Eudaf Hen (Eudaf "the Old") is a figure of Welsh tradition. He is remembered as a

King of the Britons The title King of the Britons (, ) was used (often retrospectively) to refer to a ruler, especially one who might be regarded as the most powerful, among the Celtic Britons, both before and after the period of Roman Britain up until the Norman ...

and the father of Elen Luyddog and Conan Meriadoc in sources such as the Welsh prose tale ''

The Dream of Macsen Wledig Welsh mythology (also commonly known as ''Y Chwedlau'', meaning "The Legends") consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of t ...

'' and

Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth (; ; ) was a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales, and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle '' The History of ...

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

chronicle ''

Historia Regum Britanniae (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a fictitious account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the List of legendary kings o ...

''. He also figures into Welsh genealogies. Geoffrey of Monmouth calls him Octavius, a corruption and faux-Latinization of Old Welsh/Breton Outham (later spelled Eudaf). According to the medieval Welsh genealogy from Mostyn MS. 117, Eudaf was a direct ancestor 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 ...

Etymology

Modern Welsh ''Eudaf'' (

Middle Welsh Middle Welsh (, ) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh (). Literature and history Middle Welsh is ...

''Eudav'', early

Old Welsh Old Welsh () is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, ha ...

''Out(h)am'') comes from Brittonic ''*Aui-tamos'' meaning "Very Strong in Will".

Geoffrey of Monmouth

, in his ''

'', renders the name in pseudo-Latin form as ''Octavius'' and introduces him as a half-brother to

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

, who has become

following the death of his father

Constantius Constantius may refer to: __NOTOC__ Roman people * Constantius I "Chlorus" (–306), Western Roman emperor from 305 to 306 * Julius Constantius (died 337), consul in 335, son of Constantius I * Constantius Gallus (325–354), ''caesar'' from 351 to ...

. Eventually Constantine is made Roman Emperor, requiring him to leave Britain in the hands of a

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military ...

. Octavius (Eudaf Hen), rebels against Roman rule, killing the proconsul and proclaiming himself king. Constantine responds by sending three legions to Britain under the command of his great-uncle

Trahern Trahern () is a legendary King of the Britons in Geoffrey of Monmouth's fictional ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. According to Geoffrey, Trahern was king of the Britons and Roman senator. He was the brother of the late Coel Hen and uncle of Sa ...

, the brother of the late King Coel. Trahern lands at "Kaerperis" and captures it, forcing Octavius to conscript all the island into the army to combat the Roman legions. Octavius engages Trahern in a field outside

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

and is victorious. Trahern flees to

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

(

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

) and pillages the land, and Octavius comes after him. They meet at

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

, and Octavius was defeated and forced out of Britain. Trahern takes the crown himself, while Octavius seeks aid from King Gunbert of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. In Britain, supporters of Octavius ambush Trahern and kill him near

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, allowing Octavius to return to Britain. Once arrived, he scatters the Roman forces and retakes the throne of Britain, gaining an incredible amount of wealth and prestige. Eventually, Caradocus,

Duke of Cornwall Duke of Cornwall () is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch, previously the English monarch. The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created i ...

, suggests that Octavius marry his only daughter Helen to the new Roman Emperor, Maximianus (Magnus Maximus), thereby uniting the British and Roman crowns. Octavius agrees, and Caradocus' son Mauricius is sent to Rome with the proposal. However Octavius' nephew Conan Meriadoc (elsewhere his son) opposes the union, and nearly attacks the arriving Maximianus. Finally Caradocus restores the peace, and Octavius abdicates the throne in favor of Maximianus.

The Breton Life of Saint Gurthiern

Utilizing an archaic spelling of his name, Eudaf Hen is mentioned as Outham Senis (Outham "the Old") in a fabricated genealogy from the ''

Life of Saint Gurthiern Gurthiern (also Guthiern, Gunthiern, and Gunthiernus) was a Welsh people, Welsh prince. According to the ''Vita sancta Gurthierni'', he became a hermit in Brittany and founder of an abbey at Kemperle (Quimperlé). He is a Catholic Church, Catholic ...

'', included in the Breton Latin Kemperle Cartulary, compiled between 1118 and 1127. This text traces the descent of Saint Gurthiern back to the ancestor figure Beli (

Beli Mawr was an ancestor figure in Middle Welsh literature and genealogies. He is the father of Cassivellaunus, Arianrhod, Lludd Llaw Eraint, Llefelys, and Afallach. In certain medieval genealogies, he is listed as the son or husband of Anna, cousi ...

) son of Outham son of Maximianus (

Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman hi ...

) son of

the son of Constantine the son of Helen "who was thought to have held the Cross of Christ". Outham is given another son, Kenan ( Conan Meriadoc), who is said to have been the founder of Brittany. Evidence suggests that the sources for the Life originated in Wales. The text's compiler, Gurheden, says that his source for the information was one "Iuthael son of Aidan"; while the name ''Iuthael'' is a Brythonic name known in both Wales and Brittany, the

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

''Aidan'' is not attested in early Brittany, but is known in Wales. Additionally, Gurthiern's genealogy corresponds strongly with the descent elsewhere attributed to the Welsh saint

Cadoc Saint Cadoc or Cadog (; also Modern Welsh: Catawg or Catwg; born or before) was a 5th–6th-century Abbot of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorgan, Wales, a monastery famous from the era of the Celtic church as a centre of learning, wher ...

