wales

Brycheiniog This small kingdom was founded as an offshoot of the Irish Déisi kingdom of Dyfed. It was centred on Garth Madryn in the modern Brecon Beacons with a chief settlement at Talgarth (or Talgar in the twelfth century), and it gained its name from that of its first independent king. Its territory in south-east Wales was neighboured to the north by Powys, to the east by Gwent, to the south by Cernyw (and later Glywyssing), and to the west by Dyfed. The modern word 'Brecon' is the English version of Brycheiniog. As mentioned, the kingdom was named after King Brychen, which was taken from the word 'briych', meaning 'freckled'. The '-iog' suffix is roughly equivalent to the English '-ed', so the people here were roughly (and amusingly) the 'freckled of the freckled' - in other words, Brychen's followers.. Traditionally, Brychen himself was born in Ireland, the son of a minor tribal king named Anlach, and moved with his parents to Wales. This ties in with the settling of the Irish Déisi in south-west Wales who took over command of the British territory of Demetia, although Anlach's pedigree would suggest that he was already in Wales, given that his grandfather had been the son of the leader of the Déisi exodus from Ireland. Instead, Anlach's own 'moving to Wales' should perhaps be seen more in the context of his recent ancestors having moved there and his own grandfather having migrated further east into Garthmadrun (although see an alternative at circa 450, below). When Brychen was made king upon the death of his father, the area of Garthmadrun (or Garth Madrun, both older spellings of the modern Garth Madryn) was renamed Brycheiniog in his honour. This suggests that Anlach himself was not the territory's king. Instead he was probably a sub-king, governing Garthmadrun for the core Déisi to the west. The kingdom's early capital was on a crannog at Llangorse, built by an Irish master builder to display the king's proud Irish heritage. Crannogs were unknown at this time outside Pictland (modern Scotland) or Ireland, and this is the only one of its kind in all of Wales. Luxury goods from around the world were imported here, and the kingdom's treasure was discovered in the waters around the crannog as recently as the 1970s. Unfortunately, the settlement was destroyed by an Anglo-Saxon raid just two decades after being built, and was abandoned (if only temporarily). (Additional information by Edward Dawson, from A Study of Breconshire Place-Names, Richard Morgan & R F Peter Powell 1999, from Llyfr Baglan (The Book of Baglan), from Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400, Peter Bartrum, from the BBC documentary series, The Story of Wales, first broadcast 3 October 2012, and from External Links: St Catwg's Church, and Catholic Online, and Ancient Wales Studies.)
fl c.405	Urb mac Aed		Son of Aed Brosc, leader of the Déisi in Demetia.
fl c.410	Cormac mac Urb / Cornac		Son. Migrated into Garthmadrun from Dyfed with his father.
c.420	Anlach marries Marchel, whom Celtic works describe as the 'heiress of Garthmadrun'. The same works give Anlach's father as Cornac or Coronac, who is generally linked to Cormac mac Urb of the Déisi. Given the calculation that the Déisi had arrived in Dyfed around AD 300, this would give them ample time to become integrated into the regional nobility and for their leading sons to marry the offspring of the surviving Brito-Welsh nobility, hence Anlach's marriage to Marchel. The fluctuating fortunes of the kingdom of Brycheiniog took place in the dramatic landscape of the Brecon Beacons in south-eastern Wales
	Marchel's Her status as 'heiress' would suggest that Garthmadrun is a parcel of territory that has been assigned to her from a larger territory, most likely the 'Kingdom of Mid-South Wales'.
fl c.420	Anlach mac Cormac		Son. 'King'.
c.450	Anlach has probably not been a king in his own right in Garthmadrun, but a sub-king or regional governor for the core Déisi to the west. His death means that he is succeeded by his son, Brychen, and it is now that the territory seemingly becomes an independent kingdom. Garthmadrun is renamed Brycheiniog to show that it is now firmly the land of Brychen and his followers. Celtic works generally state that Brychen is born in Ireland and that his father brings the family to Wales. While this seems to be more of a generalised remembrance of the Déisi exodus from Ireland six generations previously, at least one large group of Déisi had remained in Ireland. This is the Déisi of southern Munster, and some of those Déisi who had been expelled from Tara joined their southern cousins. It is possible that links survived between them and the Déisi who migrated to Dyfed, and that families could easily pass between both settlements. That would certainly allow Anlach's father or grandfather to return to Ireland and for Anlach, and later Brychen, to be born there and yet still be in Wales at a later date.
c.450 - c.490	Brychen Brycheiniog (St)		Son. Kingdom founder. Daughter married Gwynlliw of Gwynllg.
c.470	It is said that the royal domain at Llangorse, built on a crannog that still survives in Brecenan Mere, is attacked by a Saxon raid and is destroyed. Brychen is forced to abandon it, probably for the better-known Talgarth (although it is later re-occupied by the royal family). However, Saxon raiders this far west in this century are extremely unlikely unless they arrive by sea and venture up the valleys from the direction of the Bristol Channel. The Britons are already fighting a war on the east coast, after losing Ceint, so there is little chance of Saxons being able to roam across the countryside. Much more likely is a raid by Irish warriors, who still roam the coastline picking off unwary victims. Even their raid up into the hills of Brycheiniog would be a considerable effort. (alternatively, this event could be a misremembering or confusion of the Mercian raid of 916 - see below). Whilst the Catholic Church describes Brychen as a saint, relevant literature does not, instead referring to him as a patriarch. Even in the earliest sources he is credited as being the father of at least twelve children, with later sources claiming well over twenty, many of whom become saints with links to Manau or Cornwall.
fl c.480s?	Rein ap Brychan?		Son (?).
