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Many mythologies from around the world are based in a historical setting. For example, in the case of ancient Greek mythology, many scholars agree that much of it originates in some sense from Bronze Age Greece. What about Welsh mythology? Over the 20th century, many scholars attempted to argue that this ultimately originated from Iron Age Celtic mythology. While some connections cannot be ruled out, it would appear that the overwhelming majority of Welsh mythology actually originates from Dark Age Britain. What is the evidence for this conclusion?What Is Welsh Mythology?Jesus College MS 111, showing the opening of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion in the right-hand column, c. 1382-1425. Source: Bodleian Libraries, OxfordThe expression Welsh mythology primarily refers to a particular collection of medieval Welsh literature known as The Mabinogion. The most overtly mythological of The Mabinogion tales are four distinct but connected stories. Together, they are known as the Four Branches of the Mabinogion. However, other tales exist as well. Some of these are Arthurian tales, while others are set before the Arthurian period. The Four Branches are particularly interesting. The reason is that they present what is essentially an overarching story about a single figure, although he is not always the main character of the tale. Fanciful elements can be found in all The Mabinogion tales, but the Four Branches, in particular, can definitely be classed as Welsh mythology.These stories are found in two manuscripts from medieval Wales. These are the White Book of Rhydderch and the Red Book of Hergest. Both of these date from the 14th century. However, scholars universally agree that the stories they contain date from many centuries before they were written down in those manuscripts.The Story of the Four Branches of The MabinogionMap showing the location of Dyfed, the territory of Pwyll and Pryderi. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe Four Branches basically revolve around the figure of Pryderi, even though he does not play a central role in each one of the stories. He is presented as a prince from Dyfed. This was the medieval kingdom of southwest Wales, covering essentially modern Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. His father was a king named Pwyll, and his mother was Rhiannon. In the First Branch, we learn the story of Pryderis birth. Pwyll, the king of Dyfed, after ruling over an otherworldly kingdom for a year and a day, meets a magical woman named Rhiannon. After some conflict with a rival lover, they get married and have a child. This child, Pryderi, eventually succeeds Pwyll to the throne of Dyfed.The Second Branch is about the marriage of Matholwch, king of Ireland, to Branwen, princess of Britain. After another wedding conflict, to appease him, Matholwch is given a magic cauldron that can restore the dead to life. Later, Branwen is mistreated, and an army of Britons, including Pryderi, invades Ireland and attempts to retrieve her.Panel of the Mabinogi, by George Sheringham, c. early 20th century. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe Third Branch describes the adventures of Pryderi and his companions after arriving back in Britain. While they were away, a king named Caswallon usurped the throne of Britain and declared himself the high king. At some point after Pryderis arrival back in Britain, a terrible enchantment takes place. A mysterious mist falls upon the land and leaves it a wasteland, deprived of humans and animals. Eventually, being led inside a magical castle, Pryderi himself and his mother Rhiannon are consumed by the mist and disappear. By the end of the story, however, the enchantment is lifted, and Pryderi returns.The Fourth Branch is about a king of Gwynedd named Math ap Mathonwy and a character named Gwydion. The latter conspires to start a war between the north and the south of Wales. This conspiracy is successful, leading to a direct conflict with Pryderi, king of Dyfed. Various other mythological events occur after the conclusion of this war, mostly concerning Math and his associates.Identifying the Historical Period of the StoriesImage depicting Lleu rising in the form of an eagle, from The Mabinogion, by Charlotte Guest, 1877. