The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and Jesus

THIS POST IS WORK IN PROGRESS

The following table provides a comparison of the writings that tell us about King Arthur compared to the writings that tell us about Jesus. Before I researched this, my default assumption was that King Arthur was a mythical character, invented in the 15th Century. But I was wrong...

Approx. Date	Event	Source	Notes	Comparison
465	Arthur Born	Ancient Welsh poems and sources below	This date approximate and estimated from various historical cross-references	The year that Jesus was born is not known for sure and is estimated from various historical cross-references.
489	A request made to the Britons, by the Roman Emperor Anthemius, for help in battling the Visigoths. The British responded by sending Riothamus, King of the Britons, along with 12,000 men to the aid of Rome.	Cassiodorus' “Gothic History”	Riothamus has been identified as the historical original name for King Arthur, "king of the Brittones" in the early 470's	The character referred to in the Gospels by the Greek word “Jesus” is thought to have originally been named Yeshua
490	An appeal to King Arthur, “a fair minded and honourable ruler”, for justice for "an obscure and humble person," who has suffered a wrong.	Letter from Sidonius Apollinaris (The Bishop of Clermont-Ferrand) to Arthur	The wrongdoers, in this case, are Bretons who are enticing the man's slaves away.	There is an ancient letter allegedly written by Jesus, known as the “Letter to King Abgar." However, this was not accepted as authentic by early church authorities.
500	An account of a battle with the Saxons, in which Arthur is mentioned. “In Llongborth I saw the weapons, Of men, and blood fast dropping, After the war cry, a fearful return. In Llongborth I saw Arthur's Heroes who cut with steel. The Emperor, ruler of our labour. In Llongborth Geraint was slain, a brave man from the region of Dyvnaint,”	Elegy for Geraint A Welsh Battle Poem	The poem is not about Arthur – he is mentioned in an incidental way.	This is the equivalent to what some Christian Apologists refer to as “eye witness testimony” in the Gospels.
542	Arthur dies at the Battle of Camlann,	Annales Cambriae (derived from contemporary accounts)	A Latin language chronicle “The Annals of Wales” that begins in the year 447. Includes references to Arthur and his enemy Mordred.	Again, this is the equivalent to what some Christian Apologists refer to as “eye witness testimony” in the Gospels.
1190	The exhumation of Arthur’s body from his grave at Glastonbury	Gerald of Wales, Archdeacon of Brecon.	The eye witness account by the archdeacon reads as follows: “The memory of Arthur, that most renowned King of the Britons, will endure for ever. In his own day he was a munificent patron of the famous Abbey at Glastonbury, giving many donations to the monks and always supporting them strongly, and he is highly praised in their records. More than any other place of worship in his kingdom he loved the Church of the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, in Glastonbury, and he fostered its interests with much greater loving care than that of any of the others. When he went out to fight, he had a full-length portrait of the Blessed Virgin painted on the front of his shield, so that in the heat of battle he could always gaze upon Her; and whenever he was about to make contact with the enemy he would kiss Her feet with great devoutness. In our own lifetime Arthur's body was discovered at Glastonbury, although the legends had always encouraged us to believe that there was something otherworldly about his ending, that he had resisted death and had been spirited away to some far-distant spot. The body was hidden deep in the earth in a hollowed-out oak bole and between two stone pyramids which had been set up long ago in the churchyard there. They carried it into the church with every mark of honour and buried it decently there in a marble tomb. It had been provided with most unusual indications which were, indeed, little short of miraculous, for beneath it, and not on top, as would be the custom nowadays, there was a stone slab, with a leaden cross attached to its under side. I have seen this cross myself and I have traced the lettering which was cut into it on the side turned towards the stone, instead of being on the outer side and immediately visible. The inscription read as follows: HERE IN THE ISLE OF AVALON LIES BURIED THE RENOWNED KING ARTHUR, WITH GUINEVERE, HIS SECOND WIFE”	Again, this is the equivalent to what some Christian Apologists refer to as “eye witness testimony” in the Gospels.