	The timeline for the kings of Brycheiniog is largely calculated from a rough approximation of generation succession.  Peniarth Ms 131, 299 contains the second known king, Rhain Dremrydd (or Dremrudd), but specifies him as Rhain son of an unnamed son of Brychen, inserting an extra generation between them. Brychen himself is given dates as variable as AD 400 and AD 490, so there seems to be plenty of room for an extra generation. The researcher and genealogist Peter Bartrum (1907-2000) in his Welsh genealogies had removed this extra generation, thereby supplying the more normally-quoted pedigree for the kingdom. De Situ Brecheniauc does mention a Rein ap Brychan who is usually taken as Rhain Dremrudd but could equally be that Rhain's father, himself the son of Brychen. The appellation 'Dremrydd' could be used to distinguish the son from the similarly-named father.
fl c.495	Rhain Dremrydd (Red-Faced)		First son. Uncle of Cadwg, king of Gwynllg & Penychen.
fl c.510	Rigenew / Rigenau ap Rhein		Son.
fl c.540	Llywarch / Llowarch ap Rigenew		Son.
fl c.580	Idwallon ap Llywarch		Son.
fl c.620	Rhiwallon ap Idwallon		Son. Last male lineal descendant of Brychen.
c.640 - c.650	Ceindrych / Ceindrec ferch Rhiwallon		Daughter. Second marriage to Cloten of Dyfed.
c.650 - c.720	Ceindrych (Ceindrec, modern Catherine) marries her distant cousin, Cloten king of Dyfed, and for the space of three generations the two kingdoms are united. During the mid-eighth century, Dyfed is invaded by Seisyll, king of Ceredigion. He takes Ystrad Towy, and the dual kingdom of Rhein ap Cadwgn is split in two. Rhain is forced to divide the territory and the king's (possible) younger brother is granted Brycheiniog.
fl c.715	Rhein ap Cadwgn ap Caten ap Cloten		King of Dyfed & Brycheiniog.
fl c.720	Awst / Aust ap Cadwgn		Brother? Granted Brycheiniog as his own domain.
fl c.730	Tewdos / Teuder / Tewdr ap Rhein		Second son of Rhein. Same as King Tewdos of Dyfed?
c.730	The precise status of the kingdom at this time is open to some question. Three of the sons of Rhein ap Cadwgn of Dyfed appear to divide Brycheiniog between themselves (probably following the death of Rhein himself). Some of their immediate descendants are referred to as 'king', but seem more likely to be lords of cantrefi (districts containing a hundred settlements) or commotes (one third or a half of a cantref). Cantref Selyf contains the small settlement of Battle, but despite misconception this was not named for the battle between the Norman lord, Bernard de Neufmarché, and three Welsh kings in 1070 but for the bequest of the land to Battle Abbey in Sussex
	Naufedd Hen is known to hold Cantref Selyf and probably also has Cantref Talgarth, these forming the northern and eastern sections of Brycheiniog. Tewdos is more usually shown as the king of Brycheiniog (although in light of this division of territory he may hold no more right to such a grand claim than either of his peers and apparent equals), but may only hold Cantref Mawr, lying to the west of Talgarth and forming southern Brycheiniog. Elisse probably holds his father's manor plus scattered manors within the lordships of his brothers, making him the junior lord out of the three.
fl c.735		Naufedd Hen (the Old) ap Rhein	Brother. Cantref Selyf and probably Talgarth.
fl c.735		Elisse ap Rhein	Brother. Various scattered manors in Brycheiniog.
fl c.735		Elwystl / Elisse ap Awst	Cousin and rival claimant. Murdered by Teuder.
c.735 - c.750	Elwystl is a bit of a problem as he often seems to be confused with an Elisse ap Tewdwr, son of the King Tewdos shown above. There is also an Elisse ap Rhein, brother of Tewdwr, just to make matters even more confused. Which leaves the question of just what is held by Elisse ap Awst. An Elisse is shown in Jesus College MS 20 with a daughter named Sanant, but his father is not shown, meaning that he could be any of the three candidates (although more probably the two elder candidates only). Sanant marries Noe of Powys (born around AD 735), who has also been referred to as Nowy Hen ap Teuder (son of Teuder, or more probably son-in-law, given the marriage just mentioned). Could both instances of an Elisse be one and the same man? This is the most likely explanation given the similarities in their dates. Both would have been old enough in 730 to already have a daughter who could marry the successor of all of the various ruling Dyfed kings and princes of their generation. Under Nowy Hen the kingdom seems to return to a single supreme ruler (if this had not already been the case under the sons of Tewdos, with one of them holding superiority over the others).
fl c.750	Nowy Hen (the Old) ap Tewdr		Son of Teuder. Descendant of Cadell Ddyrnllwg of Powys.
c.770	The son (with reservations - see c.735) of Tewdos ap Rhein, Nowy Hen is a ninth generation descendant from Cadell Ddyrnllwg of fifth century Powys, via his son Cyngen Glodrydd. Nowy has three sons by Sanant ferch Elisse, these being Gryffydd, Tewdos, and Cathen or Caten. The existence of three sons raises again the possibility of them being granted portions of the kingdom although nothing is mentioned in surviving texts. Nowy Hen himself certainly rules in Cantref Selyf and probably in Cantref Talgarth (as long as this isn't a confusion with the earlier Naufedd Hen, his uncle). As Gryffydd is the elder of the sons then he inherits Cantref Selyf and probably Cantref Talgarth (if such a division exists). Tewdos may be lord of Cantref Mawr, with Cathen holding the remaining portions.
fl c.770	Gryffydd / Gruffudd ap Nowy		Son.
fl c.800	Tewdr ap Gryffydd		Son.
c.840 - al.896	Elisedd / Ellis(e) ap Tewdr		Son. Asked Alfred of Wessex for aid against Anarawd Gwynedd.
848	King Ithael of Gwent is killed in battle against Elisedd, perhaps sparking a feud that soon draws in Glywyssing's king, Hywel ap Rhys. The feud develops further in the 850s.
856 - 886	In this period, Hywel ap Rhys of Glywyssing comes into conflict with Elisedd ap Tewdr over the districts of Ystrad Yw (Crickhowell, now in southern Powys but seemingly inside the border of Brycheiniog in the ninth century) and the remnant of Ewyas (adjoining Ystrad-Yw, Gwent had succeeded to Ewyas before its subsequent division as Ercing and then its loss to the Mercians by the ninth century). The territories are claimed by Hywel as the rightful possession of Glywyssing (although the claim seems dubious, as only its eastern neighbour, Gwent, could lay any realistic claim to Ewyas, and Hywel's familial relationship to Gwent's kings should not change this). Brycheiniog has already transferred its claim to those lands to Cadell, the king of South Wales (probably Cadell ap Rhodri of Seisyllwg, who also holds Builth), so Hywel is forced to relinquish his right to them and has to set the boundary of his kingdom at Ystrad Yw. It is here that boundary stones have been raised and the town and castle of Cerrig Hywel (Gerrig Hywel, or 'the stones of Hywel') has been constructed. The latter is later considered to be in Brycheiniog. This forms the boundary between Hywel and Cadell during the former's lifetime.
