NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Portugal


Portugal is a country located in southwestern Europe. It is situated on the westernmost edge of the Iberian Peninsula, sharing borders with Spain to the east and north and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south.

According to Wolfram, warriors from Portugal participated in a tournament at the Welsh city of Kanvoleis, thrown by Perceval’s mother Queen Herzeloyde (Herselojde).

In Der Pleier’s Tandareis and Flordibel, Portugal is allied to Arthur, but in Malory, Portugal is allied to Lucius of Rome.


Portugal | 0 to 9th century AD

Roman Period | c. 218 BC – 5th century AD
The region that would become Portugal was known as Lusitania during Roman times, and it became a Roman province around 218 BC. Roman cities and infrastructure were established, and Lusitania became an integral part of the Roman Empire.

Germanic Invasions and Visigothic Rule | 5th – 8th centuries AD
With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the Germanic Suebi and Vandals invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the early fifth century. The Visigoths, another Germanic tribe, gradually established their dominance in the region by the late fifth century. The Visigothic Kingdom included parts of present-day Portugal.

Islamic Rule | 711 – 1249 AD
In 711, the Moors, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, invaded the Iberian Peninsula and quickly gained control. The Moors established the Caliphate of Córdoba, and much of the Iberian Peninsula came under Islamic rule. The region witnessed cultural and economic flourishing during this period.


Sources
Parzival | Wolfram von Eschenbach, 1200–1210
Tandareis and Flordibel | Der Pleier, 1240-1270
Le Morte Darthur | Sir Thomas Malory, 1469-1470