Shropshire's Secrets

Arthur Who?

We are coming towards the age of Arthur so perhaps it is time to try and work out where the legends of Arthur came from. Most of the stories which mention Arthur by name date from the 12th century, some six hundred years after his death. These stories are romances, stories about knights and chivalric deeds, adventure and love. They could be pure fiction, but any writer will tell you that it is easier to create a fictional character by exaggerating the character of a living person, i.e., make them large than life, than it is to create a character from the imagination alone. - If you think that is not true, then what about Robin Hood? He is a KNOWN fictional character, yet later you might be surprised to find that the FICTIONAL stories of Robin Hood are based on the FACTUAL stories of a known historical figure. Could the same be true of Arthur?

Those who think that Arthur is no more than a legend cite the fact that there is no record of a king of that name. But that is not proof of his non-existence. And to prove the point, I will mention the name Genghis Khan. We all know him as an historical character who was a Mongol conqueror. But Genghis Khan was not his name, it was his title. So, in Genghis Khan we have a man whose name is forgotten by most, but whose title is remembered and recorded in history. Could the same be true of Arthur? Well, it might be, but as we don't have an alternative name at the moment, we will use the name mythical Arthur for now.

460 A.D. With such a large kingdom, it was inevitable that Ambrosius became leader of the British forces. British defences are reorganised, Cunedda and the Votadini are invited into N. Wales to expel the Irish.
The Votadini came from the north-east of England, their capital was probably at a hill fort near Bamburgh. During the time Britain had been under Roman rule, the Votadini had acted as a police force for the Romans protecting their northern frontier. But they had suffered since the Roman withdrawal. From the north they were under threat from the Picts, from the west, the Irish, and from the east, the Angles.
It is believed that, at Ambrosius' request, they colonised north-west Wales. This theory is strengthened by the finding of distinctive Votadini pottery in Gwynedd dating from this period.
Assuming this immigration of the Votadini is correct, and I see no reason why it isn't, could mythical Arthur have been of this tribe? We only have one clue to help us, and that is the writings of Nennius who wrote that he fought with the British kings against the Saxons. Note, he says fought WITH the British Kings which implies he was not a king at that time. Unfortunately, Nennius fails to name him.

Around this time, the emblem of the ruling family of Gwynned became the Dragon. They are referred to as the dragons of Britain or the head dragons. Nowadays, we think of a dragon as a fire breathing creature, but it has a secondary dictionary definition where it means a fierce person, a heavily armed warrior. The adaptation of the dragon as an emblem in Gwynedd coincides with the arrival of the Votadini who where definitely warriors.
We know that the leader of the Votadini was Cunedda. Although there is no evidence, it is possible that he married into the family of Ambrosius Aurelius. Such a marriage would be no more than political expedience, a cementing of agreements and alliances, and such marriages are regular occurrences throughout history. It is also recorded (in 480) that his son, Enniaun Girt, succeeded him as ruler of Gwynedd, probably with the agreement of Ambrosius who viewed him as a sort of governor of part of his (Ambrosius') overall kingdom. Cunedda's family could be the perfect family for one such as mythical Arthur to be a member of. But do we have any proof?

Well, no, not in black and white. But we do have a few implications and legends which might help. Legend tells us that mythical Arthur's father was Uther Pendragon which simply translates as the terrible head dragon. The perfect description for the awe-inspiring chief warrior of the Votadini. But we are getting ahead of ourselves, because at this time our mythical Arthur must have been no more than a toddler.

476 A.D. Odovacar defeats Emperor Romulus Augustulus and proclaims himself king of Italy. The final collapse of the Western Roman Empire occurs which had its repercussions in Britain as the Saxons invaded anew. But as the Anglo-Saxons invaded and moved further west, many of the Britons tended to unite against a common foe, although some did flee the country to settle in Normandy. (The latter being of interest much later)

Circa 480. Enniaun Girt, succeeded Cunedda as ruler of Gwynedd.
Cunorix macus Maquicoline. King Cuno, son of Maquicoline, was buried at Viriconium. This is what the tombstone says, although the Maquicoline is partly illegible. You may wonder what connection it has with our story, well, the Cun makes a connection with the Cunedda family and the Votadini tribe. The macus may well be an early form of 'mac' as still used in the north, which again makes a connection with the Votadini tribe. Both imply a continued presence and connection with Viriconium. As for Maquicoline, we cannot place him. But could it be an early form of Maglocunus, a name which features later. Taking it a step further, could King Cuno, son of Maquicoline, be Cunedda, father of Enniaun Girt and grand-father of Owain Ddantagwyn?