896	Vikings have been wintering at Quatford (near Bridgnorth in Shropshire, part of western Mercia), but in the spring of this year they ravage the kingdoms of Brycheiniog, Gwent, and the Gwynllg region of Glywyssing. Asser records that Elisedd requests help from Alfred of Wessex, but another reason for this may also be due to pressure from Anarawd ap Rhodri, the powerful king of Gwynedd and Deheubarth who is keen on expanding his areas of control. Hyfaidd ap Bledrig of Dyfed may be another southern Welsh king who, during his lifetime, similarly appeals to Alfred for aid and support to ward off Anarawd. The Vikings found quarters at Quatford in Mercia, occupying a commanding position over the valley of the River Severn (just half a mile from the view shown here), and building a burgh which may have formed the basis of the later Norman castle
fl c.900	Tewdr ap Elisedd		Son.
fl c.910	Gryffydd ap Elisedd		Brother.
916	Having submitted to Alfred of Wessex for help in the late ninth century, Brycheiniog has largely been seen as that kingdom's vassal. Now Deheubarth to the west is on the rise and Brycheiniog finds itself being tugged in both directions. Æthelflaed, lady of the Mercians, now invades and captures the royal domain at Llangorse, on 19 June. The queen and various others are taken, she presumably being the wife of Gryffydd, although precise dates for most of Brycheiniog's kings are unavailable. What happens to the captives is not known. This event could alternatively be placed in the reign of Gryffydd's successor, Tewdr Brycheiniog.
c.920	After being crushed by Mercia, the increasing supremacy of Deheubarth in South Wales forces Brycheiniog to submit some of its power and it effectively becomes a sub-kingdom. Tewdr Brycheiniog still exercises regional power though, being witness to an English charter of 934. There seems to be some confusion about his parentage however. Bartrum calls him the son of Elisse, but it is unclear whether this is the Elisse of the period before 885 or a son or grandson of his.
c.920 - aft 934	Tewdr Brycheiniog ap Gryffydd		Son. Witnessed an English charter in 934.
fl c.950	Gwylog ap Tewdr		Son.
fl c.970	Elisedd / Elisse ap Gwylog		Son.
? - c.1045	Gryfydd / Gruffudd ap Elisedd		Son. Last king of a united Brycheiniog.
c.1045	Upon the death of Gryfydd, his lands are divided between his three sons, as lords of Cantref Selyf, Cantref Tewdos and Cantref Talgarth. The eldest of those sons is, confusingly, named Selyf. Is he named for the cantref or vice versa, and if the latter then what has been the cantref's name until this point? Effectively, these three cantrefi are now part of the kingdom of Deheubarth.
c.1045 - ?	Selyf ap Gryfydd		Son. Lord of Cantref Selyf. Possibly also of Talgarth.
?	Dryffin ap Selyf		Son. Lord of Cantref Selyf?
1055 - 1063	Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd invades and conquers neighbouring Gwent, along with Morgannwg, subjugating them both and drawing them directly under his control along with Deheubarth as part of a united Wales. Following his death, united Wales breaks up, and independent control of Morgannwg and Gwent is re-established.
?	Maenrych ap Dryffin		Son. Lord of Cantref Selyf?
1066?	Apparently ruling at least part of Brycheiniog at this point in time (and quite possibly earlier) is a fairly mysterious 'King Bleddyn' of Brycheiniog. His pedigree as given by Llyfr Baglan shows a descent from the fifth century Caradog Freichfras (or Freich Fras) of Gwent. The presence of someone with links to Gwent is unexplained, but the most reasonable theory is that one or more of the three cantrefi of Brycheiniog has fallen into the hands of Gwent's nobility in the period after circa 1045. Despite the similarity in names, His father and grandfather, Maenrych and Driffin, should not be confused with the Maenrych and Dryffin who are lords of Cantref Selyf in the same century.
1066? - 1070	Bleddyn ap Maenrych ap Driffin		Son of (a) Maenrych. Not paternally related to the former kings.
1070	Earl William FitzOsbern of Hereford invades the kingdom and defeats 'three kings of South Wales', although none of these hail from Brycheiniog. 'King Bleddyn' of Brycheiniog is defeated by Bernard de Neufmarché (Newmark in its English form). It seems from claims made by Bernard in 1088 that he conquers the entire kingdom and sees it as his own domain (and he apparently goes on to slay Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr of Deheubarth in 1093). The Norman conquest of Britain owed much to good fortune, but once achieved it was enforced by military strength and a prolific castle-building programme
?	Rhiwallon ap Maenrych		Son of Maenrych. Lord of Cantref Selyf?
?	Madog ap Rhiwallon		Son. Lord of Cantref Selyf?
?	Einion ap Madog		Son. Lord of Cantref Selyf?
fl 1095/1100	Trahaearn Fawr ap Einion		Son. Lord of Cantref Selyf.
1088 - 1095	The Normans are gradually increasing their involvement in the affairs of southern Wales. By 1088 they have conquered the cantrefi of Selyf (under its last native lord, Trahaearn Fawr), Tewdos, and Talgarth, signalling the end of Brycheiniog. Talgarth is captured before 1088, although a precise date seems to be unknown. The region's lands and cantrefi are amalgamated into the lordship of Brecknock (the Anglo-Norman approximation of Brycheiniog) which itself is largely subject to the Mortimer family which dominates the Welsh Marches. Castle Dinas is an early Norman fortress which controls entry further into the lordship. Brecknock later forms the larger southern section of the county of Brecknockshire (from 1535), although the Welsh form of its name, Sir Frycheiniog, is much closer to the original name ('sir' being the Welsh form of 'shire', this being the Old English word for the Norman 'county'). The 1974 reorganisation of county councils sees Brecknockshire merged with Powys, although after 1996 it exercises a degree of decentralised regional authority as the borough of Brecknock.

