After teaching the Legend of King Arthur for over 20 years, I felt that I had a pretty good handle on the legend. But, Tyler Tichelaar has astounded me with the details and research about the actual sons of King Arthur!
His methodical research of the ancient texts, including The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Geoffrey's The History of the Kings of Britain, The Mabinogion, and Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur coupled with more modern texts like Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance (1967) and The Book of Arthur: Lost Tales of the Round Table (2002), present readers with a validity for Arthur’s children that has not been shown before.
Tichelaar also explores current fiction in which Arthur’s children make their own path in the literary legend of Arthur. The reasons put forth by Tichelaar in King Arthur’s Children for this proliferation of heirs is logical and at the same time magical. Arthur’s legend continues to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, and it only makes sense that authors feel modifying the Legend will allow more people to discover the honor and hope so many are looking for in today’s world.
The information about Arthur’s early sons coupled with Tichelaar’s in-depth analysis of the known son Mordred leaves readers wondering how much more Tichelaar will uncover of this magnificent legend. Tyler even explores the claims of the British royal family both past and present that they are Arthur’s descendants!
Tichelaar’s in-depth analysis of the plausibility of King Arthur’s children reaffirms the importance that the King Arthur legacy continues to have for society and the need of people all over the world to be able to connect to and believe in King Arthur and Camelot.
