What Kind of King was ARTHUR.

Brythonic kingship in the 6th century.

In 1136 Geoffrey of Monmouth published 'De gestis Britonum' later called 'Historia Regum Britanniae' and created what would then be used as the core canonical story of King Arthur. This was the springboard for many 'histories' as well as fiction. Geoffrey claims to have been translating a "very ancient book in the British tongue" when writing his Historia, and much has been made to try and source said book, though Geoffrey seems to have worked from Gildas, Bede, Nennius, and numerous others in reality.

Much of what Geoffrey presents is not found in these sources however, and he seems to have creatively filled in many gaps, using information gleaned from kings lists and now lost chronicles. There are pearls of truth hidden in Monmouth's work, but much of his Arthur narrative seems to have been wholly derived from his own mind, and from mistakes in interpretation. One such clear and easy mistake to spot is Uther as Arthur's father.