Tintagel Christmas 2002
THE PARENTS OF KING ARTHUR
Again
from "Lakes Parochial History of the County of Cornwall" by
Joseph
Polsue, 1868-1872 ...... my facsimile copy by Archive CD Books, extracts by
kind permission of Rod Neep (see below for details).
After the death of Ambrosius Aurelius, anno Dom. 497, succeeded to the dominion
of Britain, some say his brother, others a Britain named Uter, alias Uter-Pendragon;
that is to say in British the terrible or dreadful head or chief dragon, so
called, as our historians tells us, from a direful,
bloody, or red dragon, pourtrayed in his banners of war with a golden head, as
is to this day borne in our imperial standards of war, in memory doubtless of
the red dragon mentioned in Merlinıs prophecy, by which the British nation is
figured. For his paternal coat armour, as Upton saith, was in a field of Vert, a
plain cross argent; in the dexter quarter the image of the blessed Virgin Mary
holding the image of her blessed Son in her right hand proper. He likewise
gave for his cognizance of Britain.
Which
Prince, about the fourth year of his reign, having had divers notable victories
over his enemies the Saxons, killing Pascentrus, the son of Hengist, and
Grellimore, King of Ireland, taken Octa and another son of Hengist, and Cossa,
his nephew, prisoners, and routed their fortresses; he resolved the Easter after
to make a kind of triumphal feast and solemnity for the principal nobility,
gentry and soldiers of his kingdom; and ordered likewise that their wives and
daughters should also be invited to his court, to congratulate his victories
against his pagan enemies. Now this feast was to be kept at
Caer-Segont, i.e., the city or castle of conquest or victory afterwards called,
by the Saxons, Cell-Cestor, i.e. Great Castle, now Winn-Chester, as much as to
say, the overcoming, conquering, or winning castle as before; the place where
the Emperor Constantine first put on the purple robes, in order to his dignity.
Amongst other princes and confederates that attended this solemnity Goth-lois or
Goth-Louis, id est, purple, back or spear Prince, King or Earl of Cornwall, with
Igerna, his lady, graced the same with their presence. And it was observable
that in this great assembly, the said lady, for
beauty, port and mien, exceeded all the other women then present. With
whose unparalelled demeanour and charms King Uter was so much taken and
delighted, or intoxicated rather, that for several days he omitted all other
most necessary affairs of his kingdom, in order to enjoy her company. Yea,
so violent was his affection, that he could not restrain or curb his passion,
but kissed and courted her openly, even in sight of her lord and others.
Whereupon Gothlouis was so possessed with jealousy that he took the first
opportunity, without leave taken of the King or the nobility, together with his
duchess and servants, and posted from Winchester, towards his own
country of Devon and Cornwall. He had not been long gone, but the notice
thereof was soon brought to the king, who took it in so ill a part, by reason of
his inordinate affection to his lady, that forthwith he sent messengers after
him to let him know that he had further occasion to use his counsel about
affairs of the nation.
But Gothlouis so highly prized his lady, who by this artifice he fore-saw would
be exposed to the kingıs attempts, that he sent back positive answer that he
wouId not come. At which return the King grew more enraged, and sent the Prince
of Cornwall word, that if he presisted in his obstinacy, he would invade his
country, ancl beat his towns and castles about his ears ; but in vain were his
menaces, for Gothlouis returned him word that he was, as his predecessors time
out of mind had been, a free prince, and owed him neither homage nor allegiance.
Nevertheless, as his countryman, he acknowledged himself his ally and
confederate against all foreign opposers,
and would keep his articles of agreement ; but if Uter were not contented with
this answer, but would forcibly invade his country and property, he would
endeavour to keep and preserve the same against him and his adherents. Whereupon
King Uter denounced hostility against him, and sent him defiance as an enemy,
and forthwith set all things in a posture of war against him.
Nieither was Gothlouis 1899 solicitous to keep his country and duchess from Uterıs
possession or indeed vile usurpation.
In brief, therefore, as aforesaid, Ring Uter having raised a great army of
soldiers, under pretence of chastising the pride and contempt of Gothlouis,
marched with them towards his territories, which extended as far as Axminster,
where he no sooner arrived than he falls a plundering the
country, and burning the houses of the inhabitants, with the terror whereof some
fled away, and others submitted to his mercy. Gothlouis being then at his chief
palace and castle of Caer-Iske, id est, the Fish Castle or city, situate upon
the Fish River, now called Exe, as the City is Exeter, and
hearing of this affrightment and revolt of the people on the east part of his
dominions, and fearing the cowardice of his citizens of Caer-Iske, he quitted
the same upon Uterıs approach with his army, and fled from thence with his
lady, and posted themselves in this castle of Dundngell, where he left his
duchess, himself retiring to Dameliock Castle, now in S. Udey, or S. Kewe, There
his army lay entrenched within a treble walled fortification of earth, still
extant, and retaining its name, wherein he had laid up sufficient provision and
ammunition for his camp and soldiers, etc... And there also he was promised
to receive assistance of soldiers from one of
the five Kings of Ireland, which were daily expected.
