The Saxon Shore
Encyclopedia
The Saxon Shore is a 1998 novel by Canadian writer Jack Whyte
chronicling Caius Merlyn
Britannicus's effort to return the baby Arthur
to the colony of Camulod
and the political events surrounding this. The book is a portrayal of the Arthurian Legend set against the backdrop of Post-Roman Briton's invasion by Germanic peoples. It is part of the Camulod Chronicles, which attempts to explain the origins of the Arthurian legends against the backdrop of a historical setting. This is a deviation from other modern depictions of King Arthur such as Once and Future King and the Avalon series
which rely much more on mystical and magical elements and less on the historical .
Cornwall:
Saxon Shore begins with Merlyn and the infant Arthur stranded in a small boat on the southern most extreme of the Irish Sea. An Irish pirate ship captained by Connor, a prince of Eire, captures the boat. The Celts then throw the child overboard. Disregarding his life, Merlyn kills one of the pirates and jumps in after Arthur. The pirates recapture Merlyn and the floating child and return them to the ship. The captain greets Merlyn and the child, revealing the origin of the crew, Eire
, and tries to understand the reasons why Merlyn would sacrifice his life for the child. In the conversation, the captain comes to realize that his brother, Donuil is Merlyn's captive at Camulod, so he releases Merlyn in the agreement that the child will be returned if his brother returns to Eire.
Merlyn then proceeds home, where he quickly becomes embroiled in factions politics that have arisen in the Camulodian council. By using his military authority and appealing to the older council, Merlyn disbands the parties. Ironhair, one of the faction leaders, becomes enraged by this and makes an assassination attempt on Merlyn's life. Meanwhile Donuil returns to Camolud with Merlyn's nearly identical half-brother Ambrose. Once Donuil returns, Merlyn creates a party which is to escort Donuil back to Eire.
On the trip to Eire the party has encounters with a leper colony, where Lucanus, a physician and Merlyn's longtime friend, leaves the party to deliver a wagon-load of supplies to the impoverished lepers. A crew of marauders was harvesting marble from a Roman temple in Glevum
when the party arrives there. Merlyn decides that they will be unable to gain passage on any ships there, after a brief skirmish with the locals.
Eire:
After the encounter with the scavengers, a group of Scots sent by Donuil's father to ensure his safe return find the party. Soon the two galleys of the Scots are hauling a barge to Eire where the barge capsizes south of Athol's kingdom. The Comuludian knights travel through the Irish wilderness under threat of barbaric peoples, but only encounter a boar larger than any other ever hunted by the Scots. Within several weeks of leaving Comulud the party arrives in the capital of Athol's kingdom.
The party stays at the stronghold and Merlyn, in conversation with Athol, reveals that he was married to one of Athol's daughters, Deirdre. Athol accepts Merlyn into his family. During the same conversation Merlyn also reveals the identity of the child, Arthur, and Athol pledges himself as an ally to Merlyn and his Grandson. While staying in the stronghold of the Scots, Merlyn and his men demonstrate the use of cavalry to the Scots who had previously never seen its use in battle. During the exhibition a bear enters the clearing and attacks. Merlyn uses his memory of Alexander the Great's bodyguard
using Sarissa
, heavy lances, to charge troops, acquiring a spear from infantry that were to be part of the demonstration and charging the bear.
One Evening, a member of the community disappears and, while searching for said man, Donuil feels that someone was watching in the woods. Merlyn's retinue and Athol's warriors are put on alert, and in the morning an army attacks the walls. The strength of the cavalry successfully routes the attacking army in two charges. The attack of the wild men of the south is an unruly advance force of the eminent attack by the MacNyalls, Sons of Condran, and Sons of Garn. Athol decides that Merlyn, Arthur, Donuil and their company must return to Briton to avoid this attack and ensure Arthur's safety.
The Saxon Shore:
The party of Merlyn returns to Camulod without Donuil, who returns to Eire in order to stave off the events of one of Merlyn's dreams. While traveling back to Camolud the party encounters a group of marauding Berbers
. Upon returning to Camolud, Merlyn discovers his half brother Ambrose has integrated the infantry and cavalry in order to reduce enmity between the two military branches. A group of Cambrian raid an outlying farm of the colony, however before the military can follow a heavy winter sets in that kills the oldest members of the community.
