List of legendary kings of Britain
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- For historical kings who used or upon whom was bestowed (often retrospectively) the title 'King of the Britons', see King of the Britons.
List of legendary kings of Britain is a list of legendary kings of the Brythons, as recorded by medieval authors such as Nennius, Gildas, and predominantly Geoffrey of Monmouth.
[edit] Background
Various lists of the kings survive, although none of the originals. The Welsh chronicles supply another source for early Brythonic kings. Regardless of the source, no list of the kings has a high level of historic fact and, while they generally are similar to each other, no two lists are exactly the same. Modern historians consider these lists not as historically reliable sources but as comprehensive conglomerations of various Celtic rulers, Celtic warlords, mythical heroes, and, more obviously, Roman Emperors.
Though legendary and apocryphal, the kings of Britain contributed much to the Matter of Britain, the medieval and early modern traditions about the history of England.
The following list is the most recent, being written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1136 in his fictional Historia Regum Britanniae (The History of the Kings of Britain). It spans a length of nearly two thousand years. The first name on the list is Brutus, after whom Britain took its name, and who was a descendant of Aeneas of Troy (the ancestor of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus). The descent from Aeneas to Brutus can be found in the Trojan Genealogy. Although Geoffrey gives us the lengths of reign of quite a few of the monarchs that he lists, he only supplies three exact dates in his entire history; two of which are demonstrably wrong. (For these and other reasons John Morris in The Age of Arthur calls Geoffrey's book a deliberate spoof.) It can be calculated, however, that if Brutus ever existed he would have lived around 1100 BC.
In the following list, the names of the kings are given according to the spellings favoured by Lewis Thorpe in his now-standard translation, The History of the Kings of Britain. Earlier variants are given in brackets.
The names of mythical kings of Britain before Brutus are given in The Prose Works of John Milton, within the chapter of the History of Britain I. He writes that they were part of tradition, though it is doubtful many of these kings were real.
[edit] First Kings
- Samothes or Dis: fourth or sixth son of Japheth, son of Noah. 200 years after the Flood, Samothes or Dis plants colonies in Gaul and then Britain. The island is named Samothea.
- Britto: son of Histion, son of Japheth, son of Noah
- Magus (after Samothes or Dis)
- Saron
- Druis
- Bardus
- Albion: 44 year reign - Samothea (Britain) is renamed Albion.
- Berosus
- 50 daughters of a Dioclesian, king of Syria: They murdered their husbands and were exiled. Stranded on Albion, they mated with devils, giving birth to the giants who Brutus later met and defeated. This is related to the legend of Danaus of Argos.
[edit] Kings of the Britons
[edit] House of Troy
- Brutus I (Brute) 1149–1125 BC
- Locrinus (Locrine) 1125–1105 BC
- Queen Gwendolen 1105–1090 BC jointly with...
- Maddan (Madan) 1105–1065 BC
- Mempricius 1065–1045 BC
- Ebraucus (Ebranck) 1045–1005 BC
- Brutus II Greenshield 1005–993 BC
- Leil 993–968 BC
- Rud Hud Hudibras 968–929 BC
- Bladud (Blaedud) 929–909 BC
- Leir (Lear) 909–855 BC (died 849 BC)
- Maglaurus, duke of Albany, son-in-law to Leir, and
- Leir (Lear) 852–849 BC (restored)
- Queen Cordelia (Cordeilla), daughter of Leir, 849–844 BC
- Marganus I (Margan), son of Maglaurus of Albany, and
- Cunedagius (Cunedag), son of Henwinus of Cornwall, jointly 844–842 BC
[edit] House of Cornwall
- Cunedagius (Cunedag), son of Henwinus of Cornwall, 844–811 BC
- Rivallo (Rival) 811–765 BC
- Gurgustius (Gurgust) 765–681 BC
- Sisillius I (Silvius) 681–632 BC
- Jago 632–604 BC
- Kimarcus (Kimmacus) 604–550 BC
- Gorboduc (Gorbodug) 550–487 BC
[edit] Civil War of the Five Kings
- Ferrex, son of Gorboduc, 487 BC jointly with...
- Porrex I, son of Gorboduc, 487–482 BC
- Pinner (Pinor), King of Loegria 482–434 BC
- Rudaucus, King of Cambria 482–434 BC
- Staterius, King of Albany 482–434 BC
[edit] House of Cornwall
- Cloten, King of Cornwall
- Dunvallo Molmutius, son of Cloten, succeeded his father as King of Cornwall and defeated his rivals to become King of the Britons 434–394 BC
- Belinus, son of Dunvallo, 394–372 BC jointly with...
- Brennius (Brennus), son of Dunvallo, 394–389 BC
- Gurguit Barbtruc (Gurguint) 372–353 BC
- Guithelin (Guintelyn) 353–327 BC
- Queen Marcia 327–322 BC regent for...
- Sisillius II 327–312 BC
- Kinarius (Kimarus) 312–309 BC
- Danius (Elanius) 309–299 BC
- Morvidus (Morindus) 299–290 BC
- Gorbonianus (Gorboman) 290–280 BC
- Archgallo (Archigallo) 280–279 BC (died 266 BC)
- Elidurus the Dutiful (Elidyr) 279–276 BC (died 252 BC)
- Archgallo (Archigallo) 276–266 BC (restored)
- Elidurus the Dutiful (Elidyr) 266–265 BC (restored, died 252 BC)
- Ingenius (Vigenius) 265–258 BC jointly with...
