King Arthur: The Brittany Connection

The connection between King Arthur and Brittany is very strong, though sometimes overlooked today.

The ancient Bretons knew well of the Arthurian Romances. While many scholars believe that Geoffrey of Monmouth is the source for medieval interest in King Arthur, at least one scholar, Roger S. Loomis, has argued that many of the tales surrounding King Arthur actually come from Breton oral traditions, from Brittany, which were spread through the royal and noble courts of Europe by professional storytellers known as jongleurs.

The French medieval writer, Chrétien de Troyes, recounted tales from Arthurian Romances during the mid-12th century, as did Marie de France in her narrative poems called lais. In any case, the later stories told by these two writers and by many, many others, appear to be independent of what Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote.

Geoffrey Ashe argues that King Arthur was an historical King in Brittany known to history as Riothamus, a title meaning "Greatest-King".

Riothamus is the style given in continental documents to a fifth-century "king of the Britons," whose career seemingly underlies parts of the account of Arthur in Geoffrey of Monmouth. It Latinizes a title or honorific in the British language that is, the parent tongue from which Welsh, Cornish, and Breton evolved.

In British, the name "Riothamus" is rendered "Rigotamus." The first part, "Rig", means "kingly" or "king," and takes on the "-o" in a compound. The second part is a superlative ending, as "-est" in "kindest." Thus, the word literally means "king-most" or "supreme king," as the modern word "generalissimo." As an adjective, it would mean "most kingly." In later centuries, it appears as a proper name, "Riatham" in Breton and "Rhiadaf" in Welsh. However, earlier in the fifth century it is used as an honorific in the same way as "Vortigern" and "Vortimer".

His army is recorded as having crossed the channel to fight the Visigoths in the Loire Valley in 468. Betrayed by the Prefect of Gaul, he later disappeared from history. Ashe does not discuss Riothamus' ancestry. He, in fact, appears quite prominently in the pedigree of the Kings of Domnonée, dispite attempts to equate him with a Prince of Cornouaille named Iaun Reith.

Riothamus was probably exiled to Britain during one of the many civil wars that plagued Brittany. He later returned in triumph to reclaim his inheritance, but was later killed in an attempt to expel Germanic invaders. The main trouble with this Arthurian identification is that it pushes King Arthur back fifty years from his traditional period at the beginning of the sixth century.

The Enchanted Forest
This legendary forest lies in the region known today as Paimpont (Penpon meaning bridge head in Breton) which covers an area of 18,000 acres to the south west of Rennes. Brocéliande is the remnant of a vast primeval forest which in the first centuries A.D. covered the interior of Brittany stretching from Rennes to Rostrenen.

This dense shadowy forest has spawned numerous mysteries & legends including one of the most famous legends in western mythology. This enchanted region is the setting for the quest by the Knights of the Round Table to recover the Holy Grail under orders from King Arthur. One of the best known inhabitants of the forest was Merlin.

Merlin, a druid was friend & advisor to the young King Arthur & many places are instilled with his magical presence. The spring at Barenton to the north of Beauvais is where Merlin first encountered the enchantress Viviane. Viviane's love for Merlin was absolute & she bewitched Merlin at the Spring of Eternal Youth at Jouence using spells learned from the magician himself, turning the ancient druid's features back into their former youthfulness. The love was however reciprocal & Merlin for his part built a crystal citadel beneath the lake at Concoret which today reflects the image of the Chateau of Comper (it was here that Lancelot was called by the Lady of the Lake). Viviane finally imprisoned Merlin in 9 magical circles "as intangible as air but as hard as rock" in order to be with the magician for ever. Today it is possible to visit Merlin's Tomb which forms part of an alignment of standing stones in the northern part of the forest.

On a darker note the half sister to King Arthur, Morgane Le Fay also had a hand in bewitching the forest of Broceliand. Morgane was disappointed in love & she avenged this failure by imprisoning Knights who came to cross the Val Sans Retour (Valley of no Return) or the Val des Faux- Amants (Valley of Faithless Lovers) in a continuous circuit of dancing & revelry. These poor Knights were finally freed by the arrival of Lancelot, he being the cause of Morgane's anger & the spell she cast. The area around Tréhorenteuc is thus considered a centre for black magic & Morgane Le Fay may still be wandering the region. The Church of the Holy Grail at Tréhorenteuc offers a remarkable mixture of Christianity, Druidism & Arthurian Mythology. The forest is still an important site for numerous groups of witches, both black & white, & druid cult followers all of whom perform rituals in the forest at appropriate times of the year.
 

King Arthur exhibition to be held in Rennes, Brittany
21 May 2008

The cultural hub of Rennes, the Champs Libres (the Musée de Bretagne, the Bibliothèque de Rennes Métropole and the Espace des Sciences) launches the first ever major exhibition on the legend of King Arthur on 15 July 2008. The exhibition will stay open until 04 January 2009.

In partnership with The French National Library the exhibition traces the cultural history of the Arthurian myth and has been nominated as an "Exhibition of National Interest" by the Ministry of Culture.

Regarded as one of the most important literary and artistic subjects in Europe, the legend of King Arthur has spanned across many generations. His prodigious feats, romantic conquests and quest of the Holy Grail have been the subjects of debate and filled the imagination of historians and the general public alike.

In Brittany, the shadow of King Arthur has been cast over the forest of Broceliande for centuries. His amazing story inspires films, television programmes and children's literature.

The exhibition of the Champs Libres explores the life of King Arthur, an exceptional literary character who entwines magic and love with war. The exhibition goes beyond the historical background touching upon ancient sources and contemporary adaptations to evoke the birth and development of a legend and the universality of a myth.
 

The Champs Libres presents more than 200 works linked to the adventures of the King and his knights in three temporary exhibition rooms on two floors of more than 10,000 sqm. Many historical and iconographic documents (manuscripts, rare books, paintings, pieces of art and film posters etc.) illustrate the cultural influence of Arthurian legends.

Among them is a treasure, carefully preserved by the Bibliothèque de Rennes Métropole; one of the oldest, illustrated, manuscripts of the stories of the Round Table.

This is the first joint activity to be undertaken by the three partners of the Champs Libres (the Musée de Bretagne/Breton Museum, the Bibliothèque de Rennes Métropole/Rennes Library, and the Espace des Sciences/Science Centre) putting together an exhibition which is intended for all ages, especially families.

At the same time as the opening of the exhibition, the University of Rennes 2 will host the 22nd Congress of the International Arthurian Society, to be attended by the greatest Kind Arthur specialists in the world, from 15 to 20 July 2008.