Illtud, Cousin of King Arthur

Illtud is a figure who has a fairly minor role in the Arthurian legends, although he was an extremely important figure in the history of sixth century Britain. According to some records, he was the cousin of King Arthur. In this article, we will see what the legends claim about him, and what we know about him historically. 

Who Was Illtud?

Illtud was a prominent and genuinely important religious figure who lived in sixth century Britain. He is often known as ‘Saint Illtud’. His most notable achievement was the establishment of a school, usually known as the College of Saint Illtud. 

This college was at Llanilltud Fawr (by which name the college itself is often known) in southeast Wales. At this centre of education, numerous important figures from all over Britain were sent to be taught. Thus, Illtud was responsible for the education of numerous figures who were, in their own right, prominent and influential. 

These figures did not just include those who went on to pursue religious lives. It also included those who later became kings. The powerful king named Maelgwn Gwynedd appears to be one such example. 

Due to his prominence, it is unsurprising that Illtud appears in numerous records regarding the sixth century. He features in various hagiographies, or records of the lives of religious figures. He also appears in a variety of other records regarding that era. 

In fact, it is likely that Gildas, the sixth century writer, referenced Illtud. He also appears in the earliest and most historically valuable hagiography, which we will examine in detail later. 

Although Illtud does not receive any prominent role in the later Arthurian legends, he does appear as the cousin of King Arthur in one record. Furthermore, there is reason to believe that Illtud heavily contributed to one particularly notable aspect of the Arthurian legends. 

Name

The name of Illtud takes several different forms in the available records. ‘Illtud’ is the form most widely used today, but ‘Illtyd’ is also quite popular. 

In some of the medieval manuscripts, his name is written as ‘Eltutus’. The form ‘Hildutus’ also appears occasionally. Many other variations are seen in both medieval and modern sources. 

Family

No information about the family of Illtud appears in the records until the Life of St Illtud, which appears to date to the twelfth century. This document is the earliest to provide a basic genealogy for the man. 

Father

According to the Life of Saint Illtud, Illtud’s father was a man named Bicanus. He was a prince of Llydaw. This is usually identified as Brittany, or Armorica, since several medieval records explicitly make this connection. On the surface, it appears that nothing more is known about Bicanus. 

However, various scholars have argued that some of the references to Llydaw in medieval sources are actually references to a location in southeast Wales. Specifically, these scholars argue that it was a name for a region within the kingdom of Brycheiniog. 

This argument has been used with particular conviction in the context of Illtud. As scholar Peter Bartrum noted, there is a tradition that Illtud was buried at a certain site in Brycheiniog. Yet, his Life says that he died in Llydaw. 

With this being the case, this leads to an interesting suggestion about Illtud’s father Bicanus. As noted above, nothing is known of Bicanus. There do not appear to be any records which mention him at all. As the father of such a prominent religious figure, this is most peculiar. 

Brychan

The aforementioned information suggests that Bicanus may well be identifiable as Brychan. For one thing, he lived at exactly the same time as when Bicanus would have lived (we will examine the exact chronology of Illtud later, but for now, suffice it to say that his father would have been born in the late fifth century). 

Furthermore, Brychan was a prince and later the king of Brycheiniog. This fits Bicanus being described as the prince of Llydaw. The only substantial difference between the two is the absence of the ‘r’ in the name ‘Bicanus’. 

However, such corruptions are not uncommon at all in the medieval records. Therefore, on the grounds of their similar names, as well as the time and location in which they lived, in addition to the status ascribed to Bicanus, there is a good case to be made for identifying Illtud’s father as the famous Brychan of Brycheiniog. 

It is possible that Illtud appears as a child of Brychan in one of the earliest documents about his children, although with his name corrupted slightly into ‘Ilud’ and misidentified as a daughter rather than a son (such misgenderings were not uncommon).

Mother

What about Illtud’s mother? This is another issue that seems simple on the surface but which is actually more complex. According to the Life of Saint Illtud, the wife of Bicanus was a woman named Rieingulid. The modern Welsh form of her name is considered to be ‘Rheinwylydd’. 

The issue comes from the fact that she is described as the daughter of ‘Anblaud, king of Brittannia’. This figure is known from many other records as an ancestral figure, and his name is usually given as ‘Amlawdd’. 

The wife of Amlawdd is found in one record as being a certain Gwen, daughter of Cunedda Wledig. Given the dates of Cunedda (his birth being placed in c. 370 by Bartrum), it is evident that Amlawdd must have been an early fifth century figure. 

In fact, there is evidence that Amlawdd can be identified as a figure found in other Welsh records as Aldwr, a king of Brittany in the early fifth century. The form ‘Aladur’ seen in a Welsh poem appears to preserve a form somewhat between ‘Aldwr’ and ‘Anblaud’. 

