Gwallog ap Llênog: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:44, 9 June 2015

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::Against him fought four kings, Urbgen ([[Urien]]) and Riderc Hen ([[Riderch I of Alt Clut|Rhydderch Hen]]) and Guallauc (Gwallawg) and Morcant ([[Morcant Bulc|Morgant]]). [[Theodric of Bernicia|Deodric]] fought bravely with his sons against that Urbgen--at that time sometimes the enemy, now the citizens, were being overcome--and he shut them up three days and nights in the island of Metcaud ([[Lindisfarne]]), and, while he was on an expedition, he was murdered at the instance of Morcant out of envy, because in him above all the kings was the greatest skill in the renewing of battle.<ref>''The Poems of Taliesin'', ed. by Ifor Williams, trans. by J. E. Caerwyn Williams, Medieval and Modern Welsh Series, 3 (Dublin: The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1968), pp. xi-xii.</ref>

Thus it appears that Gwallog joined a group of [[Britons (historical)|Brittonic]] kings, including [[Urien|Urien Rheged]], [[Riderch I of Alt Clut|Rhydderch Hael]] and [[Morcant Bulc|Morgant Bwlch]] of [[Bryneich]], in an attempt to defeat the [[Angles]] of [[Bernicia]]. This endeavour failed after Urien was slain by Llofan Llaf Difo.

Gwallog is the addressee of two poems in the [[Book of Taliesin]] which [[Ifor Williams]] identified on linguistic and historical grounds as (in part) plausibly originating in the sixth century, and possibly being genuine praise-poems addressed to Gwallog.<ref>''The Poems of Taliesin'', ed. by Ifor Williams, trans. by J. E. Caerwyn Williams, Medieval and Modern Welsh Series, 3 (Dublin: The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1968), pp. xi-xii, 12-15; the poems are XI and XII in Williams's numbering.</ref> These afford some evidence that Gwallog was a king of [[Elmet]].<ref>''The Poems of Taliesin'', ed. by Ifor Williams, trans. by J. E. Caerwyn Williams, Medieval and Modern Welsh Series, 3 (Dublin: The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1968), p. lvii.</ref> If so, he was apparently succeeded by [[Ceretic of Elmet|Ceredig]], the last king of Elmet, who was deposed by [[Edwin of Northumbria|St. Edwin]] of [[Northumbria|Deira]].

Another tradition asserts that Gwallog later made war against Urien's former kingdom of [[Rheged]] in concert with [[Dunod Fawr]] of the [[Pennines|Northern Pennines]], attacking Urien's sons.

In some sources, Gwallog is given the epithet ''Marchog Trin'', meaning "battle horseman". If his identification as king of Elmet is correct, he was succeeded by his son [[Ceretic of Elmet|Ceredig]], the last king of Elmet, who was deposed by [[Edwin of Northumbria|St. Edwin]] of [[Northumbria|Deira]].

Over time, Gwallog evolved into a semi-mythological figure akin to [[King Arthur|Arthur]]. In the medieval text "Geraint son of Erbin", he is named as one of Arthur's knights and also appears in the [[Welsh Triads|Welsh triads]] as one of the "Three Armed Warriors of the Island of Britain" and one of the "Three Battle Pillars of the Island of Britain". Gwallog is also mentioned in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] poem "''Ymddiddan Gwyddno Garanhir a Gwyn ap Nudd''" as one of the slain warriors escorted to their graves by [[Gwyn ap Nudd]], the lord of the Welsh [[Annwn|Otherworld]].