Join #Arthurian author, Mary Anne Yarde, as she takes a look at The Battle of Badon Hill: The Fight for Briton #History #Foklore

The Battle of Badon Hill

The Fight for Briton

By Mary Anne Yarde

Little did the knights, who survived the slaughter at Badon Hill, know as they stared down at those they had lost on that blood-soaked battlefield, that this battle, in this place, would never be forgotten, and neither would those who had fallen.

At Badon Hill, the Britons had done what many thought was impossible. They had taken back their island.

"(it was the) ....last great victory of the fatherland..."

That is how Gildas, a 6th Century British monk, described the Battle of Badon Hill:

"...the last great victory..."

But where...? Where was this great battle and who led the winning army?

Stories are funny things. Over time the truth is embellished, changed if you would. Honour is bestowed to those who deserve it, and also for those who don't if it satisfies the political climate of the time.  The actual location of the Battle of Badon is lost to history, although there have been many suggestions.

So, what are the suggestions?

Gildas stated that The Battle of Badon took place in the south-west of England, on a hill. For those of you who have never been to England, let me assure you there are many, many hills in the south-west. Narrowing down a particular hill is like looking for a needle in a haystack, although several historical hill-forts of interest have been suggested. These include:

Old Sarum, Wiltshire

Barbury Castle, Wiltshire

Liddington Castle, Wiltshire

Dyrham Camp, Gloucestershire

Many Arthurian enthusiasts tend to favour Liddington Castle.

Why? Well, because Liddington Castle was in a strategic position between the main Anglo-Saxon settlements and:

"...Liddlington marks one of the great Dark Age road junctions..." 

Michael Wood.

Earthworks at Liddington Castle — Wikipedia

 It seems plausible, but, and there is always a but when we are researching the life and times of the greatest king ever to live, if the battle took place, as the bards said it did, was Arthur actually there? According to Nennius, yes, although not in the capacity of a king, but as a great general.  Nennius states:

"The twelfth battle was at Mount Badon, in which nine hundred and sixty men fell in one day from one charge from Arthur, and no one overthrew them except himself alone."

Quite the warrior was Arthur if Nennius is to be believed. However, Nennius wrote about Badon Hill a mere 300 years after the event. That is a long time for folklore to embellish and elaborate on the event.

The truth is we don't know where the Battle of Badon Hill was, and likely we will never know. But for some reason, that appeals to me. It does not matter where Badon Hill was, only that it happened, and whether Arthur fought there as a king or a general, it is all the same. He is a national hero, and he always will be. Not bad for someone who supposedly lived over a thousand years ago.

Travel back to Dark Age Briton with Mary Anne Yarde.

King Arthur had fallen, but his knights are far from dead...

The Du Lac Prophecy
(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.

Excerpt

They won’t help you,” Bastian stated and Philippe turned to look at him. “The dead. They won’t help you.”

“I thought I was alone,” Philippe said as he looked back at Tristan’s tombstone.

“In Benwick Castle?” Bastian scoffed. “There is always someone watching. You know that as well as I do. Why are you here?”

“I came looking for answers.”

“Did you find any?” Bastian asked with cynicism.

“No.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“Lancelot was a brave man, wasn’t he?” Philippe mumbled the question more to himself than anything else.

“As was Tristan,” Bastian agreed. 

“Did you know him? Tristan, I mean.”

“A little. He kept himself to himself for the most part. He was wounded you see, during the battle of Benwick. He lost the use of his legs. He couldn’t walk. But he...” Bastian smiled as he remembered. “He was very wise. And he was happy to share that wisdom. I liked him. Although not everyone did. After Tristan died, there was talk. Some said he was a liar.”

“What did Lancelot say?” Philippe asked.

“I cannot imagine Lancelot being friends with someone who lied to him. But he neither condemned nor defended Tristan. He kept his own counsel. What are you going to do, Philippe?”

Philippe looked up at the sky. The lavender hue had changed to a blue one. He never appreciated how beautiful the sky was, until now. The day promised to be a warm one, but Philippe felt chilled.

“What would you do?” Philippe asked, as he rose to his feet and looked at his general.

“You have two choices. You can abdicate. Hand him the throne. Or...” 

“Or...” Philippe encouraged.

“You could kill him,” Bastian said with a shrug.

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Mary Anne Yarde

Mary Anne Yarde is the multi award-winning author of the International Bestselling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Britain and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, The Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.

Mary Anne is the founder of The Coffee Pot Book Club. She has been a professional reader since 2016 and in this time Mary Anne has reviewed many books for the big and small publishing houses, as well as books penned by her fellow indie authors. Mary Anne is also an editorial reviewer The Coffee Pot Book Club and for The International Review of Books. Mary Anne has been a judge for a prestigious Historical Fiction Book Award for the last three years, as well as being a Top Reviewer on Netgalley. 

Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne 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 part of her childhood.

You can contact Mary Anne by email:

author@maryanneyarde.com

If you would prefer to chat on social media, then you can find Mary Anne on Twitter and Facebook.