|
|
Coel Hen (The
OLD) ("Old King Cole"), died 430AD, ruled over all of northern Britain,
from Yorkshire to the Clyde.
*** Garbaniawn
*** Gwawl, married Cunedda (see main page) Ruler of northern
Votadini (Gododdin) moved to North Wales.
*** Ceneu,
(c) Coel Hen was almost certainly a native Britain whose forebears had probably been high-ranking individuals amongst the Romano-British nobility. He was likely to be either from the British tribe of the Brigantes or, more likely, the Votadini. In the late fourth century and early fifth century the northern frontier of the Roman empire, which had retrenched along Hadrian's Wall, came under fierce attack from the Picts to the north. Following the withdrawal of support from Rome in 410, the British were left to fend for themselves. The extent of Coel's "kingdom" is uncertain. It is possible that it extended as far south as York, perhaps to a line between the Humber and the Mersey, and possible as far north as the Antonine Wall between the Forth and the Clyde.
One son, Garbaniawn (or Germanianus) ruled the southern Votadini, the territory known to the British as Bryneich, which became Bernicia under the Angles. Coel's son-in-law, Cunedda, ruled the territory of the northern Votadini, also known as Gododdin, a realm later known at Lothian. Another son, Cenen or Ceneu, seems to have taken command of the lands south of Bryneich, around York, firmly in the territory of the eastern Brigantes, which later became known as Deira but at this time probably known as Catraeth. Coel's own headquarters are variously stated as being at York or in the area around Ayr, which is now called Kyle, possibly named after him. Coel seems to have dominated this area for perhaps twenty years, possibly up until the year 430 or beyond. One legend has it that he died fighting the Irish near Ayr.
Garbaniawn. Ruler of the southern Votadini,
in Bryneich around 430s to 450s. The later genealogies treat him
as the son of Coel and the father of Dumnagual Moilmut. Nothing more
is known about either of them, but it is likely that their main fort was
at Bamburgh, and that most of their lives would have been in fighting the
Picts and the increasing onslaught of the Angles and Saxons who began th
harry the eastern coasts during Garbaniawn's reign.
Dumnagual Moilmut
Bran Hen (The Old), Cheiftain of the Votadini. Recorded among the genealogies
of the Men of the North.
Cincar
Morcant Bulc, seems to have ruled the Votadini, south of Edinburgh in the
early part of the sixth century.
his named means "defender at the sea edge".
Coledauc
Morcant, lived in the latter half of the sixth century. He is probably
the same as the avaricious king
Morken who appears in Jocelyne's "Life of St. Kentigern" and who is described
as ruling the
Cambrian kingdom in the territory of the Clyde around 580s. The relationship
between Urien
and Morcant has caused some commentators to speculate that Morcant may
be the original
of Mordred whose similar lust for revenge and power resulted in the death
of Arthur.
Ceneu. Ruler of the southern Votadini
or the Brigantes in Yorkshire, probably 450s to 470s. It may have
been him who faced the settlement of Deira by Soemil
Gurgust (The Ragged)(Gwrgi),
480s to 500s. Grandson of Coel and great-grandfather of Urien.
Eleuther, of Catraeth and York, 530s - 550s. He is known as "Eleuther
of the Great Army", from which we can
presume he was a powerful defender of his lands.
Gurci
Peredur
Merchiaun Gul (the Lean), Rheged, 510s - 540s, Merchiaun appears in the
old genealogies of the Men of the
North. Merchiaun's kingdom became one of the most powerful of the
North particularly under
Merchiaun's grandson Urien. He was succeeded by his son Elidyr.
Elidyr, Rheged and/or Man, 540s - 560s. On the death of Maelgwyn,
Elidyr believed he had a claim on
Anglesey and so invaded the island in about 560. He was killed in
the conflict. His brother
Cinmarc and other kings of the North raided Anglesey in revenge for Elidyr's
death, but this only
angered Rhun more who marched on the northern Britons to teach them a lesson
which they never
forgot. Elidyr had married the daughter of Maelgwyn of Gwynedd.
Llywarch Hen, Rheged and Man, reigned 560 - 595. Reigned after his
father's death in 560. Llywarch
Hen was the grandson of Maelgwyn of Gwynedd. Once the power of Rheged
waned after the
death of Urien and Owain, Llywarch retired to his relatives in Powys, in
North Wales where he
was court poet. He is said to have lived to a great age dying perhaps
as late as 640 when he
must have been well into his nineties. Llywarch's descendants are
supposed to have ruled Man.
Diwg
Gwyar
Tegid
Algwn
Sandde
Elidyr
Gwriad
Merfyn
Rhodri
Gorlais
Cinmarc (Kynmarch), Rheged, 560s - 570s. Cinmarc is known to have
had a substantial fleet of ships for in
around the year 560 he and his contemporaries, Rhydderch and Clydno, raided
Anglesey in
revenge for the death of his brother Elidyr at the hands of the Welsh king
Rhun. They did a
lighting strike and returned, but this incurred the wrath of Rhun whose
march across north England
in revenge passed into legend.