Cado, King of DumnoniaCado

Cado, King of DumnoniaCado, King of Dumnonia

(c.AD 482-537)
(Welsh: Cadwy; Latin: Cadorius; English: Cador)

Cado appears in Arthurian literary sources as Cador, Earl of Cornwall. He is first mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (1136); but, by 1457, his title had mistakenly transformed him into King Arthur's elder maternal half-brother, the son of Gorlois, variously called Duke of Tintagel or Earl of Cornwall.

In fact, Cado succeeded his father, Gerren Llyngesoc, as King of Dumnonia. His main stronghold was probably the hillfort of South Cadbury in Somerset where Leslie Alcock has excavated a sub-Roman (5th/6th century) gateway and large feasting hall. The name means "Cado's Fort" and was, no doubt, one of Cado's many palaces, despite the excavators' attempts to link the site with King Arthur's Camelot. Tintagel may have been a more southerly Summer residence.

The ageing Arthur was Cado's maternal cousin as well as his Over-King and, according to literary tradition, the two fought together many times against the Saxons and other enemies, including the famous Seige of Mount Badon.

Arthur visited Cado often in the West Country, usually staying with his friend and subordinate at (Caer or) Din-Draithou, now known as Dunster in West Somerset. It was while here that St. Carannog arrived looking for his floating altar, which he had promised to follow and preach wherever it landed. Arthur would only reveal it's whereabouts if Carannog would rid Dumnonia of a terrible dragon that was terrorising the people of Carrrum (Carhampton). St. Carannog quickly despatched the serpent, and the High-King was forced to hand over the altar which he had been trying to use as a table. Carannog was given Carrum by the two Kings in gratitude for his efforts. Cado was also instrumental in restoring Queen Guinevere to her throne after she had been kidnapped by his love-sick subordinate, Sub-King Melwas of Glastening (what became Somerset).

