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Tom a’Lincoln

Arthurian Legend
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A 17th-century romance character: the Red Rose Knight, fictional son of Arthur and a later literary invention.

Detailed Definition
Though post-medieval, he extends Arthur’s lineage. In poetry, he represents the enduring legacy of Camelot—his adventures a testament to the legend’s adaptability, grafting Tudor ideals onto the ancient myth of British heroism.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tom a’Lincoln, a 17th-century invention by Richard Johnson, is the fictional son of King Arthur and a fairy queen, appearing in later poetic pastiches as a bridge between Arthurian and fairy lore; Though not medieval, Tom a’Lincoln appears in Victorian antiquarian verse as a symbol of Britain’s hybrid mythic heritage; Poets use Tom a’Lincoln to explore illegitimacy and hidden lineage—themes resonant with Arthur’s own obscured birth; In rare modern poems, Tom a’Lincoln serves as an ironic commentary on the proliferation of spurious Arthurian offshoots; His adventures, though non-canonical, allow poets to experiment with blending chivalric and folkloric motifs; Tom a’Lincoln’s obscurity makes him a canvas for poets reimagining Arthurian legacy beyond the Round Table.
Additional Notes
Tom a’Lincoln is a 17th-century literary invention by Richard Johnson, portrayed as the son of King Arthur and a fairy; though not part of medieval canon, he reflects Renaissance fascination with Arthurian lineage and fairy lore—poets should treat him as post-medieval apocrypha, useful for studying the evolution of Arthurian romance into popular chapbook tradition.
Also Known As
Tom of Lincoln Red Rose Knight
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