Jewellery of this period, both Roman, Welsh & Celtic is known to have had a dual serpent motif. Later descriptions of Arthur's sword give the same motif. In a Roman document from circa 400 the same description on a sceptre made for the emperor Magnus Maximus is given. (See 383) This implies that the importance of the motif was recognised by both Roman and post-Roman leaders in Britain. It also suggests that the writers of the Arthurian Romances had a eye for detail and drew on historical facts for their historical fiction. And finally, it implies that the mythical Arthur inherited (or obtained) a sword of office which showed imperial succession. And just to make the Roman connection stick, a Welsh writer of the 10th century claimed to have found an 'ancient book in the old British language' which states that mythical Arthur's wife, Ganhumara, was the daughter (or descendant) of a Roman Emperor

485 A.D. Aelle defeats the British at Mearerdesburna,

485-8 A.D. Mythical Arthur fights for Ambrosius against the Angles until,

488 A.D. Hengist dies and is succeeded by Octha. Mythical Arthur succeeds Ambrosius

488-93 A.D. The Arthurian campaigns. Or should I say the mythical Arthurian campaigns.

490 A.D. Owain Ddantagwyn succeeds from his father Enniaun Girt, but as king of both Powys and Gwynedd which at that time included most of present-day Shropshire.

491 A.D. Aelle besieges the fort at Anderida (Pevensey) and establishes the kingdom of Sussex

Circa 493 A.D. Battle of Badon where the Anglo-Saxons (Aelle and Octha), were beaten by the Britons who were lead by a king who was known as the bear. As a result the Anglo-Saxons retreat into South-East England. This was recorded by Gildas, a monk, within living memory of the battle. (See 545)
At this time the principal town in the country, according to archaeologists was Viroconium. Theoretically, this would be the area where the country's strongest king lived - the same king who was known as the bear who led the Britons at the Battle of Badon. (It must be remembered, in light of future events, that Viriconium would be of no use as a defensive position. In times of trouble its inhabitants would need to find an easier place to defend.)

495 A.D. Cerdic lands in Hampshire, possibly as a mercenary.

508 A.D. Cerdic achieves victory over a British king named Natanleod, and establishes control over an area roughly the size of modern Hampshire. An alliance is made between Cerdic and Cunomorus. Cunomorus, probably also a descendant of the Votadini tribe was king of Dumnonia (Devon & Cornwall).

512 A.D. Oisc is king of Kent.

519 A.D. The battle of Certicesford.
The battle of Camlann. Owain Ddantagwyn died and war broke out between his son Cynddylan (Cuneglasus), king of Powys, and his nephew Maglocunus, king of Gwynedd. (see Camlann below)

Note. At this point we get a problem with spellings, possibly because some of the records were written by Welsh writers and others by writers from Northumbria who had settled in this area. Cuneglasus and Cynddylan are generally believed to refer to the same person. To simplify matters I have used Cynddylan (Cuneglasus)

520 A.D. The approximate time when Viroconium was abandoned for a while. Possibly because of threats from outside his kingdom, Cynddylan (Cuneglasus) left to find a more defensible position in the region. But where did he go? The most obvious and nearest spot would be on top of the Wrekin, used as a defensive position when necessary, but allowing life (and farming) to go on much as before.

545 A.D. Gildas, a monk, writes the De Excidio Conquestu Britanniae which lists events within living memory and mentions the bear and the bear's stronghold. He also mentions that the most powerful king was Maglocunus, a ruler in North Wales who had come to power some decades earlier by overthrowing his uncle. But he gave no name to this uncle. At that time, Gildas recorded that a neighbouring kingdom (but not named) was ruled by Cynddylan (Cuneglasus), a cousin of Maglocunus.

