Pen y Fan and King Arthur in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period - Dr Rebecca Thomas

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In Gerald of Wales’s Itinerarium Kambriae (‘The Journey Through Wales’), Caer Arthur is the name given to the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. According to Gerald, the two peaks of the mountain look like a chair, and because of its height the chair is associated with the most important king of the Britons, Arthur. Gerald's comments proved to be influential, and references to Caer Arthur and Cadair Arthur abound in early modern texts. This paper will discuss the textual history of the names and consider the development of the connection between Pen y Fan and King Arthur.

This seminar will be delivered over Zoom in Welsh with simultaneous English translation available.