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThese stories are obviously full of mythological elements. However, like other mythologies from around the world, this does not mean that they are not set in a particular period. In the case of these stories from Welsh mythology, is there any indication about when they are supposed to have been set?One indication comes from a statement in the Second Branch. After describing the war against Ireland to recover Branwen, the text notes that there were only seven survivors. Among them was Taliesin. There is only one Taliesin known in Welsh tradition, and that is the historical bard of the 6th century. Based on this fact alone, the story of Pryderi appears to be set in the 6th century, Dark Age Britain. However, are there any other indications of this? In one of the medieval poems attributed to Taliesin, the bard himself specifically says that he saw here one of the sons of Lleu, a character in the Fourth Branch. Hence, this indicates that Taliesin lived at the same time as this character.Jesus College MS 111, folio 202v, showing Gware Gwallt Eurin at the end of the third line and the beginning of the fourth, c. 1382-1425. Source: Bodleian Libraries, OxfordAlso supporting this is the fact that Pryderi himself seems to appear in Culhwch and Olwen, a tale set in King Arthurs reign in the 6th century. According to the First Branch, Pryderi was also known as Gwri Wallt Eurin. In Culhwch and Olwen, one of King Arthurs allies is a figure named Gware Gwallt Eurin. The two spellings are so similar that they are likely variations of the same name. Pryderis foster father, Teyrnon, the lord of Gwent, also appears as one of Arthurs allies in Culhwch and Olwen.Additionally, although Pwylls parentage is not given in The Mabinogion itself, he is made the son of a certain Alyn frenin Dyfed in medieval genealogies. This would appear to be Alun Dyfed, a figure known from Arthurian sources. One of his sons appears as Arthurs associate in the Dream of Rhonabwy, another Mabinogion tale. Another son, unnamed, appears in Culhwch and Olwen. Hence, if Pwyll was also considered to be a son of this same Alun Dyfed, then, evidently, he likewise belonged to the Arthurian period.Finding the Characters in Dark Age BritainJesus College MS 111, folio 175r, showing Pwyll king of Dyfed, c. 1382-1425. Source: Bodleian Libraries, OxfordThis evidence makes it clear that the Four Branches of the Mabinogion are supposed to be set in the Arthurian period, in Dark Age Britain. This makes sense, since most other tales within Welsh mythology, such as the two aforementioned Arthurian tales, are set in that same period. However, can any of the figures actually be identified with historical individuals, or at least figures from outside overtly mythological contexts?Pryderi and his father Pwyll seem to appear at the head of a genealogical record of a prince or patriarch of Dyfed. The date of the individual is unknown, but the names indicate that he lived well into the medieval period. At the end of the list, we find Predri ap Pliws hen brenhin Dyved. The name Predri appears to be a corruption of Pryderi, while Pliws appears to be a corruption of Pwyll. The words brenhin Dyved mean King of Dyfed. While this is not an early source, it is not mythological either.The Church of St Eilian, recorded as being granted to Eilian by Caswallon, actually King Cadwallon of Gwynedd. Source: GeographWhat about the high king of Britain who had usurped the throne while the army of Britons was away in Ireland? His name was Caswallon. Can he be identified as a historical figure from this era? As the high king of Britain, he must have been an important figure. As it happens, there was a prominent king of a powerful kingdom of Britain in the 6th century whose name was sometimes written as Caswallon. His name was actually Cadwallon, and he was the king of Gwynedd, encompassing northwest Wales. In fact, he is called Caswallon in quite a variety of records, with this form even being preserved in place names. His stature as the king of the powerful kingdom of Gwynedd at exactly the time in which Caswallon was the high king of Britain, according to Welsh mythology, is significant. It seems reasonable to identify them as the same person.Interestingly, Welsh tradition indicates that Cadwallon was not his fathers eldest son and that he had to take much of Gwynedd by force. This may relate to the claim in Welsh mythology that Caswallon was a usurper.Welsh Mythologys Historical Origin in Dark Age BritainAn illustration from The Mabinogion, by Charlotte Guest, 1877. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIn conclusion, we can see that The Mabinogion stories in Welsh mythology seem to be fundamentally rooted in Dark Age Britain. In this respect, they are no different from the Welsh tales that deal with King Arthurs reign. In fact, there is considerable overlap between the Arthurian tales and the Four Branches of the Mabinogion. Several figures in the latter are presented as allies of Arthur in the former. This even includes Pryderi himself, the central character of the Four Branches. Pryderi and his father Pwyll may have been historical figures.More certainly, the high king of Britain in the Third Branch, Caswallon, can most likely be identified as Cadwallon. He was the king of Gwynedd, one of the most powerful kingdoms in 6th-century Britain. A variety of records call him Caswallon, and he appears to have taken much of his territory by force, much like the Caswallon of Welsh mythology. Further research may well reveal historical precedents behind many of the other characters of the Four Branches.