On this full snow moon, Tom Muir has a fascinating fireside chat with Simon Heywood, Doctor of Philosophy and Senior Lecturer at University of Derby, who is also an authority on Arthurian stories and an elegant storyteller. If you're inspired to do so, you can buy us a dram on Ko-fi, with our hearty thanks: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyologyJoin the conversation to find out such things as ...Who was King Arthur? Was he a real person?The time when the English were unwelcome invaders who came into Britain by boat (ironically)What was the first written account of Arthur and his court?King Arthur, the national hero of WalesThe French connection: where did Lancelot come from?Was Arthur an "English" king?What if such a magical thing as an honourable king really did happen?The tragedy when those trying to do right failCornwall and King ArthurThe return of the kingGlastonbury and AvalonThe Holy Grail and the Spear of DestinyThe dark genius behind Arthur: Merlin and his terrible crimesTennyson's act of evasion in his Arthurian vision, and how he was made a "freeman" of KirkwallVortigern's last stand; who keeps tearing down his tower? The story of the two drgons of WalesThe sword in the stone - is it Excalibur?Morgan leFayLot (Earl Lyot of Orkney?) and his wife, the powerful Morgause; Lot's sons, knights of the Round TableThe moving circle of stones at StonehengeAre any of the details based in historical fact?Camelot and GuinevereMordred the "monster"Arthur's birth and the Questing BeastWho is in the boat, coming to fetch the wounded Arthur to take him to Avalon?About Simon: https://shonaleigh.uk/about/simon-heywood/Simon's books: https://www.waterstones.com/author/simon-heywood/1465389 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.