Cado was great friends with his brother-in-law, King Carodog Freichfras (Strong-Arm) of Gwent (Wales) & Vannetais (Brittany). He was with Caradog when the latter confronted the evil wizard, Eliafres, about his parentage. Eliafres refused to answer Caradog's accusations and caused a serpent to entwine itself around the young man's arm. It took the combined strength of Cado and Caradog's first wife to remove the creature, and henceforth, poor Caradog became known as Briefbras or "short arm"!

Cado probably died at the beginning of the 6th century. Traditionally this was at the Battle of Camlann (AD 537), after which he was buried in the Condolden (or Cadon) Barrow near Camelford in Cerniw.

(c.AD 482-537)
(Welsh: Cadwy; Latin: Cadorius; English: Cador)

Cado appears in Arthurian literary sources as Cador, Earl of Cornwall. He is first mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (1136); but, by 1457, his title had mistakenly transformed him into King Arthur's elder maternal half-brother, the son of Gorlois, variously called Duke of Tintagel or Earl of Cornwall.

In fact, Cado succeeded his father, Gerren Llyngesoc, as King of Dumnonia. His main stronghold was probably the hillfort of South Cadbury in Somerset where Leslie Alcock has excavated a sub-Roman (5th/6th century) gateway and large feasting hall. The name means "Cado's Fort" and was, no doubt, one of Cado's many palaces, despite the excavators' attempts to link the site with King Arthur's Camelot. Tintagel may have been a more southerly Summer residence.

The ageing Arthur was Cado's maternal cousin as well as his Over-King and, according to literary tradition, the two fought together many times against the Saxons and other enemies, including the famous Seige of Mount Badon.

Arthur visited Cado often in the West Country, usually staying with his friend and subordinate at (Caer or) Din-Draithou, now known as Dunster in West Somerset. It was while here that St. Carannog arrived looking for his floating altar, which he had promised to follow and preach wherever it landed. Arthur would only reveal it's whereabouts if Carannog would rid Dumnonia of a terrible dragon that was terrorising the people of Carrrum (Carhampton). St. Carannog quickly despatched the serpent, and the High-King was forced to hand over the altar which he had been trying to use as a table. Carannog was given Carrum by the two Kings in gratitude for his efforts. Cado was also instrumental in restoring Queen Guinevere to her throne after she had been kidnapped by his love-sick subordinate, Sub-King Melwas of Glastening (what became Somerset).

Cado was great friends with his brother-in-law, King Carodog Freichfras (Strong-Arm) of Gwent (Wales) & Vannetais (Brittany). He was with Caradog when the latter confronted the evil wizard, Eliafres, about his parentage. Eliafres refused to answer Caradog's accusations and caused a serpent to entwine itself around the young man's arm. It took the combined strength of Cado and Caradog's first wife to remove the creature, and henceforth, poor Caradog became known as Briefbras or "short arm"!

Cado probably died at the beginning of the 6th century. Traditionally this was at the Battle of Camlann (AD 537), after which he was buried in the Condolden (or Cadon) Barrow near Camelford in Cerniw.

THE TOWER OF THE WHITE CHEVALIER.

THE TOWER OF THE WHITE CHEVALIER.

 “ Come on! Who cares for ghost or devil 1 ’’ There was a rush into the room, then a cry from those nearest the door. “ Take care ! The floor ! ” But it was too late. The loosened boards gave way, and down went a dozen men, Michaud among them, through a yawning gulf clear to the ground-floor.
“ Back ! back ! The tower is falling ! ” was the

cry, while the shrieks of the men below added to the confusion. The tower was at once deserted, %nd we presently heard sounds which told us that flie fallen men were being rescued from amid the ruins of the floor.
“ To the cellars ! ” cried now the voice of Pierre Le Febre. “ Let us taste the old chevalier’s wine and brandy.”
“ Good, Pierre 1 ” said Andrew. “ Once let them get among the casks and bottles and we are safe.
But it is time we were stirring. Aunt, can you walk ? ”
“ Oh, yes 1 I can do anything you wish,” answered my mother in the same calm way. She seemed to have all her wits about her, but she did not speak unless we spoke to her.
“ Come, then,” and he opened the door of the secret passage into which pussy led the way, majestically waving his tail and looking back as if to say, “Come on, and fear nothing! You are under my protection.” I went first, after I had lighted the lantern, then came my mother, and lastly Andrew.
We had just reached the level of the chapel, and were about passing the door which led into it, when Blanchon, the cat, stopped, growling fiercely. In another moment a light shone through the opened door; the next Blanchon sprang forward with his wild, unearthly yell of onset, and flung himself into the face of a man who had just put his head through the opening. There was a scream of quite another character, and the man fled stumbling and falling on his way out, while Blanchon came back to us with the loud purr which was his way of expressing complacency.
“Good cat,” said Andrew. “That man won’t find his way back in a hurry, but someone else may. Hold up the light, Vevette.”
I held up the light while Andrew pulled to the door, and with a stone smashed the spring lock.
“ Nobody will open that, even if anyone dares try,” said he. “Now for all the haste we can make.”
I caught up Blanchon and carried him, to which he made no objection. We were soon in the open air, and walking quickly down the course of the stream which had scooped out the valley, we found ourselves in the little hamlet.
It seemed to be deserted. Not a man was to be seen, nor a light save in Isabeau’s cottage. The night had grown wild and stormy, but it was not very dark, and we could see the mast of the boat, which lay at the end of the little pier.
“Now if Pierre has been true,” said Andrew, and at that moment we heard his voice.
“Monsieur and madame, is that you! All is ready; but we shall have a wild night.”
“Never mind, so long as the wind is fair,” returned Andrew in the same whisper. “ I would

