Uther Pendragon is a fairly ambiguous individual throughout the literature, but is described as a strong king and a defender of his people.
21 Facts About Uther Pendragon
2.
The title Uther Pendragon was borrowed into Middle English from Welsh, where it originally indicated a literal dragon of great power or size but was eventually used figuratively to mean "a great leader; the highest commander".
3.
Uther Pendragon appears in these fragments, where he is associated with Arthur and, in some cases, even appears as his father.
4.
Uther Pendragon is memorialised with "The Death-song of Uther Pen" from the Book of Taliesin.
5.
The latter includes a reference to Arthur, so the marginal addition of "dragon" to Uther Pendragon's name is probably justified.
6.
Since Menw is a shapeshifter according to Culhwch and Olwen, it might be that Uther Pendragon was one as well.
7.
Uther Pendragon is best known from Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae where he is the youngest son of King of Britannia, Constantine.
8.
Later, while Aurelius is ill, Uther Pendragon leads his army against Vortigern's son Paschent and his Saxon allies.
9.
Uther Pendragon becomes king and orders the construction of two gold dragons, one of which he uses as his standard.
10.
Uther Pendragon secures Britain's frontiers and quells Saxon uprisings with the aids of his retainers, one of whom is Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall.
11.
At a banquet celebrating their victories, Uther Pendragon becomes obsessively enamoured of Gorlois' wife Igerna, and a war ensues between Uther Pendragon and his vassal.
12.
Uther Pendragon consults with Merlin who uses his magic to transform the king into the likeness of Gorlois and thus gain access to Igerna at Tintagel.
13.
Uther Pendragon spends the night with her and they conceive Arthur, but the next morning it is discovered that Gorlois had been killed.
14.
Uther Pendragon marries Igerna and they have a daughter called Anna.
15.
Uther Pendragon later falls ill and the wars begin to go badly against the Saxons.
16.
Uther Pendragon insists on leading his army himself, propped up on his horse.
17.
Uther Pendragon's family is based on some historical figures; Aurelius Ambrosius is Ambrosius Aurelianus, mentioned by Gildas, though his connection to Constantine and Constans is unrecorded.
18.
In Robert de Boron's Merlin, Uther Pendragon kills Hengist after an assassination attempt by the Saxon leader and Merlin creates the Round Table for him.
19.
Uther Pendragon takes an army to Brittany to fight against King Claudas at Bourges, a situation resembling that of the historical ruler Riothamus who went to Brittany to fight ravagers based in Bourges.
20.
Uther Pendragon appears in the chivalric romance Sir Cleges as the king to whom Sir Cleges brings the Christmas cherries, obtained by miracle.
21.
Uther Pendragon remains a widely used character in modern Arthurian literature and other fiction.