Arthurian Place Names in Wales: Book Launch

Bangor University’s Centre for Arthurian Studies has recently hosted an event celebrating the publication of Arthurian Place Names in Wales by Scott Lloyd.

By examining a wealth of written sources from the medieval past through to present-day studies, this new book, published by the University of Wales Press, considers a wide range of materials associating King Arthur with sites in Wales. Claims about the identity of Arthur and his kingdom are placed in a wider context, with issues surrounding dating, authorship, impact and influence given due consideration. This exciting addition to the corpus of work about Arthur, also includes a gazetteer of sites - including those whose locations have yet to be identified.

Scott Lloyd is a long-standing collaborator with the School of English Literature at Bangor University. He works for the Royal Commission for Historical Monuments in Wales, and has served on the committee of the British Branch of the International Arthurian Society.

This event was hosted the University’s new Centre for Arthurian Studies, which continues to establish itself as an international hub for research and discussion, bringing together a range of expertise in all aspects of Arthurian studies. Scott Lloyd is involved in a number of collaborative projects organised by the Centre, of which he is a member.

The launch event was introduced by Professor Raluca Radulescu (Director of the Centre) and Dr Aled Llion Jones (Deputy Director). There followed an introductory talk by Emeritus Professor P.J.C. Field (School of English Literature) and then the author gave a fascinating and thought-provoking talk on the findings in his book.

Arthurian books, including scholarly works by Bangor staff as well as rare items from the Special Collections in the Bangor University Library were on display during the event - continuing the Centre for Arthurian Studies participation in the Year of Legends in Wales.

Professor Raluca Radulescu said: “It is a pleasure to host this event, especially as it comes at a time that the Year of Legends in Wales is under way, and a special preview organised by BAFTA Cymru of the new King Arthur movie, directed by Guy Ritchie and shot in nearby Snowdonia, was recently shown in Pontio. The locations of the movie are discussed in Scott's book, and the study of the legends and their many manifestations in Welsh culture and beyond form the core of our unique MA in Arthurian Literature. We look forward to more collaborations to come, and interest in north Wales.”

A podcast of Scott Lloyd's lecture will be posted on the website soon.

Publication date: 16 May 2017