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Person Info

• Name: Coel Hen Old King Cole
• Sex: M
• Death: After 410 ^d


Parents:

Family:
Children:

1. Vala Princess Of Gwawl

Bibliography

Sources for death Information

date:

living 410 [Ref: Moncreiffe RoyalAnc p10]

Sources with Information about marriage to unknown

child:

[Ref: Moncreiffe RoyalAnc p10]

Research Notes:
ancient British King Caelius Votepacus in North when Romans left Britain c410 [Ref: Moncreiffe RoyalAnc p10]

In story by Geoffrey of Monmonth: King Asclepiodotus reigned in peace for some years, then was overthrown by Coel, Duke of Colchester, who assumed the crown. Constantius comes to Britain and agrees to a treaty confirming Coel as a tributary soverign. Helena is Coel's beautiful daughter, whom he has groomed for government. He dies soon after signing the treaty and Constantius marries her, becoming King of Britain. Old King Cole is said to have been buried in the monastic graveyard at Glastonbury. [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58]

Wherever Geoffrey found him, he respresents somebody's attempt to explain the name 'Colchester.' It means in reality 'the Roman station on the Colne.' 'Clun' in Shropshire is a variant of the same river-name, which was originally 'Colun.' That is as far as etymology goes. Certainly the name is British, not Anglo-Saxon. But to admit Old King Cole we would have to suppose that the river was called after a person, or else that a person was called after the river, and there is no reason to suppse either. Coel, therefore, is phantasmal, and it is not likely that the Helena whom Constantius married was his daughter. [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58]

There is a legendary King Cole, Coel Hen, who, if he existed at all (and there is considerable doubt about that), would have lived in the fifth century. Genealogical manuscripts of the eleventh century and later make this Coel Hen the great-great-grandfather of several individuals who lived during the late sixth century. The earliest manuscript genealogy of Coel Hen, in Harleian MS.3859 (an eleventh century manuscript containing material which was probably written in the mid-tenth century) gives Coel ("Coil Hen" or "Coyl Hen") sons named Ceneu, Garbaniaun, and Gurgust, and gives the first few generatios of his ancestry as "... Coyl Hen (map) Guotepauc map Tecmant map Teuhant map Tulpiol map Vrban map Grat map ..." etc, where "amp" is the old Welsh word for "son" (later shortened to "ap"). The "map" in parenthesis is not in the manuscript, but it is generally felt, from omparison with later manuscripts which have the same genealogy, that the word was accidently left out.) There is no good reason to believe that any of these names are those of historical individuals. [Ref: Stewart Baldwin SGM 4/28/1997-224946]



Pedigree of Coel Hen Old King Cole
Coel Hen Old King Cole



Descendants of Coel Hen Old King Cole

2nd generation


3rd generation


4th generation


5th generation