams, to Turner, then throughout the the 1800s. As of late, Wilson & Blackett (our space cadets) re-proposed it, and so have Barber & Pykitt. Mike Ashley has noted that "Arthwyr" means "grandson of Arth," in other words, granson of the Bear. Common sense tells us-- through Gildas-- that the Battle of Mount Badon took place in his birth year. either 493, 494, or 516. And Arthwyr is too late to be the original Arthur.
Professor Morris was the one who recorded the grandfather as "Theodoric, son of Theudebald." In Welsh, the family runs backwards like this-- Arthwys ab Maurig, ab Tewdrig, ab Theithfallt-- the two first generation Germanic names morphed into Welsh. Primary info comes from the Harlien manuscripts, the Libre Landevensis, the Truman manuscript in the Iolo papers, and other genealogies. Barber & Pykitt claim that Theudebald was the last commander of the Roman fort of Venta Silurium, and that he gained sovereignty over the Silures (I think probably through a marriage). If this theory is correct, then Theodoric was a first generation Briton with a Germanic father, and the original "King Arthur" is a whole new guy.
The Roman cavalry link to the Arthurian knights has been noted by Skene, Rhys, Collingwood, Morris, and Ashe; but no one followed it up. I dug deeper; and I think I've solved a mystery that has been hinted at for more than 250 years. The key was finding John Conyard's original artice on the Equites Taifali on the internet. I believe Theudebald was the last commander of that unit. The Taifali, actually Alans, were a foedeal subtribe of the Tyrfingi Goths for eight generations, and the Tyrfingi nomen for "the bold prince" is Thiudebalt, latinized to Theudebald. The earliest reference to "Ufar" comes from the Gothic bible written by Bishop Ulfilas around 350-370. The connection is more that Roman military, and the horsemen who called their leader "Ufar pandraco" were Gothic speaking... and so we have Germanic names in Britain.
If I can find a publisher, and I think I will, then it could make for a good controversial book, yet backed by reasonable material.
Alanus, A.J. Campbell
The premise that his grandson, Arthwys or Arthwyr, was King Arthur goes back to Thomas Carte in 1747. From Carte, I've followed the line through Hume, Whitaker, Williams, to Turner, then throughout the the 1800s. As of late, Wilson & Blackett (our space cadets) re-proposed it, and so have Barber & Pykitt. Mike Ashley has noted that "Arthwyr" means "grandson of Arth," in other words, granson of the Bear. Common sense tells us-- through Gildas-- that the Battle of Mount Badon took place in his birth year. either 493, 494, or 516. And Arthwyr is too late to be the original Arthur.
Professor Morris was the one who recorded the grandfather as "Theodoric, son of Theudebald." In Welsh, the family runs backwards like this-- Arthwys ab Maurig, ab Tewdrig, ab Theithfallt-- the two first generation Germanic names morphed into Welsh. Primary info comes from the Harlien manuscripts, the Libre Landevensis, the Truman manuscript in the Iolo papers, and other genealogies. Barber & Pykitt claim that Theudebald was the last commander of the Roman fort of Venta Silurium, and that he gained sovereignty over the Silures (I think probably through a marriage). If this theory is correct, then Theodoric was a first generation Briton with a Germanic father, and the original "King Arthur" is a whole new guy.
The Roman cavalry link to the Arthurian knights has been noted by Skene, Rhys, Collingwood, Morris, and Ashe; but no one followed it up. I dug deeper; and I think I've solved a mystery that has been hinted at for more than 250 years. The key was finding John Conyard's original artice on the Equites Taifali on the internet. I believe Theudebald was the last commander of that unit. The Taifali, actually Alans, were a foedeal subtribe of the Tyrfingi Goths for eight generations, and the Tyrfingi nomen for "the bold prince" is Thiudebalt, latinized to Theudebald. The earliest reference to "Ufar" comes from the Gothic bible written by Bishop Ulfilas around 350-370. The connection is more that Roman military, and the horsemen who called their leader "Ufar pandraco" were Gothic speaking... and so we have Germanic names in Britain.
If I can find a publisher, and I think I will, then it could make for a good controversial book, yet backed by reasonable material.
Alanus, A.J. Campbell
Alan J. Campbell
member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians
Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)
"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians
Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)
"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
