Re: From Scythia to Camelot

I've never heard of the a Sarmatian link with the Arthurian legend,
but I believe Sarmatians were based in what is now the Preston area
of Lancashire and that they stayed on after the departure of the
Romans. This area became part of post Roman kingdom of Rheged which
at its height stretched north through what is now the county of
Cumbria and into southern Scotland. Intriguingly this kingdom of
Rheged does appear to have strong Arthurian connections, and some
historians have linked the stuggle of the Celtic people of this area
against the invading Angles with the Arthurian legend. There is a
very small village near the Solway estuary called Arthuret which was
supposedly the site of a battle between two rival kings of Rheged in
573AD.
Very speculative I know but could there be a common thread here?
Regards
David

--- In cybalist@egroups.com, "John Croft" <jdcroft@...> wrote:
> Joao wrote
>
> > Today I take a very quick look in a boosktore at the book "from
> Scythia to Camelot", by Scott Littleton and other author. The
authors
> state that Arturian legend came from Scythia, through the Alanic
and
> Sarmatian mercenaries in France. It's a interesting and different
> point of view.
>
> There was a regiment of Sarmatian cataphracts stationed in Britain
in
> the 3rd century AD. Some have suggested that the story of
Excalibur
> ultimately derives from a Sarmatian source. They seem to have
> revered a sword carved on a stone - and the sword in the stone myth
> is an early part of the developing Arthurian lore.
>
> Of course there were many elements involved here. A Lucius
Artorius
> was stationed in Briatin and "Arth" is seen as linked to the word
for
> Bear in a number of IE tongues. Gildas refers to one of the
> magistrates that he condemns as having been "charioteer to the
Bear",
> peraps an early reference to an actual leader of the Britains after
> Aurelius Ambrosius. In any case Arthur seems to have been a magnet
> for many mythic elements which have been woven together.
>
> Regards
>
> John