The modern form Armel comes regularly from old-breton Arthmael or Arthmail ( "bear + prince") ; the same word *arth ("bear") is also part of the name of Arthur. You will find these etymologies in every study on Breton onomastic. For what I know, there's no Breton or Celtic saint with the name Arthur.

I have not read the book by Barber and Pykitt and I don't know if it's a valuable study ; but if I understand well, for these authors the historical Arthur was a prince of Gwent named Arthmael ?

 

 

Burial of Dukes of Brittany Jean II and Jean III in Ploermel is the mark of their interest for the monks of Mt Carmel : duke Jean II has established the first house of Breton Carms in Ploermel and he wanted to be buried in the monastery.

 

 

I think that last study on Marcus Commorus (alias Conomorus) in French is my own : "Commor entre le mythe et l'histoire : profil d'un 'chef' breton du VIe siècle", in Mémoires de la Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Bretagne, t. 74 (1996), p. 419-427. Since this study has been published, many French scholars have accepted my thesis that the whole name of Commor was *Marcus Aurelius Commorus (alias Conomorus) and the guy a member of the powerful Marci Aurelii's dynasty who were hereditary Lords of the Channel Fleet at the end of Roman Empire.

 

Best

ANDRE-YVES BOURGES