King Arthur's Camelot has been found...Again?!

You may have heard in the news recently that a retired professor, Peter Field, has claimed that he has found the location of King Arthur's Camelot.

I have been holding off blogging about this, as I needed time to collect my thoughts.

There are so many, let us call them, "Arthurian Experts," who are convinced that they have found the real King Arthur. Sometimes there argument seems very compelling at others time, not so much. I have spent many hours studying the life of Arthur, and I have my own conclusions. But then I saw this headline in the Independent...

"King Arthur's legendary Camelot castle location 'discovered' by retired professor."

I sighed very deeply and might have muttered the words "not again." But newspapers are all about punchy headlines that catch the reader’s attention. So I read the article, and now I am in two minds about it. Not the Camelot reference, that is ridiculous, there was no Camelot and that was just the paper trying to catch you eye, but maybe, just maybe, Professor Field is on to something.

Let's forget about the latest’s findings for a minute and concentrate on Arthur. What do we really know about him?

"A wild boar's fury was Bleiddig ab Eli...

But he was not Arthur, and he fed

Black ravens on Catraeth's wall."

Aneirin, Y Gododdin (c. 6th century)

The very first mention of Arthur was in a 6th Century poem entitled Y Gododdin. What we can surmise from this poem was that Arthur was a great warrior. He is being used as a comparison. Bleidddig ab Eli was a fierce warrior, but he was not Arthur.

Gildas, in his damning work, "On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain," does not mention Arthur, although he does mention a great victory over the Saxons by the Celts at Badon Hill.

Let's fast forward to the 9th Century. Nennius, a Celtic Chronicler, talks of a great commander called Arthur.  Nennuis also gave us the 12 famous battles of Arthur. These Battles took him all over the kingdom of Briton and he fought like a warrior poet. Let’s take a quick look at the location of those battles...

"The first battle was at the mouth of the river called Glein"

 
This where it gets a little tricky because time has a habit of changing things. Place names come and go. There are two River Glens — one in Northumbria and one in Lincolnshire. Which one could it be?

River Glen ~ Lincolnshire

"The second, the third, the fourth and the fifth were on another river, called the Dubglas, which is in the region of Linnuis"

 Linnius is in the district of Lindsey. The word Linnius comes from the Celtic name for an island, which is most certainly could have been because the Fens on the Witham were not drained back then. But then again, Dubglas means blackwater, that would put us in Scotland by Loch Lomond.

Black Water ~ Scotland

"The sixth battle was on the river called Bassas"

This is anyone’s guess. Could this be in Nottingham or Glasgow, Shropshire or Hampshire. Pick a county and pick a country.

The seventh battle was in the Caledonian Forest, that is, the Battle of Celidon Coit"

The seventh battlefield site is identified as being Caledonian Forest in Scotland. Although dear old Geoffrey of Monmouth suggested it was fought in Lincoln.

Caledonian Forest in Scotland

"The eighth battle was in Guinnion fort"

There are so many probably sights for this battle. But I tend to side with the southern Scotland theory. 

"The ninth battle was in the City of the Legion"

Legion is in Chester, which is in the west of Briton and away from any advancing Saxons. What is Arthur doing there? But hang on, the Irish, it is said, had landed in the Mercy and had attacked Chester. It seems it wasn’t just the Saxons that Arthur was fighting.

"The tenth battle was on the bank of the river called Tribruit"

Back to Scotland we go and we should look to the River Frew at Stirling. Or… how about the Severn at Gloucester, or the Eden at Carlisle or how about the River Ribble in Lancashire? Pick a river.

"The eleventh battle was on the hill called Agned"

Edinburgh is the preferred choice.

Edinburgh Castle

"The twelfth battle was on Badon Hill…”

Liddington Castle in Swindon is a contender. It certainly falls into the right time period and the village at the foot of the fort is called Badbury. Monmouth suggested Bath. But there is also Bradbury Rings in Dorset. Or how about Solsbury Hill, Somerset?