THE TOWER OF THE WHITE CHEVALIER.THE TOWER OF THE WHITE CHEVALIER.

20

whom my father had saved only to be murdered by him. “ Come on! Who cares for ghost or devil 1 ’’ There was a rush into the room, then a cry from those nearest the door. “ Take care ! The floor ! ” But it was too late. The loosened boards gave way, and down went a dozen men, Michaud among them, through a yawning gulf clear to the ground-floor.
“ Back ! back ! The tower is falling ! ” was the

cry, while the shrieks of the men below added to the confusion. The tower was at once deserted, %nd we presently heard sounds which told us that flie fallen men were being rescued from amid the ruins of the floor.
“ To the cellars ! ” cried now the voice of Pierre Le Febre. “ Let us taste the old chevalier’s wine and brandy.”
“ Good, Pierre 1 ” said Andrew. “ Once let them get among the casks and bottles and we are safe.
But it is time we were stirring. Aunt, can you walk ? ”
“ Oh, yes 1 I can do anything you wish,” answered my mother in the same calm way. She seemed to have all her wits about her, but she did not speak unless we spoke to her.
“ Come, then,” and he opened the door of the secret passage into which pussy led the way, majestically waving his tail and looking back as if to say, “Come on, and fear nothing! You are under my protection.” I went first, after I had lighted the lantern, then came my mother, and lastly Andrew.
We had just reached the level of the chapel, and were about passing the door which led into it, when Blanchon, the cat, stopped, growling fiercely. In another moment a light shone through the opened door; the next Blanchon sprang forward with his wild, unearthly yell of onset, and flung himself into the face of a man who had just put his head through the opening. There was a scream of quite another character, and the man fled stumbling and falling on his way out, while Blanchon came back to us with the loud purr which was his way of expressing complacency.
“Good cat,” said Andrew. “That man won’t find his way back in a hurry, but someone else may. Hold up the light, Vevette.”
I held up the light while Andrew pulled to the door, and with a stone smashed the spring lock.
“ Nobody will open that, even if anyone dares try,” said he. “Now for all the haste we can make.”
I caught up Blanchon and carried him, to which he made no objection. We were soon in the open air, and walking quickly down the course of the stream which had scooped out the valley, we found ourselves in the little hamlet.
It seemed to be deserted. Not a man was to be seen, nor a light save in Isabeau’s cottage. The night had grown wild and stormy, but it was not very dark, and we could see the mast of the boat, which lay at the end of the little pier.
“Now if Pierre has been true,” said Andrew, and at that moment we heard his voice.
“Monsieur and madame, is that you! All is ready; but we shall have a wild night.”
“Never mind, so long as the wind is fair,” returned Andrew in the same whisper. “ I would

20

whom my father had saved only to be murdered by him. “ Come on! Who cares for ghost or devil 1 ’’ There was a rush into the room, then a cry from those nearest the door. “ Take care ! The floor ! ” But it was too late. The loosened boards gave way, and down went a dozen men, Michaud among them, through a yawning gulf clear to the ground-floor.
“ Back ! back ! The tower is falling ! ” was the

