Celtic Kingdoms of the British Isles

Guotodin (Gododdin / Lothian) (Romano-Britons)

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With the expulsion of Roman officials in AD 409 (see feature link), Britain again became independent of Rome and was not re-occupied. The fragmentation which had begun to emerge towards the end of the fourth century now appears to have accelerated. The modern city of Edinburgh is at the heart of the Lothian region, which itself is an ancient name. Traditionally, Lot was the first independent, post-Roman king of the region which bears his name, ruler of the Votadini tribe.

The hero-led Guotodin kingdom was probably created out of Coel Hen's 'Kingdom of Northern Britain' (see feature link). No names are put forward as Guotodin kings by tradition or early writings until after his powerful governance had ended. That death appears to have begun the gradual division of the Roman militarised north. It was also around this time that the southern section of Votadini territory seemingly became independent of the northern section, in the form of Bernaccia. The northern remainder - the Guotodin - probably had a border at Berwick, a scene of later conflict with the Bernician Angles.

It is possible that, prior to Coel Hen, the territory was initially part of Alt Clut, as some sources show its powerful first king, Coroticus, ruling here as well as farther west, possibly as a high king with a local sub-king who acknowledged his supremacy. The capital, or main fortress, seems to have been at Din Eidyn, with at least partial occupation which can be dated as early as 850 BC thanks to Bronze Age material being left behind.

This fortress may have survived the fall of the Guotodin for a short time, in the form of an enclave in the early seventh century. It was later referred to as Edinburgh by the Angles, the name being unchanged apart from the switch from the Brythonic to Germanic form of the word for 'fort' (although the older version still survives in Scots Gaelic as Dùn Éideann). It has been stated that the capital was a creation of the Angles, with King Edwin of Bernicia claiming the naming rights. This is clearly incorrect as the name was in use for the fortress prior to its capture (see the Annals of Ulster).

As with many British names, the Votadini tribal name became somewhat altered in the period between the tribe's first recording by the Romans in the first century AD and its emergence as an independent kingdom in the late fifth century. The exact shift is uncertain, but it probably did something like this: British 'votādin' (with a 'v' sound) to 'wotodin' (with a 'w' sound), and then to 'gwotodin' or 'guotodin' (with a 'gw' sound) - modern Welsh spells this sound 'gw', and Brezh (Breton) spells it 'gu'. The Old Welsh 'guotodin' was the version in use in the fifth to seventh centuries, which later became 'gododd-' (Middle and Modern Welsh, the plural being 'gododdin').

As mentioned above, the older form of the name is often used but with the 'u' and 'o' swapped around to produce Goutodin. That same 'w-' to 'gw-' transition can be seen in the name analysis for Clackmannan (see AD 305, above) - possibly the Gododdin's Gwanannon.

The kingdom could also call upon Traprain Law (Haddington in Lothian) to act as a substitute capital, which perhaps pre-dated Din Eidyn. This hill fort was abandoned in the fifth century. Also of note was the area of Manau (Manaw). The Manau Gododdin were a subsidiary of the main Guotodin people, located just beyond the Antonine Wall, around the Forth's headwaters, which provided a natural citadel at Stirling. Probably Venicones territory the first and second centuries, it was from here that Cunedda Wledig migrated to found Venedotia. Bede mentions Stirling as urbs Guidi, and this was adapted to provide the Firth of Forth with its early Welsh name of merin Iodeo, 'the sea of Iudeu'.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward Dawson, from The Landscape of King Arthur, Geoffrey Ashe, from Historic Figures of the Arthurian Era: Authenticating the Enemies and Allies of Britain's Post-Roman King, Frank D Reno, from The Gododdin: The Oldest Scottish Poem, Kenneth H Jackson, from The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland, W J Watson, from A History of Wales: Dinas Powys, Catraeth, and Llantwit Major, John Davies, from The Germanico-Celtic Isles, Norman Davies, from A History of the English Church and People, The Venerable Bede (Leo Sherley-Price translation - revised by R E Latham), and from the Etymological Glossary of Old Welsh, Alexander Falileyev.)

c.390

Cunedda Wledig (the latter word is the later Welsh for 'prince') and his branch of Romanised Venicones are transferred from the Manau dependency of the Votadini (Goutodin) kingdom, traditionally under the authority of Magnus Maximus (see feature link), although perhaps this is handled by Coel Hen of 'Northern Britain'.

He and his warband - plus potential followers, families, and subjects - are moved to the former territory of the Deceangli in north-western Wales to secure the region from Irish raiders, and it is here that they found the kingdoms of Venedotia and Ceredigion.