Liddington Castle

Nennuis gives us more question than answers. But one thing is for certain. Nennius states that.

"Arthur fought against the Saxons alongside the King of the Britons but he himself was the leader in the battles."

From this we can deduce that Arthur was never a king. He was a warrior. A great one. He was so good that others were being compared to him, but no one could match him, "But he was not Arthur…"

Did Arthur stop the Saxon invasion, for a few years at least? I think he did. According to the Annales of Cambriae (c. 995), Arthur died at the Battle of Camluan (Camlann) along with Mordred. After that, the poets and the Bards got hold of him. And when Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote his History of the Kings of Briton, Arthur, the warrior became King Arthur, the man that we are so familiar with.

Do I think that Professors Fields has found “Camelot.” That’s a tough one, I would have see his thesis on the subject before I made a decision. It is an interesting idea though.

Writing, Knights, And Chasing Dreams ~ My 2016

I was just looking back at my post, 2015 Writing, Knights and Chasing Dreams. Back then I was getting ready for the launch of my debut novel — The Du Lac Chronicles. It seemed a lifetime ago, so much has happened in the past year.

2016 was when I stopped dreaming about becoming an author and actually became one. It was an incredibly daunting experience — putting myself out there and choosing to go it alone. Was I mad? What was I thinking? I can remember the doubts that swirled around my mind. What if no one buys my book? What if it sucks? What if? What if? What if?

I am sure that sounds familiar to many authors and would-be authors out there. I was full of doubt, but I had to know…  I had to know if I could do this. So I pressed that button on the 28th February 2016, and I became a published author. This had been my goal for so long and now I had done it. It was then that I abruptly came to the realisation that this wasn't the end of the journey — far from it — this was only the beginning.

 

The Du Lac Chronicles ~ Amazon

I wrote The Du Lac Chronicles so that it would be read. This book wasn't going to go anywhere if I didn't promote it. I came into this knowing very little, and with a very small budget, but I realised if I didn't get smart about this then my book was going to sink and that would never do — I had spent too many years writing it. So I had to get savvy, but that is no easy thing. There were times when I felt like I was banging my head against the wall — why was nothing working? But then I would have a moment of insight and very briefly I would fly. And then it was back to the drawing board again. I still don’t have a magic formula, but I have now drawn up quite a list of things that don’t work in the confusing world of book promotion! I will get there in the end, I am very positive about that. I know it is a very steep hill to climb, I get that, but I hear that the view is worth it once you get to the top and I am determined to see it.

The one thing that has blown me away this year is how other authors want to help. They are happy to offer you advice and mentor you for free. I wasn't expecting that. For the most part, other author's don't look at you as the competition, it is more like a club — we are in this together — type of atmosphere — Let’s help each other as much as we can.

I now find myself surrounded by author friends from all over the world, who I would never have met if it weren't for me publishing my book. They say an author's world is a lonely one. Have I got news for you...!

So here I was, steering a bus that I sort of had control of and I came to the conclusion that publishing a book was all well and good, but I wanted to be a bestseller in my genre,

"Just like that…" as the late comedian Tommy Cooper used to say.

 Tommy Cooper - Just Like That 

Not quite how it works in the publishing industry, I'm afraid. But you know what, I did it. The Du Lac Chronicles made it to the #1 spot in the United Kingdom, America, Canada, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy. I took a moment to reflect. But, being me, my eyes were drawn to the top #100 in the Kindle Store spot. It is a dream for most authors to get there, I mean come on, there are over 6 million Kindle books on Amazon, who wouldn’t want to be in the top #100? I needed to come up with a plan and it took a long time to work it out, and even then I wasn’t sure it was going to work. But you know what? The Du Lac Chronicles made it into the top #100 in the free Kindle Store in America, Canada and The Netherlands. Even now, writing that down, I find it hard to believe — I really did sell that many books. Not too bad an achievement for a girl who didn't know anything about Amazon or marketing a book a year ago and who doesn’t have a large budget to throw into advertising.

