Corineus, in
medieval British legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the
eponym
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
ous founder of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
.
''History of the Kings of Britain''
In
Geoffrey of Monmouth's
pseudo-history ''
History of the Kings of Britain'' (1136), Corineus led the descendants of the
Trojans who fled with
Antenor after the
Trojan War
The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...
and settled on the coasts of the
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea (, ; or ) , , , , is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenians, Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans of Italy.
Geography
The sea is bounded by the islands of C ...
. He is described as "a modest man in matters of council, and of great courage and boldness", his giant-fighting prowess is also described, and later reinforced by boasts of having killed "heaps" of Tyrrhenian giants.
After
Brutus, a descendant of the Trojan prince
Aeneas, had been exiled from Italy and liberated the enslaved Trojans in Greece, he encountered Corineus and his people, who joined him in his travels. In
Gaul
Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
, Corineus provoked a war with
Goffarius Pictus, king of
Aquitania, by hunting in his forests without permission; in the ensuing battle, Corineus single-handedly killed thousands with a battle-axe. After defeating Goffarius, the Trojans crossed to the island of
Albion, which Brutus renamed Britain after himself. Corineus settled in Cornwall, which was then inhabited by giants. Brutus and his army killed most of them, but their leader,
Goemagog, was kept alive for a wrestling match with Corineus. During the fight, Goemagog broke three of Corineus' ribs; enraged, he picked Goemagog up, ran to the coast, and threw the giant from a high rock into the sea, with the craggy rocks below tearing him to pieces.
Corineus was the first of the
legendary rulers of Cornwall, which was named after him. After Brutus died the rest of Britain was divided between Brutus' three sons,
Locrinus (
Loegria),
Kamber (
Cambria) and
Albanactus (
Alba). Locrinus agreed to marry Corineus's daughter
Gwendolen, but fell in love instead with
Estrildis, a captured German princess. Corineus threatened war in response to this affront, and to pacify him Locrinus married Gwendolen, but kept Estrildis as his secret mistress. After Corineus died Locrinus divorced Gwendolen and married Estrildis, and Gwendolen responded by raising an army in Cornwall and making war against her ex-husband. Locrinus was killed in battle, and Gwendolen threw Estrildis and her daughter,
Sabren, into the
River Severn
The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...
.
''Aeneid'' and other sources
Geoffrey probably took the name from the character
Corynaeus in the ''
Aeneid
The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...
'', a Trojan follower of
Aeneas.
Archbishop
Michael Joseph Curley suggests that this name was chosen by Geoffrey due to its similarity to the word Cornwall, and his "naive (or ironic) fondness for
eponym
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
y as a form of historical research".
Curley also suggests there is a parallel between Corineus and
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
in
Lucan's ''
Pharsalia
''De Bello Civili'' (; ''On the Civil War''), more commonly referred to as the ''Pharsalia'' (, neuter plural), is a Latin literature, Roman Epic poetry, epic poem written by the poet Lucan, detailing the Caesar's civil war, civil war between Ju ...
'', who defeated the giant
Antaeus
Antaeus (; , derived from ), known to the Berbers as Anti, was a figure in Traditional Berber religion, Berber and Greek mythology. He was famed for his defeat by Heracles as part of the Labours of Hercules.
Family
In Greek sources, he was ...
in a wrestling match by lifting him from the earth, the source of his strength.
Geoffrey's main source for the ''History of the Kings of Britain'' was the ''
Historia Brittonum
''The History of the Britons'' () is a purported history of early Britain written around 828 that survives in numerous recensions from after the 11th century. The ''Historia Brittonum'' is commonly attributed to Nennius, as some recensions ha ...
''. It does not mention Corineus, but two parts of the ''Historia'' were used as sources for Corineus' location on "the shores" of the
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea (, ; or ) , , , , is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenians, Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans of Italy.
Geography
The sea is bounded by the islands of C ...
