More dates for the diary. As I was at one time a comedy writer I will be looking forward to the LOCO London Comedy Film Festival 2014 which runs from 23rd - 26th January and will be spread across various venues in London including BFI Southbank, Hackney Picturehouse, Ritzy Picturehouse, Greenwich Picturehous, Institut Francais and the Lexi Cinema amongst others. This year's programme boasts the biggest line-up of venues yet. Tickets go on sale this week.
I am particularly looking forward to the World Premiere of Jamie Adams's film Benny and Jolene which is being held on 24th January. This film starring Craig Roberts and Charlotte Ritchie as a hapless indie folk due trying to compromise between their credibility as musicians and commercial interests and possible falling in love is right up my street as I was also once a folk singer. The screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the director, producer Jon Rennie and Charlotte Ritchie.
Looks like fun.
Monday, 6 January 2014
Saturday, 4 January 2014
King Arthur was an Englishman
On Monday 6 January 2014 comedian Griff Rhys Jones is presenting a programme A Great Welsh Adventure showing on ITV at 8 p.m. in which he explores the notion that King Arthur was from mid-Wales. I have not yet seen the programme but from the trailer it seems he has made the cardinal error of conflating the two King Arthurs.
The legend
The first King Arthur - the legendary one associated with the Holy Grail - was a Celtic God. The origins of his story certainly have close connections with South Wales - see my book The Wonderful History of the Sword in the Stone (www.amazon.com) for details and previous blogs on the subject.
The history
However, there was a real High King called Arthur wo reigned from around 500 AD to 543 AD making him one of our longest reigning monarchs. It is often claimed there is no evidence for his existence but this inaccurate. There are numerous perfectly respectable documentary references to him, more than for any other High King of the period, so no reason to suppose he didn't exist. He is mentioned in the lives of four contemporary saints, St Brynach, St Carantoc, St Illtud and St Dyfrig (Dubricius) as well as by historians Nennius and Gildas.
Nenniius is regarded as slightly suspect but Gildas was writing shortly before 560 AD (he mentions Maelgwn Fawr as still alive and he died of the yellow plague in 560 AD) and was probably writing within about ten years of Arthur's death, the exact date of which is recorded in the chronicle Book 14 in Malory's Mort D'Arthur. This date fits comfortably with all the other references so it is reasonable to accept it as accurate.
The claim for his non-existence rests largely on the fact that he is not mentioned at all in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle but the Saxons only mentioned their victories and we know they suffered numerous defeats at the hands of Arthur which explains their silence on the subject.
Where does Arthur come from?
We first meet Arthur in the life of St Brynach when he is around eighteen years old. He is accompanied by his friend and companion Cato, indicating that these are Romano-British boys. Arthur is at this time not a king but a prince of Dumnonia, the old British kingdom roughtly corresponding to Somerset, Devon and parts of Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire - thus he is 'English' rather than 'Welsh'.
It was one of the wealthiest kingdoms of post-Roman Britain with a thriving villa society attested to by the archaeology of the area. That Arthur is a prince we know from the fact that he makes a grant of land to SS Brynach, Carantoc and Illtud to allow them to found their monasteries. The lives of early saints are not always reliable but they are usually pretty sound when it comes to land grants as they were often used in the Middle Ages to support the legal claim of the monastery to its foundation lands.
Arthur is of the Aurelian dynasty, the hereditary kings of Dumnonia, and successor to Ambrosius Aurelianus. We know this because his successors, Constantine and Conanus both bear the family name Aurelianus. He was therefore Artorius Aurelianus. The Aurelians regarded themselves as the descendants of the Emperor Constantine whose mother Helen was British. Whether Arthur is the son or nephew of Ambrosius is not clear. Gildas describes his mother, clearly a formidable woman, as a 'she-dragon' meaning a female warlord, but he does not give us her name or say whether she is the wife or sister of Ambrosius. In the life of St Carantoc, before he is king, Arthur is described as 'lord of the west' but this does not extend far into Wales. The Liber Landavensis gives him a connection to the Silurian Kings. His grandfather is said to be Cystennyn Gorneu who is said to have founded churches in Erging (Hereford, Gloucester and Gwent) and his father's sister was married to Pebiau ab Urb ab Erbin, King of Gwent and Erging. St Dubricius was of the same family which accounts for the fact that he is said to have crowned Arthur High King circa 500 AD.
