Uther PendragonIn the far and distant past, between the edges of pagan and Christian times, Uther Pendragon built a kingdom in England. Before the coming of the Romans and after the settlement of the Danes, he united a diverse land and became the High King. In an era when might meant right, he was the mightiest of all kings. Ruling not only through force but through diplomacy, the land became one land under his hand.
Uther managed to unite the disparate lands and kingdoms and, one Easter to celebrate the peace of the season, he invited all the kings and dukes in the land to a feast in London. Not only were the kings and knights to attend, but the children and ladies of their courts were also invited to this spring feasting of peace and prosperity.
Among those to attend and bring his wife to the celebrations in London was Duke Gorlios of Cornwall. It was as though a thunderbolt had hit Uther Pendragon. It was obvious to all that Uther was taken with the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Not only were all present aware with the Pendragon's attentions, so was the Duke. In a fit of anger, Gorlios packed up Igraine, his wife, and headed for his estates. He did this without the permission of Uther Pendragon. This was a serious breech of etiquette. At the time (about 400 AD) it was sufficient to risk warfare. It was an insult to the High King.
Gorlios rode south and housed Igrain in his castle at Tintingale. Knowing that he could probably not stave off an all-out attach from Uther, Gorlios sequestered Igraine in the most secure of his castles and rode to meet Uther's forces. In the meantime, Uther had been so taken with Igraine's beauty he could not think of much besides her. As a result, his friends suggested they contact Merlin to see if a remedy could be arranged. Depending on the story as to how it was accomplished, Uther took on the visible image of Gorlios and spent the night with Igraine. Only in the morning did Igraine know that the person with whom she had spent the night was not her husband. It was at this time she learned that Gorlios had been killed miles away while in battle with Uther's forces.
As payment for his assistance in the deception of Igraine, Merlin demanded the child conceived on that night be delivered to him for training and education. To this Uther agreed. Shortly after his birth, Arthur was handed over to Merlin.
Not long after the death of Gorlios, Uther was urged by his dukes and knights to marry the widow of Duke Gorlios of Cornwall as a means of cementing the kingdom and as a gesture of peace. To this Uther gladly assented. From the joining of Igraine and Uther, no more children other than the one conceived on the first night were forthcoming. Igraine had already had two daughters, Morgan le Fey and Morgause, by Gorlios. Arthur was the only issue from their union. Not many years after the birth of Arthur, Uther died, leaving the kingdom without a named ruler. Now, at this time it was not necessarily mandatory that the son of the High King take over from his father, but it was customary. Unfortunately, since Merlin had taken Arthur, there was no obvious heir to the seat of the High King.
Once more England was thrown into turmoil. Various dukes and local kings vied for the position of High King. None was strong enough to seize control. None was diplomatic enough to develop a series of alliances that would allow him to assume the role. For several years the turmoil continued, until at last the true heir of Uther Pendragon came forth in the form of young Arthur.
