The Island of Tin and King Arthur
By Mary Anne Yarde
From the breathtaking beauty
of the coast.
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| The View from Tintagel Castle. |
To the enduring Standing Stones whom for thousands of years have sat in watchful silence on Bodmin Moor.
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| The Hurlers, Bodmin Moor. |
Cornwall. A kingdom within a
nation. A place where one step can take you on a journey the likes of which you
could never imagine. This is a land of wild seas, myths and legends.
In the 6th Century, Cornwall
was very much her own nation, just like she had always been. She was separated
from the rest of mainland Britain by not only her language and her customs, but
also by a spirit that refused to bow down to imposed authority. Whether that be
Roman or Saxon.
My series, The Du Lac
Chronicles, is set in war-torn South-West Britain, Brittany and Frank. But for today,
I am going to talk about Cornwall, or the Kingdom of Cerniw, as she is known in
my series.
Cornwall is my secret love
affair. If I could choose to live anywhere in the world, it would probably be
there. Not only does she have the most staggeringly beautiful countryside and
sea, but her history is also something to admire, and her legends… Well, they
are just my cup of tea.
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| Penhale Sands. |
Cornwall has an intriguing past. Now we all know that Emperor Hadrian built a huge wall to divide the North of the country from the South because the North was too wild to be conquered. But nothing is ever mentioned about the little kingdom in the far South-West of Britain. The Roman occupation of Cornwall is very intriguing. It has been suggested that the Roman's stopped at Devon. There are a few milestones and evidence of Roman occupation in Cornwall, but not on the scale of the rest of the county. Why? What was it about this little kingdom that stopped even the Roman Empire in its tracks?
Cornwall had something that
the Roman’s wanted, and I think they kept their independence because they knew
what they were doing when it came to commerce. In fact, Cornwall had something
that everyone wanted. Tin. The history of mining for tin in Cornwall goes way
back, far before the time of Winston Graham’s Poldark series. Cornwall was known as The Island of Tin. Silver has also been found in Cornwall. The land
is rich with treasure for those who know where to look. And trade means money,
and money… I heard that makes the world go round.
Fast-forward to the time when
my books are set in, and once again Cornwall is standing strong against a
foreign aggressor. Rome did not best her and nor would the Saxons.
I am fascinated by the Saxon
invasion, and it is something that I explore in my series. In particular, I am
interested in the Saxon, Cerdic of Wessex, and his journey to being crowned
High King. While other kingdoms fell by the wayside and became incorporated
into the Wessex realm, Cornwall held her ground. Cerdic landed in Hampshire in
c.495. By 519, Cerdic had conquered the South of England, with the exception of
Cornwall. It wasn't until the Battle of
Hingston Down, in 838, when Cornwall finally lost her independence to the
now vast Kingdom of Wessex. Cornwall repelled the Saxons for almost 350 years.
Now, that is impressive.
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| Dozemary Pool. |
As the water settles over
Dozemary Pool and when the sun sets over the grass covered ruins of Castle
Dore, it is easy to believe in the stories this land inspires. If King Arthur
was not born at Tintagel Castle, then he should have been. If Arthur did not
fall at Slaughter Bridge, then where did he? This is the land of King Arthur.
This is the land where his reign began, and this is the land where it ended. If, you believe the stories that is.
Arthurian Legend and Cornwall
have a relationship that spans over a thousand years. My series explores what
happened after the death of King Arthur, and therefore Cornwall is a
fundamental backdrop to my series.
(Book 4 of The Du Lac Chronicles)
Two Prophesies. Two Noble Households. One Throne.
Distrust and greed threaten to destroy the House of du Lac. Mordred Pendragon strengthens his hold on Brittany and the surrounding kingdoms while Alan, Mordred’s cousin, embarks on a desperate quest to find Arthur’s lost knights. Without the knights and the relics they hold in trust, they cannot defeat Arthur’s only son – but finding the knights is only half of the battle. Convincing them to fight on the side of the Du Lac’s, their sworn enemy, will not be easy.
If Alden, King of Cerniw, cannot bring unity there will be no need for Arthur’s knights. With Budic threatening to invade Alden’s Kingdom, Merton putting love before duty, and Garren disappearing to goodness knows where, what hope does Alden have? If Alden cannot get his House in order, Mordred will destroy them all.
Mary Anne Yarde is the multi award-winning author of the International Bestselling series — The Du Lac Chronicles.
Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury — the fabled Isle of Avalon — was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were a part of her childhood.
Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury — the fabled Isle of Avalon — was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were a part of her childhood.
Mary Anne loves to hear from readers, you can find her:
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Did you see King Arthur's Britain on BBC 2 last night?
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