The Winchester Round Table (photo courtesy of David Spender via Flickr)
For those of you who missed it, The Telegraph in the UK reported last Friday that archeologists in Scotland might be close to discovering King Arthur’s legendary Round Table.
The King’s Knot, an earthen feature by Stirling Castle in Scotland, has long been subject to myths regarding its origin. Part of it was created in the 17th century, but the center mound is of unknown origin – and centuries of writers have linked it to King Arthur.
Archeologists from Glasgow University and two organizations endeavored to learn more about it by using “remote-sensing geophysics” this spring. They did determine that the center predates other parts of the earthwork.
Read more about their findings here: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8724183/King-Arthurs-round-table-may-have-been-found-by-archaeologists-in-Scotland.html
Of course, anyone who has read much about Arthur’s table already know this isn’t the first time someone has claimed to have discovered the table (which, it should be pointed out, the archeologists in Scotland are not saying – only that they seek to uncover the origin of the feature). There’s the Winchester Round Table, which was really built in the 13th century and painted as it is in the 16th century for King Henry VIII. Such tables were in vogue in the middle ages, often complete with knights taking on the roles of Arthur’s knights. (The original LARPers, who knew?)
Other places have tried to lay claim to Round Table fame, including towns in Cumberland, Monmouthshire, Anglesey, and more. Though this latest development might be one more sensationalized story about the Round Table, I look forward to what the archeologists find in September when they conduct a ground-penetrating radar survey.
Upcoming Otherworld Post
I promise I haven’t forgotten about discussing Tir Na Nog and Hy-Brasil – just running a bit behind.
Sources
The Telegraph – www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8724183/King-Arthurs-round-table-may-have-been-found-by-archaeologists-in-Scotland.html
Britannia – www.britannia.com/history/arthur/rtable.html
Hampshire County Council – www3.hants.gov.uk/greathall/roundtable.htm
Parting the Mists 