Friday, February 9, 2018

FINAL version of THE BEAR KING soon to be released

I've boiled down my disparate findings into a last revision of THE BEAR KING: ARTHUR AND THE IRISH IN WALES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND.


I've published it in ebook and paperback formats via Amazon and will, in a day or two, pass along the relevant URLs.

NOTE:  This revised title represents my last say on the Arthur Question.  I need to attend to other things in my life right now (not bad things, just different ones!) and will not have time to pursue any additional research.  Truth be told, I don't feel as if I can contribute anything more to the field of study unless some new evidence - literary or archaeological - makes itself known.  After over 20 years of intensive work, I finally feel as if I can rest.  Not on my laurels, as those are yet to be awarded.  But at least I feel completely satisfied that I've done everything in my power to fully explore the possibility of a historical Arthur.  And I do believe (a tricky word, that!) I have been able to put forward the most viable of candidates for Arthur.  Yet I am also only too well aware of the volatility of the circle of Arthurian scholars - at least those who, like myself, are "independent researchers." Professional academics pretty much won't touch Arthur with a thousand-foot pole.  It is left to those of us on the Fringe to try and make some headway.  And the Fringe holds within it a wide-range of enthusiasts, most of whom - alas! - have no qualifications, little knowledge, and a super-abundance of bias, wishful-thinking or plain, old-fashioned craziness (often derived from spiritual or neo-pagan leanings). Over the years I've found it necessary to respectively and diplomatically engage the academics in my investigations, and to studiously avoid (pun strictly intended) the rest.  My approach has always been one of transparent evolution of ideas - and this in and of itself has brought forth accusations of my being noncommittal and confused. Oh, well.  If lovers of Arthuriana prefer those researchers whose ideas, no matter how unwieldy, are inflexible, despite good arguments or evidence to the contrary, so be it.  By all means attach yourselves to such. On the other hand, if you are genuinely interested in trying to get to the truth of the matter, please do consider giving my last opus a try.  Thank you for your continued support.  It is appreciated more than you can ever know.

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