Now, it is known that in the past a great deal of significance was given to animals (remember that the Romans recorded that Caradoc was painted with pictures of animals). At that time leaders used animal names similar to the much later custom of North American Indians. Maglocunus, a king in Wales, is known to have used the battle name Dragon. It was also used by his descendants who went on to conquer most of Wales. (Appropriate, when you think of the Welsh National Flag?)
Cynddylan (Cuneglasus) used the battle name bear. It is most likely that he inherited the name from his father as Gildas wrote that Cynddylan (Cuneglasus), the Bear, is in command of a fortress already known as the Bear's stronghold. The words the bear are preserved in the Welsh language as Yr arth. Could this be where Arthur came from? Chant "Yr arth! Yr arth!" and it quickly becomes Arth-ur! If Cynddylan (Cuneglasus) had inherited his father's battle name then his father, Owain Ddantagwyn, would have been known as Arth(ur) when he was fighting.
Coincidentally, medieval legends records that Arthur was overthrown by his nephew Modred. Could Modred and Maglocunus be one of the same? Could Cynddylan (Cuneglasus) be the son of Arthur? Does this mean that the Legends of Arthur are based on the life of Owen Ddantagwyn the Bear? If so, then King Arthur lived, fought and was perhaps buried in what is now Shropshire!

The later Legends of Arthur talk of places far away from what is to day Shropshire and Powys, but, perhaps we can eliminate at least some of them.

Glastonbury. As we mentioned earlier, Glastonbury's claims are suspect. Its connections with Arthur coincided with a need to raise funds for the new abbey, and their claim to have discovered the actual tomb of Arthur are extremely suspect as the (convenient) writing on the tomb 'Here lies the body of King Arthur in the Isle of Avalon.' was worded in the language and grammar of the 12th century!

Tintagel. Whilst researching this publication I looked at one of the many books on the legends of Arthur. In the index there was NO mention of any place in Shropshire or Powys, and a map showed that ALL of Arthur's adventures happened in the west country.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in the 12th century, was the first to mention Tintagel Castle as Arthur's birthplace. (He also gave Arthur's father as Uther Pendragon.) The problem with this is that Tintagel Castle was not built until the 12th century. Of course, there is always the possibility that an earlier castle stood on the site, but the more obvious explanation is that Tintagel was mentioned to please his patron, Robert, Earl of Gloucester, and his patron's brother, Reginald, Earl of Cornwall.

Winchester. It was here that Mallory placed Camelot, but like Tintagel, Winchester's castle is from the 12th century. But, surely, here at Winchester we have proof in the shape of the Round Table! Well, examination by experts date it from around 1344, during the reign of Edward III. Nevertheless, the history of this table is worthy of mention in passing. Edward III had the idea of creating an order of chivalry based on the Knights of the Round Table, such was the influence of the Arthurian Legends. However, he abandoned the idea and, instead, he founded the Order of the Garter.

Over the next few decades events are elsewhere and only by effect have connections with present-day Shropshire. The important events are as follows:-

604 A.D. Aethelfrid occupies York and founds kingdom of Northumbria.

613 A.D. Aethelfrid defeats a joint Gwynedd/Powys army at Chester where the Powys king Selyf is killed.

617 A.D. Death of Aethelfrid. Edwin becomes king of Northumbria.

626 A.D. Penda breaks with Northumbria and establishes the kingdom of Mercia in the Midlands.

629 A.D. Cadwallon of Gwynedd is besieged by Edwin in N. Wales.

633 A.D. Edwin is defeated by Cadwallon and Penda.

635 A.D. Cadwallon is defeated by Oswald of Northumbria.

644 A.D. Penda of Mercia in alliance with Cynddylan of Powys, defeats Oswald of Northumbria at the battle of Maes Cogwy (Maesbury, nr Oswestry) (During this time the country had fragmented into feuding kingdoms. Only Powys (West Midlands and Central Wales) remained fairly intact and was ruled by Cynddylan, a descendant of Cuneglasus and of Owain Ddantagwyn.

655 A.D. Penda, together with Aethelhere of East Anglia, is defeated by Oswy. Paeda is King of Mercia, but subservient to Northumbria.

656 A.D. Cynddylan defeats the Mercians at Caer Luitcoet (near Lichfield)

658 A.D. Oswys sacks Powys and burns Viroconium. Death of Cynndylan. British loose Staffordshire & Shropshire. Mercians occupy western Powys. Wulfhere is king of Mercia.

Circa 661. A Saxon taxation document The Tribal Heritage, refers to the capital of the kingdom of Powys as being near Oswestry. The Britons of present-day Shropshire are now ruled by the Saxons. But where could this capital have been?

We tend to assume that there would be ruins still in evidence of such an important site, but such an assumption is not necessarily correct. There are a number of ancient sites near Oswestry, the largest being Old Oswestry itself, but surely that would be too early a site, although perfect for an emergency defensive position in later times. Graham Phillips suggests it might be at Whittington. He bases his theory on its name, White Town. Today there is nothing visible to substantiate this theory, but over a thousand years ago this may have been a very different looking area with enough water and swamp in the area to create a suitable place for a capital to be situated.

