Camel

by Brian Edward Rise

A river in Cornwall and the scene of Arthur's final battle with Mordred in Geoffrey of Monmouth, obviously derived from the Welsh Camlann. Slaughter Bridge above Camelford is the exact location according to local tradition.

John Leland, writing in the Tudor period, describes the hand to hand fatal battle between Arthur and Mordred on the bridge and he mentions fragments of armor and military equipment unearthed in the area. The relics date from an actual battle fought at the site between the West Saxons and the Cornish in 823 CE. These relics were discovered before Geoffrey's time and may have influenced his decision to place the battle here. However, the association of Cornwall with the quarrel and final battle between Arthur and Mordred seems to precede Geoffrey.

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