But then something else happened that I wasn't expecting.  I had readers messaging me on Facebook and Twitter telling how much my books reminded them of Game of Thrones and then the comparison was bring made in reviews left on Amazon and Goodreads and I was like....okay! I am still lost for words when I read reviews like that, which may come as a surprise to some!

  
To cap it off, The Du Lac Chronicles has started to win awards.

The Du Lac Devil received a 5* review from Readers' Favorite.

 The Du Lac Devil ~ Amazon

So what next?

I am going to keep chasing that dream and learn everything I can about the publishing industry. I have started Book 3 in The Du Lac Chronicles. Yay! Unfortunately, one of my characters is giving me a little bit of a problem, it seems he wants in on the action, and I am having a tough time saying “No” to him. If you are a reader of my books, then I am sure you can guess who I am talking about! I really should stop fighting him for creative control. It is a losing battle — I know he will win in the end! But you see, if he muscles his way in, then that is okay. That is why I love being an Indie author — I have the freedom to write about what I want and say it the way I want to.

All that is left for me to say is a great big thank you to those who have supported me this past year by buying my books, and reading this blog. You are incredible. I really, really, appreciate it. I hope you have a peaceful New Year, and please don't forget to pop back in 2017 and say "Hello" every now and then. Just remember to bring that cup of coffee with you! Stay cool! xxx

Abbeys ~ and why I love them!

Confession time ~ I hold up my hands and admit that I have a thing about Abbeys and I always have. Why? you may ask. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea, but there it is...

Today, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite Abbeys that I have been too.

Enjoy!

Rievaulx Abbey

(North Yorkshire) 

"Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity, and a marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world..." 

St Aelred on Rievaulx.
 

 

Impressive, isn't it?

In 1132, twelve, Clairvaux monks came to Rievaulx. This was to be the start of something very big. Rievaulx became one of the wealthiest monasteries in Medieval England.

 

Rievaulx had a very famous Abbot ~ Abbot Aelred. He was a renowned author and preacher, and this attracted a steady flow of monks to the Abbey. He died in 1167. But even without his presence,  Rievaulx continued to be a vibrant and busy Abbey.  Unfortunately, Rievaulx fell victim to Henry VIII, Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Easby Abbey

(North Yorkshire)

 

Founded in 1152, Easby, like many other Abbeys, was demolished during Henry VIII, Dissolution of the Monasteries. Unfortunately, this is going to be a common theme for this post.

 

 

I really liked Easby, It was a rather wet day when we visited the Abbey, and we found to our delight that we had the ruins all to ourselves.

Whitby Abbey

(North Yorkshire)

 

Whitby the "Goth" capital of Britain ~ thanks to Bram Strokes, Dracula.

Founded in AD 657 by King Oswy of Northumbria. It was at Whitby that the future of the English Church was decided. It was also the place where Northumbrian Kings and Saints were enshrined

 

Whitby Abbey suffered severe damage in 1914 when it was hit by German naval shelling. On top of that, years of rain and high winds, has taken its toll on this beautiful Abbey.

 

It was pouring down with rain the day we visited Whitby, but that did not take away the beauty of the place, and with views like this, it is easy to understand why Whitby attracts so many visitors and has been such an inspiration for artists over the years.

Lindisfarne Priory

(Northumberland)

 

I know, not quite an Abbey, but Lindisfarne Priory was one of the most important sites of early Christianity in England. It is also one of my favourite places to visit.

 

Oswald, King of Northumberland, summoned Aidan (an Irish monk from Iona) to be bishop of his kingdom in AD 635. Oswald granted Aidan and his followers a small tidal island called Lindisfarne.

Lindisfarne's most notable Bishop was a monk called Cuthbert. Cuthbert joined the monastery at Lindisfarne sometime in the 670s. He tried to impose Roman religious practices rather than Irish ones. This was met with grave opposition. Cuthbert decided to remove himself from the monastery and became a hermit. At first, he decided that a small island just a stone's throw away from the priory would do (having seen the island I did wonder what was going through his head at the time, it is really tiny), Cuthbert then removed himself to a more remote island of Inner Farne!