- Peredurus (Peridurus) 265–256 BC
- Elidurus the Dutiful (Elidyr) 256–252 BC (restored again)
- The Son of Gorbonianus 252–242 BC
- Marganus II (Morgan) 242–228 BC
- Enniaunus (Emerianus) 228–221 BC
- Idvallo (Ydwallo) 221–201 BC
- Runo (Rimo) 201–185 BC
- Gerennus (Geruntius) 185–165 BC
- Catellus (Gatellus) 165–155 BC
- Millus (Coilus) 155–145 BC
- Porrex II 145–140 BC
- Cherin (Cherimus) 140–139 BC
- Fulgenius (Fulgentius) 139–138 BC
- Edadus (Eldred) 138–137 BC
- Andragius (Androgeus) 137–136 BC
- Urianus 136–133 BC
[edit] Kings Chosen by Lot
- Eliud (Elihud) 133–128 BC
- Cledaucus (Dedantius) 128–123 BC
- Clotenus (Detonus) 123–121 BC
- Gurgintius (Gurguineus) 121–118 BC
- Merianus 118–116 BC
- Bledudo (Bleduus) 116–114 BC
- Cap (Capenus) 114–111 BC
- Oenus (Ovinus) 111–109 BC
- Sisillius III 109–107 BC
[edit] House of Beldgabred
[edit] Kings Chosen by Lot
- Eldol (Eldolus) 95–91 BC
- Redon (Rodianus) 91–89 BC
- Redechius (Redargius) 89–86 BC
- Samuil Penessil (or Samuil [Samulius], followed by Penessil [Penisillus]) 86–81 BC
- Pir (Phyrrus) 81–79 BC
[edit] House of Capoir
- Capoir (Caporius) 79–77 BC
- Digueillus (Dinellus) 77–73 BC
- Heli, King of Britain (Beli Mawr) 73–72 BC (supposed to have ruled for 40 years)
- Lud (Llud) 72–61 BC
- Cassivelaunus (Cassivellaunus) 61–48 BC
- Tenvantius (Tasciovanus) 48 BC–AD 1
- Cymbeline (Cunobelinus) 1–40
- Guiderius (Togodumnus) 40–43
- Interregnum 43–61
- Arvirargus (Gweyrydd) 61–74
- Marius (Meurig) 74–125
- Coilus (Coel) 125–150
- Lucius (Lleirwg Mawr) 150–180
- Interregnum 180–208
[edit] Anti–Roman Resistance Leader
[edit] House of the Severi
- Geta (Publius Septimius Geta) 211–212 jointly with...
- Bassianus (Septimius Bassianus Caracalla) 211–217
- Interregnum 217–286
[edit] Usurping British Rulers
[edit] Roman Commander
[edit] House of the Votadini
[edit] House of the Constantii
- Constantius (Flavius Valerius Constantius Chlorus) 305–306
- Constantine I (Flavius Valerius Constantinus) 306–312 (died 337)
[edit] House of the Gewissei
[edit] House of the Votadini
[edit] House of the Gewissei
[edit] House of the Votadini
- Maximianus (Magnus Clemens Maximus) 383 (died 388)
[edit] House of the Dumnonii
[edit] Usurping British Ruler
- Gracianus the Freedman (Gratianus Municeps) 407
[edit] House of Brittany
- Constantine II (Flavius Claudius Constantinus) 407–409 (died 411)
- Constans 409
- Interregnum 409–425
[edit] House of the Gewissei
[edit] House of Brittany
- Aurelius Ambrosius (Embreis Guletic) 466–496
- Uther Pendragon (Ythr Ben Dragwn) 496
- Arthur 496–537
[edit] House of the Dumnonii
- Constantine III (Bendegit Custennin) 537–538
[edit] House of Brittany
- Aurelius Conanus (Aurelius Caninus) 538–539
[edit] House of Dyfed
- Vortiporius (Gwrthefyr) 539–540
[edit] House of Gwynedd
[edit] House of Wessex
[edit] House of Gwynedd
- Cadvan (Cadfan) 615–620
- Cadwallo (Cadwallon) 620–634
- Interregnum 634–655
- Cadwallader (Cadwaladr Fendigaid) 655–664 (died 682)
[edit] Aftermath
After the death of Cadwallader, the kings of the Brythons were reduced to such a small domain that they ceased to be kings of the whole Brythonic-speaking area. Two of his relatives, Yvor and Yni, led the exiles back from Brittany, but were unable to re-establish an united kingship. The Anglo-Saxon invaders ruled the south-eastern part of the island of Great Britain after that point in time under the Bretwaldas and later the kings of England.
The heirs to the Celtic-British throne continued through the Welsh kings of Gwynedd until that line was forced to submit itself to the English in the 13th century. Princes and lords of Gwynedd ruled until the reign of Dafydd III, who ruled from 1282 to 1283. His death marked the end of the house of Brutus. Owen Tudor, grandfather of Henry VII of England, was a maternal descendant of the kings of Gwynedd; Henry's marriage with Elizabeth of York thus signified the merging of the two royal houses (as well as the feuding houses of York and Lancaster).
[edit] Bibliography
- John Morris. The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650. Barnes & Noble Books: New York. 1996 (originally 1973). ISBN 0-7607-0243-8
- John Jay Parry and Robert Caldwell. Geoffrey of Monmouth in Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages, Roger S. Loomis (ed.). Clarendon Press: Oxford University. 1959. ISBN 0-19-811588-1
- Brynley F. Roberts, Geoffrey of Monmouth and Welsh Historical Tradition, Nottingham Medieval Studies, 20 (1976), 29-40.
- J.S.P. Tatlock. The Legendary History of Britain: Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae and its early vernacular versions. University of California Press. Berkeley. 1950.
