@mortiscausa March to Camelot 2026 Reign:
Arthur yn Pen Teyrned ym Mynyw… Arthur yn Pen Teyrned yg Kelli Wig…
Arthur yn Ben Teyrned ym Penn Ryonyd yn y Gogled
Arthur as Chief of Princes in Mynyw
Arthur as Chief of Princes in Celliwig
Arthur as Chief of Princes in Pen Rhionydd in the North
Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain, ed. and trans. Rachel Bromwich (Caerdydd, 2015)
The Triads are a collective of poetic groups which likely aimed to help poets remember various aspects about mythological and historical figures. The opening triad discusses the three thrones of Britain, each of which was held by Arthur. Here, Arthur’s dominance over the island of Britain is established over all other kings and lords.
Mynyw is linked to the Latin name for Tyddewi (St Davids in English), Menevia, and once was the arch-episcopal seat in Wales. Linking Arthur in the medieval period to such an important saint like Dewi (David) would have been central to reinforcing Welsh people’s British ancestry. Here, you ca see St. Govan’s Chapel in Sir Benfro, a cliff church not far from Tyddewi.
Celliwig and Pen Rhionydd are much more difficult to define. Celliwig is situated somewhere in Cornwall, and there have been some suggestions as to where. The editor of the Trioedd, Rachel Bromwich, had suggested Kelly Rounds in particular. A number of Arthurian stories make reference to Celliwig and is the basis of Arthur’s court at the beginning of Culhwch ac Olwen. Here is the Gallos statue from the beach underneath Tintagel.
Pen Rhionydd is Arthur’s court in a place called Hen Ogledd (Old North). As a place that largely covered modern day northern England and southern Scotland, it boasts as the homeland of a number of central figures in Welsh mythology and history. Notably, the supposed founder of the Gwynedd dynasty, Cunedda Wledig, had come from the area named Manaw Gododdin. The people of Yr Hen Ogledd were also those who fought in the poem Y Gododdin, a lament for fallen soldiers at the Battle of Catraeth. This collection of elegies also contains one of the oldest references to Arthur! The picture here is of Llafn y Cewri in Llanberis. Whilst this isn’t in Yr Hen Ogledd, a huge sword is apt for such an iconic battle from Welsh literature.
The Trioedd is a fantastic collection, and contains references to numerous figures who are familiar to those interested in Arthurian literature - Myrddin, Uthyr, Gwalchmai, Cai, and Drystan (Merlin, Uther, Gawain, Kay, and Tristan in English translation) all feature in their own ways. It reflects the variety of stories surviving from medieval Wales, and perhaps some of our best insight into a number of lost figures.
annaxmalina
blakekathryn
izzy806
janainaart
origamiaround
tangentwithtanner
theartofmadeline
