The Clan Campbell's Alleged Descent from King Arthur
Several different Scottish manuscripts give the following family trees showing that King Arthur had a son named Smervie, Merevie, or an alternative spelling. The Clan Campbell claims descent from Smervie, and consequently, from King Arthur. While some of the manuscripts are clearly fictional and include unlikely ancestors, the three presented here are relatively close with some slight name differences. The Colin listed here is known to have been a real Scottish chieftain in the twelfth century. While the nine generations that go back to Arthur would make it unlikely that this Arthur could have lived in the sixth century, it is clear that Arthur's father is intended either to be the man commonly called Uther or Ambrosius (Arthur's uncle or grandfather in some stories). The Kilbride manuscript also lists Ambrosius's father as Constantine. The likelihood that a father, grandfather, and son would all follow this pattern, generally attributed to be Arthur's lineage, seems too much of a coincidence for the genealogies to mean anyone but King Arthur. More information about these genealogies can be found in King Arthur's Children. (original source WDH Sellar in Scottish Studies). |
