Uther in history and mythology
The first information about Uther comes in early Welsh poems both in his own right and as father of King Arthur. A poem in the Book of Taliesin (some of which may date back to the 6th century) mentions Arthur and is named after Uther himself as Marvnat Uthyr Pen.
In the 10th century poem, Pa Gur (English: Who is the Porter?), one of Arthur's companions is said to be Mabon ap Mydron, servant of Uthir Pen Dragon. Ymiddiddan Arthur a'r Eryr (English: The Colloquy of Arthur and the Eagle), a poem contemporary with Geoffrey of Monmouth's writings, identifies the eagle as Eliwlat mab Madawc mab Uthyr and a nephew of Arthur. Uther also appears in several early Triads of the Island of Britain and the personal name is known from other pre-Galfridian sources. As one of the two younger brothers of the murdered King Constantine Uther fled at a young age to the Royal Court of his cousin, King Budic I in Brittany, where he was raised until returning to Britain, along with his elder brother Ambrosius Aurelianus, as a young man. Once back in their native land, the two brothers fought and defeated Vortigern. He offered Ambrosius "all the kingdoms of the western side of Britain" to rule over. Ambrosius continued to quarrel and fight with Vortigern however because of his support of the Saxons Hengist and Horsa. Eventually, some time in the late 450s, Ambrosius finally rebelled. While under siege at Caer-Guorthigirn (Little Doward, Herefordshire), the fortress was struck by lightning. Vortigern and his entire garrison were burnt to death and Ambrosius took the throne. |
While his brother was alive, Uther proved a strong and loyal supporter. After a great battle against the Saxons where many Britons fell, Uther was dispatched to Ireland, along with Merlin, to remove the stones from Giant's Ring at Mount Killaraus (modern day Ballynahatty just outside Belfast) which were known to have healing properties and bring them back to create a monument to the dead.According to Monmouth, the stones were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by giants. The Britons, none of whom were giants obviously, are unable to move the stones and Merlin realises that only his magic arts would be able to. So he casts his spells, the stones are then dismantled and shipped back to Britain, where they were set up as they had been before, in a great circle, around the mass grave of the murdered noblemen. The story goes on to tell that Aurelius, Uther and Arthur's successor, Constantine were also buried there in their time.
Uther took the throne under the name Pendragon, which came about because a dragon shaped comet had been seen in the skies of Britain at the time of Aurelius' death. Most of his rule was conducted under warfare conditions, with repeated battles against both the Saxons and the Irish. He also had to fight off invading Angles who joined forces with Octa of Kent (son of Hengist) and who defeated Uther outside Caer-Ebrauc (York). He retreats to Mount Damen (possibly near modern day Huddersfield) and regroups his forces before being ultimately victorious not only against Octa, but also against the Scots when he goes to the aid of the Kings of Strathclyde.
It is when Uther is at his most successful that the defining moment of his reign occurs. Returning to London he meets Ygerna (Igraine), wife of Gorlois Duke of Cornwall and he is instantly attracted to her. Gorlois isn't stupid, he sees that Uther is attracted to his wife and so he removes her back to Cornwall without Uther's permission, thus giving the King an excuse to declare him traitor and immediately besiege his castles and lands in Cornwall. Igraine is sent to Tintagel, the most secure of Gorlois' castles while the battle between the Duke and Uther occurs not too far away at Dimilioc (St Dennis). While Gorlois is being slain, Uther has Merlin cast a spell to disguise him as the Duke and he enters Tintagel where he sleeps with Igraine and Arthur is conceived. The couple are later married, after Gorlois' death is discovered, and there is then debate about whether they have any more children.
Monmouth has Igraine and Gorlois as the parents of three daughters, Elaine, (Anna) Morgause and Morgan, as well as another son Cador. However, the first references to (Anna) Morgause have her as being the full sister of Arthur, being born to Uther and Igraine. Where she is Arthur's half sister (and a separate identity to Morgan), she is always married to Lot of Orkney and is the mother of Gawaine, Agravaine, Gaheris, Gareth and (through an unknowing incestuous relationship with Arthur), Mordred.
Sir Thomas Malory introduces the idea that Uther is aware of Arthur's conception from the start and he agrees that Merlin can take him away to be brought up ready to take the throne of Camelot after his death. After Arthur's birth, the reign of Uther settles down although he continues to fight the Saxons and Angles up to his death, which is said to take place in one of two ways. In Monmouth's Historia Regum Britannie Uther becomes ill but continues to lead his men in a battle against the Saxons, including Hengist's son Octa at Verulamium (St Albans). However, the Saxons gain their revenge by poisoning a well from which Uther drinks and he dies.
In Robert du Boron's Brut, the story follows most of the same path with the exception that Uther foils an assassination attempt and kills Hengist (rather than his son), creates the Round Table and then succumbs to his illness after hearing from Merlin that he will bring Arthur to court to take over the throne.
Uther took the throne under the name Pendragon, which came about because a dragon shaped comet had been seen in the skies of Britain at the time of Aurelius' death. Most of his rule was conducted under warfare conditions, with repeated battles against both the Saxons and the Irish. He also had to fight off invading Angles who joined forces with Octa of Kent (son of Hengist) and who defeated Uther outside Caer-Ebrauc (York). He retreats to Mount Damen (possibly near modern day Huddersfield) and regroups his forces before being ultimately victorious not only against Octa, but also against the Scots when he goes to the aid of the Kings of Strathclyde.
