Posted by Martin Read on December 22, 1998 at 06:48:32:
In Reply to: Historical date of Lyonesse trilogy posted by Rohan on November 29, 1998 at 12:33:42:
: Hi, everyone, I am a long, long time Vance fan who has just discovered this bbs site.
: I have noticed some people here are using the Lyonesse trilogy as part of their role-playing campaign. I am doing the same thing, and because of that, and also because I am a history buff, I have a question for all the Lyonesse fans. Does anyone know the approximate year that these were supposed to take place?
: There are few clues with contradictions: In the Intro to Lyonesse the Roman Empire is described as being in the past, while King Arthur will later become king of Britain. King Arthur's reign was during the Dark Ages, but couldn't be before AD 600, because that is when Christianity was introduced there by Pope Gregory the Great. But it also couldn't be much after 600, because the Dark Ages end during Charlemagne's rule in the 700s and we already get a detailed list of British kings starting in the 800s (which don't include Arthur) I usually consider Arthur's reign about 620 or so. So, the Lyonesse trilogy would have been before that date. The problem is, a character in the Green Pearl mentions his grandfather receiving something from the Sultan of Egypt. Well, Sultan is an Islamic term, and while the Mohammedan conquests took Eygpt in 641, it is unlikely that a Sultanate was set up until many years later, and if he is talking about a Sultan in the grandfather's time, the current date would have been even later. I would guess 800 AD at the earliest, but this would be long after the time of Arthur. Anyone have any ideas on the subject?
: Rohan
I'm working from memory here so dates may be a little uncertain . The time frame of Lyonesse is not too difficult to ascertain as Vance mentions something about the Goths being in Gaul. It must be after the Visigoths became established in Gaul (modern France) and before the probable period of King Arthur or at least before Clovis King of the Franks kicked the Visigoths out of Gaul (except Septimania on the Mediterranian coast). The Visigoths were established as Roman Federates in SW Gaul during the first quarter of the 5th Century AD (probably around 415 -20) - I can't be more precise without a textbook). So that's an earliest possible date. Arthur is reckoned to have been active in the decades either side of 500 AD, but as his dates or even existence are in doubt that isn't very useful. Clovis kicked the Visigoths out of Gaul into Spain after the Battle of Vouille, which I think was around 515 AD - so this gives a latest possible date. Personally I would imagine the period of Lyonesse would have been after the Romans lost their grip on most of Gaul which began at around 455 AD.
Hope this helps.
Martin.