List of legendary rulers of Cornwall on:
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"Duke of Cornwall" appears as a title in pseudo-historical authors such as
"Duke of Cornwall" appears as a title in pseudo-historical authors such as Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography ...
. The list is patchy and not every succession was unbroken. Indeed, Monmouth repeatedly introduces Dukes of Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
only to promote them to the Kingship of the Britons and thus put an end to their line as (merely) dukes. As adjuncts or supporting roles to the kings of the Britons, the legendary dukes of Cornwall are considered part of the vast Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Weste ...
, and can also be found in other stories, such as ''Culhwch and Olwen
''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whi ...
'', the Prose ''Tristan'', '' Havelok the Dane'', and ''Gesta Herewardi
Hereward the Wake (Traditional pronunciation /ˈhɛ.rɛ.ward/, modern pronunciation /ˈhɛ.rɪ.wəd/) (1035 – 1072) (also known as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a leader of local resista ...
''. Antiquaries
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifacts, archaeological and historic sit ...
such as Richard Carew (''Survey of Cornwall
Richard Carew (17 July 1555 – 6 November 1620) was a British translator and antiquary. He is best known for his county history, ''Survey of Cornwall'' (1602).
Life
Carew belonged to a prominent gentry family, and was the eldest son of Thoma ...
'', 1602) and John Williams (the ''Book of Baglan The Book of Baglan (''Llyfr Baglan'' in Welsh) is a collection of old Welsh manuscripts, containing much genealogical data, compiled by John Williams from several sources between 1600 and 1607. It was transcribed from the original manuscript preserv ...
'', 1600–1607) also provide lists of legendary rulers of Cornwall, often combining the above with other sources.
As a result, these lists are more often thought of as a conglomeration of various Celtic rulers, Celtic warlords, and mythical heroes. If the lists of kings of Britain are legendary, then the list of dukes must be considered still more a genealogical and historical legend with no solid basis in the view of most historians. The titles given for the rulers also vary, even within sources; Monmouth's ''History'', has the title fluctuating between "duke" (''dux Cornubiae'') and "king" (''rex Cornubiae''), and Carew wrote that before the Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...
"these titles of honour carry a kinde of confusednes, and rather betokened a successive office, then an established dignity. The following ages received a more distinct forme, and left us a certeyner notice."
Pre-Arthurian
Arthurian
Sources diverge leading up to the time ofKing Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
, with Caradoc
Caradoc Vreichvras (; Modern cy, Caradog Freichfras, ) was a semi-legendary ancestor to the kings of Gwent. He may have lived during the 5th or 6th century. He is remembered in the Matter of Britain as a Knight of the Round Table, under the ...
placed either during the time of Arthur (as in the Welsh Triads
The Welsh Triads ( cy, Trioedd Ynys Prydein, "Triads of the Island of Britain") are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a ...
, and later tradition), soon before Gorlois
In Arthurian legend, Gorlois ( cy, Gwrlais) of Tintagel, Duke of Cornwall, is the first husband of Igraine, whose second husband is Uther Pendragon. Gorlois's name first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (). A va ...
( Carew's ''Survey of Cornwall
Richard Carew (17 July 1555 – 6 November 1620) was a British translator and antiquary. He is best known for his county history, ''Survey of Cornwall'' (1602).
Life
Carew belonged to a prominent gentry family, and was the eldest son of Thoma ...
''), or before his brother Dionotus as Caradocus
Caradocus (''middle Welsh'': Karadawc), according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia regum Britanniae'', a pseudohistorical account of the kings of the Britons, was the duke of Cornwall under the reign of Octavius, who became king of Cornwall ...
in the ''Historia Regum Britanniae
''Historia regum Britanniae'' (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called ''De gestis Britonum'' (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. ...
''. The ''Book of Baglan The Book of Baglan (''Llyfr Baglan'' in Welsh) is a collection of old Welsh manuscripts, containing much genealogical data, compiled by John Williams from several sources between 1600 and 1607. It was transcribed from the original manuscript preserv ...
'' provides an entirely different set of ancestors leading up to Gorlois, while other sources, such as ''Culhwch and Olwen
''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whi ...
'' and the Prose ''Tristan'', replace Gorlois altogether with Ricca and Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Finn ...
respectively.
Welsh Triads
''Historia Regum Britanniae''
''Survey of Cornwall''
''Book of Baglan''
''Culhwch and Olwen''
William Worcester's ''Itineraries''
Prose ''Tristan''
"King Arthur and King Cornwall"
Post Arthurian
''Historia Regum Britanniae''
''Havelok the Dane''
''Survey of Cornwall''
''Book of Baglan''
''Gesta Herewardi''
See also
*Earl of Cornwall
The title of Earl of Cornwall was created several times in the Peerage of England before 1337, when it was superseded by the title Duke of Cornwall, which became attached to heirs-apparent to the throne.
Condor of Cornwall
* Condor of Cornwall, ...
* Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch, previously the English monarch. The duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in England and was established by a r ...
* List of legendary kings of Britain
* List of kings of Dumnonia
The kings of Dumnonia were the rulers of the large Brythonic kingdom of Dumnonia in the south-west of Great Britain during the Sub-Roman and early medieval periods.
A list of Dumnonian kings is one of the hardest of the major Dark Age kingdoms t ...
* Dumnonia
Dumnonia is the Latinised name for a Brythonic kingdom that existed in Sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries CE in the more westerly parts of present-day South West England. It was centred in the area of modern Devon, ...
* History of Cornwall
The history of Cornwall goes back to the Paleolithic, but in this period Cornwall only had sporadic visits by groups of humans. Continuous occupation started around 10,000 years ago after the end of the last ice age. When recorded history ...
* Cornovii (Cornish)
The Cornovii is a hypothetical name for a tribe presumed to have been part of the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe inhabiting the south-west peninsula of Great Britain, during some part of the Iron Age, Roman and post-Roman periods. The Cornovii are s ...
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legendary Dukes Of Cornwall Cornwall, Dukes of, Legendary Cornwall, Dukes of, Legendary Geoffrey of Monmouth Dukes of Cornwall, Legendary Cornwall-related biographical lists