In the spring a large contingent of the military, 500 foot soldiers and 500 cavalry, leave Camolud to take revenge for the raid which killed 50 of their comrades. Led by Merlyn, the force travels near the leper colony that was visited with Lucanus and the whole colony is found dead. The military force also clears the Berbers from their pirate outpost in Glevum
. The army enters Cambria and soon find the men who had stolen the horses dead, they then encounter a force of Dergyll's archers, however Merlyn tactfully avoids any confrontation. The two leaders agree to an alliance and in proof of their loyalty to the alliance, they exchange a small contingent of auxiliary forces. While discussing this Merlyn discovers that Ironhair, who had led one of the political parties in Camolud, was now supporting a contender for the Pendragon throne.
Merlyn and the forces return to Camolud and years of peace ensue. Merlyn and Ambrose make a trip to Northumberland and discover that the alliance between Briton-Romans and the Norse that had maintained the strength of the kingdom is failing. They return to Britain and begin the education of Arthur, along with the other family and friends of Merlyn. An attempt is made on Arthur's life by a group of men loyal to Ironhair, and the council of friends which had come to surround Merlyn decided that in order to protect this future king he must live outside of the community which knows of his existence. Merlyn decides to settle Arthur in Ravenglass
south of Hadrian's Wall.
Epilogue:
Arthur and Merlyn travel to Ravenglass aboard Connor's galley and are welcomed by the Ravenglass King Derek.
Cambria
- This kingdom is ruled by the Pendragon
family, as warlord-kings. This celtic state is in modern Wales
. Uther
's death prior to the beginning of the book leaves no heir other than Arthur
, however the polity desintigrates into a number of warring factions.
Camolud
- A Roman colony established in South-Western England. The establishment of this colony is depicted in the earlier books in the A Dream of Eagles
Series. Politically the region is ruled by a council of respected individuals within the colony, a number of whom are military rulers or members of the families which control the twelve villas which govern the lands. Their military strength relies on their cavalry, which is far advanced compared to Celtic horsemen because of the stirrup
technology as well as a Roman breeding stock.
Cornwall
- The Celtic kingdom of the deceased Lot. The crest of the kingdom is a Bear. This is presumably in South-Western most corner of Britain where the modern Cornwall is though there is no definite depiction of where this regions is either in the books map or in context.
MacNyalls- A tribe that is allied to the Sons of Condran in attacking the Scots.
Northumbria
- A kingdom in modern Northern England/Southern Scotland, that is a conglomerate of ethnic groups including Roman-Britons, Celts, Vikings and the Germanic tribes such as the Saxons
. The Kingdom was established by the King Vortigern
, who conquers the kingdom and establish this state.
The Picts
- a people who had been contained in the North of the British isles by Hadrian's Wall
. They are perceived by the Scots as a barbarian people.
The Scots or Gaels- a Celtic tribal group that is ruled by the King Athol. The Kingdom is focused on the Western Coastal corridor of Ireland where Athol's Stronghold is located. The region is mostly heavily forested land. This is the group referred to by the Romans as the Scotii. They are colonizing Caladonia, a land occupied by the Picts
in modern Scotland.
Sons of Condran- Tribe on the Isle of Eire that is politically opposed to the Scots. Their home regions are to the north of the Scots. The head of the clan is Condran and Brian, one of his sons, is the commander of the Army.
Sons of Garn- a tribe allied with the Sons of Condran in attacking the Scots.
are two examples of Whyte's sources being antiquated. Older scholarship tends to characterize the 'Migration Period
' as catastrophic; newer scholarship, especially archaeology, paints a less severe picture.
When Merlyn references the lances of Alexander's Cavalry as Sarissa
, which is actually a 4-7 meter phalanx spear, he should actually have used the term Xyston
, a 3-4.5 cavalry spear. This may have been a response to the 1977-78 articles by M.M. Markle which propose the alternative use of the Sarissa by Alexander's cavalry however as yet this remains a controversial issue among modern historian. This theory, based mostly on archeological findings and sceptical reading of historians, would likely not have been available during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries, the era when Merlyn and the other Britannici would have been able to learn such information.
The sons of Garn are probably a tribe of Anglo Saxon origin, and their presence in Eire at this time is unprecedented for the bulk of Anglo-Saxon
settlement was on the Eastern shore of Great Britain
.
