Queen Guignier of Wessex

• Preferred Name: Queen Guignier of Wessex ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}
  
• Alternate Name: Guignier verch Geraint of Dumnonia
  
• Gender: F
  
• Title (Nobility): with note: Description: Princess of Wessex
  
• Death: ABT 546 in Kingdom of Wessex at LATI: N1.2 LONG: E2
  
• Birth: ABT 467 with note: Cynric arrived with his father Cerdic's war ships in 495; surely, he was 13 years old or more when he arrived; this places his mother's birth as in 467 or earlier.
  
• Title (Nobility): with note: Description: Queen of Wessex
  
• FSID: MB9X-7DT
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Guignier of Cornwall, also spelled Gurguint and Guinier, was the daughter of Geraint, King of Dumnonia and his wife sometimes identified as Enide, the sister of King Arthur (of Arthurian legend). Guignier's siblings, all brothers, were Cador, Cyngar, Iestyn, and Selyf. Cador was the Duke of Cornwall while Cyngar, Iestyn, and Selyf all became saints of Llancarfan.
  
  Welsh sources identify Gurguint as the wife of Caradoc Vreichfas
  who many historians believe to be the Welsh name of Cerdic of Wessex.
  
  English sources identify Gurguint as the same as Guignier of Cornwall, who is identified as the wife of King Cerdic of Wessex.
  
  Guignier of Cornwall and Cerdic together are the parents of:
  - Cynric, probably born about 482, succeeded as 'King of Wessex' in 534
  - Creoda (possible but not certain)
  
  "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles" and Asser's "The Life of King Alfred" both identify Cerdic as the father of Cynric, who succeeded him as King of Wessex.
  The "Genealogical Regnal List" identifies another son of Cerdic Creoda. However, Creoda's existence is highly doubted.
  
  If Cerdic is their father, then it is reasonable to believe Guignier was their mother, for no other wife has been identified in association with him.
  
  -------------------------
  
  Although rarely named and often said to be "Unknown", Guignier of Cornwall is identified as the wife of King Cerdic of Wessex.
  An informative biography of Cerdic, identifying not only his wife but also both of his parents can be found at:
  https://www.worldhistoryedu.com/cerdic-of-wessex-the-founder-and-first-king-of-saxon-wessex/
  
  Also: https://levigilant.com/Bulfinch_Mythology/bulfinch.englishatheist.org/arthur/Caradoc-Vreichvras.htm#c6