King Uter understanding of Gothlouisı departure from Caer-Iske, soon marched
after him with his army into Cornwall and laid siege to the castle of Dumeliook,
that is to say, the house or place of skirmish, battle, or hazard of war, and no
sooner approached the lines, but he sent an herald or trumpet to Gothlouis,
demanding the surrender of himself and castle on mercy. Gothlouis, rewarding the
trumpet, returned answer, ³that he gave Uter no just cause of war, or for
breaking the league or invading his country, and wasting the same in such
barbarous manner. But especially he being a free prince, neither could nor would
betray his trust, or give up his
dominions and subjects to an unjust invader.² At which answer King Uter was so
enraged, that he gave order for a straight siege of the castle, and forthwith
made many violent assaults by storm in several places thereof; but he was as
stoutly repulsed and driven back by the besieged. In this manner, with various
success, for many days the siege and was continued, which
occasioned the many camps, fortifications, and intrenchments in those parts,
called Castle Kitty, Biny, Castle Kynven, etc.
Whereupon Ring Uter being more desirous to obtain the Lady Igerna, than to shed
blood, or take the fort of Dameliock, thought of nothing more than how to get
possession of her. In order to which, he was so vain as to inquire whether the
said lady was within the said castle, and whether she was in so good state of
health as when he saw her at Cuersegant. To which question answer was
made, that same reported nothing to the contrary as to her health, but for her
person, that was not in Dameliock Castle, but kept in a much more secure place,
within the impregnable fort of Dundagell. Then, inquiring further of a deserter
what manner of place that was, he was told it was a castle munified by art and
nature and of so narrow entrance over the sea and rocks by a drawbridge, that
three armed men at once would keep out his whole army, rnaugre all there skill
and strength. At the relation of which circumstances, King Uter seemed
mightily dismayed, so that his countenance changed through anguish and
perplexity of mind, which put him into such great anxiety as was Ahab for want
of Nabothıs vineyard, David for Bathsheba, and Nero for Sabina Popeia, other
menıs wives.
King Uter Pendragon, in this extremity, as not being able to reduce
Dameliock Castle by storm, nor, if he could, would that redress his grief, by
procuring the slight of Igerna, resolves upon this expedient, to dislodge part
of his soldiers and troops from Dameliock, and march with them to
Dundagall, in order to try the fortune of war in both places. But as soon as he
came in sight thereof, the same appeared more formidable, tremendous, and
invincible, that what report or fame had spoken of. For in those days the
wit and force of man, could not oblige that castle to a surrender unless through
bribery or treachery of itıs defendants, for that the same could neither be
scaled, battered or starved.
"The consideration of which put Pendragon into greater sadness and
perplexity of mind, through the charge and fatigues of war, the stain of his
honour in these unsuccessful attempts, but chiefly for that he could not obtain
the fair Igerna; whereupon he grew sickly and took his bed and
physicians despairing of his life. When it happened, as historians tell us, that
one Ursan, Of Richardock, a place near Dameliock or Dundagell, one of King Uterıs
cabinet council advised him to send into Wales for the old British prophet
Merlin, and try whether he could do that by his magic art which neither the art
or courage of men of war could effect ; whereupon Pendragon sent for the
prophet, who, when arrived to his camp, was made acquainted with the premises,
and immediately bid the King to be of good comfort, for that he doubted not but
in short time he would introduce him to the company of Igerna, without further
bloodshed or hostility.
The King gladly heard this discourse and promised to follow any expedient that
he should prescribe In order to obtain the lady ; and further assured him of a
good reward, in case his project succeeded. Whereupon Merlin ordered the
King, together with Ursun, of Richardock, to attend him one night in the
twilight, with whom in secret manner be went towards the drawbridge gate of
Dundagell Castle, where making a noise, the sentinel or porter demanded in the
dark who they were? Merlin being transformed into the shape of Bricot, a
servant that waited on Gothlouis, and layin his chamber, made answer that his
master, Duke Gothlouis, cscaped from the siege of Dameliock, was at the gate for
entrance. The porter apprehending he heard the very voice of Bricot, and seeing
at some distance two persons talking together, the one King Uter metamorphosed
into the shape of Duke Gothlouis, and another, viz., Ursan, of Richardock,
transformed into the shape of Jordon, of Dundagell, he let down the drawbridge,
and so gave them opportunity to enter into the insular castle aforesaid, where
he had further confirmation of the identity or reality of their persons, by
their speech and apparel, as far as the night would permit him.
