And the Bishop of Ely breakfasted at Kamelot….

On Sunday, 25th October 1383, Thomas Arundel, Bishop of Ely (soon to be Archbishop of York and then Archbishop of Canterbury), breakfasted at Kamelot. Oh yes, indeed. I learned of this on page 199 of Thomas Arundel, the biography by Margaret Aston, which I quote: “….This letter, like another of 24th October concerning an exchange,… Continue reading And the Bishop of Ely breakfasted at Kamelot….

Yes, of COURSE King Arthur was real….!

Well, of course King Arthur was real. Maybe Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table and so on are rather romantic, but Arthur himself was definitely an actual man. You’ll never convince me otherwise. I don’t really care if he was a Romano-British warrior rather than a glamorous knight in shining armour, it’s the symbol… Continue reading Yes, of COURSE King Arthur was real….!

Was Sir Gawain’s head still displayed in Dover Castle in 1485….?

One of the greatest of Arthur’s knights was Sir Gawain, hero of (among other legends) the tale of the Green Knight. There is some very interesting information about Gawain here: I always knew that the Welsh tradition has Gawain (Welsh – Gwalchmai) buried as follows:- “The grave of Gwalchmai in Peryddon, as a disgrace to… Continue reading Was Sir Gawain’s head still displayed in Dover Castle in 1485….?

A visual and literary appreciation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by Simon Armitage….

 Most people, even if they haven’t read/tried to read, the ancient British poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, will at least know the opening scene. It’s Christmas at Camelot, and King Arthur and his knights are enjoying themselves, feasting and celebrating, when into the hall rides a huge knight who carries a sprig of holly.… Continue reading A visual and literary appreciation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by Simon Armitage….

How did Henry VII find the tomb of King Arthur…?

   The following article is based on books by Chris Barber and David Pykitt, so I do not claim anything as my own work. The books are The Legacy of King Arthur and Journey to Avalon. It is also based on a third book by Chris Barber called King Arthur: The Mystery Unravelled, which contains more… Continue reading How did Henry VII find the tomb of King Arthur…?

William Caxton and the Birth of English Printing

It is always a pleasure to visit the sumptuous J. Pierpont Morgan Museum and Library located in the Murray Hill section of New York City.  Built in 1906, designed by the esteemed architectural firm of McKim, Meade and White, it is breathtakingly beautiful as well as a unique source of medieval riches, housing one of the smallest… Continue reading William Caxton and the Birth of English Printing