In the novel, Merlyn is able to learn Irish from Donuil because the language are similar to the Pendragons' tongue, which Merlyn knows. In reality, people from southwest Britain largely spoke P-Celtic languages, while Irish and Scottish are Q-Celtic languages; the two are not mutually intelligible. However as the major differences between the two languages are "p" sounds alternating with "k" sounds (visible in the words for son, (m)ap in P-Celtic and mac in Q-Celtic) this should not be a heavy concern.
. By discussing this he also discusses how "A living religion, with its entrenched beliefs and traditions, is among the most difficult things to eradicate," a historical interpretation of events depicted as a lesson in the story.
While visiting Vortigern
in Northumbria
, Vortigern discusses with Merlyn how he recruited the Danish to settle in Britain in exchange for their military prowess and support against other Germanic peoples.
While instructing Arthur, Merlyn discusses the various merits of kings and emperors including Alexander the Great, Mark Antony
and Octavian.
The colonization of islands in Northern Britain by the Scots, is similar to, and probably modeled after, the Kingdom of Dalriada
, a Scots kingdom that colonized a large section of modern Scotland displacing the Picts
and by c. 850 beginning to create what would later be the Kingdom of Scotland
.
Jack Whyte
Jack Whyte is a Scottish-Canadian novelist of historical fiction. Born and raised in Scotland, Whyte has been living in Canada since 1967. He resides in Kelowna, British Columbia....
chronicling Caius Merlyn
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
Britannicus's effort to return the baby Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
to the colony of Camulod
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
and the political events surrounding this. The book is a portrayal of the Arthurian Legend set against the backdrop of Post-Roman Briton's invasion by Germanic peoples. It is part of the Camulod Chronicles, which attempts to explain the origins of the Arthurian legends against the backdrop of a historical setting. This is a deviation from other modern depictions of King Arthur such as Once and Future King and the Avalon series
Avalon Series
The Avalon Series is a series of fantasy novels written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with help from Diana L. Paxson. Paxson later took over sole authorship after Bradley's death in 1999...
which rely much more on mystical and magical elements and less on the historical .
Plot summary
The Preface explains this style as Merlyn writing his memoir of how he met Arthur and came to raise him.Cornwall:
Saxon Shore begins with Merlyn and the infant Arthur stranded in a small boat on the southern most extreme of the Irish Sea. An Irish pirate ship captained by Connor, a prince of Eire, captures the boat. The Celts then throw the child overboard. Disregarding his life, Merlyn kills one of the pirates and jumps in after Arthur. The pirates recapture Merlyn and the floating child and return them to the ship. The captain greets Merlyn and the child, revealing the origin of the crew, Eire
Éire
is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name.- Etymology :The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu is generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or...
, and tries to understand the reasons why Merlyn would sacrifice his life for the child. In the conversation, the captain comes to realize that his brother, Donuil is Merlyn's captive at Camulod, so he releases Merlyn in the agreement that the child will be returned if his brother returns to Eire.
Merlyn then proceeds home, where he quickly becomes embroiled in factions politics that have arisen in the Camulodian council. By using his military authority and appealing to the older council, Merlyn disbands the parties. Ironhair, one of the faction leaders, becomes enraged by this and makes an assassination attempt on Merlyn's life. Meanwhile Donuil returns to Camolud with Merlyn's nearly identical half-brother Ambrose. Once Donuil returns, Merlyn creates a party which is to escort Donuil back to Eire.
On the trip to Eire the party has encounters with a leper colony, where Lucanus, a physician and Merlyn's longtime friend, leaves the party to deliver a wagon-load of supplies to the impoverished lepers. A crew of marauders was harvesting marble from a Roman temple in Glevum
Glevum
Glevum was a Roman fort in Roman Britain that become "colonia" of retired legionaries in AD 97. Today it is known as Gloucester, located in the English county of Gloucestershire...
when the party arrives there. Merlyn decides that they will be unable to gain passage on any ships there, after a brief skirmish with the locals.
Eire:
After the encounter with the scavengers, a group of Scots sent by Donuil's father to ensure his safe return find the party. Soon the two galleys of the Scots are hauling a barge to Eire where the barge capsizes south of Athol's kingdom. The Comuludian knights travel through the Irish wilderness under threat of barbaric peoples, but only encounter a boar larger than any other ever hunted by the Scots. Within several weeks of leaving Comulud the party arrives in the capital of Athol's kingdom.
