Lesson 1: Introduction to Early Arthurian Britain
Early Arthurian Britain roughly spans the period from the end of Roman rule through King Arthur’s reputed rise to power. This introductory lesson examines: the difficulty of separating Arthurian history from the legend, main sources for each, and how to detect the differences. By peeling away layers of later traditions that have glossed over the historical perspective, we are able to fill in some of the gaps that inadequate chroniclers and archaeology have left open.
Welcome to the Course
Welcome to Early Arthurian Britain! My name is Kathleen Guler and I'm the writer of this course. I write under the name of Kathleen Cunningham Guler and am the author of the Macsen's Treasure series, historical novels set in early Arthurian Britain. The first in the four-part series, Into the Path of Gods, was published in 1998. The second book, In the Shadow of Dragons, released in 2001, won a Colorado Independent Publishers Association award for fiction. Currently I am working on the third book in the series.
I have studied Arthurian legend and Celtic history in both the United States and Great Britain for more than twenty years. Besides the novels, I have published numerous articles, essays, short stories, reviews and poetry. I am also the editor of the Bardsong Press Celtic Voice anthologies. My heritage descends from the Celtic nations of Wales and Scotland.
This class may be the first of its kind to teach Arthurian Britain as history rather than as literature or mythology. Three books have been recommended as resources but are optiona. The first, The World of King Arthur, by Christopher Snyder should be considered as required. It is a wonderfully organized and illustrated overview of the entire Arthurian matter, including history, literature, myth, archaeology and popular culture. The second, The Quest for Arthur's Britain, by Geoffrey Ashe, is highly recommended for its examination of the history behind the Arthurian legend. And the third book, my own In the Shadow of Dragons, I would also like to recommend, especially for fiction writers and readers, to give a view into how we, as writers, try to fill in the gaps between scanty historical documentation and archaeology.
Thank you very much for accessing this course. To all of you, I hope you enjoy the class.
Kathleen
