Brittany
Neur ordyfneis-i waet am Wythur,
I was used to blood[shed] around Gwythur,
- MARWNAT VTHYR PEN
On the personal name Gwythur, see §15.31. Am ‘for, around’,
perhaps here meaning that the speaker was in Gwythur’s entourage.
- Note, Marged Haycock, editor/translator
Who was the Victor (Gwythur/Gwythyr) of the elegy of Uther Pendragon?
In the past, I'd written about Flavius Victor, son of Magnus Maximus. No way to make him work due to chronology.
I then looked to the Gwythyr son of Greidawl of CULHCH AND OLWEN, said to be involved with a contest with Gwyn son of Nudd in the Pictish North for Creiddylad, a personification of the Hill of Belief (https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2020/04/creiddylad-not-goddess-welsh.html). Nothing came of that exploration, either.
Well, a third man had come to my attention - and, alas, I rather quickly dismissed his possible importance. This was the count or duke Withur in Brittany. Having looked at him more closely, and with a more open mind, it is apparent that he may, in fact, be Uther's Gwythur. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb at the outset of this article and claim that I think Withur is the elegy's Gwythur.
My readers will find posted below biographies of St. Paul of Leon and St. Tudual of Treguier. But before I ask you to wade through those (paying attention to the highlights passages), I wish to first set out why I believe it is now within my ability to set out a clear explanation for Uther's apparent association with both Elei in the PA GUR and Caer Dathal in CULHWCH AND OLWEN.
As it turns out, the Tudwal who left his name (through the Irish form Tuathal) at Caer Engan in Nantlle was a student of St. Illtud. Tudwal or Tudual eventually made his way to Brittany, where he became bishop of Treguier. Furthermore, Paul Aurelian was also a student of Illtud. He became bishop of Leon.
At this point we should recall that Illtud, prior to becoming a religious, has served as master of the soldiers for Paul of Penychen. Yes - the same Penychen where Paul Aurelian was born.
Now, while I have argued for Illtud's Llydaw/Brittany and father Bican being a location in SE Wales or even Wiltshire. However, what if Illtud really did come from Brittany? Breton bihan is the cognate of Welsh bychan. The former is found in place-names, but I have not yet had time to explore the word as a Breton personal name. I did find the following, though, in
"Christian name + Bihan = son
When both a father and son share the same Christian name, another subsystem is used in the
spoken language whereby the term Bihan (small) is used to designate ‘son of’
Type-4 names: physical characteristics
Type-4 names are given according to one’s physical or moral characteristics, normally defects
or flaws. Le Bihan (‘small’, W. bychan; the Anglicised form is Vaughan; Cornish Bain, Bean)"
The point is that if Illtud came to Wales from Brittany as a soldier, seeking a prince to serve, he may well have first fought in Brittany for Withur.
The association of Uther with Caer Dathal in Arfon might be due to his having been the teacher of Tudual of Brittany and a Breton himself who might well have hailed from the region of Treguier.
There is actually a Pleubian (Pleuvihan) just a little northeast of Tudwal's Treguier. This was originally a bihan place-name. See https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleuvihan.
Please understand this is all VERY PRELIMINARY. I'm pretty much just throwing out some random ideas that have occurred to me. With that caveat out of the way, I can conclude this: a connection between the Breton soldier Illtud, prior to his move to Wales, with Victor of Leon makes a lot more sense than trying to establish a link between Uther and nonhistorical, purely legendary Victors whose origins cannot be traced.
There's only one other possible Uther candidate that fits with Withur of Leon and Tudual of Treguier (Domnonee): a Dark Age Geraint of Dumnonia. I once wrote a great deal about this chieftain, as he may have been named for the fear-inspiring Gerontius, magister militum and magister utriusque militiae in the early 5th century. There were a number of interesting place-name markers pointing to a Geraint as Gorlois, for example. Of course, a Geraint cannot be linked to the 'vytheint elei' of the PA GUR poem; he could be linked (wrongly) to Caer Dathal through a supposed relationship with Tudual.
Both of these men - Illtud and a Geraint (who, we would have to presume, had been given or had taken the military title of Gerontius) - could be the Terrible Chief of warriors. When I have time, I will go back through my material on Gerontius and see if there is anything I missed.
As threatened above, here are the entries for the relevant saints from Bartrum and Butler:
PAUL, ST., of Léon. (480) The ‘Fleury’ MS. of the Life was published in the Revue Celtique, V (1883) pp.413-460. Handwriting of 10th century. Some gaps can be made good by another MS. of c.1100 (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, MS. Latin 12,942), ed. Dom Plaine in Analecta Bollandiana, 1 (1882) pp.208ff. The author gives his name as Wrmonoc, and says that he finished his work in the year 884.