1. St. Cawrdaf ap Caradog, b. 505 in Breconshire, Wales    

1. Cynric of Wessex , b. ABT 485 in Kingdom of Wessex     d. 560 in Winchester, Hampshire, Kingdom of Wessex

1. Title: Cerdic - WorldHistory.org
   Publication: Name: https://www.worldhistory.org/Cerdic/;
   Note: Cerdic (r. 519-534 CE) was King of the West Saxons and the founder of Wessex. His influence was so profound that later genealogies of the English monarchy would claim that all the sovereigns of Britain, save for Canute, Hardecanute, the Harolds, and William the Conqueror, were descended from him. Precisely why he was so influential is debated, however, in that the ancient sources conflict in their accounts of his life, who he was, and what he accomplished - so much so that a number of historians in the present day question whether Cerdic even existed. Early sources, traditional legends, and later novels claim he fought against King Arthur but also claim he was granted Wessex by that king. There are also historians who claim Cerdic was the historical figure upon whom the Arthurian legends are based and link both Arthur and Cerdic to the Welsh hero Caradoc Vreichvras, while other writers claim Cerdic was the model for Mordred in the Arthurian cycles. He is alternately described as a British earl who led a Saxon army, an English noble, a Saxon commander, a Welsh hero, and an English king. His depiction in the 2004 CE film King Arthur is emblematic of the problem in identifying who he actually was. That film (in which he is played by Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard), which presented itself as historically accurate and claimed to draw on original sources, portrays Cerdic as a Saxon warlord who is defeated by Arthur at the Battle of Badon; Cerdic is never mentioned in any account of Badon, even though it seems he was well-known enough that he would have been, had he been engaged there. The primary sources on Cerdic's life and reign are the historian Nennius (9th century CE), The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles (9th-12th centuries CE), and Geoffrey of Monmouth (12th century CE), among others. As the information about him in these sources is so slight, later writers seem to have felt compelled to fill in these blanks, which has resulted in various interpretations of Cerdic's life. The fact that so many later writers felt the need to do so is testimony to how important Cerdic was in English history. It is generally accepted that Cerdic was an actual historical figure who founded Wessex and then embarked on campaigns to expand his kingdom and, essentially, founded the nation known today as England; the details of these campaigns, however, were never recorded or were lost, resulting in the embellishments to his life noted above... Cerdic as Arthur... The evidence, they point out, speaks for itself once one realizes that Cerdic is identical to the Welsh hero Caradoc Vreichvras (also known as Caradoc Breifbras in the Arthurian legends). To cite only a few of the comparisons they make: "Arthur" and "Vreichvras" both mean "strong arm"; both are associated with Wessex and, especially, Winchester; both are illegitimate sons; both dominate the region later known as Wessex c. 500 CE; Arthur is the son of Uther and Igerna while Cerdic is the son of Elessa and Isaive; and Arthur marries Guinevere of Cornwall, Cerdic marries Guignier of Cornwall. All of these similarities, it is claimed, prove Arthur and Cerdic to be one historical figure whose exploits were so notable that they were mythologized by later writers as the Arthurian Legends, which were finally collected, edited, and substantially expanded upon by Sir Thomas Malory in the 15th century CE
   Page: Identifies Guignier of Cornwall as the wife of Cerdic
   
