Dunvallo Molmutius
Encyclopedia
Dunvallo Molmutius was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth
. He was the son of Cloten
, the King of Cornwall
, and he restored order after the "Civil War of the Five Kings". He and his descendants were of a sub-branch of the genealogical
line of Brutus, the dominant line having ended with Porrex I
before the civil war.
Dunvallo was the King of Cornwall
during the war created in the power vacuum left by Porrex I
. He was braver and more courageous than all the other kings in the war. He defeated Pinner, the king of Loegria. In response, Rudaucus, king of Cambria
, and Staterius, king of Alba
ny, allied together and destroyed much of Dunvallo's land. The two sides met in battle and were stalemated. Dunvallo then took 600 of his men and himself and dressed themselves in the armour of the dead enemies. They led a charge deep into enemy lines where they killed the two kings. After this battle, Dunvallo destroyed the remaining defenses of the kings and pillaged their lands.
Following the defeat of the rival kings, Dunvallo created a crown like that of his predecessors and claimed the throne of Britain
. He created a set of rules for the kingdom called the Molmutine Laws
which lasted for many centuries. Also, robbery
throughout the kingdom nearly ended for fear of Dunvallo and his laws. He reigned in peace and prosperity for forty years then died and was buried in the Temple of Concord, a tribute to his laws, which resided in Trinovantum
. His death sparked another civil war between his two sons, Belinus
and Brennius
.
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...
. He was the son of Cloten
Cloten
Cloten can refer to:* Cloten of Dyfed and Brycheiniog* A character in Shakespeare's play Cymbeline...
, the King 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 he restored order after the "Civil War of the Five Kings". He and his descendants were of a sub-branch of the genealogical
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
line of Brutus, the dominant line having ended with Porrex I
Porrex I
Porrex I was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of Gorboduc and his death began a dynastic civil war....
before the civil war.
Dunvallo was the King of Cornwall
Legendary Dukes of Cornwall
"Duke of Cornwall" appears as a title in pseudo-historical authors as Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth. The list is extremely patchy, and not every succession was unbroken. Indeed, Geoffrey repeatedly introduces Dukes of Cornwall only to promote them to the Kingship of the Britons and thus put an...
during the war created in the power vacuum left by Porrex I
Porrex I
Porrex I was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of Gorboduc and his death began a dynastic civil war....
. He was braver and more courageous than all the other kings in the war. He defeated Pinner, the king of Loegria. In response, Rudaucus, king of Cambria
Cambria
Cambria is the classical name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name Cymru . The etymology of Cymry "the Welsh", Cimbri, and Cwmry "Cumbria", improbably connected to the Biblical Gomer and the "Cimmerians" by 17th-century celticists, is now known to come from Old Welsh combrog...
, and Staterius, king of Alba
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
ny, allied together and destroyed much of Dunvallo's land. The two sides met in battle and were stalemated. Dunvallo then took 600 of his men and himself and dressed themselves in the armour of the dead enemies. They led a charge deep into enemy lines where they killed the two kings. After this battle, Dunvallo destroyed the remaining defenses of the kings and pillaged their lands.
Following the defeat of the rival kings, Dunvallo created a crown like that of his predecessors and claimed the throne of Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. He created a set of rules for the kingdom called the Molmutine Laws
Molmutine Laws
The Molmutine Laws were established in Britain by King Dunvallo Molmutius , according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. Dyfnwal Moelmud is referred to in Welsh tradition, predating Geoffrey's work, as a lawmaker but there are no native sources for Geoffrey's elaboration of that tradition.One of the...
which lasted for many centuries. Also, robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
throughout the kingdom nearly ended for fear of Dunvallo and his laws. He reigned in peace and prosperity for forty years then died and was buried in the Temple of Concord, a tribute to his laws, which resided in Trinovantum
Trinovantum
Trinovantum, in medieval British legend, is the name given to London in earliest times. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae it was founded by the exiled Trojan Brutus, who called it Troia Nova , which gradually corrupted to Trinovantum...
. His death sparked another civil war between his two sons, Belinus
Belinus
Belinus the Great was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of Dunvallo Molmutius and brother of Brennius. He was probably named after the ancient god Belenus.- Earning the crown :...
and Brennius
Brennius
Brennius was a legendary king of Northumberland and Allobroges, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of Dunvallo Molmutius and brother of Belinus, probably based upon one or both of the historical Brenni.-Claimant to the throne of Britain:...
.