NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Barfleur

Barflete

Barfleur is a coastal commune in the Normandy region of northwestern France. It is located on the Cotentin Peninsula.

Arthur landed here on his way to battle Lucius the Roman.


Barfleur | 0 to the 9th century AD

Roman and Pre-Roman Periods
The region that is now Normandy, including the Cotentin Peninsula, was inhabited by Celtic tribes before the Roman conquest. During the Roman era, the area was part of the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis.

Migration Period | 5th – 7th centuries
With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the region experienced migrations of various Germanic and Frankish tribes. The Franks, a Germanic tribe, came to dominate the area during this period.

Merovingian and Carolingian Periods | 5th -9th centuries
The Merovingian dynasty ruled the Frankish Kingdom, and later the Carolingian dynasty, under Charlemagne, expanded Frankish influence in the region. Christianity spread, and monastic communities became important centers of religious and cultural life.

Viking Raids | 8th – 9th centuries
Coastal regions, including Normandy, were susceptible to Viking raids during the eighth and ninth centuries. The Vikings, primarily of Norse origin, targeted coastal settlements and riverways.


Sources
Historia Regum Britanniae | Geoffrey of Monmouth, c. 1138
Alliterative Morte Arthure | c. 1400