Posted on 06/29/2008 6:26:55 PM PDT by blam
King Arthur is propaganda, say French
By Peter Allen in Paris
Last Updated: 10:56PM BST 29/06/2008
French historians have accused the English of propagating the legend of King Arthur for "political reasons".
King Arthur: 'a mythical character who was invented at a certain point in history for essentially political reasons'
Even if a character who vaguely resembled the fabled leader did exist, he would probably have been a Welshman with strong connections to Brittany and whose sworn enemies were the Anglo-Saxons, they said.
The organisers of a conference and exhibition to be held at Rennes university in northern France next month said they will provide ample evidence that the Arthurian legend has continually been updated, often as a sop to English nationalists attempting to revive the Age of Chivalry.
The event, "King Arthur: A Legend in the Making", will highlight the argument that historians were joined by artists and writers in creating the "fiction" of the legend.
Typical was the Victorian Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson, who at the height of the British Empire portrayed Arthur as a thoroughly decent Englishman whose manly virtues and trusty sword, Excalibur, were directed towards establishing heaven on earth.
Sarah Toulouse, curator of the Rennes exhibition, said: "King Arthur is a mythical character who was invented at a certain point in history for essentially political reasons.
"If he had really existed there would be more concrete historical traces of him."
Highlighting Arthur's fictional nature, Mrs Toulouse said: "These stories deal with universal themes. The earliest fragments of the tales can be traced back to Wales in the seventh century.
"But by the 13th century stories based on the Arthurian legends were being told right across Europe."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
They are worried about a legend that is thousands of years old?
I fart in your general direction!
Joan of Arc?
So? Joan of Arc was a schizophrenic. CHECKMATE!
Yeah, but crazy chicks are HOT!
Well, Maurice, 'E 'as been dead a long time. I sink we can probably beat him.
Yep. Which explains my odd attraction to Amy Winehouse until recently (she has gotten WAY too crack whoreish as of late).
And my first two wives.
no, they’re worried about discrediting any noble vestige of chivalry and honorable behavior, including western tradition and Christian heritage. certainly the idea of the knight who respects those who are weaker than he fits into that ideal. whether arthur existed or not is really immaterial; what’s important to people like this is proving that all things, even tales of knights who honor God and others before themselves, are really just political devices created to achieve selfish ends.
Marry one. Once. And then come over to the less crazy side.
/johnny
BRAVO!!!!!!
/johnny
Heh. Where were you and your advice when I married the second crazy one?
Oh well, third time's a charm.
Ugh!!! An ugly (and disgusting) White woman trying to sound like and ugly Black woman. What next?
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