The following analysis is taken from that given by G.H.Doble in The Saints of Cornwall, I. 11- 28. §1. Paul, surnamed Aurelian, was son of a certain count Perphirius, who came from Penn Ohen, in Latin Caput Boum, [Penychen]. This man had eight brothers who all lived in Brehant Dincat, in Latin Guttur receptaculi pugnae [Gullet of the place of refuge from battle (1)], and three sisters. Those named are: brothers, Notolius and Potolius, and a sister, Sitofolla. Paul consecrated himself to the service of God. 2. Iltutus lived at an island called Pyrus [Ynys Byr = Caldy Island] and had many disciples. Paul was handed over by his parents to Iltutus. 3. Among Iltut's disciples were Paul, Devius [Dewi] called ‘Aquaticus’, Samson and Gildas. 7. Paul, aged 16, departed for the seclusion of the desert. He built an oratory which now bears the names of his brothers [?Llanddeusant in Ystrad Tywi]. Here he was ordained priest by the bishop. 8. His fame reached the ears of king Marc, quem alio nomine Quonomorium vocant, ‘whom others call by the name Quonomorius’, a powerful monarch, under whose rule lived peoples of four different languages. Marc desired Paul to settle firmly the foundations of the Christian faith which had recently been laid in that country. Paul went to Villa Bannhedos (Caer Banhed, Villa Benhedos in the Paris MS.) where the bones of Marc now rest. He remained some time instructing the people. Marc wished him to accept the office of bishop over the country, but Paul declined and decided to leave. 9. He set out and arrived at the house of his sister, aforementioned, who was living in the furthest recesses of that country, on the shores of the British Sea, having become a nun. 10. Paul set sail and landed at an island named Ossa [Ushant]. 11. Twelve presbyters came with him under their master (To-)Quonocus, and Decanus, a deacon, namely: Iahoevius, Tigernomalus, Toseocus Siteredus, Woednovius also called Towoedocus, Gellocus, Bretowennus, Boius, Winniavus, Lowenanus, Toetheus also called Tochicus, Chielus, and Hercanus also called Herculanus. All these had memorials and basilicas built in their honour. 12. He set out again and came to pagus Achniensis [Ach] which they call Telmedovia [Ploudalmézeau] in the west of Domnonia. 15. Paul learnt that the lord of the land was Withur. He came to the city (oppidum) which is now called by his name [i.e. Saint-Pol-de-Léon]. 16. Paul came to Battham insulam [Isle of Batz] where Withur often came for quietude. 17. Paul met Count Withur who was his cousin. 18. Paul spent the rest of his days in that island and in the oppidum [St.Pol-de-Léon]. 19. Withur and the people wished to make Paul bishop, but knowing that he would object, and perhaps leave, decided on the stratagem of sending Paul to king Philibert [Childebert, 511-558], secretly asking him to have him made bishop, even against his will. So he was consecrated by three bishops. 20. Worn out with age Paul ordained one of his disciples, Iahoevius, to exercise the episcopal office in his place, but after a year Iahoevius died, and Paul appointed Tigernomalus, who also died after a year. So Paul himself resumed duties again, then chose Cetomerinus. On the very day of consecration, Iudual Candidus, the noble duke of a great part of Domnonia, said to be a cousin of St.Samson, had come to see Paul, and made him a grant of land. Paul departed to the Isle of Batz, where he lived some years, very frail, till he died at the age of 104 or over. 22. He died on March 12. NOTES ON THE LIFE §1. The cognomen Aurelianus may be due to the fact that his remains were removed to Fleury near Orleans (Aureliani) in the 10th century (DNB). Paul is often called Paulinus in Brittany (Doble pp.32, 36). The author took ‘brehant’ to be Welsh breuant, ‘throat’ or ‘windpipe’ and mistranslated the personal name Dincat. Doble pointed to Llandingad the parish of Llandovery which has a chapel, Capel Peulin, dedicated to St.Paulinus [of Wales] (Doble pp.33-34). See further note to §7. Penn Ohen [Penychen] was perhaps suggested by the name Pawl Penychen (q.v.). 2. The author of the Life knew that Paul studied under St.Illtud with St.Samson. He got ‘Pyrus’ from the Life of Samson (Doble p.29), but Paul more probably studied under Illtud at Llanilltud Fawr as implied in the Life of Illtud. 