Pennod 14 – O’r Apocalyps Arthuraidd i Fashion Casualties: Hanes Cryno Cad Gamlan

From the Arthurian Apocalypse to Fashion Casualties:
A Brief History of the Battle of Camlan

We go after a slightly different subject this time, one which cropped up during the past episodes while discussing early Welsh Arthurian literature.
In this episode we trace literary references to the Battle of Camlan through centuries of Welsh literature.
‘Cad Gamlan’ was the famous leader’s last big battle, a slaughter which destroyed Arthur’s realm and golden age. We suggest that traditions concerning this ‘Arthurian Apocalypse’ are a way of structuring all of the great Arthurian story, just as apocalyptical mediations in the Bible are a way of structuring Christian thought in general. It is perhaps one of the more intense aspects of the Welsh literary tradition, but there is also humour here as well, as you’ll hear.