According to legend, King Arthur never died. After being mortally wounded by his son Mordred, Arthur was taken to the island of Avalon, where he supposedly lies in wait until England needs him. This is what makes Arthur the once and future king of England.  

The story of Avalon seems unbelievable, but more than six hundred years after King Arthur’s supposed disappearance (it is not even certain that if there ever was a real King Arthur), King Henry II devised a plan to prove once and for all that Arthur was dead. 

Arthur’s grave was to be ‘discovered’ at Glastonbury Abbey, because Welsh rebels had been contesting Henry’s rule, claiming that Arthur was their true ruler and would soon return. By constructing a new story of Arthur’s death, Henry wanted to put such rumors to rest.

Although it was ‘just a story’, the legend of Arthur inspired people to perform real-world acts (i.e. rebellion), which in turn caused Henry II to ‘make up’ a new story about Arthur’s demise. 

Here lies my passion. 

An avid reader of history, literature and comics, I am fascinated by how real-life experiences are turned into stories – and how stories influence the real world. Inspired by this, I create videos and blogposts about the links between history, literature and comics. 

On this site, you can also find my research on the history of protest and social movements.

I enjoy talking and writing about the topics on this website. Feel free to contact me for a presentation, interview of contribution to your publication.