3. This list of Illtud's pupils agrees with that in the Life of Illtud (§11) except for the order and the fact that the latter has Paulinus instead of Paul. A.W.Wade-Evans assumed that Paulinus here stood for Paul (VSB index s.n.Paulinus). 7. For the identification with Llanddeusant see Doble p.34. The festival there was on October 10 which is the day of St.Paulinus of York, but was also appropriated to the Welsh Paulinus (q.v.) mentioned in the Life of St.David, etc. Doble believed that Wrmonoc was mistakenly drawing here from a lost Life or tradition of this Paulinus (pp.33-34). 8. On the much discussed identification of Marc with Quonomorius, see s.nn. Conmor, March ap Meirchion. Although the Life is quite vague about the locality of Marc, and Caer Banhed has not been identified, Doble does not doubt that St.Paul is now in Cornwall, although he could be anywhere between Morgannwg and Brittany (TYP p.445-6). 9. Sitofolla is not the same as Sativola or Sidwell (q.v.), pace LBS. Doble thinks that the most probable site of Sitofolla's convent was on Mount's Bay near that part called Gwavas Lake. This is not far from Paul near Penzance which is probably a foundation of Paul although officially dedicated to Paulinus with parish feast on October 10. The site fits the description in the Life, and would be an ideal place from which to sail for Ushant (Doble pp.40-42, 59). 11. For identifications of many of these presbyters see Doble pp.43-46. In particular Iahoevius = Iaoua or Ioevin of whom there is a late Life, in which he is said to be son of a sister of Paul. See LBS III.333-4. There was a little monastery of Lampaul on Ushant [Île d'Ouessant] (Doble p.43). 15. Withur was probably a very local ‘lord’ (PCB). The name = Victor (Doble p.49), Welsh Gwythur or Gwythyr. The ‘count’ of Léon at the time was probably Conmor (q.v.), whence Quonomorius of §8, followed by Iudual (q.v.) of Domnonée (PCB). 19. Philibert (also mentioned in §15) wrongly for Childebert, king of Paris, 511-558, is similarly called Philibert in the Life of St.Malo. See s.n. Malo §6. ____________________ In the Vie de S.Guevroc ou Kirecq, Albert Le Grand says that when Guevroc was in solitude at Ploudaniel in Léon, St.Paul paid him a visit and persuaded him to acompany him to his monastery of Occismor where he worked under St.Paul for many years (LBS II.197). Albert le Grand also brings S.Tanguy into contact with Paul (Doble p.53; LBS I.187). St.Paul also enters into the Life of the Breton saint Tudual (q.v.).
TUDUAL. Breton Saint. (480) Three Lives were edited by Arthur le Moyne de la Borderie in Mémoires de la Soc. Archéol. des Côtes-du-Nord, Second Series, II.77-122. ‘His mother was called Pompaia, the sister of count Rigual [Riwal] who was the first of the Britons to come from beyond the sea’. Pompaia is thought to be the same as Alma Pompa, the mother of Leonorius (LBS I.299). In the Life of St.Brioc he is said to be nephew of Brioc. He is also mentioned in the Life of St. Briac. He was born in Wales and educated under St.Illtud. He crossed over to Brittany and founded the monastery of Tréguier on the Jaudy on land granted to him by Deroch son of Rigual. St.Paul was then at Léon. See LBS I.263, 296-7, IV.271-4; G.H.Doble, The Saints of Cornwall, IV.92-93 and n.30. November 30 is the commonest date given for his commemoration (LBS IV.273). John of Glastonbury (Chronica, ed. Thomas Hearne, p.450) says that at Glastonbury was preserved ‘a bone of St.Rumon, brother of St.Tidwal’ (G.H.Doble, The Saints of Cornwall, II.125).
From
(1)
The "gullet" interpretation is interesting, as the tagel of the Galfridian Tintagel is the Cornish form of Welsh tagell. From the GPC:
tagell
[tag1+-ell, Llyd. Diw. tagell ‘magl, byddag; coler’; ?cf. yr e. lle Crn. Tintagel]
eb. ll. tagellau, tagelli, tegyll.
Plyg llac o groen sy’n hongian o dan wddf tarw, &c., plyg tebyg o dan wddf anifail arall, neu aderyn, neu berson, hefyd yn dros.; organ anadlu mewn pysgod, &c., sef meinwe fasgwlar sy’n cymryd ocsigen o’r dŵr sy’n llifo drosti, cragen, crogen; unrhyw un o’r ffurfiannau rheiddiol tebyg i ddail a geir o dan gap madarchen ac sy’n cynhyrchu sborau; (corn) gwddf; adfach, magl:
dewlap, jowl, wattle, double chin, also transf.; gill (in fish, &c., and in fungi); throat, windpipe; barb, snare.
In the past, I had made the case for Geoffrey of Monmouth's Tintagel being a relocation of Caer Dathal.
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