Daughters :

1. Gladus, i.e. Gwladys, in all lists. Wife of Gwynllyw and mother of Catwg. 2. Gwawr. In all lists. Wife of Elidr Lydanwyn and mother of Llywarch

Hen.

3. Eleri. The Meleri of Cogn., but Eleri in later lists; wife of Ceredig. 4. Arianwen. In all lists.

5. Triduael. The Tudeuel of Cogn. Vesp. Martyr at Merthyr Tydfil. 6. Winifred," called in some coppies Gurgon." The Gwenfrewi of one list of Brychan's daughters, in which Gwrgon also occurs (Iolo MSS., p. 140). 7. Cindreth," of some Mechel," i.e. Marchell or Mechell, wife of Gwrin Farfdrwch (Cogn. Vesp.). Her name, however, matches Ceindrych of the later lists.

8. Newin, i.e. Nyuein or Nefyn, wife of Cynfarch Gul, and mother of Urien Rheged.

9. Neuidh, the Hunyd or Nunidis of Cogn., wife of Tudwal Befr, and mother of Cynin.

10. Gleian, i.e. Luan or Lleian, wife of Gafran, and mother of Aeddan Fradog. 11. Macella. See 7.

12. Roscarrock omits this name; was probably unable to read it.

13. Gweadhydh, "in some coppies Gwawardhydh, the mother of Kenedir." The Gwenddydd of the later list. The mother of Cyndir was Ceingair (Rhiengar).

14. Goliudhed. The Goleu or Goleuddydd of the other lists.

15. Meldada,

mother of Cinfinn," not identified.

16. Keingir, mother of St. Kenedar." The Ceingair (Rhiengar) of the other lists.

17. Gwen, "mother of Sannan, the wife of Malgo Venedoticus." Gwen of Talgarth was granddaughter of Brychan, and wife of Llyr Merini. Cogn. Vesp. gives Sanan as daughter of Tudglid, wife of Cyngen. 18. Cenelin. The Cyneiddon or Cenedlon of the lists.

19. Clodfaith, probably Clydai. Clotfaith occurs once in the Welsh lists (Myv. Arch., p. 426), where she is confused with Gwen of Talgarth. 20. Hawistle, and (30) Hudwistle, reduplications of Hawystl or Tangwystl and Tutbistyl (Cogn. Dom.).

21. Towen. A blunder for Gwen.

22. Tibies, i.e. Tybïeu. Martyr at Llandebie.

23. Enuael.

The Enfail of the later lists. Probably a mistake for Tudful (Tydfil).

24. Elinedh, whom Giraldus calleth Almedha."

25. Elida, the Ilud of Cogn. Vesp. and Llud of the Jesus MS.

Juliana by Leland and William of Worcester.

26. Tideu. The Tydeu or Tydieu of the later lists.

She is called

27. Diganwen, and (28) Dwinwen, “July 13," are Dwynwen. January 25th is Festival of S. Dwynwen; July 13th, of S. Dogfan or Doewan. 29. Conoin, no other than Ceinwen, or Cain, the celebrated S. Keyne. 30. See 20.

31. Malken. Probably Mechell or Marchell.

There is a Life of S. Ninnocha, or Gwengastle, a saint of Brittany, contained in the Cartulary of Quimperlé, that states she was a daughter of Brychan, and that her mother's name was Meneduc :

Quidam vir nobilis fuit in Combronensia regione, Brochan nomine, ex genere Gurthierni, rex honorabilis valde in totam Britanniam . . . Ipse Brochanus accepit uxorem ex genere Scottorum, filiam Constantini regis, ex stirpe Juliani Caesaris, Meneduc nomine.

The Life was written in 1130, and is of little value. It teems with blunders. The regio Combronensia is probably Cambria, and not Cumbria or Cumberland, as Mr. Egerton Phillimore supposes.1 The Gurthiern to whom Brochan is akin is described in the Life of that saint, in the same Cartulary, as son of Bonus, son of Glou (Glywys), and traced back to Outham (Eudaf ?), son of Maximus (Macsen Wledig).

The wife from the Scots, or Irish, is a daughter of Constantine. The writer of the Life lived in the twelfth century, when it was forgotten that Scot signified Irish: and, as he knew that there had been a Constantine of Scotland, he made Brychan marry a daughter of the King of Alba of that name. In the Life, S. Patrick sends Germanus to the court of Brochan, but he is also visited by S. Columcille from Hy. The Germanus who did go to Wales died Bishop of Man in 474 (not he of Auxerre, who died 448), and S. Columcille in 598. Brychan can hardly have lived later than 500; consequently, we have here a pretty confusion. Brychan's wife Meneduc, and his daughter Gwengastle, or Ninnocha, are unknown to the Welsh.