2. Title: Arthur, Cerdic, and the Formation of Wessex John C. Rudmin, 864 Chicago Av, Harrisonburg Joseph W. Rudmin, Physics Dept., James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg
   Author: https://levigilant.com/Bulfinch_Mythology/bulfinch.englishatheist.org/arthur/Caradoc-Vreichvras.htm Bulfinch's Mythology Arthur, Cerdic, and the Formation of Wessex John C. Rudmin, 864 Chicago Av, Harrisonburg Joseph W. Rudmin, Physics Dept., James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg Copyright statement: Permission is given to copy and distribute this essay freely provided the authors are cited and this statement is included. Abstract: A sixth century Welsh king, Caradoc Vreichvras, is identified as Cerdic of Wessex, and the origin of the Arthurian legend is explained
   Publication: Name: https://levigilant.com/Bulfinch_Mythology/bulfinch.englishatheist.org/arthur/Caradoc-Vreichvras.htm;
   Note: Arthur, Cerdic, and the Formation of Wessex John C. Rudmin, 864 Chicago Av, Harrisonburg Joseph W. Rudmin, Physics Dept., James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg Copyright statement: Permission is given to copy and distribute this essay freely provided the authors are cited and this statement is included. Abstract: A sixth century Welsh king, Caradoc Vreichvras, is identified as Cerdic of Wessex, and the origin of the Arthurian legend is explained Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Geoffrey of Monmouth, Nennius, and Gildas Chapter 3 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Chapter 4 Ceredig Vreichvras and the Welsh Genealogies Chapter 5 The Name Arthur Chapter 6 A Model of Cerdic's Early Career in Britain Chapter 7 A Detailed Comparison of the Career of Cerdic with Geoffrey's Arthur Chapter 8 The Formation of Wessex Chapter 9 Riotimus or Cerdic? Chapter 10 Conclusion Chapter 11 Bibliography Appendix A A Summary of Geoffrey of Monmouth's "The History of the Kings of Britain" Appendix B A Possible Chronology of Cerdic's Life Appendix C Discussion of Aetius and his possible involvement with Britain. I. Introduction Over the centuries, people of many nations have enjoyed the romance and heroism of the Arthurian legends, told time and again by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Thomas Malory, Sir Walter Scott, Alfred Tennyson, and other authors. In the last century, scholars have embarked on a quest to discover who, if he existed at all, was the REAL King Arthur? The Arthur they seek is a king or warrior, who lived in Britain at the time of the collapse of the Roman empire. He led the Britons to victory against marauding Picts and Scots and against the invading Anglo-Saxon tribes, collectively called the English, gaining a forty-year peace for the Britons so that their culture survived to become modern Wales. Although Arthur is believed to have been one of the dominant military leaders of his time, none of his contemporaries wrote of anyone by that name. Therefore it is assumed by some that Arthur may have been not a name, but a title used by some prominent leader of Dark Age Britain. Many have concluded the quest to be a futile one. There are several problems concerning the identity of King Arthur. First, although late Medieval authors relate colorful stories of the King, progressively earlier accounts provide less and less information on Arthur. Secondly, Arthur's legendary forty-year peace is contradicted by apparent Saxon advances in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. Finally, although Arthur's family and male offspring are well-described in legends, no Welsh line of inheritance from Arthur's progeny is found in Welsh tales or genealogies. The authors of this essay believe that they can identify the real King Arthur and explain the Arthurian enigmas. This discussion will not present new information, but instead will demonstrate how previously published works by other authors support this conclusion. We need to include a paragraph of caution here. In a previous attempt to have this paper published, a critical referee recommended that it not be published, because the paper makes too many assumptions, and because the historical sources cited (Gildas, Nennius, genealogies, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) are unreliable, and must be subjected to textual criticism by experts. The authors of this paper are not professional historians, and do not have the training, resources, or support required for such analyses. The referee also complained that our reconstruction of Cerdic's life was unconvincing and parts were "pure fantasy". We admit to doing this, but we think we have made it clear where we are doing so. We feel it is necessary to create a model of his life in order to assure ourselves that such a model is possible. We must grant that by the standards of some historians, this is not an acceptable history paper. However, we think that although any item of evidence we cite may be unreliable, there are so many items that a case can be made which some reasonable people may find convincing. Also, we feel there is enough evidence to warrant publicizing these ideas, so that historians and archeologists who are more qualified than we are can consider them. Perhaps Cerdic and Arthur are both only myths. Still our thesis may have literary value, giving a relationship between myths, if not the historical origins of legends. But we believe there is more to the story than myth. Certainly we can't convince everyone. But we are convinced, and perhaps you will be also. VII. A Detailed Comparison of the Career of Cerdic with Geoffrey's Arthur States : [Cerdic] Marries Guignier, sister of Cador, prince of Cornwall, Source: Legend of Caradoc Vreichvras
   Page: Identifies Guignier as the sister of Cador, prince of Cornwall, and married to Cerdic
   
3. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Princess of Wessex -
   Author: Family History Library archive record (family group sheet)
   Note: Source: Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings & Nobles, Eng. 104, p. 330, 331; The Royal Line of Succession, A16A225, p. 5; Kaiser und Koenig Hist., Gen. Hist. 25, pt. 1, p. 95 (Gen. Soc. - HEC) Submitter: Sanford A. Johnson
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244547632
   
4. Title: Guignier of Cornwall, wife of Cerdic in Cerdic of Wessex – the founder and first king of Saxon Wessex -World History Edu
   Publication: Name: https://www.worldhistoryedu.com/cerdic-of-wessex-the-founder-and-first-king-of-saxon-wessex/;
   Note: Cerdic of Wessex – the founder and first king of Saxon Wessex BY WORLD HISTORY EDU Reign – c. 519 – c. 534 Successor – Cynric or Creoda Died – 534 Issue – Cynric or Creoda House – Wessex Parents – Elessa and Isaive Wife – Guignier of Cornwall Founder of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex Cerdic was an Anglo-Saxon ruler most known as the founder and first king of Saxon Wessex (also known as the Kingdom of the West Saxons). According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cerdic reigned from around 519 to 534. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which provides the history of Britain to as far back as the first century BC, is said to have been first written in the late 9th century AD around the reign of Alfred the Great (849-899). Historians would continue to update the chronicle until around the 12th century AD. Like many of the stories in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cerdic of Wessex’s story from the problem of scanty information, repetitions and in some cases outright contradictions. As a result, the story of Cerdic has been exposed to a lot of interesting embellishments as a means to fill the historical gaps. There aren’t much details about Cerdic’s birth and family history or his origin. What is emphatically clear is that many West Saxon kings venerated him as the founder of Wessex...
   Page: States that Cerdic marries Guignier of Cornwall
   