Dunster Archaeology
What is particularly exciting about these early saints' lives is that they connect Arthur with Dunster in Somerset as his home base. Recent aerial photography has shown the outline of the Roman fort at Dunster at the foot of the bluff, not under the mediaeval castle on top of the hill. Dunster was the principal port on the south side of the Bristol Channel in the fifth century. It silted up in the 12th century and trade moved up the channel to Bridgwater and then later to Bristol. Dunster is now about two miles inland. Arthur would have been based at the fort and when excavations begin there is a fair chance that some physical evidence of his reign may emerge.
I am of course teasing when I say that Arthur was an Englishman. There were neither Welsh nor English in the sixth century. He was a Briton who regarded himself as a Roman.
In the meantime you can check out the references:
The Life of St Brynach can be found in Thomas Wakeman's Lives of the Cambro-British Saints which can be downloaded free from http://www,arcguve.org/streamlivesof thecambrobritishsaintsThomasWakeman
Gildas and Nennius are both available free on the internet and the archaeology can be found by searching 'Dunsterarchaeology'.
The legend
The first King Arthur - the legendary one associated with the Holy Grail - was a Celtic God. The origins of his story certainly have close connections with South Wales - see my book The Wonderful History of the Sword in the Stone (www.amazon.com) for details and previous blogs on the subject.
The history
However, there was a real High King called Arthur wo reigned from around 500 AD to 543 AD making him one of our longest reigning monarchs. It is often claimed there is no evidence for his existence but this inaccurate. There are numerous perfectly respectable documentary references to him, more than for any other High King of the period, so no reason to suppose he didn't exist. He is mentioned in the lives of four contemporary saints, St Brynach, St Carantoc, St Illtud and St Dyfrig (Dubricius) as well as by historians Nennius and Gildas.
Nenniius is regarded as slightly suspect but Gildas was writing shortly before 560 AD (he mentions Maelgwn Fawr as still alive and he died of the yellow plague in 560 AD) and was probably writing within about ten years of Arthur's death, the exact date of which is recorded in the chronicle Book 14 in Malory's Mort D'Arthur. This date fits comfortably with all the other references so it is reasonable to accept it as accurate.
The claim for his non-existence rests largely on the fact that he is not mentioned at all in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle but the Saxons only mentioned their victories and we know they suffered numerous defeats at the hands of Arthur which explains their silence on the subject.
Where does Arthur come from?
We first meet Arthur in the life of St Brynach when he is around eighteen years old. He is accompanied by his friend and companion Cato, indicating that these are Romano-British boys. Arthur is at this time not a king but a prince of Dumnonia, the old British kingdom roughtly corresponding to Somerset, Devon and parts of Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire - thus he is 'English' rather than 'Welsh'.
It was one of the wealthiest kingdoms of post-Roman Britain with a thriving villa society attested to by the archaeology of the area. That Arthur is a prince we know from the fact that he makes a grant of land to SS Brynach, Carantoc and Illtud to allow them to found their monasteries. The lives of early saints are not always reliable but they are usually pretty sound when it comes to land grants as they were often used in the Middle Ages to support the legal claim of the monastery to its foundation lands.
Arthur is of the Aurelian dynasty, the hereditary kings of Dumnonia, and successor to Ambrosius Aurelianus. We know this because his successors, Constantine and Conanus both bear the family name Aurelianus. He was therefore Artorius Aurelianus. The Aurelians regarded themselves as the descendants of the Emperor Constantine whose mother Helen was British. Whether Arthur is the son or nephew of Ambrosius is not clear. Gildas describes his mother, clearly a formidable woman, as a 'she-dragon' meaning a female warlord, but he does not give us her name or say whether she is the wife or sister of Ambrosius. In the life of St Carantoc, before he is king, Arthur is described as 'lord of the west' but this does not extend far into Wales. The Liber Landavensis gives him a connection to the Silurian Kings. His grandfather is said to be Cystennyn Gorneu who is said to have founded churches in Erging (Hereford, Gloucester and Gwent) and his father's sister was married to Pebiau ab Urb ab Erbin, King of Gwent and Erging. St Dubricius was of the same family which accounts for the fact that he is said to have crowned Arthur High King circa 500 AD.
