Arthur

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© 2010 Betsy Scott Fitzmeyer. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 04/27/2017

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9728-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9729-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9730-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010917373

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Epilogue

Annotated Bibliography

This book is dedicated to my children, Ron, Kim, and Michael; their spouses June, Scott, and Tracey; and for their extraordinary children, Scott, Ryan, Matthew, Andrew, Lauren, Ava, and Michael.

Preface

My novel, ARTHUR, is based on several years of research devoted to finding the actual hero of that name, beginning with Arthurian History studies at Oxford, England, and continued for subsequent projects at George Mason University.

The fall of Rome in the 5th century AD, and the withdrawal of a Roman protectorate in Britain created chaos, wars among rival factions and usurpers, and economic ruin. Although scholars have named various warriors as a possible factual Arthur, who led a fight to wrench back Britain from barbarian invaders who sought to steal the country as their own, none has made a positive identification of such a courageous soul. Whether from a real dearth of surviving documentation that would include convincing texts or lend hope to archeological material still to be discovered, the actual Arthur remains lost in the mists of time. Nonetheless, over the centuries, scholars have pieced nuggets of prized information together to lend real hope that the man called Arthur truly existed and lives on in the hearts of young and old alike that hope and wait for such a leader of reason and honor to return.

One of the warriors of the Dark Ages mentioned by scholars as a possible candidate for the real Arthur is Ambrosius Aurelius.

The earliest known mention of Ambrosius is in the writings of Gildas Bandonicus, a 6th Century cleric, who is credited by historians as being the only substantial source that survives from the time of the Anglo-Saxon conquest of Britain. According to Gildas, the British:

…took arms under the conduct of Ambrosius Aurelius, a modest man, who of the entire Roman nation was then alone in the confusion of this troubled period by chance left alive. His parents, who for their merit were adorned with the purple, had been slain in these same broils…

http//www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gildas.html

Two centuries later, priest historian known as St. Bede, the Venerable. wrote:

…They chose for their general Ambrosius Aurelian, a person distinguished for his good conduct, who alone probably had survived the storm in which his parents, who had been honoured with the regal dignity and title, were destroyed with the rest of the Roman people in this country.

http://www.oef.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/St. Pachomius/bede1_15.html).

Another cleric, the 9th Century Nennius wrote:

Ambrosius…was the great king among the kings of Britain… Arthur bore the image of the Holy Virgin… {and}…carried the cross into battle…

http://www.fordham.eduHalsall/basis/nennius-full.html.

Though Gildas mentions the name Arthur briefly, Ninnius uses that name to describe a heroic figure with the same courageous attributes as Ambrosius. In any case, there eventually came an ecclesiastic from Oxford who would weave a tale that would immortalize Arthur, galvanize Britain into a nation of superior consequence, and change the world forever. His name was Geoffrey of Monmouth.

It was in the 12th Century that Geoffrey wrote his History of the Kings of Britain, which brought an immediate superstardom that has never waned to Arthur and a nationalistic pride that unified the British people.

Lewis Thorpe, in his introduction to History of the Kings of Britain, Penguin Classics, 1966, asserts that "Geoffrey obviously wanted to court the favor of the British royals, who in turn were pleased to bask in the starlight of Geoffrey’s hero, Arthur, and at the same time supersede the prestige that the rival French enjoyed with their own hero, Charlemagne…

By carefully embellishing existing traditions and sources, Geoffrey gave Arthur a pedigree, a birthplace, a sword, a wife, a court and military campaigns. He gave the new rulers of England {Normans} the symbolic tool they needed to elevate themselves to the level of the kings of France and beyond…

http://www.britannia.com/history/geofmon.html.

On the subject of the long debated question of an actual existence of Arthur in the so-called Dark Ages, Sir Winston Churchill wrote … "we prefer to believe that the story with which Geoffrey delighted the fiction–loving Europe of the twelfth century is not all fancy. If we could see exactly what happened we should find ourselves in the presence of a theme as well founded, as inspired, and as inalienable from the inheritance of mankind as the Odessey or the Old Testament. It is all true, or it ought to be; and more the better besides. And wherever men are fighting against barbarism, tyranny, and massacre, for freedom, law, and honour, let them remember that the fame of their deeds, even though they themselves be exterminated, may perhaps be celebrated as long as the world rolls round. Let us then declare that King Arthur and his noble knights, guarding the Sacred Flame of Christianity and the theme of a world order, sustained by valour, physical strength and good horses and armour, slaughtered innumerable hosts of foul barbarism and set decent folk an example for all time. (Churchill, Winston, History of the English Speaking Peoples, vol. 1, the Birth of Britain, page 60). On page 59, Churchill states, Modern research has not accepted the annihilation of Arthur. Timidly but resolutely the latest and best-informed writers unite to proclaim his reality. They cannot tell when in this dark period he lived, or where he held sway and fought his battles. They are ready to believe however that there was a great British warrior, who kept the light of civilization burning against all the storms that beat, and that behind his sword there sheltered a faithful following of which the memory did not fail. All four groups of the Celtic tribes which dwelt in the tilted upland of Britain cheered themselves with the Arthurian legend…The reserve of modern assertions is sometimes pushed to extremes, in which the fear of being contradicted leads the writer to strip himself of almost all sense and meaning…