cry, while the shrieks of the men below added to the confusion. The tower was at once deserted, %nd we presently heard sounds which told us that flie fallen men were being rescued from amid the ruins of the floor.
“ To the cellars ! ” cried now the voice of Pierre Le Febre. “ Let us taste the old chevalier’s wine and brandy.”
“ Good, Pierre 1 ” said Andrew. “ Once let them get among the casks and bottles and we are safe.
But it is time we were stirring. Aunt, can you walk ? ”
“ Oh, yes 1 I can do anything you wish,” answered my mother in the same calm way. She seemed to have all her wits about her, but she did not speak unless we spoke to her.
“ Come, then,” and he opened the door of the secret passage into which pussy led the way, majestically waving his tail and looking back as if to say, “Come on, and fear nothing! You are under my protection.” I went first, after I had lighted the lantern, then came my mother, and lastly Andrew.
We had just reached the level of the chapel, and were about passing the door which led into it, when Blanchon, the cat, stopped, growling fiercely. In another moment a light shone through the opened door; the next Blanchon sprang forward with his wild, unearthly yell of onset, and flung himself into the face of a man who had just put his head through the opening. There was a scream of quite another character, and the man fled stumbling and falling on his way out, while Blanchon came back to us with the loud purr which was his way of expressing complacency.
“Good cat,” said Andrew. “That man won’t find his way back in a hurry, but someone else may. Hold up the light, Vevette.”
I held up the light while Andrew pulled to the door, and with a stone smashed the spring lock.
“ Nobody will open that, even if anyone dares try,” said he. “Now for all the haste we can make.”
I caught up Blanchon and carried him, to which he made no objection. We were soon in the open air, and walking quickly down the course of the stream which had scooped out the valley, we found ourselves in the little hamlet.
It seemed to be deserted. Not a man was to be seen, nor a light save in Isabeau’s cottage. The night had grown wild and stormy, but it was not very dark, and we could see the mast of the boat, which lay at the end of the little pier.
“Now if Pierre has been true,” said Andrew, and at that moment we heard his voice.
“Monsieur and madame, is that you! All is ready; but we shall have a wild night.”
“Never mind, so long as the wind is fair,” returned Andrew in the same whisper. “ I would

Godrich. the Earl (Duke/King) of Cornwall

1. The British nobles in an attempt to prevent the total dissolution of the state and to end the
   civil war. gathered in an assembly and agreed on a compromise whereby Godrich. the Earl
   (Duke/King) of Cornwall, would reign as regent and hold the Kingdom of Britain in trust for the
   English heiress. Goldborough. the daughter of the late Anglican heir, Cymen. and his wife. Adela.
   the Saxon heiress, only child and daughter of England’s first Bretwalda. Aella of Sussex Thus,
   preserving the fiction of centralized rule which was accepted only because the alternative was
   unthinkable
2. 
   
3. . Prince-Regent. Earl (Duke/King) of Cornwall, reigned
   as regent of Britain in the absence of a national-kmg during the interregnum that followed the
   murder of the boy-king, Huai, and his mother. Queen Lonle (Lenore, Lunette] There were civil
   wars throughout Britain dunng his regency The episode of Havelock “The Dane* takes place
   dunng the regency of Earl Godrich
   X. CADROD (CATRAUT), the Arthunan heir, established his headquarters at a
   castle (site unsure] called “CALCHVYNYDD” (‘hill of chalk or lime”], which name came to be his
   epithet, somewhere in the Bntish midlands between the Thames and the Trent rivers. He fights
   the Cerdicite heir Cynnc “of Wessex”
   X. CYNRIC (CUNORIX). the Cerdicite heir, the other claimant to the Bntish
   throne, held sway south of the Thames in Wessex with his headquarters at Winchester
   One of the surviving ex-tnumvirs. Riwal of Dumnoma (Devonshire), meanwhile, was
   expelled from Bntam by Caradoc ‘Strong-Arm”. Count of the Saxon Shore, in another
   regional-war. and fled to Armohca (Bnttany] where he established himself at St. Bneoc. circa 552
   Riwal was killed fighting Cynvawr II of Cornwall, circa 555. and his widow married King Cynvawr
   Prmce ludwal of Domnonee (son of Riwal. the ex-thumvir] fled his murderous step-father
   (Cynvawr II of ComwaH-Brittany] and found refuge at the court of King Childebert I of France
   (534-558), in 558. Prince ludwal of Domnonee retook his throne Cynvawr II withdrew back to
   Cornwall, area 558, and. circa 560. was murdered along with his wife (name] and son (St.
   Tremeur] St Brieoc is attacked by King Childebert of France, and King Canao II leads the
   resistance
   Meantime, the civil war between the House of Arthur and the House of Cerdic continued
   to rage Cynnc repulsed Cadrod’s offensive at Old Sarum (Salisbury] in 552. and slew him in battle
   at Bart>ury Castle, near Swindon. Wiltshire, in 556 King Erp (Urban) of Gwent was killed in the
   battle (fighting for the Arthurian heir]; and his kingdom was divided in halves, called Gwent and
   Ergyng Cadrod ‘Calchvynydd” was survived by seven sons and three daughters His eldest son.
   Cyndywyn. was murdered following his fathers death in battle Another son. Cyndeym “Wledic*.
   rallied his father s old supporters and earned on the struggle He slew Cynrtc in battle in 560 and
   set himself up as an anti-king although technically the throne was vacant while the country was
   governed by Godhch. the Earl of Cornwall, who officially reigned as regent of Bntain in the
   absence of a legitimate ‘national” king Cynric was survived by three sons Coelm (Ceawim).
   Cutha. and Cwichelm. of whom the eldest Ceawlin (Coelin) succeeded to the Wessex kingdom
   The name Ceawlin (Coelin) is Celtic, but the names of his brothers, possibly half-brothers, have a
   Saxon favor to them Their mother may have been a Saxon princess; or perhaps by this time the
   influence of Saxon culture was beginning to show itself in the Wessex royal house
   560-565 9. HAVELOK ‘THE DANE”, barbarian-king. not usually numbered in the
   regnal-lists. however, remembered in tradition, legend, and folklore, reigned for three years as
   King of Bntain. or England. 560-562 The legend of Havelock “The Dane’ begins when he was a
   boy and tells us that a fisherman was ordered by Denmark’s usurper-kmg to murder the true heir
   to the Danish throne. Havelock, then a youth about age eleven, but instead the fisherman allowed
   the young pnnce to escape to England Later, when Havelock had come of age. he found
   employment with an English ealdorman He soon became famous for his prowess at sports, and 