The reference to Anblaud as ‘king of Brittannia’ in the Life of St Illtud supports this. Brittany was sometimes referred to simply as ‘Britannia’, and it would make more sense for Anblaud to have been the king of all of that territory rather than the king of all of Britain. 

The Chronological Issue

In any case, it is clear that Anblaud, or Amlawdd, must have been a king of the early fifth century. Yet Illtud must have been born around the year 500, given the fact that he died (as we will see later) well into the latter half of the century. 

His mother, therefore, is unlikely to have been born any earlier than 470, although likely somewhat later than that. The inescapable point, however, is that she was almost certainly not the direct daughter of Amlawdd. 

This does not mean that Rieingulid cannot have had any connection to Amlawdd at all. Since genealogical records sometimes skip generations, and since Amlawdd was prominently used as an ancestral figure, it is likely that she was his granddaughter or great-granddaughter. 

Tewdrig’s Daughter

Interestingly, it appears that the only alternative tradition regarding the ancestry of Illtud’s mother makes her a daughter of Tewdrig, a king of southeast Wales. This tradition is mentioned by Rice Rees in a footnote of his 1836 publication An Essay on the Welsh Saints. 

After noting the tradition that Illtud’s mother was Rieingulid the daughter of Amlawdd, Rees notes in the footnote the following: 

“In another account it is said that his mother was Gweryla, daughter of Tewdrig, king of Glamorgan.”

Unfortunately, Rees does not provide the source for this. Nevertheless, Rees tells us that there was one, and it evidently dates further back than 1836. 

Notably, when we examine Tewdrig’s family, we see that this ties in well with the idea that Illtud’s mother was a later descendant of Amlawdd rather than a direct daughter. Tewdrig’s father was Teithfallt, and his wife is recorded in The Descent of the Men of the North as being a daughter of Amlawdd. 

Hence, this would make any daughter of Tewdrig a great-granddaughter of Amlawdd. There is even reason to believe that Tewdrig’s own wife was a late daughter of Amlawdd, meaning that Tewdrig’s daughter Gweryla would have been Amlawdd’s granddaughter. 

Regarding the name of this mother, the Life of St Illtud itself notes that ‘Rieingulid’ means, when translated, ‘modest queen’. While all names have a meaning, they are rarely if ever translated in the hagiographies. This perhaps suggests that it was just a title rather than her actual name. 

This would resolve the apparent conflict between this name and the name ‘Gweryla’. Alternatively, ‘Gweryla’ could be a corruption of the second half of ‘Rieingulid’, the ‘l’ having been corrupted into an ‘r’ (the same corruption seen in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s use of ‘Eridur’ instead of ‘Elidur’) and the ‘d’ having been corrupted into an ‘l’ (a less obvious corruption). 

A False Tradition?

An objection could be raised against the aforementioned alternative tradition. Tewdrig’s grandson Athrwys had already come to be known as a candidate for the historical King Arthur by the late 1700s. In fact, Thomas Carte had already argued for the identification as early as 1747. 

Therefore, it might be argued that the tradition that Illtud’s mother was a daughter of Tewdrig was actually invented so as to provide more support for this identification. This would make Athrwys and Illtud first cousins, just as Illtud was said to be the cousin of King Arthur (incidentally, Illtud’s father Bicanus being identified as Brychan would make Illtud the first cousin once removed of Athrwys, since Brychan was Athrwys’ first cousin). 

Since this tradition seems to appear for the first time several decades after the Athrwys theory had already become fairly popular, it is tempting to dismiss it as a later invention. 

While we cannot discount this possibility, the tradition as we have it bears the signs of being genuine. The key sign is the fact that the name of Illtud’s mother is different as well, not just her father. 

Why would someone change her name from ‘Rieingulid’ into ‘Gweryla’ instead of simply writing that Rieingulid (by that name) was the daughter of Tewdrig? Contradicting the earlier tradition from the Life of Saint Illtud in more ways than necessary to make Illtud and Athrwys cousins is illogical. 

Therefore, this indicates that the tradition is genuine. Furthermore, as we have already seen, the chronological evidence shows that the Life of Saint Illtud simply cannot be correct about Rieingulid being a direct daughter of Amlawdd. 

Dating Controversy

Before we go on to examine Illtud’s life, we first need to examine an issue which pervades many discussions of Illtud online and in books. It is very often claimed that he was a fifth century figure and that he died in the early sixth century.

The basis for this is the fact that Illtud was supposedly educated by a famous bishop known as Saint Germanus of Auxerre. He died in c. 448, meaning that if he was Illtud’s teacher, then Illtud must obviously have already been alive by that time.

In fact, this tradition presents Illtud as being educated by Germanus as an adult, which would place his birth long before 448. Hence, if he survived into the sixth century at all, it could only have been right at the end of his life.

The Misinterpretation of This Tradition

When we look at the source texts for this tradition, we see that it breaks down upon further examination.