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Ottoman palace kitchens were places where delicious and innovative foods emerged. A sultans personal tastes, whether leaning towards savory or sweet, influenced the culinary culture of the court. Some of the sultans favorite foods, like Baklava, also found their way into wider Turkish cuisine.Medieval MannersNomadic Turks at their encampment, painted by Siyah Kalem in the late 14th-early 15th century. Source: CreazillaThe Ottomans emerged in late 13th century Turkey as a frontier-dwelling nomadic clan. Like other Turkic tribes, their culinary culture was suited to the realities of a pastoralist lifestyle. Animal products like meat and dairy were the staples of their diet, though unleavened flatbreads were also eaten daily. Nomadic warriorssuch as the feared horse archerswho had an exalted status in the clans were also expert hunters. They provided their tribespeople with meat from wild animals like deer.Like in medieval Mongol culture, the nomadic Turks also survived on fermented milk products like yogurt. In fact, the word itself derives from the Turkish word yourt, which in turn is related to the verb yourmak, meaning to thicken or curdle. Nomads not only ate these foods but also traded them for other goods in markets around the growing Ottoman principality. Soon, agricultural products like bulghur wheat became an important part of their cuisine.As the Ottoman chiefs (called beys) transitioned into sultans in the 14th century, they also began to adopt the culinary features of sedentary life. Cooked fruits and nuts were incorporated into cooked meats for the sultans to enjoy. In the late 15th century, the Ottoman sultans also began to eat with finer materials like porcelain and silver, as opposed to the bone or wood that their tableware was made of in earlier times.Todays Menu!Baklava, photo by Encal Media. Source: UnsplashThe Topkapi Palace had several areas reserved for cooking. These included the helvahane, the imperial dessert kitchen, and the Kushane, the special kitchen where the sultans meals were prepared. Meals were cooked meticulously and punctually, as the royal eating schedule was strict. In the 15th century, food was prepared twice a day; breakfast was eaten in the early hours of the morning, and dinner around four to five pm.The palace kitchens had a colossal number of staff to accommodate the sultan, his family, and other inhabitants and visitors of the palace. Approximately 800 kitchen staff were employed to cook for 4,000 people! Cooks were required to rise in the early hours of the morning to have food ready by sunrise when the morning prayers were held.A variety of ingredients were used to make interesting combinations for the sultan. Plums and pomegranates were brought specially from cities like Bursa to make a sour paste or marmalade called Nardenk.Unlike the Turkish populace, the Ottoman sultan also had access to a variety of spices like cumin, saffron, and cinnamon, which were put into pilav (rice), et (meat) or tatli (sweet) dishes. Lamb and beef stew were cooked with fruits like plums, apricots, and pomegranates. This also differed from the cuisine of the common folk, who did not mix sweet and savory ingredients.The Conquerors SeafoodInterior of Topkapi Palace, by Etienne Dayer. Source: UnsplashSultan Mehmed the Conqueror (r. 1451-1481) was an avid seafood eater. Some historians speculate that this may have been introduced to his court after his conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Mehmed incorporated many aspects of Byzantine culture into his court and the increasingly sedentarized empire. Seafood like prawnswhich were eaten by the Greeks of Constantinopleare a recurring dish in the palace menus of the late 15th century. This signaled a change from the nomadic pastoralist diet of mainly meat and dairy.In 1460, the Topkapi Palace was built in the new imperial capital of Constantinople (Istanbul). The palace was modeled on the old palace in Edirne, which had housed almost 800 people. The sultans food was cooked in a separate area from the main kitchen. At the entrance of the harem was a small cookery called the Kushane, where the sultan and royal familys food was prepared. While he initially ate with courtiers, later in his life, Mehmed preferred to eat alone.Food products were brought from all around the empire to accommodate the sultans tastes. Mehmed II enjoyed fish, and so, freshwater fish was brought from Terkos Lake (modern-day Durusu), an occasional recreation and rest spot for the sultan.While on campaigns, however, the sultans diet changed once again. Instead of heavier products like meat and dairy, Mehmed consumed more fruit, vegetables, and bread. Soup was also a popular campaign mealit was probably easier on the sultans stomach during hours of traveling on horseback!Gluttony and GoutButtery Halva, photo by Ilanit Ohana. Source: UnsplashAlthough the official court records show that the kitchens operated twice a day, the sultan could technically request a meal whenever his heart desired. After a three or four-course