Whereupon he forthwith joyfully conducted King Uter to Igernaıs chamber, who
not discovering the fraud, gladly received him as her lord ; when that very
night was begotten that valiant, noble and religious Prince Arthur, who, for his
brave, facinourous, and heroic achievements, made his name glorious in his days,
as it is still the paragon of ours.
Now on that. same night his soldiers were so careful and valiant in the siege of
Dameliock Castle,that they stormed it with their scaling ladders, but were as
stoutly driven back by the besieged; whereupon, Duke Gothlouis resolved no
longer to be thus cooped up or confined in wall s or trenches, but either to
conquer or die, rind the next morning sallied forth with a
party of soldiers, and assaulted his enemies in their quarters by surprise: but
alas? the success was not answerable to his courage and resolution, for
King Uterıs men were all in readiness to receive his charge and onset, so that
in the brunt of the first encounter Gothlouis was killed on the spot, his party
slain or routed, and all that were taken in arms put to the sword. The castle of
Dameliock yielded on condition of life, though some say otherwise, the plunder
to the Kingıs
soldiers.
Early on the same morning, before King Uter and the duchess were out of their
chamber, or had on their wearing apparel to the great astonishment of the
porter, centinel, and the garrison, a messenger arrived at Dundagell Castle,
giving a full account of the tragical fact. But when he was admitted to the
Duchessıs bedchamber and saw as he verily believed, Duke Gothlouis in her
company, he could hardly credit his own report: especially the Duchess Igerna
being of the same opinion. But then alas! so unavoidable a thing is
fortune or fate, the prophet Merlin began to un-charm and dissolve his former
spells and incantations, so that King Uter appeared no longer as Gothlouis, Duke
of Cornwall, but sole monarch of Britain; his companion not Jordan of
Dundagell but Ursan of Richardock; and the third not Bricot, but Merlin the
prophet, to the great admiration of all spectators.
Whereupon the king took leave of the Duchess, and posted to his army then in
possession of DameIiock Castle and ordered search to be made for the dead body
of the duke; where at length it was found in common soldiersı apparel, extreme
bloody, mangled and cut. Whereupon he called an embalmer, who forthwith
embalmed the body with salt and aromatic spices, to prevent putrefaction till a
military internment could be prepared for him, which a month after was
splendidly provided, the King und Duchess being chief mourners; when a few days
after King Uter publicaly married Igerna,t he duchess, by whom, as aforesaid, he
had a son Arthur and a daughter named Amye.
Lastly, it is observed by our annalists upon the forgoing history that after
this bloody war, and unjust fact of King Uterıs, he never had any tolerable
success against his Saxon enemies; but in many battles was worsted by them, and
finally, some of them understanding of a good spring, or well of water, whereof
he usually drank, they secretly envenoned the same so that afterwards the King,
drinking his customary draught thereof, soon after, with intolerable pain died
in the fifteenth year of his reign, and the flower of his age, anno Dom.
515, fulfilling the saying in the Sacred
Writings, ³the same measure that you mete shall be measured to you again,
brimful and running over.
King Arthurıs usual place of Residence, where he kept his court (as Hennis the
Briton tells us, who flourished anno Dom. 600) was East or West Camellot,
near Cadbury, in Wiltshire.
There was extant in the Welsh tongue, in bardsıs verses, 1170, temp. Hen, II.,
a song which said that the body of King Arthur was buried at the Isle of Avallan,
near Glastonbury, between two pyramids. Whereupon King Henry order a search to
be made after his corpse, as that most classical and authentic author Giraldus
Cumbrensis, who was an eye witness thereof saith, who relates, that after the
pioneers had sunk about seven foot deep, they lighted,upon a stone in form
of a cross, to the back part thereof was fastened a rude leaden cross, something
broad, with those letters inscribed Hic jacet sepultis jnclitus Rex
Arturius in Insula, Avalonia,²
Two feet beneath this cross they then also found two coffins made of hollow oak,
wherein were the bones and skeletons of King Arthur and of Genevour, his wife,
the hair of the said lady being then whole and of fresh colour, as Fabian saith,
but ns soon as touched it fell to powder. This history, for substance is
gathered out of Galfridus and other chronologers; John Trevisaıg book of
the Acts of King Arthur, temp. Henry 1V,; John Lidgate, a monk of S. Edmondsbury,
who wrote a tract of King Arthurıs Round Table, anno Dom. 1470; William
Caxton, the author of that Chronicle called Fructus Temporum, who also
wrote the history of King Arthur, 1484; Nicholas Upton, Canon of the Cathedral
Church of Wells, 1440; and others,
King Arthurıs three admirals at sea, as appears from the book of Thriades in
British, were Garint ab Erbyn, a nobleman of Cornwall, for then Cornwall and
Devon were one oounty slain at Lhongporth, now London, by the Saxons, anno Dom.