The party stays at the stronghold and Merlyn, in conversation with Athol, reveals that he was married to one of Athol's daughters, Deirdre. Athol accepts Merlyn into his family. During the same conversation Merlyn also reveals the identity of the child, Arthur, and Athol pledges himself as an ally to Merlyn and his Grandson. While staying in the stronghold of the Scots, Merlyn and his men demonstrate the use of cavalry to the Scots who had previously never seen its use in battle. During the exhibition a bear enters the clearing and attacks. Merlyn uses his memory of Alexander the Great's bodyguard
Companion cavalry
The Companions were the elite cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon and reached the most prestige under Alexander the Great, and have been regarded as the best cavalry in the ancient world and the first shock cavalry...
using Sarissa
Sarissa
The sarissa or sarisa was a 4 to 7 meter long spear used in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic warfare. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. The phalanxes of Philip...
, heavy lances, to charge troops, acquiring a spear from infantry that were to be part of the demonstration and charging the bear.
One Evening, a member of the community disappears and, while searching for said man, Donuil feels that someone was watching in the woods. Merlyn's retinue and Athol's warriors are put on alert, and in the morning an army attacks the walls. The strength of the cavalry successfully routes the attacking army in two charges. The attack of the wild men of the south is an unruly advance force of the eminent attack by the MacNyalls, Sons of Condran, and Sons of Garn. Athol decides that Merlyn, Arthur, Donuil and their company must return to Briton to avoid this attack and ensure Arthur's safety.
The Saxon Shore:
The party of Merlyn returns to Camulod without Donuil, who returns to Eire in order to stave off the events of one of Merlyn's dreams. While traveling back to Camolud the party encounters a group of marauding Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
. Upon returning to Camolud, Merlyn discovers his half brother Ambrose has integrated the infantry and cavalry in order to reduce enmity between the two military branches. A group of Cambrian raid an outlying farm of the colony, however before the military can follow a heavy winter sets in that kills the oldest members of the community.
In the spring a large contingent of the military, 500 foot soldiers and 500 cavalry, leave Camolud to take revenge for the raid which killed 50 of their comrades. Led by Merlyn, the force travels near the leper colony that was visited with Lucanus and the whole colony is found dead. The military force also clears the Berbers from their pirate outpost in Glevum
Glevum
Glevum was a Roman fort in Roman Britain that become "colonia" of retired legionaries in AD 97. Today it is known as Gloucester, located in the English county of Gloucestershire...
. The army enters Cambria and soon find the men who had stolen the horses dead, they then encounter a force of Dergyll's archers, however Merlyn tactfully avoids any confrontation. The two leaders agree to an alliance and in proof of their loyalty to the alliance, they exchange a small contingent of auxiliary forces. While discussing this Merlyn discovers that Ironhair, who had led one of the political parties in Camolud, was now supporting a contender for the Pendragon throne.
Merlyn and the forces return to Camolud and years of peace ensue. Merlyn and Ambrose make a trip to Northumberland and discover that the alliance between Briton-Romans and the Norse that had maintained the strength of the kingdom is failing. They return to Britain and begin the education of Arthur, along with the other family and friends of Merlyn. An attempt is made on Arthur's life by a group of men loyal to Ironhair, and the council of friends which had come to surround Merlyn decided that in order to protect this future king he must live outside of the community which knows of his existence. Merlyn decides to settle Arthur in Ravenglass
Ravenglass
Ravenglass is a small coastal village and natural harbour in Cumbria, England. It is the only coastal town within the Lake District National Park...
south of Hadrian's Wall.
Epilogue:
Arthur and Merlyn travel to Ravenglass aboard Connor's galley and are welcomed by the Ravenglass King Derek.
Characters
- Caius MerlynMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
Britanicus - a member of one of the oldest families in Camulod. He has inherited the command of the colonies military forces because of this. His wife has died 3 years before the beginning of the book. He has been educated by Druids along with his Roman elders, who have taught him much about both occult Celtic knowledge and Roman military tactics and understanding respectively. Merlyn was previously married to the daughter of King Athol of the Scots, Deirdre. Merlyn has dreams that often become true.
- ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
Pendragon - the heir to Uther Pendragon. He is the illegitimate son of Uther and a daughter of Lot whose mother was a member of Athol Mac Iain's family, his daughter. Because of this Arthur could potentially claim the thrones of CambriaCambriaCambria is the classical name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name Cymru . The etymology of Cymry "the Welsh", Cimbri, and Cwmry "Cumbria", improbably connected to the Biblical Gomer and the "Cimmerians" by 17th-century celticists, is now known to come from Old Welsh combrog...
