Pen Rhionydd
Encyclopedia
Pen Rhionydd is named as the location of King Arthur
's northern court in a Welsh triad
found in Peniarth MS 54, containing pre-Galfridian
traditions:
There are no other known references to this location in Arthurian literature. The same triad goes onto say Arthur's other courts were at Celliwig
and Mynyw.
, known as Penrhudd in modern Welsh. King Arthur's Round Table, Cumbria
by Penrith, is a Neolithic henge. Another possibility supported by Rachel Bromwich
, the latest editor of the Welsh Triads, is a location somewhere near the Rhins of Galloway
and Stranraer
. This would match the importance of St Mungo in that area. Both these places would have been in Rheged
.
One researcher suggests it is actually in north Wales at Morfa Rhianedd, near Llandudno
, but this is contrary to tradition.
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's northern court in a Welsh triad
Welsh Triads
The Welsh Triads 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 rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
found in Peniarth MS 54, containing pre-Galfridian
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
traditions:
Arthur as Chief Prince in Pen Rhionydd in the North, and Gerthmwl Wledig as Chief Elder, and Cyndeyrn Garthwys as Chief Bishop.
There are no other known references to this location in Arthurian literature. The same triad goes onto say Arthur's other courts were at Celliwig
Celliwig
Celliwig, Kelliwic or Gelliwic, is perhaps the earliest named location for the court of King Arthur. It may be translated as 'forest grove'.-Literary references:...
and Mynyw.
Location
A strong contender for its location would be Penrith, CumbriaPenrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
, known as Penrhudd in modern Welsh. King Arthur's Round Table, Cumbria
King Arthur's Round Table, Cumbria
King Arthur's Round Table is a Neolithic henge in the village of Eamont Bridge within the English county of Cumbria, around 2 km south east of Penrith. The site is free to visitors and is under the control of English Heritage....
by Penrith, is a Neolithic henge. Another possibility supported by Rachel Bromwich
Rachel Bromwich
Rachel Bromwich was a British scholar. Her focus was on medieval Welsh literature, and was Emeritus Reader in Celtic Languages and Literature at the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge until her death...
, the latest editor of the Welsh Triads, is a location somewhere near the Rhins of Galloway
Rhins of Galloway
The Rhins of Galloway is a hammer-head peninsula in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland...
and Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
. This would match the importance of St Mungo in that area. Both these places would have been in Rheged
Rheged
Rheged is described in poetic sources as one of the kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd , the Brythonic-speaking region of what is now northern England and southern Scotland, during the Early Middle Ages...
.
One researcher suggests it is actually in north Wales at Morfa Rhianedd, near Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
, but this is contrary to tradition.
See also
- Sites and places associated with Arthurian legendSites and places associated with Arthurian legendThe following is a list and assessment of sites and places associated with King Arthur and the Arthurian legend in general. Given the lack of concrete historical knowledge about one of the most potent figures in British mythology, it is unlikely that any definitive conclusions about the claims for...
- Historical basis for King ArthurHistorical basis for King ArthurThe historical basis of King Arthur is a source of considerable debate among historians. The first datable mention of King Arthur in a historical context comes from a Latin text of the 9th century - more than three centuries after his supposed floruit in 5th to early 6th century Sub-Roman Britain...