h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/entry/A80885613

I am looking for ideas and need comments about this set of notes before I expand further.

Thanks in anticipation

I'm not much use anymore today (sleepy and think I will get ill) but it's a very interesting topic. It just maybe needs a different title, that makes clear that the Entry is about the facts behind all the stories.

Thank you Tav

A fascinating concept and one that will take a little time.

On Arthurian sources, "The Mabinogian" is the oldest, a compilation of Arthurian tales, among other things, dating to the 12th century and predating Mallory and Scott. All of the more recent treatments on the Arthurian legend are to some extent derivative and derived to an increasing extent over time from other derived accounts.

There is some question as to the meaning of the title of "The Mabinogian". It's my belief that it is a reference to the legendary Queen Mab of Wales, an Arthurian contemporary who figures in some of the Arthurian related accounts and that "The Mabinogian" derived from the bardic chronicles of her court. The archaic spellings, an archaic form of Welsh for the most part, of many of the names, does make for difficulty. (Cuchullain = coo - hooley = 'Cooley', for example... not the only form even of that name used in "The Mabinogian".)

Other sources include "Svipdaps Journey" from the old Norse tales, properly a Mabinogian story relating to the founding of the royal house of the Isle of Man, which probably ended up being recorded in the Old Norse Tales over Arthurs' embassy to the Baltic countries, which also gives rise to the cycle of "Parsifal" (or Percival).

Though the post Mabinogian Arthurian authors put a lot of emphasis on 'Launcelot du Lac', making him out to be a Frenchman, he figures only slightly in the Mabinogian accounts and may actually have been a Swede. 'The Court of the Lake" is a traditional appellation for the Swedish Court and the 'Lady of the Lake' may actually have been a Swedish monarch.

Important Mabinogian stories, "CuChullains' Wedding" and "Peredur", which establish (especially the first) that Arthur was a tradesman and worked as a barber. (Learning a trade is a royal tradition with all of the Roman derived cultures including those of the mid-east.) Important to remember that barbers in those days also did minor surgery and stitched up wounds, same principle as the blacksmith doubled as a dentist and might set broken bones. I don't know who Arthurs' blacksmith was.

(In passing, given an archaeological excavation of a purported or possible Arthurian site, I'd hope see a very elevated conservation effort over remnants of barber shops and smithies, as well as other tradesmens' workplaces, given the suggestions from "CuChullains' Wedding" that Arthurs court originally formed up on a basis and foundation of an association of tradesmen.)

I've got to go for now, will be back later this evening providing research links for some of the points mentioned.

Coachella Valley, CA, 3:47pm PST, (GMT - 8hr)

Thanks excellent ideas Iook forward to more

Post 4 above posted before I read Tavs' post 2.

'Facts' (in the modern sense) are all but nonexistent, excepting the chronicles of the Arthurian accounts themselves, since the 12th century, including their internal evidences.

There are so many unresolved questions and controversies I think it important consider any and all, with increasing weighting attached to increasing age of the account.

I'll certainly be looking forward to any any comments or suggestions you make.

Pardon the delay, all of my web browsers went down Friday and Saturday. I'm working on fixing the problem and posting now from a backup pc it took a full working day to bring up and update.

"Life is short, but art is long."

Source material I'm winnowing through at the moment. This includes references to the Mabinogion, Cwllych and Olwen (Cooleys' Wedding among other things.

Most sources describe Queen Mab as one the faerie folk. The same is said of course of Arthurs' half sister Morgana.

http://wolf.mind.net/library/celtic/encyc/celts377.txt

Backup PC only marginally operative at the moment.

Is it better now

(with both hands).

Primary PC back up. I may someday be able to do something with my backups. So far, they've only put the machine back in to an irretrievable crash.

Just to bring this back to the top. Proved to be six or seven layers down in the older postings when I looked.

PC all restructured with all new software and operating nominally.

Mom recovering well from her heart attack week before last but somewhat despondent at the moment.

It has been hectic.