Urien, Rheged, c570 - 590. Urien is one of the better attested rulers
of the North Britons in the period
between the end of the Roman Empire in Britain and the emergence of the
Saxon kingdoms of
England. Ruled the territory known as Rheged, which equates roughly
to Cumbria and Lancashire
and possibly part of Galloway. Urien was so famous in his day that
his exploits have been compared
with those of King Arthur. Like Arthur he commanded forces who fought
the Picts and Saxons.
Like Arthur his kindom was regarded as one of plenty where no man suffered.
There are those that
believe that Urien was the original Arthur. His adventures form part
of the later Arthurian legends.
Owain, Rheged, reigned 590 - 595. Owain continued the battle against
Theodoric and his successor
Athelric. Owain fell in the battle and with his death the kingdom
of Rheged was extinguished.
Owain's uncle Llywarch retired to live in Powys as a court poet where Owain's
own brother,
Rhun also settled as a priest. Owain is remembered in Arthurian legend
as Sir Yvain, though
his adventures there have little relation to his harsh struggle for British
survival.
St. Kentigern
Rhun, Rheged, baptised Edwin of Northumbria after entering the Celtic church
during his exile in Powys.
Rhun was the younger brother of Owain and may well have entered the church
by the time
Owain fell at Catraeth.
Rhoeth, Rheged, reigned 620s. He was probably a prince in exile in
North Wales in his youth
following the death of his uncle Owain at the battle of Catraeth, but may
have been restored
to his kingdom sometime after 600 when his father, Rhun, entered the church.
Rhianmelt, marry Oswy, king of Northumbria
Enhinti, married king Tewdrig of Gwent
Meurig, king of Gwent
Ceneu
Arthwys
Cinbelin, Goddodin, 540s - 570s. After his father's death, Cinbelin
established himself in the territory of the
Goddodin amongst the northern Votadini, with his base at Traprain Law near
Dunbar.
Cynwyd
Clydno Eitin, Votadini, 560s - 580s. Clydno, further established
himself as a force amongst the Goddodin.
Acquiring the name Eiten (Edinburgh) to distinguish him from his uncle,
Clydno, who was ruling
Alclud, at the other end of the Antonine Wall. Clydno was also involved
in the expedition led by
Rhydderch with Cinmarc of Rheged against Rhum of Gwynedd.
Masguic
Llenauc
Gwallawg(Guallanc), Elfed or Elmet, 570s - 590s. Elmet was a small
British kingdom at the southern end
of the Pennines, near Leeds, and thus would have formed an enclave to the
south of Rheged.
However, the genealogies show Gwallawg as a son of Llenauc, whose name
was the origin of
Lennox in the area north of the Clyde. Gwallawg was at the seige
of Lindisfarne in 590 but,
after the death of Urien, joined with Urien's enemies to try and destroy
his sons and his
kingdom. Gwallawg's fate is not known but his is likely to have been
killed by Owain, Urien's
son, soon after.
Mor
Arthwys
Keidyaw (Ceidiaw)
Gwenddolau, Galloway and northern Rheged, 560s - 573. One of a number of
renegade chieftains
who sought to gain land for themselves amongst the emerging kingdoms of
northern Britain.
Was killed at the battle of Arfderydd or Arthuret, north of Carlisle, in
573. What has kept
Gwenddolau's name alive is the name of his court advisor, Myrddin or Merlin.
Merlin is
supposed to have gone mad with greif after his lord's death and fled into
the Caledonian
forest where he lived like a wild animal.
Morydd
Madog
Myrddin
Pabo(Pappo), early 500s,
central Yorkshire. Called "the Pillar of Britain", buried at Llanbabo
in Anglesey.
In all probability Pabo controlled central Brigantia. Divided his territories
between his two sons.
Dunaut (the Stout), Pennines and central Brigantia, 570s - 595. Recorded
in Welsh Annals as dying in 595.
Dunaut was the son of Pabo and great-grandson of Coel. He is identified
as fighting alongside
his cousins Peredur and Gwrgi against Gwenddolau at the battle of Arthuret
in 573. His family
fled to Powys.
+ Brochwel Ysgithrog ap Cyngen Glodrydd ap Cadell Ddyrnllug, King of Powys
Deiniol, founded the monastery at Bangor.
Tysilio
Cynan Garwyn
Tandreg Ddu
Cadfan ap Iago
Selyf Sarffgadau, died about 616
Dona
Mael Myngan
Eiludd
Beli
Gwylog
Elise
Brochwel
Cadell, died 808
Cyngen, died 855
Elise, living 814
Ieuaf
Aeddan
Gruffudd, died 814
Mawn
Maig
Artan
Ieuaf
Nest
+ Gwrlad ap Elidir
Sawyl Benisel
+ Deichter ferch Muiredach Muinderg, King of Ulster, died abt. 500
+ Gwenasedd ferch Rhein Hael of Rhieinwg
Guticurn (Gwidgun)
Cadwallon Lyw
Deiniolfab
Ceredig, Elmet, expelled 619 or 625. Recorded as the last king of
Elmet, in the southern
pennines around Leeds, who was expelled from his domain by Edwin of Northumbria
in either 619 or 625.
Matoc Ailither
Sartan
Asa (Asaph)
Nun
+ Maelgwn Gwynedd