These various lists by no means exhaust the number of children attributed to Brychan by the Welsh; e.g. in the Demetian Calendar 2 four more are mentioned: two sons, Gwynan and Gwynws; and two daughters, Callwen and Gwenfyl. 3

4

Brychan is said to have had three wives. In Cogn. Vesp. their names are given as Prawst, Rhibrawst, and Proistri; and in Cogn. Dom. as Eurbrawst, Rhybrawst, and Proestri. The last-named is elsewhere given as Peresgri and Prosori. 5 It is stated in the Iolo MSS. that Rhybrawst, his first wife, was his cousin, being the daughter of Meurig ab Tewdrig. Eurbrawst was "a daughter of a prince of Cornwall" by an emperor of Rome."7 Proistri, his third wife, was a Spaniard. 8

66

According to Welsh hagiology, Brychan's family forms one of the Three Saintly Tribes of Britain, the other two being those of Cunedda 1 Y Cymmrodor, xi, p. 100.

2 Denoted S.

Among other names and forms occurring in Peniarth MSS. 74, 75, and 178, are the following: Sons-Avallach, Kaian, Kain, Heilin, Lloyan, Llonio, Pabal, Rydderch; Daughters-Keindec, Clodfaith, Goleuvedd, Gwenllian, Tudwystl. In the Calendars in Peniarth MSS. 187 and 219 and Llyfr Plygain of 1618, against November 1, we have another daughter, Gwenrhiw.

4 Another Prawst was wife of Einion Yrth, the son of Cunedda. Another compound, Onbrawst, occurs.

5 Myv. Arch., p. 418; Iolo MSS., pp. 118, 119.

6 P. 147; on p. 119 she is said to have been Eurbrawst.

7 Dwnn, Heraldic Visitations, ii, p. 64.

8 Iolo MSS., p. 119.

and Caw. The most powerful and influential of the three was Cunedda's, and Brychan's next. His was the most Goidelic. One of the Triads credits him with having "given his children and grandchildren a liberal education, so that they might be able to show the Faith in Christ to the Nation of the Welsh, wherever they were without the Faith." 1 This Triad has been adduced to show how the names of some of the grandchildren have crept into the lists. The sons of Brychan were Saints in the Côrau of Garmon and Illtyd; and they afterwards formed a Côr with Bishop Dyfrig in the Wig on the Wye," 2 that is, Hentland, in Herefordshire, the foundation of which is ascribed to Brychan.3 Brynach the Goidel, who married his daughter Cymorth, or Corth, is said to have come over with him to this Island, and to have been his confessor (periglawr).4

Welsh tradition does not strictly confine Brychan's children to Wales. We are told that Neffei, Pabiali, and Pasgen, his sons by his Spanish wife, went to Spain. Cadog was buried in France, and Dyfnan in Ireland. Berwyn, or Gerwyn, founded a church in Cornwall. Nefydd was a bishop in the North; and Cynon went to Manaw.

Mr. Copeland Borlase is too sweeping when he says that the children of Brychan were merely natives of the country over which Brychan once ruled, and that they might be regarded in much the same way as when we speak of the Children of Israel; 5 and we believe the Cognatio de Brychan to be too early and trustworthy a document to enable us to quite dismiss the whole family as a "mythical progeny.' Drayton, whilst not denying the existence of twenty-four daughters to Brychan, says that they all underwent metamorphosis by becoming so many rivers. He is very probably incorporating some tradition, now lost. He says:

For Brecan was a Prince once fortunate and great
(Who, dying, lent his name to that his nobler seat)

With twice twelue daughters blest, by one and onely wife:

Who for their beauties rare, and sanctitie of life,

To Riuers were transform'd; whose pureness doth declare

How excellent they were, by beeing what they are:

Who dying virgins all, and Riuers now by Fate,

To tell their former loue to the vnmaried state,

To Seuerne shape their course, which now their forme doth beare;
Ere shee was made a flood, a virgine as they were,

And from the Irish seas with feare they still doe flie:

So much they yet delight in mayden companie.7

1 Myv. Arch., p. 402.

3 Ibid., p. 121.

5 Age of the Saints, p. 147.

6 Prof. Hugh Williams, Gildas, p. 27.

2 Iolo MSS., p. 120.

4 Ibid., pp. 121, 140.

Polyolbion, Second Part, p. 57, ed. 1622.

"6

It cannot be believed that the reputed children of Brychan were all really his. Welsh hagiology, as in the case of Cunedda and Caw, designates them his gwelygordd, a term which, in the Welsh Laws, means a tribe derived from one common ancestor; and in the Welsh Tribal System, the gwely was the family-group, embracing sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons. Some of those reputed to be sons of Brychan are known to have been grandchildren; and allowance must also be made for duplications, of which there are clearly some, as also for blunders on the part of copyists. This will considerably reduce the number of his progeny, as they appear in, especially, the later lists.

