Morvidus (''

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

:'' ''Morydd map Daned'') was a legendary king of the

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mo ...

from 341 to 336 BCE., as recounted by

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 historiograph ...

. He was the illegitimate son of

Danius Danius () was a legendary king of the Britons as recounted by 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 Monmo ...

by his mistress Tangustela.

, ''

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. I ...

''
Book III, Chapter XIV
/ref>

Life

Geoffrey portrays him as being an ill-tempered yet kind ruler most of the time. Most of the time he gave out gifts handsomely. During his reign, the king of the

Morini The Morini (Gaulish: "sea folk, sailors") were a Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Pas de Calais region, around present-day Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Morini'' by Caesar ( ...

invaded

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

and laid waste to the countryside. Morvidus met the king of Moriani in battle and defeated the invaders. After the battle, he had every captive soldier brought before him and personally killed each one, feeding his lust for blood. When he became tired, he skinned and burned the remaining soldiers. He fought and killed a giant using an uprooted tree stripped of bark and branches. For this reason, he is associated with the symbol of a ragged staff, which appears in the crest of the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation c ...

who are believed to be descended from Morvidus. Later in his reign, a dragon or monster appeared from the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

and began devouring the inhabitants of the western shores. In an attempt to stop this, Morvidus met the beast in single-combat and used every weapon he could against her, but to no avail. The monster lunged at Morvidus and consumed him. Morvidus had five sons:

Gorbonianus Gorbonianus ('' Welsh:'' ''Gorviniaw map Morydd'') was a legendary king of the Britons as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the eldest son of King Morvidus, and the brother of Archgallo, Elidurus, Ingenius, and Peredurus. According to ...

Archgallo Archgallo (''Welsh:'' ''Arthal map Morydd'') was a legendary king of the Britons as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the second son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus. Archgallo began as an evil king bent on destroying the nobl ...

Elidurus Elidurus the Dutiful (''Welsh:'' ''Elidyr map Morydd'') was a legendary king of the Britons as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the third son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus, Archgallo, Ingenius, and Peredurus. Elidurus b ...

, Ingenius, and

Peredurus Peredurus ( cy, Peredur) is a legendary king of the Britons in Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical chronicle ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. According to Geoffrey, he was the youngest son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus, Archgall ...

, all of which became kings of the Britons. Of these five sons, Gorbonianus, the eldest, was his direct successor.

Sources

{{Geoffrey of Monmouth Legendary British kings 4th-century BC rulers