It is when Uther is at his most successful that the defining moment of his reign occurs. Returning to London he meets Ygerna (Igraine), wife of Gorlois Duke of Cornwall and he is instantly attracted to her. Gorlois isn't stupid, he sees that Uther is attracted to his wife and so he removes her back to Cornwall without Uther's permission, thus giving the King an excuse to declare him traitor and immediately besiege his castles and lands in Cornwall. Igraine is sent to Tintagel, the most secure of Gorlois' castles while the battle between the Duke and Uther occurs not too far away at Dimilioc (St Dennis). While Gorlois is being slain, Uther has Merlin cast a spell to disguise him as the Duke and he enters Tintagel where he sleeps with Igraine and Arthur is conceived. The couple are later married, after Gorlois' death is discovered, and there is then debate about whether they have any more children.
Monmouth has Igraine and Gorlois as the parents of three daughters, Elaine, (Anna) Morgause and Morgan, as well as another son Cador. However, the first references to (Anna) Morgause have her as being the full sister of Arthur, being born to Uther and Igraine. Where she is Arthur's half sister (and a separate identity to Morgan), she is always married to Lot of Orkney and is the mother of Gawaine, Agravaine, Gaheris, Gareth and (through an unknowing incestuous relationship with Arthur), Mordred.
Sir Thomas Malory introduces the idea that Uther is aware of Arthur's conception from the start and he agrees that Merlin can take him away to be brought up ready to take the throne of Camelot after his death. After Arthur's birth, the reign of Uther settles down although he continues to fight the Saxons and Angles up to his death, which is said to take place in one of two ways. In Monmouth's Historia Regum Britannie Uther becomes ill but continues to lead his men in a battle against the Saxons, including Hengist's son Octa at Verulamium (St Albans). However, the Saxons gain their revenge by poisoning a well from which Uther drinks and he dies.
In Robert du Boron's Brut, the story follows most of the same path with the exception that Uther foils an assassination attempt and kills Hengist (rather than his son), creates the Round Table and then succumbs to his illness after hearing from Merlin that he will bring Arthur to court to take over the throne.
Uther on the BBC
Anthony Head as King Uther Pendragon in the BBC TV series Merlin.
From the outside things are radically different with the BBC interpretation of Uther. For starters he's alive and his son is his recognised heir and is Prince of Camelot. Uther has been on the throne for 20 years and he is a widower, his wife Ygraine du Bois having died in childbirth.
Uther's introduction sees him presiding over the execution of a young man found to have been practising magic, which has been banned on pain of death from the Kingdom of Camelot for 20 years. Throughout the series the reasons behind Uther's abhorrent fear of magic are slowly revealed.
After discovering Ygraine couldn't have children, Uther approached Nimueh, the High Priestess of the Old Religion and the official Court Sorceress, and asked her to use magic to help him. She agreed but warned Uther there would be a price. After Ygraine dies giving birth to Arthur, Uther turns on Nimueh, declares her a traitor to Camelot.
Following his duel with Ygraine's grief stricken brother Tristan du Bois, who curses Uther that he will rise from the grave to avenge his sister's death, the King orders a Great Purge which lasts for a year and which sees hundreds of magic users put to death. After that, Uther bans magic from the Kingdom of Camelot.
Uther's introduction sees him presiding over the execution of a young man found to have been practising magic, which has been banned on pain of death from the Kingdom of Camelot for 20 years. Throughout the series the reasons behind Uther's abhorrent fear of magic are slowly revealed.
After discovering Ygraine couldn't have children, Uther approached Nimueh, the High Priestess of the Old Religion and the official Court Sorceress, and asked her to use magic to help him. She agreed but warned Uther there would be a price. After Ygraine dies giving birth to Arthur, Uther turns on Nimueh, declares her a traitor to Camelot.
Following his duel with Ygraine's grief stricken brother Tristan du Bois, who curses Uther that he will rise from the grave to avenge his sister's death, the King orders a Great Purge which lasts for a year and which sees hundreds of magic users put to death. After that, Uther bans magic from the Kingdom of Camelot.
His ward Morgana constantly challenges him about his attitude towards magic users and it is once she helps a young druid boy, Mordred, to escape from Camelot after his father is caught and sentenced to death that she secretly becomes Uther's enemy, as she is fearful that she herself possesses magic. As the show progresses Uther becomes more irrational towards magic and those suspected of using it or harbouring magic users. He orders Arthur to search out and massacre a camp of druids, something which comes back to haunt the Prince at a later date.
In Series Three Morgana discovers she is actually Uther's daughter and not his ward. He had an affair with his best friend Gorlois' wife Vivienne while the duke was away fighting. Morgause is also revealed as her maternal half-sister, a priestess of the Old Religion, who Gaius had helped escape during the Great Purge.
Morgana's subsequent betrayal proved to be an emotional blow that Uther never overcame, leaving him a broken man in the final stretch of his reign.
He dies at Morgana's hand indirectly in Series Four after having been mortally wounded by an assassin sent to kill Arthur. The Prince sought the help of the wizard "Dragoon" (Merlin in his disguise as the elderly Emrys) but Morgana enchanted a necklace to reverse and amplify any healing magic cast upon the King.
Uther was played by the English actor Anthony Head.
In Series Three Morgana discovers she is actually Uther's daughter and not his ward. He had an affair with his best friend Gorlois' wife Vivienne while the duke was away fighting. Morgause is also revealed as her maternal half-sister, a priestess of the Old Religion, who Gaius had helped escape during the Great Purge.
Morgana's subsequent betrayal proved to be an emotional blow that Uther never overcame, leaving him a broken man in the final stretch of his reign.
He dies at Morgana's hand indirectly in Series Four after having been mortally wounded by an assassin sent to kill Arthur. The Prince sought the help of the wizard "Dragoon" (Merlin in his disguise as the elderly Emrys) but Morgana enchanted a necklace to reverse and amplify any healing magic cast upon the King.
Uther was played by the English actor Anthony Head.