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
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