ong before Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Kings of Britain", Arthur-like figures existed in Celtic tales. Yet the authenticity of Arthurian references in Celtic legends is slightly doubtful, as legends in Celtic traditions were largely oral and only written down after the twelfth century when they may have been changed to suit the purposes of the monks who recorded them. The earliest known reference to Arthur is in the battle poem "Gododdin", written in 600 AD. The Celtic Arthur was not a great King, but rather an exceptionally brave leader of a band of warriors. The idea of Arthur's mysterious journey to Avalon and his possible return may have come from an early Welsh poem, "Verses on the Graves of the Heroes," that indicates some mystery surrounding Arthur's death and alludes to a mysterious return in the future. A sixth century monk named Gildas would have been a contemporary of Arthur, and although he does not mention Arthur by name, he does mention a leader named Ambrosius Aurelianus

who achieved victory over the Saxons at Mount Badon. It is thought that this leader could in fact be the genuine, historical Arthur or that Arthur fought alongside this leader. Arthur is mentioned by name, three hundred years later, in the "History of the Britons" by a Welsh monk named Nennius. In this account Arthur is still not a King, but a war-leader who fights alongside the Kings of Britain to stop the Saxons. Arthur is, however, a Christian in this account, creating a basis for the mentions of the Holy Grail that occur in French Arthurian legends. The "Annales Cambriae", written a hundred years later, concurs with Arthur's identity as a Christian war hero, but also in this account is the mention of a battle in which Arthur and Medraut perish. (Medraut was an early name for Mordred). It is not clear who Medraut was or whether he fought alongside Arthur or caused his death. The mention of this character may have led to the development of the role of Mordred in later legends.