The northern border of Guotodin territory in the fifth century would probably have been at the eastern end of the Antonine Wall, shown here near Rough Castle, Falkirk, although the crest is fairly denuded in this modern photo (with the ditch on the right)

c.470

The Guotodin appear to become fully independent around this time. Independent of precisely whom is unclear, but the two main holders of regional authority are Ceretic Guletic of Alt Clut (and his grandson, Dumnagual Hen), and Coel Hen in Ebrauc.

The old ways are probably returning faster in the north than in the south, in regions which are more often governed by generals than magistrates (the latter often emerging as regional rulers in the south). Despite this drift away from centralised rule, the nascent kingdoms are probably still under the authority of men who are more Roman general than Celtic king.

They are most likely regimented and authoritarian, and the ruler of Ebrauc, capital of the north, is probably recognised as being the first amongst equals. Hadrian's Wall is still guarded, although it is rarely needed as a boundary marker, given that the people of Alt Clut and Guotodin on the other side are now reliable allies. The Votadini hill fort of Traprain Law (Haddington in Lothian) is abandoned in this century, seemingly replaced by Din Eidyn as the capital.

This map of Britain concentrates on British territories and kingdoms which were established during the fourth and fifth centuries AD, as the Saxons and Angles began their settlement of the east coast (click or tap on map to view full sized)

c.470 - c.490

'King of Gododdin' in later tradition. First independent king?

King Lot 'of the Host' should not be confused with Llew ap Cynfarch, king of Caer-Guendoleu (from 573). Even so he is known (appropriately) by a host of variations of his name, including Lewdwn, Luddoc, Leudonus, and Lot Luwddoc, perhaps confirming his popularity as the leader of a great host (a large and powerful warband).

He is able to trace his (fairly obscure) lineage back to High King Caradog, king of the Catuvellauni, and he rules the Guotodin from Traprain Law, the traditional capital, while the later region of Lothian continues to bear his name.

c.490 - c.510

Son (Gawain of the Green Knight story). Abandoned kingdom?

c.490

Gawain appears to rule Guotodin from a distance, being found first in Rheged and then in Wales (although his appearance in the latter region may only be attributed to him by bards who bring the stories of the 'Men of the North' with them to Mervyn Frach's new court at Gwynedd in 825).

He is also the hero of the medieval tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. His apparent absence either allows Bran Hen of Bernaccia to take control, or he hands the care of the kingdom to Bran.

Gawain of the Guotodin is perhaps one of the most famous of Arthur's 'Knights of the Round Table', but his origins seem to lay in the Lothian region, although his actual presence there seems to have been extremely limited

c.510 - c.560

Brother of Cuncar of Bernaccia. Also king there.

c.500 - 540?

Morgan Bulc accedes to the kingship of Bernaccia, apparently at young age, when his childless uncle, Bran Hen, dies (or perhaps hands the kingdom to him from his own apparent base in Guotodin).

547

To the south, the British kingdom of Bernaccia is seized by those Angles who have been serving as laeti, and the ruling king, Morgan Bulc, is forced out. He takes refuge with the Guotodin, shifting his power base to the immediate north of his own former kingdom, and becomes its ruler after Gawain absents the kingdom and Bran Hen dies.

c.560 - al.590

Last British king of Bernaccia. Mentioned in 579 & 586.

Son. Possibly confused with Cynan.

590

Elmet and Rheged form a confederation of British kings, primarily based and operating in the north. Morcant Bulc and Rhiderch Hael of Alt Clut both join the confederation in operations against the Angles, and are present at the siege of Ynys Metcaut (Lindisfarne) in this year.

The Bernicians are almost driven out of Britain but the confederation falls apart when Morcant has Urien Rheged assassinated, fearing his great power should the Britons win the war against the invaders. His act fatally weakens the British cause in the north.

At the start of this period, the Angle and Saxon kingdoms on the east and south coasts were firmly established. Many of the rapidly-formed Romano-British territories in those areas had been swept away in the late fifth century (click or tap on map to view full sized)

The subsequent defeat and disappearance of Morcant removes him entirely from history (he is not mentioned again even as a ruler of Guotodin, so it is possible that he is killed either by someone from Rheged, or by the Bernicians, or even by his own warband).

The final two British kings of the Guotodin appear to rule simultaneously, Cynan claiming Lothian and Mynyddog claiming Din Eidyn. As the latter may be the capital of Lothian, could Mynyddog, with all his wealth, be the overlord of the entire region, or has it been divided equally between the two men, perhaps into east and west Lothian? The latter would certainly be in line with traditional behaviour.

fl c.597

King of Lothian. Fought Bernician Angles at Catreath.

Son of Coledauc.

fl c.597

King of Din Eidyn. Fought Bernician Angles at Catreath.

Mynyddog is this king's given name, while Mwynfawr can be ignored as a nickname or 'fame' name. Mynyddog breaks down into 'myny' and 'ddog'. The former appears to be the Old Welsh 'minn' and 'mynn-' meaning 'to want or claim'; and 'ddog' is a deity name which is unrecorded in Britain but which is known as Dagda from the Irish.

The isle of Lindisfarne, or Ynys Metcaut to the British, remained the fortress by which the Angles held onto their kingdom in the face of repeated British attacks, but Din Guayroi or Guarie (Bamburgh Castle) shown here may have been another

The combination probably means 'claimed by Ddog (Dagda)'. The deity name itself simply means 'good', which could typically lead to quite a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour: Dag, Ddag, and Dog being cross-punned as the Welsh word for good, 'da'. For example, this makes Cunedda of Venedotia both 'good hound' and 'hound of (the good) deity, Ddog'.

Welsh form of Arthur, one of many so named in 500s.

c.597

Y Gododdin is a long series of elegies composed in Old Welsh from the early seventh century onwards, principally by Aneirin, son of Dunaut of Dunoting. It commemorates a force of Britons who assemble near Din Eidyn at this time in preparation for facing their powerful foe.

It includes not only the still-wealthy and aggressively strong Guotodin themselves, but warriors from all over the country, including 'three chiefs of Novant', clearly the nearby Novantae in post-Roman form (and also an unknown number of peasant militia who are not worthy of mention in a grand poem).

After attending 'churches for shriving, true is the tale, death confronted them' - clearly the British Church exists here - this force marches south to fight the Angles at Catreath (generally accepted as being modern Catterick, approximately eighty kilometres north of Ebrauc). It seems strange that they should march past Bamburgh on their way, the capital of the early Bernician kingdom, but perhaps not if they are making an attempt to reclaim the lost capital of the North, Ebrauc.

The attack against the Angles at the end of the sixth century appears to have been a last-ditch attempt by the semi-Romanised Britons to rid the land of these invaders - and it failed, albeit gloriously

The battle seems to take place during an attack against the Roman fort near the strategic road junction now called Scotch Corner, by the south bank of the Swale at Catterick Bridge. Gwawrddur is praised for 'glutting black ravens on the wall of the fort, though he was not Arthur' (a term used to denote great slaughter of the enemy, but even so this warrior is still not a match for Britain's heroic battle leader of the previous century).

Ultimately, the battle is a disaster for the Britons. The flower of the northern British warrior class is decimated by the superior numbers of the Bernicians or Deirans. Guotodin, as well as the other kingdoms of the north, probably including Elmet, are all fatally weakened by the defeat.

?

Unknown survivor of Catreath. Ruled (truncated?) kingdom.

638

The events of around 597, as chronicled in the Gododdin, sound the death knell for the kingdom. Unable to recover from this, the Annals of Ulster note pithily 'the battle of Glenn Muiresan and the besieging of Eten' - Din Eidyn.

No more is mentioned, not even the outcome of the battle or subsequent siege. The monks on Iona record that the attacker is Domnal Brecc of Dál Riata, and defeat for the Britons is clearly implied as the battle leads to the siege. Din Eidyn apparently falls to Oswald of Bernicia (soon afterwards, it seems), and notably the Irish annals use a variant of its name - Eten - to help the case against 'Din Eidyn' being an invention of the Angles.

Expelled from Bernicia by Edwin of Deira in AD 616, Oswald and his brother, Oswiu, sought refuge on Iona where they converted to Christianity - Oswald brought it back with him when he became king of Bernicia

Possibly the siege ends in a surrender rather than a storming of the fort. If the site of Din Eidyn is Castle Rock in modern Edinburgh then a siege and successful storming would be a formidable feat indeed.

The death of Northumbrian King Oswald in 642 possibly sparks a contest between the northern powers for control of the Firth of Forth and the Guotodin lands. Owain of Alt Clut and Domnal Brecc of Dál Riata fight at Strathcarron, to the east of Din Eidyn, and the Annals of Ulster mention a battle between Oswald's successor and a band of unnamed Britons - possibly Alt Clut again (or even the remnants of the Guotodin themselves).

Either way, the Northumbrians generally rule the territory directly until 671, when a sub-kingdom named Dunbar is formed. Clearly, thanks to Northumbria's retention of Dunbar in the seventh century, the Angles hold on to their newly-gained territory.