Uther Pendragon
The father of Arthur by Ygerna, by means of intrigue arranged by Merlin.
- About Uther Pendragon, King Arthur's Father, Geoffrey of Monmouth Text Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Brittanniae, 'history of the kings of Britain,' contains one of the most comprehensive versions of the Arthurian legend; though it is no longer considered valuable as a history, it is still an extremely valuable piece of medieval literature.
- King Uther Pendragon was the father of King Arthur. He was the brother of Ambrosius whom he succeeded as King of Britain. Falling in love with Igraine, he went to war with her husband, Gorlois.
Uther spent his youth in Breton exile and returns with his brother Aurelius Ambrosius to Britain to dethrone Vortigern. Aurelius becomes king and sends Uther and Merlin to Ireland to bring back the Giant's Ring (Stonehenge). After his death, by poison, Uther becomes king and holds court in London. He desires Ygerna, the wife of Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, but the latter, observing the king's advances, leaves without permission and immures his wife in Tintagel Castle. Taking his conduct as an insult, Uther leads an army to ravage the ducal lands.
Merlin magically turns Uther into a replica of Gorlois and he is thus able to enter Tintagel. He lays with Ygerna, who supposes him to be her husband, and Arthur is begotten. The real Gorlois dies on the battlefield and Uther is free to resume his true shape and marry Ygerna.
The remainder of his life is troubled by ill health and aggressive Saxons. Some sixteen year later he dies, like his brother, by Saxon poison. He was buried beside Aurelius at Stonehenge.
Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey's Historia, including Arthur's father Uther Pendragon, the magician Merlin, Arthur's wife Guinevere, the sword Excalibur, Arthur's conception at Tintagel, his final battle against Mordred at Camlann, and final rest in Avalon.
In Welsh tradition his name was known before the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth but there is no proof that he was a real person. The Welsh Uthr means 'terrible, awe-inspiring,' and the connection with Arthur could be a mere mistake, since 'Arthur the terrible' might have been misconstrued as 'Arthur son of Uthr.'
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Welsh uthr, 'terrible;' pen, 'head;' dragon, 'leader.'
References
Sources
- Lacy, Norris J., ed. (1996). The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. New York: Garland.
- MacKillop, James. (2004). Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
The father of Arthur by Ygerna, by means of intrigue arranged by Merlin.
Uther spent his youth in Breton exile and returns with his brother Aurelius Ambrosius to Britain to dethrone Vortigern. Aurelius becomes king and sends Uther and Merlin to Ireland to bring back the Giant's Ring (Stonehenge). After his death, by poison, Uther becomes king and holds court in London. He desires Ygerna, the wife of Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, but the latter, observing the king's advances, leaves without permission and immures his wife in Tintagel Castle. Taking his conduct as an insult, Uther leads an army to ravage the ducal lands.
Merlin magically turns Uther into a replica of Gorlois and he is thus able to enter Tintagel. He lays with Ygerna, who supposes him to be her husband, and Arthur is begotten. The real Gorlois dies on the battlefield and Uther is free to resume his true shape and marry Ygerna.
The remainder of his life is troubled by ill health and aggressive Saxons. Some sixteen year later he dies, like his brother, by Saxon poison. He was buried beside Aurelius at Stonehenge.
In Welsh tradition his name was known before the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth but there is no proof that he was a real person. The Welsh Uthr means 'terrible, awe-inspiring,' and the connection with Arthur could be a mere mistake, since 'Arthur the terrible' might have been misconstrued as 'Arthur son of Uthr.'
Uther Pendragon Fate
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Uther Pendragon Geni
Welsh uthr, 'terrible;' pen, 'head;' dragon, 'leader.'
References
Uther Pendragon
Sources
Uther Pendragon Merlin
- Lacy, Norris J., ed. (1996). The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. New York: Garland.
- MacKillop, James. (2004). Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.