The earliest source for this claim comes from the Life of St Samson. This is a very early and valuable hagiography, possibly dating from as early as the seventh century. It states directly that Illtud had been a disciple of Germanus. Therefore, this is one of the most historically reliable pieces of information about him.

Yet the key issue which cannot be ignored is that this source does not specify which Germanus it was. This is important, because there was more than one Germanus in that era.

Germanus, Bishop of the Isle of Man

It has long been recognised by scholars (including such authoritative scholars as David Dumville) that there was a Germanus who was active in the mid to late fifth century. Some modern sources refer to him as ‘Garmon’, since that is how he often appears in Welsh texts.

There is reason to believe that this Germanus was bishop of the Isle of Man in that era, and also that he had been a disciple of Patrick of Ireland. In any case, the records definitely show that he was active in Britain in the late fifth century. His career could easily have extended quite some way into the sixth century, although it is difficult to be specific regarding this.

If Illtud was the disciple of this second Germanus, then he could potentially have been born as late as 500.

Germanus of Paris

However, the idea that Illtud was a fifth century figure suffers even more when we look at another record that speaks of the connection between Illtud and Germanus. This is the Life of St Brioc, written in c. 850 (note that this is also a very early hagiography, relatively speaking).

According to this source, Brioc was sent as a youth to be educated by Germanus. Along with him were sent ‘Patrick’ and ‘Heltut’, or Illtud. Notably, this source specifically says that they were sent to Germanus in Paris.

Historically, there was a Germanus of Paris who was born in approximately 496 and served as Bishop of Paris until his death in 576. He began his tenure as bishop in 555, although he was already serving as a priest in 530.

Therefore, the fact that the Life of St Samson claims that Illtud was a disciple of Germanus absolutely does not necessarily mean that he was educated by Germanus of Auxerre and was therefore a fifth century figure.

What the Evidence Really Shows

In fact, as we have seen, the earliest record which specifies which Germanus educated Illtud makes it clear that it was Germanus of Paris, the sixth century figure. Therefore, based on the earliest evidence, Illtud must have been a sixth century figure.

The Life of St Illtud (which is admittedly a much later source, dating to the twelfth century) presents Illtud as having a secular career for quite some time before he became a monk. Therefore, although Germanus of Paris did not become a priest until 530 and thus could not have educated Illtud before then, it is reasonable to place Illtud’s birth in approximately the year 500.

It cannot realistically have been later than this, since the Life of St Samson claims that Samson was sent to Illtud’s religious school when he was only five years old. Samson, for his part, was probably born no later than the 520s, by virtue of his presence at the Council of Paris in 556. Hence, a date of c. 500 for the birth of Illtud is reasonable and in harmony with the earliest evidence.

This is also consistent with the fact that the Life of St Samson not only has Illtud’s and Samson’s lives overlap when Samson was a child. Rather, Illtud is shown to still be alive after Samson had been made a bishop. This is significant, since Samson was involved in the overthrow of Conomor, which occurred in 560.

The Life of St Illtud even claims that Illtud outlived Samson. The validity of this late claim is questionable, however. In any case, the evidence clearly shows that Illtud was a thoroughly sixth century figure, not a fifth century figure at all.

The estimated birth year of c. 500 is consistent with the identification of Illtud’s father ‘Bicanus of Llydaw’ with Brychan of Brycheiniog, whose own birth was in c. 480.

Illtud’s Life

Let us now examine what we know about Illtud’s life. We will examine details not only from the document known as the Life of Saint Illtud, but also those from other records in which Illtud appears.

Birth

As we have already established, Illtud was evidently born in c. 500. As other scholars have argued, his real birth place appears to have been in Brycheiniog, not Brittany. He was likely born to Brychan, and this evidently occurred while Brychan was still only a prince, his father Anlach still being alive.

If the late tradition that Illtud’s mother was King Tewdrig’s daughter Gweryla is correct, then this would mean that Brychan married his own aunt. The fact that she was not any older than him is shown by the fact that Brychan’s mother, Marchell, is described as still being an only child when she was sent to Ireland to marry Anlach, with whom she had Brychan.

Hence, any subsequent children of Tewdrig after Marchell (such as Meurig and Gweryla) can only have been born at about the time of Brychan’s birth or just after.

The idea that Illtud really was born to Gweryla the daughter of Tewdrig is impossible to know, but it is consistent with the clearly incomplete information provided by the Life of St Illtud.

Early Life

The Life of St Illtud appears to be one of only two sources which directly discusses Illtud’s early life. According to this, his parents instructed Illtud in literature. Hence, he grew up with a good foundation of learning.

According to the earlier Life of St Samson, “by birth he was a most wise magicus [that is, a druid or sage], and had knowledge of the future.”