5. Title: Gurguint (sister) in record of "Cador" From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cador#Origins_and_relations;
   Note: Cador (Latin: Cadorius) was a legendary Duke of Cornwall, known chiefly through Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae and previous manuscript sources such as the Life of Carantoc.[1] Early sources present Cador as a relative of King Arthur, though the details of their kinship are usually left unspecified.[2] Origins and relations Cador was reputed to be the son of Geraint ( Latin Gerontius, Cornish Gerrens ) who was a King of Dumnonia and a historic hero that died quite early leaving his rule to Hoel because Cador was not at a proper age for leadership. He was known to have children himself who go by the names Constantine (Welsh Custennin) Peredur, and Cadoc. He had shared lineage with King Arthur due to the fact that he was the great grandson of Arthur's Duke, based on the idea of Custennyn and Constantine genealogies being equivalent to each other.[8] Cador also had three brothers by the names of Cyngar, Iestyn, and Selyf who are all saints of Llancarfan and are mentioned to be related to Cador in the Myvyrian.[9] Along with his brothers, Cador was known to have a sister named Gurguint who was married to Caradoc Vreichfas who was a legend in Welsh history and was alive during the same time period as Arthur.[10] Many historians believe Caradoc Vreichfas to be synonymous with Cerdic of Wessex, the Anglo-Saxon founder of the House of Wessex and first king of Saxon Wessex (reign 519-534). [11][12] According to writings from Geoffrey, Cador was married to a woman named Ygerna, who was courted and tricked by Arthur's father Uther Pendragon while Cador was away in battle.[13] Cador is also thought to have been related to Arthur because he is addressed as so in different texts. Layamon, an English poet, writes that Arthur said, “Cador, thou art mine own kin”(King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition, pg.98). However, it is also made known in some works that Constantine, who was established to be Cador's son, was Arthur's cousin making Cador a possible in-law relative rather than through blood.[14] Legend In Geoffrey's History and elsewhere, Arthur's future queen Guinevere was raised as Cador's ward. Cador is also said to be of Roman stock. His son Constantine was given the kingship of Britain by Arthur as the latter lay ailing on the field of Camlann. To the Brut Tysilio the translator adds the information that Cador was son of Gorlois, presumably by Igraine, which would make him Arthur's maternal half-brother. This same text also gives Cador a son, Mayric, who dies fighting the Romans. The same account appears in Richard Hardyng's Chronicle where Cador is called Arthur's brother "of his mother's syde." In Layamon's Brut Cador appears as a leader who takes charge of Uther's host when they are attacked by Gorlois while Uther is secretly lying beside Igraine in Tintagel. Most works, such as the English Alliterative Morte Arthure and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, however, call Cador Arthur's "cousin", though in the Alliterative text Arthur calls Cador his sister's son. In The Dream of Rhonabwy, a medieval romance associated with the Mabinogion Cador is "Cadwr Earl of Cornwall, the man whose task it is to arm the king on the day of battle and conflict" – i.e. at the Battle of Badon Hill, which the writer situates close to the upper River Severn.[16]
   Page: Identifies Gurguint as the sister of: Cador Duke of Cornwall, Cyngar, Iestyn, and Selyf. Cador is identified as the son of Geraint ( Latin Gerontius, Cornish Gerrens ),King of Dumnonia; therefore it follows that his brothers and sister were children of Geraint as well. Indicates that Cador's mother is identified in the English 'Alliterative Morte Arthure' as the sister of King Arthur for "Arthur calls Cador his sister's son". Also identifies her as married to Caradoc Vreichfas (from Welsh history) who "Many historians" believe to be synonymous with Cerdic of Wessex, the Anglo-Saxon founder of the House of Wessex and first king of Saxon Wessex (reign 519-534). Therefore Gurguint was the wife of Cerdic.