Creating fiction from Fact
Alistair’s detailed knowledge of the post-Roman period, the key historical sources and the landscape of Britain allows him to create historical fiction grounded in the harsh realities of the fifth century. Inspired by real people and events such as the Saxon invasion led by Hengist, Alistair creates fiction which embodies Britain’s struggle for survival during this brutal period.
Alistair has spent years examining genealogies, chronicles, hagiography and ancient poetry such as Y Gododdin (The Gododdin) in order to develop his knowledge of this period and to inform his theory that Arthwys is candidate for the historical figure behind King Arthur.
The key sources include:
Gildas - De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain)
The Historia Brittonum
The Annales Cambriae
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History of the English People) written by Bede
The Notitia Dignitatum (The List of Offices)
Alistair has personally researched and explored the landscapes of many historical sites up and down Britain. This enables him to write historical fiction rooted in a deep understanding of the tribes that inhabited ancient Britain and their monuments. Through his fiction, Alistair also reflects the extent to which the fate of the Roman Empire impacted British history as the Empire began to collapse.
Through his research Alistair has built a compelling argument for the locations of the key battles fought by Arthwys against the Saxons, such as the Battle of Mount Badon.
Exploring the Landscape
developing the Case for Arthwys
From The Battle of Mount Badon to Searching for Arthur…
Alistair Hall first explored his theory concerning Arthwys in his 2019 book The Battle of Mount Badon: Ambrosius, Arthur and the Defence of Britain. Since then, further research, fieldwork and the writing of his Arthwys of the North fiction series have sharpened and strengthened the case for Arthwys.
Searching for Arthur… Finding Arthwys sets out Hall’s argument more directly: that Arthwys of the North is the most plausible historical figure behind the Arthur described as battle leader in the Historia Brittonum.
Disccover the world of arthwys
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