Downton and Cerdic 519 AD
Birthplace of King Arthur's Kingdom of Wessex and England
by Michael Alwyn Slade
Copyright 2010 ©
Chapter 5.
King Arthur. A legend? Yes.
King Arthur. True? The answer is also yes.
Arthur's legendary presence was recorded from the south of France to beyond Hadrian's wall. From Ireland to London, Arthur was there. Cerdics presence was recorded from France to beyond Hadrian's Wall. From Ireland to London, Cerdic was there. Arthur was Cerdic. Cerdic was Arthur. Being the cavalry warrior-chief that successfully enabled the defeat of any fort across Britain and France, Cerdic was in demand "world-wide". Wherever he turned he appears to have trounced his adversaries.
His enemies no doubt claimed him as the one who defeated them even if he didn't! His name is engraved in history not as Arthur but with numerous names - in French, in Saxon, in Celtic forms wherever he travelled. His name of Riothamus is King of Kings and would have been taken as his name by some. Arthur is only a later name adopted for him hundreds of years after his time. Artor he may have been to some, to others his name was Cerdic. Arthur probably does appear to have been born at Tintagel but then seems to have been fostered and moved away almost immediately. He thus can be claimed by who-ever, wherever he travelled.
Cerdic was Arthur, Cerdic was a Briton of Celtic descent with Romano British upbringing that would help him form a long standing Kingdom. First was the Kingdom of Wessex leading on toward the Kingdom of England. He would be a King of Kings sharing a seat around the legendary round table, where he would sit with kings who had their own armies and co-ordinate them to their best overall interests. Cerdic was followed by his sons and grandsons and this continuity led to evolution and expansion of our Kingdom for hundreds of years.
Wessex grew to incorporate Middlesex, Essex, Sussex, Surrey, Gloucester, Hereford, and on to Mercia to form England. This was achieved by strength of determination, a rule of law and administration, by war time gains and by alliances and marriages and hereditary evolution.These centuries of sequence began with the battle of Cerdic's Ford Downton 519 AD and continue to this day nearly 1500 years later where our Royals can trace their descent back to Cerdic, King of Kings.
Well done Cerdic, well done Arthur.
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