The fourth of Random Scottish History’s episodes for Independence Live on the Scottish Arthurian/Merlin Myth – the research & citations for which can be found Here.
Narration by Jenny
Art by Alex
Intro-Outro by Tony ‘Lucky Dog’ Wilson
Greysteil by Paul Burns
When Russia invaded Georgia some years ago, radio 4 sent a journalist from London to South Ossetia to interview people. The report he sent was fascinating. In the few seconds he was speaking, he said the south Ossetians are a very hospitable people; they will invite you into their house and give you dinner and afterwards sit you down to watch a video.
Braveheart.
The choice of video was for two reasons; one that they identified with a small mountainous nation, defending itself against a large, powerful neighbour, and secondly, because they believe that Wallace was inspired by Arthur, and Arthur went to Scotland from South Ossetia.
Interesting because they specify Scotland, not Wales, France, or England. Interesting also, because they associate Wallace with Arthur- neither of them were kings, but both warriors. Wallace would undoubtedly have heard the tales of Arthur, and it is not difficult to imagine how they may have inspired him.
And the whole story has the potential to be absolutely true, because the men of the steppe were first class horsemen, and they were the first to develop the stirrup. It is easy to imagine Arthur arriving in Scotland with stirrups, and having such immediate success against warriors with no stirrups whose legs just dangled beside the horse.
Since genealogists appear to have been unable to locate Arthur in any of the noble families of the time, I think this is a very cogent explanation.