LL-L "In the media" 2004.07.11 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 11.JUL.2004 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: In the media

Folks,

I believe that on this list we have a large number of people that are
interested in British history and folklore.  Those of you, and perhaps even
others, might be tempted to watch the newly released movie _King Arthur_
(http://kingarthur.movies.go.com/main.html).  I watched it yesterday.

The movie is of course predominantly entertaining, and educational messages
must be taken with a couple of grains of salt.  Nevertheless, it is
interesting in that it goes beyond the traditional story by incorporating
some more recent research findings which point toward Arthur having been a
part-British (i.e., Brython, Pictish) and part-Roman officer in Roman employ
who attempted to fill the void when the Romans withdrew from Britain and the
Saxons were just beginning to invade.  Furthermore, it shows Arthur's
knights as Samartians* that had been drafted by the Romans from their
homeland in what are now areas of Poland and Ukraine.

Some reading and TV-watching revealed that according to the latest theories
the King Arthur saga is largely based upon Samartian* folk epics, including
drawing the sword from a rock, the Holy Grail being based on a cauldron that
revived fallen warriors and made them indestructable and unfeeling battle
machines, and even the name Lancelot being based on the name of a hero in
one of these Samartian* epics.

In the movie the Picts speak what I assume is a made-up Celtic-based
language.  The Saxons -- who, understandably are portrayed in a less than
flattering light and, being deemed "German," display slight shades of
Hollywood Nazi stereotypes -- actually use an Old Saxon battle cry.  (Mark,
I wonder if it would make your hair stand on end ...)  For the sake of those
of you who (will) wonder about it, and for the sake of discussion, let me
say that I identified it as being _Slahan fîand!_ ['sla:xan 'fi:ant],
something like "Slay(ing) the foe!"  _Fîand_, being a cognate of both
English "fiend" and German _Feind_ 'enemy', means 'demon', 'ghoul', 'fiend'
and also 'foe' or 'enemy' in Old Saxon.  I wonder if others agree with my
understanding of the battle cry.

* The Samartians are believed to have moved to Eastern Europe from Central
Asia and appear to have been nomadic or semi-nomadic.  They were the eastern
neighbors of the Scythians whom they later annexed.  Most scholars believe
that they spoke an Iranian varity.  In the early part of Slavonic
colonization of Poland, the nobility of that region claimed to be Samartian
and referred to their land as Samartia.  Even though Samartia was not a part
of the Roman Empire, Romans routinely "recruited" (by force) Samartian
youths (who came with superior equestrian skills) and posted them at the far
reaches of their borderlands in the west, for instance along the Rhine and
also along Hadrian's Wall in Northern Britain.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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