Dunster Archaeology
What is particularly exciting about these early saints' lives is that they connect Arthur with Dunster in Somerset as his home base. Recent aerial photography has shown the outline of the Roman fort at Dunster at the foot of the bluff, not under the mediaeval castle on top of the hill. Dunster was the principal port on the south side of the Bristol Channel in the fifth century. It silted up in the 12th century and trade moved up the channel to Bridgwater and then later to Bristol. Dunster is now about two miles inland. Arthur would have been based at the fort and when excavations begin there is a fair chance that some physical evidence of his reign may emerge.
I am of course teasing when I say that Arthur was an Englishman. There were neither Welsh nor English in the sixth century. He was a Briton who regarded himself as a Roman.
In the meantime you can check out the references:
The Life of St Brynach can be found in Thomas Wakeman's Lives of the Cambro-British Saints which can be downloaded free from http://www,arcguve.org/streamlivesof thecambrobritishsaintsThomasWakeman
Gildas and Nennius are both available free on the internet and the archaeology can be found by searching 'Dunsterarchaeology'.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
UK Literary Festivals 2014 January - March
It's that time of year when you start filling in your new diary so here are some useful dates for bibliophiles.
The first literary event of the 2014 season is also the first Purbeck Literary Festival which will take place between February 17 and March 2 at Purbeck in Dorset. It will feature romantic novelist Katie Fforde, Andrew Lane, the author of Young Sherlock Holmes and local writer Tricia Walker.
Designed with me in mind (social anthropologist/political scientist amongst other things) is the LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival Reflections 2014 which will explore the distinctive qualities social science and literature bring to our understanding of the world around us and our place within it. The festival will focus on reflections on war and peace, embracing the centenary of WW1 using language and metaphor as well as exploring the contemporary world as it appears to a new generation. This festival runs from 25 February to 1 March 2014 at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE.
One of the UK's most beautiful cities and one I never mind visiting will host the York Literary Festival, the seventh to date, which will include author events, storytellings, theatre and cinema plus a guided tour of York's sites of literary merit. As a star turn poet Roger McGough, host of BBC Radio's poetry please, is booked to appear on 28th March. The Festival will run from 20th to 24th March 2014 in the lovely city of York.
Not far away Huddersfield will be hosting its own literary festival between March 6th and March 16th 2014 so plenty to enjoy.
The first literary event of the 2014 season is also the first Purbeck Literary Festival which will take place between February 17 and March 2 at Purbeck in Dorset. It will feature romantic novelist Katie Fforde, Andrew Lane, the author of Young Sherlock Holmes and local writer Tricia Walker.
Designed with me in mind (social anthropologist/political scientist amongst other things) is the LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival Reflections 2014 which will explore the distinctive qualities social science and literature bring to our understanding of the world around us and our place within it. The festival will focus on reflections on war and peace, embracing the centenary of WW1 using language and metaphor as well as exploring the contemporary world as it appears to a new generation. This festival runs from 25 February to 1 March 2014 at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE.
One of the UK's most beautiful cities and one I never mind visiting will host the York Literary Festival, the seventh to date, which will include author events, storytellings, theatre and cinema plus a guided tour of York's sites of literary merit. As a star turn poet Roger McGough, host of BBC Radio's poetry please, is booked to appear on 28th March. The Festival will run from 20th to 24th March 2014 in the lovely city of York.
Not far away Huddersfield will be hosting its own literary festival between March 6th and March 16th 2014 so plenty to enjoy.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
National Poetry Day
Today is National Poetry Day in the UK. By way of a minor contribution I found this poem which I wrote way back in 1975 I think.
Be at peace O my brothers.
Fear not the chasm that lies beneath
the rock of your mortality.
Be at peace O my brothers.
The black night shakes and with its shield
the storm clouds struggle
wrestling with one another across the sky
but be not afraid.
The morning dawns, a bowl of light
The power of which is glory.
Even as streaks of the imperial sun
like fire singe the paper rim of heaven
spreading their golden tendrils
like a flowr
a strange, uncanny, luminous plant unfolding
blossoming in the heart of darkness
the day engendered crows triumphant,
the bright blade cuts the edge of sawn.
Lightning fizzles,
a damp squib splutters in decay
and thunder rolls unheeded in the gutter.
Such a little thing is man.
