King Lot in the Chronicle Traditions, pt. EX: Historia Scotorum
(Thanks to an anonymous person, who gave me a link to the Philological Museum, I was able to have a look at how King Lot presented in the Scottish narrative by Hector Boece. Kudos to him/her. Link is HERE)
Lot introduced. In Boece's work, Lot is a Pict, rather than a Northern Briton from Hen Ogledd/The Old North. Keep in mind this Chronicle has a Pro-Scottish bent, hence the appropriation of Lot and his family as Pictish. You may now imagine Gawain and co. being heavily tattooed.
The alliance of Lot, Conranus and Aurelius
After the triumph over the Saxons, Lot is wed to Anna, Aurelius' sister, and fathers Valvanus (Gawain), Mordred and Thametes (Teneu). Geoffrey of Monmouth himself flip flops on whether Anna was a sister of Arthur or a sister of Uther and Aurelius. Boece elected to go with "Sister of Aurelius and Uther" to frame the injustice Arthur and the Britons commit regarding Mordred's eligibility to the Throne.
Uther sires Arthur, in which Boece emphasizes it's illegitimacy. The treachery towards the Scots and Picts begins here.
Due to his sons being cheated out of succession, Lot allies with the Saxon King Occa (Octa/Osla Gyllelvawr, Hengist's son and Rowena's brother)
Lot breaks off with the Saxons and Occa retaliates as a result.
Lot pushes for him and his sons for succession, presumably under an old Celtic system similar to Tanistry. Sadly, Racism gets in the way.
Because of the Saxons, Arthur makes a deal with Lot: The next successor after him will be Mordred. Also, Mordred's marriage. Huh, that's weird. You'd think it would be Gawain, since he is usually portrayed as the eldest. Perhaps he's not in Boece, since Mordred is always mentioned first before Gawain?
Lot vs. Colgern
Years later, King Lot sadly dies offscreen. :( And the Mordred drama ensues because, again, racism. Arthur breaks the treaty and designates Constantine of Cornwall as heir to the throne, etc. etc. And that's it for King Lot in Boece's chronicle. The following three entries are some interesting tidbits Boece included as part of his narrative:
King Brude, one of Lot's nephews, succeeds the Pictish Throne. By which brother, unknown. It ought to be Auguselus, but Eugenius is King of the Scots and Urien and Ywain aren't part of this narrative, so...
The story of Thametes/Teneu and St. Kentigern/Mungo.
Lothian retains it's name to the present day, in memory of King Lot
King Lot got a peculiar sidegrade here compared to in Historia, still having lost the "King of Norway" element (as he is now a pict), as well not having a role in the endgame - unlike in Didot Percrval and AMA - having died early so that Mordred is King of the Picts when it all goes down.
In exchange, more emphasis is place on the political intrigue and struggles: Lot's role in both Aurelius and Arthur's wars against the Saxons, his fight to have his family maintain their rights to the throne despite Briton resistance to the idea, etc.
Personally, I do love the idea of Lot and the Orkney bros being Norse/Pictish/Briton mixed race (and maybe, Urien and Augusel as well). Also, the idea of Mordred having a hand in government long before the Revolt, being in-charge of Lothian, Orkney and the Picts. It gives him something cool to do since Mordred lacks a lot of noteworthy adventures, enhance the flaws (percieved or otherwise) about Arthur's rule and helps contrast him with Gawain, who I've complained before about how he should be a responsible King in the French narratives, rather than the adventurer-hero he, and his fellow Round Table Knights, have been pigeonholed into by the French writers.
Link to Part I: HERE
Link to Part II: HERE
Link to Part III: HERE