Another, suggested to me by a good friend, is at Erthig, immediately to the south of Wrexham, where aerial photographs show the ramparts of an early settlement. This certainly is of interest as it stands on Watt's Dyke, one of the old borders between England and Wales.
Yet another possibility is near St. Martin's where a Roman site straddles Watt's Dyke.
Wherever it was, assuming it WAS near Oswestry, it must have been very close to the border between the area controlled by the Britons and the area now controlled by the Saxons.

Circa 800. Offa moved westwards and built his dyke to keep the Britons in Wales. It was then that the king of Powys moved his capital to Dinas Bran, near Llangollen.

Circa 830. Hywel ap Caradoc, a Welsh leader, was a descendant of Cynddylan (Cuneglasus) and he ruled from a mountain hill-fort on Bryn Euryn, near Llandrillo. Its name, Dinarth, translates as the Fort of the Bear and thus makes a connection with Owain Ddantagwyn and the legend of Arthur. Effectively, over the last century the Welsh (ancient Britons) had been forced to steadily retreat from the encroaching Saxons (English). The Welsh monk Nennius, who lived near there and must have known Hywel ap Caradoc, wrote his Historia Brittonum.

Circa 850. Cyngen, king of Powys erects the Pillar of Eliseg. which lists the lineage of the Welsh kings of Powys from Vortigern and his marriage to the daughter of the Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus.

854 A.D. Cyngen dies on a visit to Rome to meet the Pope where he attempted to claim the title of Holy Roman Emperor. Needless to say he failed but such an attempt would surely not have been made without some firm belief or justification to the claim on his part. An Italian writer of that time described how Cyngen brought an imperial sceptre to Rome decorated with twin serpents, apparently the sceptre of Maximus described in the 5th century.
Neither Cyngen or Cynddylan had sons but an Anglo-Saxon document of that time shows the blood-line continuing through a cousin Cynwise who married into the Mercian family of Penda. Wulfhere succeeded Penda, then it can be traced through to Ethelred who was succeeded by his wife Ethelfleda.
On Cyngen's death his sister's son Rhodri Mawr became king of Powys.
Cyngen's second sister married Ynyr and that blood line can be traced to Lynette who married the important Norman baron Payn Peveril.

Circa 880. The 'Anglo Saxon Chronicle' is compiled from early monastic records under the supervision of Alfred the Great. It does not mention Arthur, or hardly any other Britons, but is this proof of non-existence of Arthur as it was written for Alfred the Great and would thus be a pro-Anglo-Saxon document. It does, however mention Hengist which perhaps confirms the accuracy of the earlier writings of Nennius.
Incidentally, this Anglo-Saxon document does NOT mention the Britons success at Badon. Perhaps they preferred to forget the result of that battle. (If you think that historians do not distort the truth for political ends, I suggest you read up on the American history of the war in Vietnam!)
Around this time Britain was starting to take the form of three nations, Wales, England and Scotland, although the borders were nothing like they are today.

Circa 900. The Book of Taliesin mentions Arthur searching for a magical cauldron. There are similarities in this story with those written later. (The earliest manuscript of this book is circa 1300 but linguistic scholars date it as from around 900.)

914 A.D. Ethelfleda fortified Warwick against the Danes. The fortification is said to have stood on the site of the present Warwick castle.
The crest of the Medieval Earls of Warwick, who could claim connections, through marriage, to the Kings of Powys, was a bear. Effectively, the battle-name of Owain Ddantagwyn, the emblem of the kings of Powys, and later the emblem of the Saxon kings of Mercia are all the same. Perhaps it was adopted by the Earls of Warwick as a political move to reinforce their position in the area.

927 A.D. Athelstan effectively unites the Anglo-Saxon people and becomes the first king of England.

Shropshire's Secrets
There is much in this part which remains a secret. There are so many books about Arthur, and all have little more to go on than the various Arthurian Legends written centuries ago, that it is obvious we will never know the truth.
Perhaps we have to look for a near-truth, that is, the explanation which seems most logical when viewed over a thousand years after the event. However, I do feel that we have to look more closely at the ancient writings and legends of Wales for that near-truth. In doing so we might just discover something which connects Shropshire (once part of Wales) with King Arthur. (continued on next page)