The Fabled Third by Liam Guilar
The Fabled Third is the final instalment in the sequence that began with A Presentment of Englishry. It continues to follow LaÈamon's 12th century version of the legendary history of Britain up to the death of Uther, ending as the story begins to overlap with Sir Thomas Malory's later, better known tale of King Arthur. When LaÈamon's Uther arrives at Tintagel, he doesn't enter the late fifth century settlement revealed by recent archaeology, but a castle that didn't exist on that site. Looking at the fifth century through the lens of the twelfth produces a blurred version of the past. My attempts to reconcile that version with what is now known about late fifth century Britain makes the picture even less focussed. I recommend the pleasures of a flexible attitude towards geography, history, architecture and chronology.

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