In any enumeration, however, of the children of Brychan, it must be borne in mind that there were several persons of the name known to Celtic hagiology. A King Brychan, with many children, who all, or nearly all, became saints, figures in Cornish, Breton, and Irish, as well as Welsh, hagiology. Mr. Egerton Phillimore has endeavoured to show that the best authenticated children in the Welsh lists are pretty clearly the children of at least two distinct Brychans: one belonging to Breconshire, the other to what is now Southern Scotland. The Breton Brychan he traces to Scotland,2 and thinks that he admits of being plausibly identified with one of the Brychans who together made up the composite Brychan of Welsh hagiology. The names of most of his children are not preserved; but Mr. Phillimore assigns to him the children who are in the Cognatio said to be connected with Cumbria or its neighbourhood. These are (1) his sons Cynon, Rhun, and Arthen, and his daughter Bethan, or Bechan, all said to be commemorated or buried in Mannia or Manaw (no doubt Manaw Gododin, stretching all along both sides of the Forth below Stirling); and (2) his four daughters who are said to have married Northern princes, viz. Gwrygon, Gwawr, Nyfain, and Lluan. The statement respecting Brychan's burial, he thinks, must needs also refer to a Northern, not to a strictly Welsh, Brychan. To this it might be added that there is some evidence of a Brycheiniog also in, apparently, Southern Scotland. 3

The tract on the Mothers of the Saints" in Ireland, attributed to Oengus the Culdee, but actually by MacFirbiss, says of Cynog, whom it calls Canoc: "Dina was his mother, daughter of a

1 Y Cymmrodor, xi, pp. 100, 101, 125. The Brychan ab Gwyngon mentioned in the note in Cambro-British Saints, p. 606, is a misreading for Bricon, son of Guincon (Book of Llan Dáv, p. 203).

2 The only authority for this is the Vita Sta. Ninnoche; but it does not state this, and is a most unreliable document. See what has already been said thereon. 3 Skene, Four Ancient Books, ii, p. 150.

Saxon king. She was the mother of ten sons by Bracan, king of Britain, son of Bracha Meoc: to wit, S. Mogoróc of Struthuir ; S. Mochonóc the Pilgrim of Cill-Mucraisse and of Gelinnia, in the region of Delbhna Eathra; Dirad of Edardruim; Duban of Rinndubhain alithir; Carennia of Cill-Chairinne; Cairpre the Pilgrim of Cill-Cairpre, Isiol Farannan; Iust in Slemnach Albaniæ; Elloc of Cill-Moelloc juxta Loch Garman; Pianus of Cill-Phian in Ossory; Coeman the Pilgrim in Cill-Coemain in regione Gesille and elsewhere. And she was also the mother of Mobeoc of Gleann Geirf; for he also was the son of Brachan, son of Bracha Meoc."

We will now give the list of the sons and daughters of Brychan who were reputed to have settled in East Cornwall.

William of Worcester, in 1478, visited Cornwall, and extracted the following from the Acts of S. Nectan, in a MS. he saw on S. Michael's Mount. It has been printed by Nasmith, but not correctly. We have been able to collate it with the original MS. preserved in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and we give the revised extract :— 2

Brokanus in partibus Walliarum regulus, fide et morum &c. per Gladewysam uxorem ejus genuit 24 filios et filias, et hiis nominibus vocabantur: (1) Nectanus, (2) Johannes, (3) Endelient, (4) Menefrede, (5) Delyan, (6) Tetha, (7) Maben, (8) Wentu, (9) Wensent, (10) Marwenna, (11) Wenna, (12) Juliana, (13) Yse, (14) Morwenna, (15) Wynip, (16) Wenheder, (17) Cleder, (18) Kery, (19) Jona, (20) Helye, (21) Canauc, (22) Kenheuder, (23) Adwen, (24) Tanclanc. Omnes isti filii et filiæ postea fuerunt Sancti et Martires vel Confessores, et in Devonia, vel Cornubia, heremeticam vitam ducentes; sicut enim inter omnes quorum vitæ meritis et virtutum miraculis Cornubiensis vel Devoniensis irradiatur ecclesia, beatus Nectanus primo genitus fuit, ita cæteris omnibus honestate vitæ major fuit, et prodigiorum choruscitate excellentior extitit.

Fuit in ultimis Walliarum partibis vir dignitate regulus, fide et morum honestate præclarus, nomine Brokannus, a quo provincia ipsa nomen sortita nuncupatur Brokannok usque in præsentem diem; hic itaque Brokannus, antequam ex uxore suâ Gladewysâ filium vel filiam genuisset, in Hiberniam profectus est, uxorem suam et omnia sua relinquens; timuerat enim ne si cum uxore suâ remaneret, generacionem ex eâ procrearet, quâ impediretur ne libere Domino servire potuisset. Mansit igitur in Hiberniâ 24 annis, bonis operibus intendens ; postea autem visitare patriam suam volens, rediit in Walliam, ubi uxorem

1 Colgan, Acta SS. Hib., i, p. 311. Of these the Martyrology of Donegal gives "Dubhan, son of Brachan, King of Britain, by Din, daughter of the King of Saxon-land," and Moghorog, son of Brachan, king of Britain, son of Brachaineoc by Dina, who was also mother of nine other saints." Shearman got his Brachaineoc from this. But the martyrologist misunderstood the title Brychan Brycheiniog for Brychan, son of Brycheiniog, instead of Prince of that territory.

2 William of Worcester wrote a most atrocious hand, and scribbled in his note-book as he saw anything that struck him. He probably intended to have made a fair copy, but never did this. Nicolas Roscarrock had a transcript sent him from the MS. of such portions as concerned the Cornish Saints, and we are able to check off our reading of the names by the reading sent to him.