The Cataclysm That Erased History 12,000 Years Ago

The Cataclysm That Erased History 12,000 Years Ago | Beyond Science

The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief (1,300 ± 70 years) period of cold climatic conditions and drought which occurred between approximately 12,800 and 11,500 years BP. The Younger Dryas stadial is thought to have been caused by the collapse of the North American ice sheets, although rival theories have been proposed

The Younger Dryas impact event is a contested hypothesis that an air burst from a purported comet above or even into the Laurentide Ice Sheet north of the Great Lakes set all of the North American continent ablaze around 12,900 years ago. The hypothesis attempts to explain the extinction of many of the large animals in North America and the unproven population decreases in the North American stone age Clovis culture about at the end of the Pleistocene epoch. Proponents claim the existence of a charred carbon-rich layer of soil found at some 50 Clovis-age sites across the continent. It has been criticized for not being consistent with paleoindian population estimates.
Impact specialists have studied the claim and concluded that there never was such an impact, in particular because various physical signs of such an impact cannot be found. Evidence supporting the theory however has been further suggested by the 2012 paper presented to the PNAS (T.E. Bunch et al.) which looked at apparent high temperature impact melt products found in multiple sites of the ‘black mat’ across three continents dating to 12 900 years ago, This is further indicated by the discovery (Kurbatov et al. 2010) of the presence of a rich layer of nanodiamonds in the Greenland ice sheet coinciding with this date
The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief (1,300 ± 70 years) period of cold climatic conditions and drought which occurred between approximately 12,800 and 11,500 years BP. The Younger Dryas stadial is thought to have been caused by the collapse of the North American ice sheets, although rival theories have been proposed.
http://khemitology.com/
The Younger Dryas impact event is a contested hypothesis that an air burst from a purported comet

The Cataclysm That Erased History 12,000 Years Ago | Beyond Science

Royal stars

– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Stars and History[edit]

The four stars with their modern and ancient Persian names were:

• Aldebaran (Tascheter) – vernal equinox (Watcher of the East)
• Regulus (Venant) – summer solstice (Watcher of the North)
• Antares (Satevis) – autumnal equinox
• Fomalhaut (Haftorang/Hastorang) – winter solstice (Watcher of the South)

The four dominant stars have an apparent magnitude of 1.5 or less.^[4] The reason why they are called “Royal” is that they appear to stand aside from the other stars in the sky. The four stars, Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares, Fomalhaut, are the brightest stars in their constellations, as well as being part of the twenty five brightest stars in the sky, and were considered the four guardians of the heavens.^[3] They marked the seasonal changes of the year and marked the equinoxes and solstices. Aldebaran watched the Eastern sky and was the dominant star in the Taurus constellation, Regulus watched the North and was the dominant star in the Leo constellation, Antares watched the West and was the alpha star in Scorpio, and Fomalhaut watched the Southern sky and was the brightest star in Piscis Austrinus (sharing the same longitude with the star Sadalmelik which is the predominant star in Aquarius). Aldebaran marked the vernal equinox and Antares marked the autumnal equinox, while Regulus marked the Summer Solstice and Fomalhaut the Winter Solstice. While watching the sky, the dominant star would appear in its season, each having a time of the year when most noticeable. Regulus was seen as the main star because it was in the constellation of Leo, giving it the power of the lion, signifying the strength of kings with large implications.^[5]
The constellations of the Royal Stars were said to be fixed because their positions were close to the four fixed points of the sun’s path.^[5] The sun was then surrounded by four bright stars at the beginning of every season.^[6] From this observation individuals began to denote them the Royal Stars.^[6]
By 700 BCE the Nineveh and Assyrians had essentially mapped the ecliptic cycle because of the four stars and were in result able to map the constellations, distinguishing them from the planets and the fixed stars.^[5] From this, in 747 BCE the Babylonian King Nabu-nasir adopted a calendar derived from information based on the four stars, one following an eight-year cycle and one a nineteen-year cycle (later adopting the nineteen-year calendar as standard).^[7]
The Royal Stars were used primarily for navigation.They were also believed to govern events in the world. Major disasters, breakthroughs, and historical phenomenons were seen as caused by the stars and their alignment in the sky during the time in which the event occurred.^[5] When the stars were aligned accordingly, favourable conditions followed, and when they were negatively aligned, disaster was predicted. Because Regulus was the most influential of the Royal Stars, events that took place while Regulus was in dominance were amplified and grave, foreshadowing destruction.

Royal stars – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia