Queen Gwendolen
Encyclopedia
Queen Gwendolen was a legendary ruler of Britain
, whose life is described in Geoffrey of Monmouth
's Historia Regum Britanniae
. According to Geoffrey, she was the wife of King Locrinus
of the Britons until she defeated him in battle and took on the leadership of Britain herself.
Gwendolen was the daughter of Corineus
of Cornwall
and was married to Locrinus
, with whom she had one son, Maddan
; however, Locrinus was in love with Estrildis
, the daughter of the king of Germany
whom he rescued from Humber the Hun
. When Corineus finally died, Locrinus left Gwendolen and married Estrildis
. Gwendolen fled to Cornwall and built up an army. She met Locrinus
in battle and defeated him.
Following Locrinus's death, Gwendolen took the throne and led in the manner her father had in Cornwall. She ordered the execution of Estrildis and her daughter Habren and named the river they were thrown into Severn (Habren). She reigned peacefully for fifteen years after Locrinus's death until she abdicated in favor of her son, Maddan. She lived the remainder of her life in Cornwall.
The Historia Regum Britanniae says that at the time of her death Samuel was judge in Judea
, Aeneas Silvius
was ruling Alba Longa
, and Homer
was gaining fame in Greece
.
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
, whose life is described in Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
. According to Geoffrey, she was the wife of King Locrinus
Locrinus
Locrinus was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the oldest son of Brutus and a descendant of the Trojans through Aeneas. Following Brutus's death, Britain was divided amongst the three sons, with Locrinus receiving the portion roughly equivalent to...
of the Britons until she defeated him in battle and took on the leadership of Britain herself.
Gwendolen was the daughter of Corineus
Corineus
Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall.According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain , he led the descendants of the Trojans who fled with Antenor after the Trojan War and settled on the coasts...
of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and was married to Locrinus
Locrinus
Locrinus was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the oldest son of Brutus and a descendant of the Trojans through Aeneas. Following Brutus's death, Britain was divided amongst the three sons, with Locrinus receiving the portion roughly equivalent to...
, with whom she had one son, Maddan
Maddan
Maddan was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of King Locrinus and Queen Gwendolen, who both ruled Britain separately....
; however, Locrinus was in love with Estrildis
Estrildis
Estrildis was the legendary daughter of the king of Germany according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. She was found in the ships of Humber the Hun after his defeat by Locrinus, son of Brutus. She was said to be the most beautiful woman of her time and Locrinus sought to marry her. Unfortunately,...
, the daughter of the king of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
whom he rescued from Humber the Hun
Humber the Hun
Humber the Hun was a legendary king of the Huns as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. According to Geoffrey, following the separation of Britain by Locrinus, Kamber, and Albanactus, Humber invaded Albany and killed Albanactus in open battle. The remaining people fled south where Locrinus allied...
. When Corineus finally died, Locrinus left Gwendolen and married Estrildis
Estrildis
Estrildis was the legendary daughter of the king of Germany according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. She was found in the ships of Humber the Hun after his defeat by Locrinus, son of Brutus. She was said to be the most beautiful woman of her time and Locrinus sought to marry her. Unfortunately,...
. Gwendolen fled to Cornwall and built up an army. She met Locrinus
Locrinus
Locrinus was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the oldest son of Brutus and a descendant of the Trojans through Aeneas. Following Brutus's death, Britain was divided amongst the three sons, with Locrinus receiving the portion roughly equivalent to...
in battle and defeated him.
Following Locrinus's death, Gwendolen took the throne and led in the manner her father had in Cornwall. She ordered the execution of Estrildis and her daughter Habren and named the river they were thrown into Severn (Habren). She reigned peacefully for fifteen years after Locrinus's death until she abdicated in favor of her son, Maddan. She lived the remainder of her life in Cornwall.
The Historia Regum Britanniae says that at the time of her death Samuel was judge in Judea
History of ancient Israel and Judah
Israel and Judah were related Iron Age kingdoms of ancient Palestine. The earliest known reference to the name Israel in archaeological records is in the Merneptah stele, an Egyptian record of c. 1209 BCE. By the 9th century BCE the Kingdom of Israel had emerged as an important local power before...
, Aeneas Silvius
Silvius
Silvius may refer to:* Alba Silvius, a Roman mythology king* Aeneas Silvius, a mythological king* Latinus Silvius, a mythological king* Romulus Silvius, a mythological king...
was ruling Alba Longa
Alba Longa
Alba Longa – in Italian sources occasionally written Albalonga – was an ancient city of Latium in central Italy southeast of Rome in the Alban Hills. Founder and head of the Latin League, it was destroyed by Rome around the middle of the 7th century BC. In legend, Romulus and Remus, founders of...
, and Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
was gaining fame in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
See also
- Woman warriorWoman warriorThe portrayal of women warriors in literature and popular culture is a subject of study in history, literary studies, film studies, folklore and mythology, gender studies, and cultural studies.-Archaeology:...
- List of women warriors in folklore
- GwendolenGwendolen- Meaning :Gwendolen is derived from the Welsh words "gwen" and "dolen". Both words have multiple possible meanings. The word "gwen" can mean "white", "fair" or "blessed". The word "dolen" can mean "ring", "bow" or less commonly "brow", or "hair"...