Whether or not a Dark Age man named Arthur actually lived is moot. As Churchill points out in the above quote concerning modern researchers…They are ready to believe…that there was a great British warrior, who kept the light of civilization burning… After 10 years of research and sifting through recorded remnants of savaged historical documentation overlooked by barbarous invaders, I offer the hero that I truly believe lived and lives on still to inspire and uplift and to protect civilized humanity.

Betsy Scott Fitzmeyer

2010

Acknowledgments

As all authors know, the writing of a book is a long, arduous task fraught with self-doubt, lack of confidence, and dread of ridicule. Therefore, since no creative spirit suffers a dearth of critics ever ready to savage hard won efforts, God, in His mercy, may send rare caring souls to give hope to the striving heart.

I have been most fortunate in having such caring souls to bid me forth in my writing endeavors, by either touting or purchasing my works. Some are family members and friends who have been supportive in providing positive comments, while other compassionate individuals are atypical educators, who have generously lent their critical expertise and precious encouragement when most needed. And then there are those who have just bravely, if naively, jumped into the breach and asked to be mentioned by name as believers in my worth as a creditable author. So, to Kevin C. Turner and his parents, Jack and Bonnie Turner, I offer my undying gratitude for spurring me ever forward over the past years in my quest to bring ARTHUR to fruition.

Betsy Scott Fitzmeyer 2010

But at that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people

Daniel, 12:1, Holy Bible, Latin Vulgate

Prologue

Blood was everywhere; it ran in rivulets on the atrium floor where the boy lay unconscious between the lifeless bodies of his mother and father. His sister and younger brothers were sprawled dead in another room, along with their nurses. The flickering light of lamps cast shadows of the wicked upon the walls, their swords still dripping the blood of the royal Romano British family, their faithful servants, and the few remaining loyal members of the military guard, as they skulked out of the stately villa and into the darkness from whence they came.

Two hours before, the contingent of warlords and minor kings had arrived as guests for a peace conference and banquet in celebration of their promised allegiance to Britain’s most powerful king, Ambrosius Aurelius, in whose veins ran the blood of the Caesars. The king had greeted them with open arms, his handsome face lit with smiles of relief and thanksgiving over the peace that was evidently theirs at last. His beautiful queen, Helena, stood at his side, her arm proudly fixed about the shoulders of the oldest of their children, thirteen-year-old Ambrosius Aurelianus who, because of his extraordinary size and sturdiness, was referred to as Arthur, the nickname meaning bear bestowed on him at birth by his Celtic nurse.

If the royal family and their court had had any reservations about the warriors that had accompanied their guests, they’d been swept aside by the security posed by their Romano British retinue and the many guards, who stood at attention while the courses were served in the coolness of the atrium. Even so, as Arthur took his place beside his parents, his eyes darted about for the reassuring sight of his teacher and mentor, Zadok, the burly warrior priest and chief confidante of his father. It wasn’t, he told himself, like Zadok to be late for such an important meeting.

They had decided upon feting their Germanic guests in the atrium rather than the more formal triclinium, because the Saxon leaders had previously not been shy about ridiculing the reclining style of dining; so benches and long tables had been provided to accommodate them. Arthur found himself suddenly smiling in recalling the laughter of his parents as they agreed that open air dining was preferable to the windowless triclinium, since their guests had also scorned their custom of daily bathing. Arthur found such mockery odd since one of his daily pleasures was the bath he would enjoy with his father and Zadok. But whatever the reason for the dining room choice, Arthur was pleased at the prospect of enjoying such a feast in the atrium, for it was a favorite part of the villa that had housed his father’s family since the first Ambrosius Aurelius had been sent to Britain as a consul by Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Some years ago, Arthur’s mother had commissioned a mosaic in honor of Archangel Michael, which took up much