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How much of this narrative was Geoffrey's own invention is open to debate.
Certainly, Geoffrey seems to have made use of the list of Arthur's twelve battles against the Saxons found in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, along with the battle of Camlann from the Annales Cambriae and the idea that Arthur was still alive.
Arthur's personal status as the king of all Britain would also seem to be borrowed from pre-Galfridian tradition, being found in Culhwch and Olwen, the Triads and the Saints ' Lives.
In addition, many of the elements that Monmouth's King Arthur includes are strong parallels to " Culhwch and Olwen.
" The motifs and themes of loyalty, honor, giants, gift giving, wife-stealing, and magical creatures are prominent in both stories.
Furthermore, Monmouth derived many of his character's names from " Culhwch and Olwen "; Sir Kay comes from " Kai "; Sir Bedivere is derived from " Bedwyr "; and lastly Sir Gawain is " Gwalchmei " in Welsh.
Also, the heroines of both tales have similar names: the meaning of Guinever is " White Phantom ", while Olwen equates with " of the white track.
" Finally, Geoffrey borrowed many of the names for Arthur's possessions, close family and companions from the pre-Galfridian Welsh tradition, including Kaius ( Cei ), Beduerus ( Bedwyr ), Guenhuuara ( Gwenhwyfar ), Uther ( Uthyr ) and perhaps also Caliburnus ( Caledfwlch ), the latter becoming Excalibur in subsequent Arthurian tales.
However, while names, key events and titles may have been borrowed, Brynley Roberts has argued that " the Arthurian section is Geoffrey's literary creation and it owes nothing to prior narrative.
" So, for instance, the Welsh Medraut is made the villainous Modredus by Geoffrey, but there is no trace of such a negative character for this figure in Welsh sources until the 16th century.
There have been relatively few modern attempts to challenge this notion that the Historia Regum Britanniae is primarily Geoffrey's own work, with scholarly opinion often echoing William of Newburgh's late-12th-century comment that Geoffrey " made up " his narrative, perhaps through an " inordinate love of lying ".
Geoffrey Ashe is one dissenter from this view, believing that Geoffrey's narrative is partially derived from a lost source telling of the deeds of a 5th-century British king named Riotamus, this figure being the original Arthur, although historians and Celticists have been reluctant to follow Ashe in his conclusions.

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