A leaf trembles
cold in the morning dew,
a river of fresh opalescence
traces a slender path along its veins,
the perfect miniature of a mountain stream,
a crystalline tear
shimmering through the spectrum forms and falls,
a piece of beauty in an unmade world.
Be not afraid my brothers
though the darkness threatens to engulf you
for out of the darkness will come light.
Such a little thing is man
But such a thing of nature as is the universe.
It is a thing of beauty.
Do not strive too hard to understand.
Carol Richards Copyright (c) 1975
Be at peace O my brothers.
Fear not the chasm that lies beneath
the rock of your mortality.
Be at peace O my brothers.
The black night shakes and with its shield
the storm clouds struggle
wrestling with one another across the sky
but be not afraid.
The morning dawns, a bowl of light
The power of which is glory.
Even as streaks of the imperial sun
like fire singe the paper rim of heaven
spreading their golden tendrils
like a flowr
a strange, uncanny, luminous plant unfolding
blossoming in the heart of darkness
the day engendered crows triumphant,
the bright blade cuts the edge of sawn.
Lightning fizzles,
a damp squib splutters in decay
and thunder rolls unheeded in the gutter.
Such a little thing is man.
A leaf trembles
cold in the morning dew,
a river of fresh opalescence
traces a slender path along its veins,
the perfect miniature of a mountain stream,
a crystalline tear
shimmering through the spectrum forms and falls,
a piece of beauty in an unmade world.
Be not afraid my brothers
though the darkness threatens to engulf you
for out of the darkness will come light.
Such a little thing is man
But such a thing of nature as is the universe.
It is a thing of beauty.
Do not strive too hard to understand.
Carol Richards Copyright (c) 1975
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Woke this morning here's the milkman by Carol Richards music video
I hav just posted my second music video 'Woke this morning (here's the milkman) on Youtube. This time it's a jolly sing along song. You can find it at http://youtu.be/FZ4e7UuTk6A. Have fun.
Thursday, 6 June 2013
The Gothic Imagination - British Horor Film Classics
The British Film Institute (BFI) is joining forces with the British Museum to present a weekend of outdoor screenings of classic British horror films at the British Museum.
This Monster Weekend event taking place 29 - 31 August is a curtain-raiser for a season of events nationwide exploring the dark heart of British movies inspired by the Gothic romances of Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker and those who follow in their spellbinding footsteps whose work has been brought to life on film. The Monster Weekend includes screenings of Night of the Demon, Dracula and The Mummy - all British horror classics and will be the first in a series of landmark events designed to trail a major season lasting four months to be held at the BFI's headquarters on London's Southbank and across the UK between October 2013 and January 2014.
I don't like horror myself much but lots of people do and tickets are only £15 so you may need to book early. Details at bfi website www.bfi.org
This Monster Weekend event taking place 29 - 31 August is a curtain-raiser for a season of events nationwide exploring the dark heart of British movies inspired by the Gothic romances of Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker and those who follow in their spellbinding footsteps whose work has been brought to life on film. The Monster Weekend includes screenings of Night of the Demon, Dracula and The Mummy - all British horror classics and will be the first in a series of landmark events designed to trail a major season lasting four months to be held at the BFI's headquarters on London's Southbank and across the UK between October 2013 and January 2014.
I don't like horror myself much but lots of people do and tickets are only £15 so you may need to book early. Details at bfi website www.bfi.org
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
The Future for Libraries
Arts Council England has just published the results of a major research project undertaken over the past year in a document entitled 'Envisioning the library of the future'. I know. Why can't they come up with titles for official documents which don't sound as if they have been dreamed up by someone who is not a native English speaker? And the Arts Council, for goodness sake.
Anyway this one might be useful to some of my readers as its aim is to help library staff, funders and Joe Public to understand what libraries could and should look like in the future.
The Arts Council claims it will help them as well as their partners in the library sector to discuss with more clarity the value, role and purpose of public libraries suggesting ways they can respond to the enormous changes in technology which affect the future use and storage of books and archive material while allowing them to remain as they always have been at the heart of their communities.
Anyway this one might be useful to some of my readers as its aim is to help library staff, funders and Joe Public to understand what libraries could and should look like in the future.
The Arts Council claims it will help them as well as their partners in the library sector to discuss with more clarity the value, role and purpose of public libraries suggesting ways they can respond to the enormous changes in technology which affect the future use and storage of books and archive material while allowing them to remain as they always have been at the heart of their communities.
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