meal, the sultan would usually have a sweet treat. This could be halva, a dessert made of flour and butter, or baklava, a layered pastry filled with nuts and covered in syrup. erbet, a sweet, cordial-like drink made of flowers or fruits, was also a staple of the sultans dinner table. Full of sugar and honey, erbet was always served, be it an official meeting with a vizier, or during the sultans recreational time in the imperial gardens.Foods with high caloric and saturated fat levels were commonly cooked in court. Contrary to the average Ottoman citizen, the sultan had a large daily intake of ingredients like sugar and butter. As a result, many experienced rapid weight gain, and suffered from related diseases like diabetes and gout. Gout, also called the disease of kings, affected other early-modern kings like Henry VIII. Foods high in the chemical compound purine, such as red meat and seafood, along with alcoholic drinks, were the main culprits of gout amongst the sultans.Mehmed the Conqueror was one of the sultans known to suffer from gout and diabetes. These illnesses affected his fitness levels and toward the end of his life, he gained an excessive amount of weight, which is evident from his portraits. His premature death at age 49 was likely related to organ failure due to these illnesses.For the Love of the DrinkWine-drinking was a (secret) Ottoman pastime, painted by Levni, ca. 1732. Source: LiteraTurk CatalogueDue to Islamic legal restrictions, alcohol was a taboo in early modern Ottoman Turkey.Yet, many sultans were known to enjoy drinking, some to an unhealthy extent. Sultan Bayezid the Thunderbolt was noted by historians like Ahmedi (d. 1413) to have been an avid drinker. In the Iskendername, Ahmedi wrote that Bayezids love of drink was influenced by the latters Christian wife, Despina, whom he claimed had introduced alcohol to Bayezids court.Selim II was another ruler addicted to the drink. To this day, he is known as Selim the Sot due to his alcoholism. Selims drinking habits eventually led to his death at age 50. While intoxicated, he slipped on a wet tile in the bathroom and fatally hit his head.Interestingly, the Topkapi Palace registries have no records of alcohol being bought by the palace. This reveals that alcohol was bought and imported discreetly, to not cause a scandal amongst the ulema, or religious class.The taboo nature of alcohol in Ottoman society influenced the consumption of other beverages, such as coffee and boza, a drink made of fermented wheat. Likely first introduced to the palace through the 1519 Egyptian expedition of Selim I, coffee soon became a loved drink in court and amongst high society in Istanbul.Feasting With the SultanJanissaries participating in the anak yagma, or pot raid, 1720. Source: University WisconsinFood was not only an important aspect of the sultans life but also of the political culture of the Ottoman court. Courtiers and soldiers expected banquets to be held by the monarch. This was a deep-rooted tradition that derived from the Ottomans nomadic and tribal history. In Turkic tribal culture, the mark of a good chieftain was his ability to provide food and sustenance for the tribespeople.Eating alongside the sultan had its own rituals that courtiers had to abide by. They had to be formally invited to dine with the sultan and were often seated on his right or left side. This, however, could be the cause of drama in the imperial court. In 1472, two esteemed scholars, Molla Hsrev and Molla Grani, were invited to dine with Mehmed II. Molla Grani was seated on Mehmeds right side, while Molla Hsrev was seated on his left. Believing that the left seat was assigned to less favored individuals, Molla Hsrev was so offended that he relocated from Istanbul to the city of Bursa!In the court of Selim the Grim and his son Suleyman, a ceremony called the anak yagma, or pot raid was essential for keeping both ordinary subjects and janissary troops happy. A pot raid would often be organized during ceremonies like royal weddings and circumcisions. It consisted of ceramic pots, filled with food like pilav (rice) and meat, placed into an area where the groups would scramble to grab as much as they could. This, like many other ceremonies, was inspired by nomadic Turkic traditions.