540; March ab Meircyon, and Gwenwynwyn ab Nau.
There is yet extant in the British tongue an elegy upon the death of this Gerint,
which among others contains those words. Ray Ratharmaur mab Erbin.
Yn Longborth yllas Gerint,
Gur deur o godir Dyfneint,
Wyntwys yn Lladhgyt as ledeint
Yn Llongborth llas yıArthur,
Guyr deur Kymmuvint o dur
Amheravdyr Ilywyadyr llauur.
In Longporth was slain Gerint,
A man beloved of Devon,
Overcome in fight or vanquished
In Longporth where he was slain for Arthur,
A man beloved, that commanded over the water,
Admiral or General of a fleet great.
King Arthur also, by reason of the great schism in the church between the Britain
and Catholic Clergy, instituted the order of Knights of the Holy Trinity, and
built the Chapel of Trinity at Restormell.
Pierce Gaveston being made Earl of Cornwall by King Edward II. and afterwards
banished for his wicked practices, and put to death by licence of that king,
took out of the jewel house a table of gold and tressells of the same,
that once belonged to King Arthur, and delivered them to Amery of Friscoband, a
merchant, to be carried into Gascoigne, where they were sold at a great price to
his own private advantage, as our chronologers tell us.
But in memory of King Arthur, Roger Mortimer, soon after, at such time as he and
Queen Eleanor his concubine, wife of Edward II., governed this kingdom, in
imitation of him, kept a round table, to which many noble knights belonged and
frequented, to his infinite cost and expense, which by him were called Knights
of the Round Table.
The Isle of Man being conquered by William Monticute, Earl of Salisbury, temp.
Edward 111, he caused him to be styled King of Man, and gave him leave to
institute at Windsor, in a chamber two hundred feet round, in imitation of King
Arthur, a society of Knights of the Round Table.
TONKIN - I shall offer a conjecture touching the name of this place, which I
will not say is right but only probable. Tin is the same as Din, Dinas;
and Dixeth deceit ; so that Tindixeth turned for the easier pronounciation to
Tintagel, Dindagel, or Daundagel, signifies the castle of Deceit, which name
might be aptly given to it from the famous deceit practised here by Uter
Pendragon, by the help of Merlinıs enchantment.
The manor of Tintagel was very anciently demesne land of the crown, and famous
for its castle, and Browne Willis says the castle, manor, and borough of
Tintagel, were settled by Edward the third on his son Prince Edward, whom he
created Duke of Cornwall, and continued it to his heirs, the succeeding Dukes of
Cornwall, before which this kingıs brother, John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwell,
held it. This castle boasts much greater antiquity, and is said to have been the
seat of the Dukes of Cornwall, and pretends to have been the birthplace of the
famous King Arthur, which happened above five hundred years before the
Norman Conquest, that prince having been born in the Year 500, fifteen years
after which he is said to have succeeded his father in
the kingdom, and to have lost his life in the thirty-sixth year of his reign in
a place near Camelford.
The borough of Bossiney, known in this county by the name of Tintagel, is a very
small village, and contains scarcely twenty houses, and those not better than
Cottages. This place, with Trevenna, another little hamlet equally mean,
lie in the parish of Tintagel, from which church they are at no great distance,
and with it make up the one borough. It was privileged by Richard Earl of
Cornwall and King of the Romans who granted ³ Quad Burgus noster de Tyntajvil
sit liber Burgus.² It was governed by a mayor. The first return of
members to serve in Parliament is in the reign of Edward the Sixth.
In an indenture during the reign of Queen Mary, it is styled Trevenna alias
Bosinney, in others Trevenna simply, in others Bossiney alone.
"Lakes Parochial History of Cornwall" by Joseph Polsue - in 4 Vols was
published between 1868 and 1872. It is available on CD from Archive CD Books
http://www.archivecdbooks.org/
Kindest Regards ...... Corinne on the way to Tintagel.
'Have not your worships,' replied Don Quixote, 'read the annals and histories of England, in which are recorded the famous deeds of King Arthur, whom we in our popular Castilian invariably call King Artus, with regard to whom it is an ancient tradition, and commonly received all over that kingdom of Great Britain, that this king did not die, but was changed by magic art into a raven, and that in process of time he is to return to reign and recover his kingdom and sceptre; for which reason it cannot be proved that from that time to this any Englishman ever killed a raven?
This is a link to a good Arthur Web site that Corinne sent in.
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