, where he is found by Brutus. The first is the ''Historia''s account of Brutus' banishment: unlike the ''History of the Kings of Britain'', where Brutus immediately goes to Greece, Brutus instead first travels to "the islands of the Tyrrhenian Sea", where, instead of Corineus, he finds Greek colonists living, who expel him due to
Aeneas' killing of
Turnus. The second is a variant of the story of
Goídel Glas, in which the hero travels from Egypt to Iberia via a sequence of named places –
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
, then
Aras Philaenorum,
Lacus Salinarum, between
Rusicada and
the Mountains of Azaria, along
the River Malua through
Mauretania
Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, encompassing northern present-day Morocco, and from the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean in the ...
to the
Pillars of Hercules
The Pillars of Hercules are the promontory, promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar, Calpe Mons, is the Rock of Gibraltar. A corresponding North African peak not being predominant, the identity of ...
, then the Tyrrhenian Sea – Geoffrey uses precisely the same sequence of locations for Brutus' journey after getting his prophecy from
Diana, and even explains the backtracking from the Pillars of Hercules to the Tyrrhenian Sea by saying Brutus was fleeing from
Sirens; it is at this point in the story of the ''History of the Kings of Britain'' that Brutus finds Corineus on "the shores" of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Gogmagog's Leap
The fight between Corineus and
Gogmagog is described in the ''
History of the Kings of Britain'' as ending at a place called or , which Geoffrey says still retained the name.
John Milton's ''
The History of Britain'' (1670) referred to the place as ''Langoëmagog'', , which is sometimes changed to ''Langoënagog'' or ''Langnagog''. The
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
prose ''
Brut'' () places their fight "at Totttenes" (
Totnes,
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
), where Corineus and Brutus had landed in the ''History of the Kings of Britain'', while ''
Holinshed's Chronicles
''Holinshed's Chronicles'', also known as ''Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland'', is a collaborative work published in several volumes and two editions, the first edition in 1577, and the second in 1587. It was a large, co ...
'' (1577) placed the "leape of Gogmagog" at
Dover
Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
.
Researcher
Peter Bartrum suggests that the story may have been based on
hill figures of two giants fighting carved into the grass at
Plymouth Hoe
Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south-facing open public space in the English coastal city of Plymouth, Devon.
The Hoe is adjacent to and above the low limestone cliffs that form the seafront and commands views of Pl ...
.
The first known mention of these figures was in 1495, and contemporary records exist of them being periodically re-cut and cleaned, referring to them as Gogmagog.
Antiquary Richard Carew believed that the fight may have begun near Totnes, but ended at Plymouth Hoe, with the figures depicting Corineus and Gogmagog; he described them in his ''Survey of Cornwall'' (1602): "upon the Hawe at Plymmouth, there is cut out in the ground, the pourtrayture of two men, the one bigger, the other lesser, with Clubbes in their hands, (whom they terme Gog-Magog) and (as I have learned) it is renewed by order of the Townesmen, when cause requireth, which should inferre the same to bee a monument of some moment."
Later historians such as
John Allen Giles followed this suggestion as the most likely location.
The figures were destroyed by the construction of the
Royal Citadel in 1665. In 2021, artist Charles Newington painted Corineus and Gogmagog on a grassy bank below the Citadel, inspired by the earlier figures and the story of Corineus and Gogmagog.
Later traditions
The tale is preserved in the works of later writers, including
Michael Drayton and
John Milton.
John of Hauville's ''
Architrenius'' () was dedicated to Archbishop
Walter de Coutances, who claimed descent from Corineus. The ''Architrenius'' changes Corineus into a greater figure than Brutus (who it says accompanied Corineus as his
Achates), and describes him as "the world-conqueror", a second
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
, who fought in the
Trojan War
The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...