The Arthurian legends introduce many fascinating characters, including the selfless King Arthur with his magical sword, the chivalrous Sir Lancelot with his scandalous love affair with Guinevere, and the magician Merlin, possibly a son of demons. As we focus on these lead characters and their fantastical lives, some more mundane characters fade into the background. But some of these background characters can be identified as real historical figures who lived in 6th-century post-Roman Britain. Which characters from the Arthurian legends can be identified as real historical figures in the sparse surviving sources for Dark Age Britain?1. Sir Uriens of GorreMap of Dark Age Britain showing Rheged, Uriens kingdom. Source: Wikimedia CommonsSir Uriens is one of the most popular characters in the Arthurian legends. In the most traditional version of the story, he leads a group of rebel kings who fight against a young Arthur when he first becomes king. After his defeat, he becomes a valuable ally to Arthur as one of the most powerful Knights of the Round Table. His name is also often spelled Urien, without the s at the end.In line with his role in the legends as one of the most powerful of Arthurs knights, Sir Uriens was a historically powerful king. He was King Urien of Rheged. Uriens seems to have ruled over a portion of northern England and southern Scotland, although his exact territory is uncertain. He probably ruled more on the western side of Britain than the eastern side. He is accepted as historical because he is mentioned in several Welsh poems, which most scholars agree date to about the year 600.According to a later source, the Historia Brittonum (c. 830 CE), Urien had a decisive victory over the Anglo-Saxons in the north of Britain while leading an alliance of three other kings: Rhydderch Hen,Gwallog ap Llnog, andMorgan. Unfortunately, he was later betrayed and murdered by Morgan.2. Sir YwainThe Lion Sprang Upon the Giant, from the book The Old Tales of Chivalry, 1877, Source: University of RochesterClosely associated with Sir Uriens is Sir Ywain, his son. This name is spelled in several different ways, such as Yvain and Owain. Like his father, he was one of Arthurs allies, a knight of the Round Table. He was a very popular character in the Arthurian legends and one of the earliest characters associated with Arthur. He has a prominent role in numerous stories about the adventures of Arthurs knights and the intrigues of his court.Ywain features in the story Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, a 12th-century French Arthurian romance. He sets out to avenge his cousin after he is defeated by an otherworldly knight. Ywain defeats the knight and then falls in love with his widow, Laudine, and they wed. He is then lured off on a chivalric mission with the promise that he will return within a year. When he fails to do so, he is rejected by Laudine and sent mad. To win her back, he completes a variety of feats, including saving a lion from a dragon, which then helps him defeat a giant, three fierce knights, and two demons. He then saves a witch, Lunete, from being burned at the stake, and she helps him win back Laudine, who welcomes both Ywain and his lion.A depiction of Sir Yvain fighting a lion in a 15th-century manuscript, MSS BNF fr. 112. Source: Wikimedia CommonsLike his father, Ywain can be identified as a historical figure. He was simply Owain, the historical son of Urien of Rheged. Along with his father, he fought against the Angles near the border of England and Scotland in the late 6th century. It appears that he fought alongside his father before succeeding him as king for a few years. However, his independent kingship does not appear to have lasted long. Like Urien, Owains historicity is confirmed based on Welsh poetry that seems to go back to about the year 600.3. TaliesinThe Finding of Taliesin, by Henry Clarence Whaite, 1876. Source: Artuk.orgThe Welsh poems that mention Urien and his son Owain are attributed to a bard named Taliesin. At least some of these poems do appear, based on linguistic evidence, to date to the era in which Taliesin was alleged to have lived. He is also mentioned in the Historia Brittonum, a document written around two centuries after his death. For this reason, most scholars accept that Taliesin was a real person. He was a professional bard, singing the praises of the kings whom he served. Urien and Owain were two of those kings, but he also served others.According to the Arthurian legends, Taliesin served King Arthur at one point in his career. He was also said to have been one of the few people who accompanied Arthur on his journey to Avalon, to be healed of his wounds. Some Welsh traditions also refer to the close connection between Taliesin and Arthur. According to a 16th-century account of his life, Historia Taliesin, he was originally named Gwoin Bach ap Gwreang and was helping the enchantress Cerridwen make a potion of inspiration. He accidentally drank some of the potion when drops sprang from the cauldron and burned him, and he put his finger in his mouth to soothe the pain. In anger, Cerridwen turned him into a piece of grain and ate him. She ended up pregnant, had the baby, and cast him into the ocean. He was found and named Taliesin.Legend has it that Taliesins grave is near the village of Tre Taliesin near Llangynfelyn, called Bedd Taliesin, but archaeology reveals that this is an earlier Bronze Age burial chamber.4. Constantine of DumnoniaSaint Constantines Church, possibly named after King Constantine, Kerrier, Cornwall, Source: Wikimedia CommonsConstantine of Dumnonia is traditionally presented as the successor of Arthur in the Arthurian legends. After King Arthur is mortally wounded at the Battle of Camlann, he designates