Linda A. Malcor

The first of the Sword in the Stone stories was told in Anatolia where the Hittites came c. 2230 BC from the south Russian steppes. But 40,000 years earlier, observers of the night sky saw something disturbing. How in heaven's name do the two connect?

The search for the historical figure behind what is arguably the most famous cycle of legends ever has been unrelenting over the centuries. Here, two noted Arthurian experts argue that the man whose story started the Arthurian myth was a soldier named Lucius Artorius Castus who lived at the end of the second century AD. Castus’s extraordinary career took him from one end of the Roman Empire to the other, bringing him into contact with tribespeople among the Steppe nomads – in particular the Sarmatians. For several decades the Sarmatians have been thought to be the inspiration behind Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, among other British tales. The authors provide a fascinating detective story following the life of Lucius Artorius Castus against the colourful backdrop of the history of the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and his son, the barely sane Commodus. In doing so they reveal the manifold links between Artorius and the legend.

Generation after generation has passed down the ancient legend of a boy-king named Arthur who pulled a sword from stone, loved the beautiful Guinevere, and presided over the Round Table. We still celebrate the ancient Celtic holy day of Samhain, only now we call it Halloween. The earth itself has preserved sacred Celtic cauldrons designed to raise soldiers from the dead. These legends and artifacts are all found in this exciting book that explores the fascinating world of ancient Celtic legend and belief.