, the Scots, and CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Merlyn also intends to raise the child as if he is his own, adopting him so as to allow Arthur to become protector of Camulod as well.
- Lucanus- A physician trained in Alexandria to become a doctor of the legion, now residing as the prime medical caregiver in Camulod. He is schooled in GalenGalenAelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
's medicine. His mentor was also a strong believer in chastity as a means of enlightening the soul. He is older than Merlyn.
- Donuil - a prince of the Scots, whose kingdom is in Eire, held captive by Camulod as an assurance of peace. While living in Camulod he develops a fondness for the government and becomes soldier of Camulod.
- Ambrose- Half brother to Merlyn on his father's side. Ambrose was formally a leader of King VortigernVortigernVortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
's Northumbrian forces and invited to return to Camolud. When he returns, Merlyn offers Ambrose the position of second in command of the Armed forces of Camolud, in order to better integrate the ability of the Cavalry with the Infantry.
- Athol Mac Iain- King of the Scots of Eire. An old King who rules a large section of Western Ireland, he is the father of Donuil and Conner.
- Turga- The woman procured by Merlyn to take care of and feed Arthur after Connor's ship finds Arthur and Merlyn. She becomes the permetual caretaker of Arthur among Athol's tribe and during Merlyn's return to Briton.
- Dedelus- Merlyn's CenturianCenturianCenturian may refer to:*A frequent misspelling for "Centurion"*Centurian, a death metal band*Centurian, an album by Idris Ackamoor*City Centurian, a game software for the Apple II*Centurian , a California wine grape-Similar spellings:...
, or NCO, acting as the second in command of the small company of Cavalry that accompanies Merlyn to Eire.
- Shelagh- Donuil's bethrothed, she also has the dreams of foresight like Merlyn. She and Merlyn have a love interest in each other, however they decide not to pursue this in light of her betrothal to Donuil and Merlyn's pledge of celibacy.
- Dergyll- The cousin of Uther Pendragon and the most clear man to inherit due to the hidden existence of Arthur. He controls a sizable amount of the Pendragon lands.
- Mod- a druid who had apprenticed to the same teacher as Merlyn, who is now in service of Dergyll.
- Ironhair-a political agitator who flees the kingdom of Camolud once his motives are discovered.
Political Entities
In his effort to make his depiction of post-Roman Britain realistic, Jack Whyte makes the political setting of his book closely align with historical political entities:Cambria
Cambria
Cambria is the classical name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name Cymru . The etymology of Cymry "the Welsh", Cimbri, and Cwmry "Cumbria", improbably connected to the Biblical Gomer and the "Cimmerians" by 17th-century celticists, is now known to come from Old Welsh combrog...
- This kingdom is ruled by the Pendragon
Pendragon
Pendragon or Pen Draig, meaning "head dragon" or "chief dragon" , is the name of several traditional Kings of the Britons:...
family, as warlord-kings. This celtic state is in modern Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Uther
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
's death prior to the beginning of the book leaves no heir other than Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, however the polity desintigrates into a number of warring factions.
Camolud
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
- A Roman colony established in South-Western England. The establishment of this colony is depicted in the earlier books in the A Dream of Eagles
A Dream of Eagles
A Dream of Eagles is a historical novel series written by the Canadian author Jack Whyte. It was published in the United States as the Camulod Chronicles....
Series. Politically the region is ruled by a council of respected individuals within the colony, a number of whom are military rulers or members of the families which control the twelve villas which govern the lands. Their military strength relies on their cavalry, which is far advanced compared to Celtic horsemen because of the stirrup
Stirrup
A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a stirrup leather. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a riding animal...
technology as well as a Roman breeding stock.
Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
- The Celtic kingdom of the deceased Lot. The crest of the kingdom is a Bear. This is presumably in South-Western most corner of Britain where the modern Cornwall is though there is no definite depiction of where this regions is either in the books map or in context.
MacNyalls- A tribe that is allied to the Sons of Condran in attacking the Scots.
Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
- A kingdom in modern Northern England/Southern Scotland, that is a conglomerate of ethnic groups including Roman-Britons, Celts, Vikings and the Germanic tribes such as the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
. The Kingdom was established by the King Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
, who conquers the kingdom and establish this state.
The Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
- a people who had been contained in the North of the British isles by Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. They are perceived by the Scots as a barbarian people.