, further suggesting a Welsh origin.

The Dream of Macsen Wledig

Although the ''

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...

'' tale ''Breudwyt Macsen Wledic'' (''The Dream of Macsen Wledig'') is written in later manuscripts than Geoffrey's version, the two accounts are so different that scholars agree the Dream cannot be based purely on Geoffrey's version. The Dream's account also seems to accord better with details in the Triads, so it perhaps reflects an earlier tradition. Macsen Wledig, the Emperor of Rome, dreams one night of a lovely maiden in a wonderful, far-off land. Awakening, he sends his men all over the earth in search of her. With much difficulty they find the maiden in a rich castle in Wales,

Segontium Segontium () is a Roman fort on the outskirts of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, North Wales. Etymology The fort probably takes its name either directly from the Afon Seiont or from a pre-existing British settlement itself named for the river. The name ...

(

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...

), and lead the Emperor to her. Everything he finds is exactly as in his dream, including the presence of her young, '' gwyddbwyll''-playing brothers Cynan ( Conan Meriadoc) and Gadeon, as well as her father, king Eudaf Hen, son of Caradawc ( Caradog ap Bran). The maiden, whose name is Helen or ''Elen Llwyddawc'', accepts and loves him. Because Elen is found a virgin, Macsen gives her father sovereignty over the island of Britain and orders three castles built for his bride. In Macsen's absence, a new emperor seizes power and warns him not to return. With the help of men from Britain led by Cynan and Gadeon, Macsen marches across Gaul and Italy and recaptures Rome. In gratitude to his British allies, Macsen rewards them with a portion of Gaul that becomes known as Brittany.

Medieval Welsh Genealogies and Triads

Eudaf appears in a number of medieval Welsh genealogies and Triads including:

Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20

The lineage of Saint Cattwg (''Llyma weithon ach Cattwc sant'')

Kynan son of Eudaf son of Custenin son of Maxen son of Maximianus son of Constantinus son of Custeint.

Family of Cunedda (''Plant Cunedda'')

The wife of

Coel Hen Coel (Old Welsh: ''Coil''), also called ''Coel Hen'' (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tradition knew of a Coel Hen, a 4th-century leader in Roman Britain, Ro ...

was daughter of Gadeon son of Eudaf Hen (''Gwreic Coyl hen oed verch Gadeon m Eudaf hen vchot'').

Lineage of Morgan son of Owein (''Ach Morgan ab Owein'')

Gereint son of Erbin son of ustennin son ofKynwawr son of Tudwawl son of Gwrwawr son of Gadeon son of Cynan son of Eudaf Hen.

Genealogies from Mostyn MS. 117

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

son of Vthyr son of Kustenhin son of Kynuawr son of Tutwal son of Moruawr son of Eudaf son of Kadwr son of Kynan son of Karadawc son of Bran son of Llyr lletieith.

The North Britain Triads

These are the three times when the Lordship of Gwynedd went by the Distaff

One of them was Stradweul daughter of Gadean ap Cynan ab Eudaf ap Caradog ap Bran ap Llyr Llediaith; and this Stradweul wife of Coel Godebog was mother to Dyfrwr and mother to Ceneu son of Coel ().

Medieval Welsh Poetry

The Gododdin

The "daughter of Eudaf ''Hir'' (''the Tall'')" is mentioned briefly in the famous poem

Gododdin The Gododdin () were a Brittonic people of north-eastern Britannia, the area known as the Hen Ogledd or Old North (modern south-east Scotland and north-east England), in the sub-Roman period. Descendants of the Votadini, they are best known ...

Aneirin Aneirin (), also rendered as Aneurin or Neirin and Aneurin Gwawdrydd, was an early Medieval Brythonic war poet who lived during the 6th century. He is believed to have been a bard or court poet in one of the Cumbric kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd ...

: :A.67 (LXVII): : : : : :"Poetry as deserved for brilliant high hosts. :for the purpose of the courtly subjects of the mountain realm, :and the daughter of Tall Eudaf, here camethe violence of border fighting. :The breakers of countries were dressed in purple."

Lewis Glyn Cothi

The poet Lewis Glyn Cothi (''fl.'' 1447-86 CE), in an ode to Dafydd ap Sion of Gower, compares his subject to Macsen Wledig and his bride Gwenllian (daughter of Jenkin son of Owen) to Elen daughter of Eudaf: :XXXVI, ''I Davydd ap Sion, o Vro Wyr'', l. 51: :''Ail yw Gwenllian Elen verch Eudav'';Glyn Cothi, Lewis, Gwaith Lewis Glyn Cothi, Cymmrodorion Society, 1837, p. 118 : :"Gwenllian is a second Elen daughter of Eudaf"

References

{{Geoffrey of Monmouth British traditional history Britons of the North