: "the terror of
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...
and the
Atrides, the cutter-down of giants and batterer of monsters". While "sojourning on the
Tyrrhenian shores, Corineus destroyed the limbs of giants with a bone-crushing embrace. He was himself a giant, not in body but in his indomitable heroism. Though confined to medium stature, and with limbs not disproportionately thick, he seemed to assume a Titanic stature, massive and terrifying."
After massacring the Aquitanians he sets sail for Britain "favoured by gods and winds, and guided by
Diana to his destined corner of the world, he enters safe harbour on the Cornish coast at Totnes"; Cornwall is described as "flowing with milk and honey. Hence the place, at first named Corineia, over the course of time assumed the corrupted name of Cornubia."
Arthur is later described as a descendant of Corineus.
The 13th century
Prose ''Merlin'' calls the character Corneus, a descendant of giants, who was "a mervilouse knyght, and was moche and stronge". In this version, he and Brutus were two barons who fled the destruction of Troy, but while Brutus travelled to Britain, Corneus travelled to Brittany instead, where he built towns and castles, and gave his name to
Cornouaille. Corneus' descendants were the giants who troubled the Britons, and they survived until the time of
King Arthur
According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
.
''
Locrine'' (1595), a play
attributed to Shakespeare, has Corineius as a major character, one of two brothers of Brutus, along with Assarachus, and is father to
Gwendoline and Thrasimachus. Corineius is described as being found by Brutus at "the fields of
Lestrigon", and subsequently having fought Gathelus, the brother of
Goffarius of Gaul. He lives more than eighty-seven years, dying from a lingering wound he had received in battle with
Humber the Hun, and returns as a ghost to witness
Locrine's downfall.
Corineus is also a major character in
Henry Chettle and
John Day's
lost play ''The Conquest of Brute with the First Finding of the Bath'' which was performed by
the Lord Admiral's Men at
the Rose in December 1598.
Oliver Mathews' ''Towne of Sallop'' (1616) refers to "Troenius, Duke of Cornwall, who was afterward called Coreneus".
Richard Williams Morgan expanded on this in ''The British Kymry'' (1857), calling him Troenius, and saying that he was assigned the "Western Keryn or promotory" of Britain (from
Torbay to
Land's End) by Brutus, and that "from the Keryn, Troenius changed his name into Keryn or Corineus". Morgan also attempted to explain Brutus' backtracking from the
Pillars of Hercules
The Pillars of Hercules are the promontory, promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar, Calpe Mons, is the Rock of Gibraltar. A corresponding North African peak not being predominant, the identity of ...
to the Tyrrhenian Sea, by saying that he passed through the Pillars of Hercules, and came across Troenius on the south shore of Spain, where he was ruling four Trojan colonies, claiming that the Atlantic was then called the Tyrrhenian Ocean. He described Troenius as
sovereign duke of Cornwall, with the same prerogatives over his land as the kings of Loegria, Cambria and Albany had over theirs, and said that Troenius was consigned the guardianship of his daughter
Gwendolen's son
Maddan.
As to Corineus's stature, he is represented as being the largest of Brutus's crew in the
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
prose ''Brut''. ''
Holinshed's Chronicles
''Holinshed's Chronicles'', also known as ''Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland'', is a collaborative work published in several volumes and two editions, the first edition in 1577, and the second in 1587. It was a large, co ...
'' comment that Corineus was not a giant, but in the 1587 edition mistakenly claims the ''
Architrenius'' describes Corineus as a man 12 cubits (18 feet) tall.
[Holinshed (1587]
''Hist.'', I, 5
/ref>
A local folk tradition says that Corineus founded the city of Quimper
Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France.
Administration
Quimper is the ...
, the ancient capital of Cornouaille in France.
See also
* Corinius
* Cornish wrestling
Notes
References
Further reading
*
{{Geoffrey of Monmouth
British traditional history
Trojans
Cornish folklore
Monarchs of Cornwall
Medieval legends
Gog and Magog
Legendary progenitors