Pendragon: Arthur And His Britain

Pendragon: Arthur and His Britain (1971) is a noteworthy biography by poet, translator, and professor Joseph P. Clancy. It begins with the “man, myth, legend” trope, fleshing it out to provide historical context to the mythos surrounding King Arthur. Most notably, Clancy uses literary history (via a poetic lens) as a primary tool in uncovering further details about the Arthurian legend. Clancy is the first to admit that, given his current subject matter, some manner of conjecture about Arthur’s goings-on is necessary, thus underscoring his use of the poetic in his biographical opus.

Clancy’s own research suggests that King Arthur was born around 460 A.D. He puts his death at around 520 A.D. The biography fleshes out the goings-on in Britain at the time to give a better historical context for the need and purpose of a figure like King Arthur. To understand Arthur, one must understand the Britain of his time. At the time, says Clancy, Britain was a country in bitter turmoil. The Romans had not only occupied and controlled Britain, but they had also provided protection from other forces. Due to the constant fighting with barbarian tribes back at home, however, as well as political instability, Roman forces withdrew from Britain. This absence created a power vacuum in Britain, leaving the country vulnerable to a number of invading forces.

In Rome’s absence, a number of Germanic tribes vied for control of east Britain. The Saxons were perhaps the most notable of these tribes. It is from this need for protection that the figure of Arthur arises in Clancy’s narrative. Clancy believes that, around this time, a man named Arthur was given command of a company of soldiers. Arthur and his troops defended the Celts (the people living in Britain at the time) successfully, and peace was restored in the land for a while.



Both critics and historians note that, in fleshing out his version of the Arthurian legend, Clancy focuses expertly on the events of King Arthur’s day. However, he doesn’t stop there. Clancy actually addresses 1500 years of history by delving into literature beginning in the sixth century and ending with present-day (1970s) findings. Clancy also addresses methodology in his work, highlighting the reliability of evidence—or lack thereof. Though he hovers around literary clues, he takes pains not to delve into conjecture via symbols or mysteries. Nevertheless, he still manages to disagree notably with many scholars regarding the Arthurian legend. As one Kirkus Review critic notes, Clancy’s biography is “a very personalized book,” thus referencing the fact that Clancy’s personal beliefs perhaps bleed into his work. Clancy, however, sees this is a merger of history and poetry.

Clancy’s focus on literature underscores a belief he posits in his introductory chapter about the relationship between poetry and history. He believes that poetry and history share many traits. Both the poet and the historian must maintain an active imagination in attempting to explain feelings and motives. Because of this connection, Clancy thinks he can approach conjectures about the Arthurian legend and merge them with historical fact. In this way, the Arthur in command of attack forces can, indeed, be seen as a larger-than-life figure who may have also been king.

Joseph P. Clancy was born in New York City in 1928. He received his undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees at Fordham University, and taught at Marymount Manhattan College for a time. He translated many works of poetry, including The Earliest Welsh Poetry in 1970, for which he won an award from the Welsh Arts Council. One of his last works of translation was Poems of Dafydd ap Gwilym, which was published in 2016. Clancy died in Glasgow in 2017.