CAMLANN ARTHUR'S LAST STAND

 

The dark day cometh when brother turns against brother.

Following the bloodshed of Guenevere's rescue, Lancelot and his companions released the queen to Arthur and made their way to France. There Lancelot began to claim some of Arthur's lands for himself. In order to arraign the rebellious Lancelot, arthur ahd to leave Britain and journey to Gaul.

The king appointed Mordred to rule in his absence. By all rights Mordred was entitled to the position, but Arthur would have cause to regret his choice. Mordred was of ambitious character, and once the king was safely overseas he began to spread false news of Arthur's death. Not knowing what was to come, Guenevere barricaded herself in the Tower of London, while Mordred fuelled the unrest.

Word reached Arthur, who immediately returned to Britain. By this time, Mordred had taken advantage of the recent controversy surrounding the Fellowhip and had succeeded in winning some support. He hZd also managed to strike a deal with the Saxons, who now rallied to his cause.

The arrival of Arthur dispelled reports of his death, but his mere presence was not enough to subdue the revolt. Some versions say that the two sides agreed to meet and discuss a compromise, but by an unfortunate mishap where a soldier drew his sword to defend himself against a snake. The battle broke out.

[NOTE: This shows how animal totems drive the fate of nations]



The tragic battle of Camlann was to be the last of Arthur and his Fellowship. His battle-weary force fought bravely against a much larger host. There was to be no victor in this conflict, as both leaders perished. Mordred inflicted Arthur's fatal wound and then died at the King's hand.



Few survived this dark day that brough the end to a glorious reign.



Ferguson, Anna-Marie. Keeper of Words. 1995 Llewellyn Publications. St. Paul, Minnesota. (201)



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DRESSING OF THE SACRED SPRING

  Homage is paid to the benevolent spirit of the spring. Nature worship was at the heart of the celtic Pagan religion. The Celts believed the Divine to be inherent in the landscape, with every feature inhabited by the spirits of nature. To the early celts, springs, rivers and lakes of the Isle of the Mighty were the dwelling places of the spirits of water. For this reason many streams (especially springs) were considered sacred sites, each with its guardian spirit. The fresh waters that spring from the earth were thought to carry gifts from the underworld--cures for the sick, and in some instances, knowledge, inspiration, and future sight. Some wells were said to restore life; if offended, teh spirit would also take life, rising up and drowning the culprit. Given that the spirits of water were generally considered feminine, the dressing rites, and offerings to the goddess of the spring are thought to hve been performed by women. This traidtion, though somewhat modifie...
Read more

CASTLE PERILOUS

  Eager to fight the most famous of Arthur's knights, Ironside the Red Knight of the Red Launde embattled himself in Castle Perilous, where he held the lovely Lady Lyones hostage. Confident that her plight would draw out the knights, Ironside patiently awaited their rescue attempts. In the two years that passed, many a brave knight tried and failed to free teh Lady Lyones. But still the famous opponents Ironside longed to face--Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristram had not come. Linet, sister toLyones, travelled Arthur's court and requested that the king send a Knight of the Round Table to save her sister. Arthur assigned Gareth to the task. Linet (like most of the court) was unaware of Gareth's true identity and knew him only as Beaumains, a lowly kitchen knave. Linet was furious and left the court immediately Gareth raced after her, deterrmined to prove himself both to her and the rest of the court. Despite her constant insults, Gareth remained courteous. While passing...
Read more

SWORD OF STRANGE HANGINGS

  The Sacred Sword awaits its master. The mAgical or sacred sword is a common motif in Celtic legends. Excalibur is perhaps the most widely known sword of the Arthurian world, but it is not alone. A number of idfferent but erelated swords figure in the stories, and as Galahad nears the end of his quest he is honoured with the awesome Sword of Strange Hangings. During the Quest for the Holy Grail, Galahad, Percivale and Bors were guided to a "miraculous Ship" by Percivale's enlightened sister Dindrane. Within the ship they found a beautiful bed, and upon it rested a crown of gold and silk. Across its foot lay a mangificant sword, partly drawn from its scabbard. The pommel was adorned with the rarest and most brilliant of gems. The scabbard was made of a material never seen before, but which had the look of snake skin. Most curious of all were its strange hangings, which were of such poor quality as compared with the richness of the sword and scabbard, that it was...
Read more