The Scots or Gaels- a Celtic tribal group that is ruled by the King Athol. The Kingdom is focused on the Western Coastal corridor of Ireland where Athol's Stronghold is located. The region is mostly heavily forested land. This is the group referred to by the Romans as the Scotii. They are colonizing Caladonia, a land occupied by the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
in modern Scotland.
Sons of Condran- Tribe on the Isle of Eire that is politically opposed to the Scots. Their home regions are to the north of the Scots. The head of the clan is Condran and Brian, one of his sons, is the commander of the Army.
Sons of Garn- a tribe allied with the Sons of Condran in attacking the Scots.
Style
The story is narrated by Merlyn in a first person perspective. Because of this the text often reflects upon events as having profound effects on the future. For example, in one passage Merlyn talks of a feast with his retinue as "a meal that each of us would remember with fond nostalgia in the years that lay ahead."Literary reception
Frances Reiher comments "Whyte has taken an engaging approach to the long-established character of Merlin. Much that is new and intriguing brightens a legend that in many forms has always been enchanting."Historical Inaccuracies
As with the entire series, Whyte's characterization of the late antique period is now outdated. The extent of urban decay during the Roman departure from Britain and the violence of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of BritainAnglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain was the invasion and migration of Germanic peoples from continental Europe to Great Britain during the Early Middle Ages, specifically the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain after the demise of Roman rule in the 5th century.The stimulus, progression and...
are two examples of Whyte's sources being antiquated. Older scholarship tends to characterize the 'Migration Period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
' as catastrophic; newer scholarship, especially archaeology, paints a less severe picture.
When Merlyn references the lances of Alexander's Cavalry as Sarissa
Sarissa
The sarissa or sarisa was a 4 to 7 meter long spear used in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic warfare. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. The phalanxes of Philip...
, which is actually a 4-7 meter phalanx spear, he should actually have used the term Xyston
Xyston
Not to be confused with XystosThe xyston |javelin]]; pointed stick, goad") was a type of a long thrusting lance in ancient Greece. It measured about long and was probably held by the cavalryman with both hands, although the depiction of Alexander the Great's xyston on the Alexander Mosaic in...
, a 3-4.5 cavalry spear. This may have been a response to the 1977-78 articles by M.M. Markle which propose the alternative use of the Sarissa by Alexander's cavalry however as yet this remains a controversial issue among modern historian. This theory, based mostly on archeological findings and sceptical reading of historians, would likely not have been available during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries, the era when Merlyn and the other Britannici would have been able to learn such information.
The sons of Garn are probably a tribe of Anglo Saxon origin, and their presence in Eire at this time is unprecedented for the bulk of Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
settlement was on the Eastern shore of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
In the novel, Merlyn is able to learn Irish from Donuil because the language are similar to the Pendragons' tongue, which Merlyn knows. In reality, people from southwest Britain largely spoke P-Celtic languages, while Irish and Scottish are Q-Celtic languages; the two are not mutually intelligible. However as the major differences between the two languages are "p" sounds alternating with "k" sounds (visible in the words for son, (m)ap in P-Celtic and mac in Q-Celtic) this should not be a heavy concern.
Discussions of Roman and British History
Merlyn, in his thoughts, relates the history of the Roman suppression of Celtic rebel queen Boudicca by SuetoniusGaius Suetonius Paulinus
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, also spelled Paullinus, was a Roman general best known as the commander who defeated the rebellion of Boudica.-Career:...
. By discussing this he also discusses how "A living religion, with its entrenched beliefs and traditions, is among the most difficult things to eradicate," a historical interpretation of events depicted as a lesson in the story.
While visiting Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
in Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
, Vortigern discusses with Merlyn how he recruited the Danish to settle in Britain in exchange for their military prowess and support against other Germanic peoples.
While instructing Arthur, Merlyn discusses the various merits of kings and emperors including Alexander the Great, Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
and Octavian.
The colonization of islands in Northern Britain by the Scots, is similar to, and probably modeled after, the Kingdom of Dalriada
Dalriada
Dalriada can refer to:* Dál Riata, a Gaelic kingdom in western Scotland and north-east Ireland in the Early Middle Ages* Dalriada School, a co-educational, voluntary grammar school in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland* Dalriada , Hungarian folk metal band...
, a Scots kingdom that colonized a large section of modern Scotland displacing the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
and by c. 850 beginning to create what would later be the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
.