Caradoc of Llancarfan
Encyclopedia
Caradoc of Llancarfan was a Welsh cleric and author who was associated with Llancarfan
in Wales
during the 12th century. He is generally accepted to be the author of a Life of Gildas
and of a Life of Saint Cadog in Latin.
He was a contemporary of Geoffrey of Monmouth
, author of the Historia Regum Britanniae
. At the end of his pseudo-history, Geoffrey refers to Caradoc writing its continuation covering the period from 689 to his own times, a reference to the genuine historical chronicle Brut y Tywysogion
. None of the extant medieval copies in Latin and Welsh of Brut y Tywysogion mention Caradog as author of the text.
In the 16th century, in his Historie of Cambria, Welsh antiquary David Powel
claimed his work was a continuation of Caradoc's chronicle. At the end of the 18th century, Iolo Morganwg
wrote what he claimed was Caradoc's lost chronicle, Brut Aberpergwm. Published in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales
, the work became one of the most influential and best-known of Iolo's numerous literary and antiquarian forgeries. Like the rest of Iolo's work, it gives Morgannwg (Glamorgan
) a central place in early and medieval Welsh history.
Llancarfan
Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry near Cowbridge, has a pub and a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century abbey, famed for its learning...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the 12th century. He is generally accepted to be the author of a Life of Gildas
Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
and of a Life of Saint Cadog in Latin.
He was a contemporary of 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...
, author of the 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...
. At the end of his pseudo-history, Geoffrey refers to Caradoc writing its continuation covering the period from 689 to his own times, a reference to the genuine historical chronicle Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
. None of the extant medieval copies in Latin and Welsh of Brut y Tywysogion mention Caradog as author of the text.
In the 16th century, in his Historie of Cambria, Welsh antiquary David Powel
David Powel
David Powel was a Welsh Church of England clergyman and historian who published the first printed history of Wales in 1584.-Life:...
claimed his work was a continuation of Caradoc's chronicle. At the end of the 18th century, Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
wrote what he claimed was Caradoc's lost chronicle, Brut Aberpergwm. Published in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales
The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales
The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales is a printed collection of medieval Welsh literature, published in three volumes between 1801 and 1807. Until John Gwenogvryn Evans produced diplomatic editions of the important medieval Welsh manuscripts, the Myvyrian Archaiology provided the source text for many...
, the work became one of the most influential and best-known of Iolo's numerous literary and antiquarian forgeries. Like the rest of Iolo's work, it gives Morgannwg (Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
) a central place in early and medieval Welsh history.