Cuthbert was made Bishop in 685.

 

On 8th June 703, the unthinkable happened...

"Pagans have desecrated God’s sanctuary, shed the blood of saints around the altar, laid waste the house of our hope and trampled the bodies of saints like dung in the streets … What assurance can the churches of Britain have, if St Cuthbert and so great a company of saints do not defend their own?"

Alcuin, a York scholar working at the court of King Charlemagne in Francia.

The Vikings first significant attack in Western Europe occurred at Lindisfarne and the rest, as they say, is history.

The priory was closed, during Henry VIII, Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537.

Jedburgh Abbey

(The Scottish Borders) 

Founded by David I in 1138, Jedbury Abbey is an Augustinians Abbey. Jedbury started life as a priory but was raised to the status of monastery in c.1147.

Alexander III of Scotland married Yolande, daughter of the Compte de Dreux, in 1285 at the Abbey.

Being in the borders, Jedbury Abbey had its fair share of dramas. In 1296, the Abbot of Jedburgh swore fealty to Edward I of England. The Abbey was pillaged in 1297 by the English as a retribution to their defeat at Stirling by William Wallace. Robert the Bruce was a patron of the Abbey during his reign. The English once again pillaged the Abbey in 1346 after the Scottish defeat at The Battle of Neville's Cross. Like the Bruce, David II of Scotland was also a patron of the Abbey. The Earl of Warwick caused more trouble for the Abbey in 1410, 1416 and again in 1464. The Earl of Surrey set the Abbey and the town on fire in 1523, and so it continued... It is amazing there is anything of the Abbey left standing. If walls could talk then, Jedbury Abbey could certainly tell a story or two.

I really liked Jedbury, and the history of the place is fascinating. Well worth checking out.

Melrose Abbey

(The Scottish Borders) 

 

Founded by Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne. Melrose Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey in Scotland. It is said that it took around ten years to build. At its peak, Melrose Abbey was the home of 100 monks.

Being in the borders meant that Melrose was in the firing-line the same as Jedbury Abbey was.

Interesting fact ~ Robert the Bruce's heart is said to be buried in the church.

I adore Melrose Abbey. Is is such a beautiful, tranquil place and it is easy to imagine what the Abbey must have been like in its heyday.

Glastonbury Abbey

(Somerset)

 

In the 7th Century, the Saxons (who had converted to Christianity) conquered the ancient Kingdom of Somerset, and so it began...

Glastonbury Abbey weathered the storm, so to speak, and survived the Norman Invasion. By the 14th Century, Glastonbury Abbey was the second wealthiest Abbey in the country (second ony to Westminster Abbey).

It was said that Glastonbury Abbey was the burial place of King Arthur and Guinevere ( an elaborate story told by pragmatic monks, it turns out).

Glastonbury Abbey was caught up in Henry VIII Dissolution of the Monasteries, which should come as no surprise. In 1536 there were over 800 monasteries, nunneries and friaries in Britain. By 1541, thanks to Henry VIII, there were none. 

Cleeve Abbey

(Somerset)

 

Cleeve Abbey is amazing. It boasts the most impressive and unaltered set of monastic cloisters in England ~ which considering Cleeve Abbey fell victim to yes, you guessed it, Henry VIII, Dissolution of the Monasteries; it is something to be thankful for!

 

 

This is such a beautiful Abbey and there is so much to explore, we spent a whole day here. 

Lacock Abbey

(Wiltshire)

Founded in 1229 by Lady Ela the Countess of Salisbury. Lacock Abbey saw its first Augustinian nuns veiled in 1232. Lacock flourished during the Middle Ages and then came along, that is right, you guessed it, Henry VIII. Henry sold the Abbey to Sir William Sharington for £783. Sir William demolished the abbey church and converted the abbey into a house.

The Abbey has been used as a location for many films, Harry Potter and The Other Boleyn Girl, to name but a few.

And there we have it. Some of my favourite Abbeys.