ABSTRACT
King Arthur stands out among legendary figures as international, but particularly post-classical and particularly British.1 In the late 1960s, when confidence was running high that an alliance of history and archaeology was about to reveal a genuine historical Arthur at the right time and place, this Britishness was taken for granted:
For many centuries now, the story of Arthur and his knights has been the chief myth of the island of Britain. It is far more than a medley of fireside tales. Only a theme answering to some deep sense of national character and need could have flourished for so long, or exerted such an influence on literature, art, and, occasionally, even politics.