Constantine as his regent while he is taken away to be healed on the Isle of Avalon. Arthur never returns, and Constantine continues ruling as king until his own death. Not all versions of the tale of Arthur agree with that, but most versions do. In the earliest version of this story, Geoffrey of Monmouths 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae, Constantine is called Arthurs kinsman. Later tradition makes him Arthurs cousin.This legendary character can be identified with King Constantine of Dumnonia, a historical ruler in 6th-century Britain. He is known to have been historical because he was mentioned by Gildas, a contemporary writer. Gildas criticized Constantine for killing two royal youths in a church. This same event appears in the later Arthurian legends concerning Constantine, the successor of Arthur.5. GildasStatue of Gildas, Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, France. Source: Wikimedia CommonsSpeaking of Gildas, he also appears in the Arthurian legends as an associate of Arthur. For example, he appears in Culhwch ac Olwen, a Welsh tale from perhaps the 11th century. In that, he appears as one of Arthurs many allies who join him before he sets off on a dangerous task. More famously, Gildas appears in a legend about Arthur killing Hueil, Gildas rebellious brother. Hueil refused to submit to Arthur and fought against him, so Arthur defeated and killed him. Gildas was in Ireland at the time, but he returned to Britain and mourned the loss of his brother. Yet, he made peace with Arthur afterward.Gildas was a real person. He wrote a document known as De Excidio, which is the only surviving record from 6th-century Britain. However, we do not know anything for sure about his family, such as whether he really did have a brother named Hueil. In his own writing, Gildas does not provide any information about his background or his family.6. Iona, King of FranceStatue of Saint Judicael, great-grandson of King Ionas, Paimpont, France, Source: Wikimedia CommonsIona of France is a very minor character in the Arthurian legends. He appears just once, in the aforementioned Culhwch ac Olwen. Like Gildas, he is mentioned as one of Arthurs numerous allies in a particular adventure featured in that story. No information is provided about him beyond his name and his status as king of France. Some commentators have dismissed this character as fictional, especially since France did not, as such, exist in the 6th century. However, this is almost certainly an anachronistic description of the part of France that was in British hands, that is, Brittany in the northwest corner. The rest of the tale attests to Arthurs connection with that region.In the 6th century, there was a ruler in Britanny named Ionas. He can certainly be identified with the Iona, king of France from Culhwch ac Olwen. Scholar Peter Bartrum, in A Welsh Classical Dictionary, hinted at this identification, although he did not pursue it. Ionas appears in the Life of St Samson, an early and historically valuable hagiography. This king was killed by Childebert I.7. Budic of BrittanyStatue of Gregory of Tours, Jean Marcellin, 19th century. Source: LouvreIn the 6th century, Brittany was split up into multiple kingdoms, just like Britain itself. Therefore, it is no surprise that multiple kings of Brittany appear in the Arthurian legends. As well as Iona, king of France, there was also Budic of Brittany. He is mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Historia Regum Britanniae. Geoffrey refers to the fact that Budic had married Arthurs sister, and that his son, Hoel, had become one of Arthurs allies.Gregory of Tours, a Gallo-Roman historian of the 6th century, refers to a king of Brittany named Bodic. He appears to be identical to a king of Brittany named Budic mentioned in several later medieval records (none of which are explicitly Arthurian). Incidentally, there is reason to believe that this historical Bodic, or Budic, was the father-in-law of the aforementioned Ionas of Brittany. In any case, the Budic of Brittany who appears in the Arthurian legends is identical to the historical King Bodic of Brittany.The Historical Figures in the Arthurian LegendsIllustration of King Arthur fighting the Saxons from the Rochefoucauld Grail Manuscript, c. 14th century. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIn summary, despite their embellished and exaggerated nature, the Arthurian legends are full of real figures that can be identified in the historical record. While not all contemporary, they all lived in roughly the same era, which pins the stories of the Arthurian legends to the 6th century. Their presence also suggests that the Arthurian legends are not pure fiction, but rather an exaggerated and fantasized version of events that had happened hundreds of years earlier. This means that there is value in the ongoing scholarly attempts to find the real King Arthur in the historical record. Popular candidates include Athrwys of Gwent, Riothamus, and Ambrosius Aurelianus.