However, according to the Life of St Illtud, Illtud’s interests soon took him elsewhere. He decided to pursue the life of a soldier. Nevertheless, the account remarks that he did not forget his literary background. This was on account of his incredible memory.

After an undisclosed period of time engaging in his military training and presumably serving as a soldier, he then decided to visit his cousin, King Arthur. Upon arriving at Arthur’s royal court, he was met with a ‘very great company of soldiers’ and was honoured there.

Service in the Court of King Poulentus

Upon spending some time there at Arthur’s court, Illtud moved on to the royal court of Poulentus, described as the king of Glamorgan. While there, Poulentus made him the captain of his royal household. Furthermore, he was made the master of the soldiers and was second in the kingdom only to Poulentus himself.

The account claims that he received this position not only because of his efficacy as a soldier, but also because of his incredible mind. He is said to have had an incomparable intelligence and memory.

While serving in this position, a conflict occurred between Illtud’s men and another religious figure named Cadoc. Illtud’s men demanded food from Cadoc. Although he gave them what they wanted, the earth swallowed them up. Illtud, who had not consented to his men’s demand, saw these events and thus decided to pursue a religious life.

Interestingly, the same event is described in the Life of St Cadoc. There, the king in question is explicitly identified as Pawl Penychen ap Glywys. The father of this Pawl, named Glywys, was the father of ten sons who all (apart from one) received a portion of land to rule over. Glywys’ kingdom basically corresponded to present-day Glamorgan.

Thus, it is evident that Poulentus, identified as Pawl ap Glywys, was a minor king within this region.

This account in the Life of St Illtud implies that Arthur’s court was not too far from the court of Poulentus. This is consistent with various other pieces of tradition which place Arthur in southeast Wales.

Illtud Leaves His Wife

At some undisclosed point, Illtud had got married. His wife was named Trynihid. Nothing more is known about her. In any case, she is presented as being by Illtud’s side for the first part of his career.

However, after he decided to pursue a religious life, Illtud decided that sexual relations even with his wife were unacceptable before God. Therefore, he rejected his wife and moved away from her. He established a new home for himself in a valley called Hodnant.

In reality, based on the earlier information seen in the Life of St Brioc, we know that Illtud went to Germanus of Paris to be educated. We can assume that this was shortly after Germanus became a priest in 530.

Being decidedly earlier than the Life of St Illtud, the information in the Life of St Brioc obviously holds more weight. Hence, Illtud must have travelled to Gaul to be educated by Germanus at some point after he decided to pursue a religious life, but before he established himself in Hodnant (for this is where he established his religious school).

The Establishment of Llanilltud Fawr

Thus, it was likely at some point in the early 530s when Illtud returned to Britain and established his school. He went to Dubricius, a prominent bishop of southeast Wales, and received his help in establishing it.

At this school, Illtud taught his students ‘the seven arts’, although these are not precisely defined. In any case, it was a centre of learning that many people went to in order to receive training and become prominent religious figures.

The account highlights four particularly notable students at the school. These were Samson, Paulinus, Gildas, and David.

In one place, the account says that “very many scholars were attracted to him”, while another part says that “many to be taught resorted to him; they were trained to a thorough knowledge in the seven arts.”

According to the Life of St Samson, Illtud was “the most learned of all the Britons in the Old and New Testamants, and in every kind of philosophy.” While this passage does not specifically refer to Illtud’s school, it does give strong indications regarding how education under Illtud was viewed in that era.

On the basis of Illtud’s unparalleled reputation even in the early Life of St Samson, there is reason to believe that he was mentioned by Gildas. In his condemnation of Maglocunus (that is, Maelgwn Gwynedd), Gildas wrote the following about him:

“Thou hast had for thy instructor the most eloquent master of almost all Britain.”

While Gildas does not specifically name Illtud here, he certainly fits the profile. No other religious figure is associated in the later records to such a large degree with formerly educating others. Therefore, Illtud is by far the best candidate for the instructor whom Gildas referred to here.

That being the case, it is notable that he is described in this contemporary description as ‘the most eloquent master of almost all Britain’.

Conflict with King Meirchion Wyllt

The king of the region in which Illtud had settled (another area of Glamorgan) appears in the account as an antagonist to Illtud, at least initially. His name was Merchiaunus Vesanus, more commonly seen as Meirchion Wyllt in Welsh records. His epithet means ‘the Wild’.

It is possible, although uncertain, that this is the same Meirchion who appears in Welsh records as the father of March, the King Mark of the Tristan legend. For chronological reasons, this is unlikely, since Meirchion is later shown to still be alive right near the end of Illtud’s life, which must have been near the end of the sixth century if he outlived Samson.

Furthermore, Welsh tradition implies that March was from the north. Hence, a suggestion which is in better accord with both chronology and geography is that the Meirchion of this account is actually Meurig ap Tewrig, whose name also appears in the records as Meuric and Mouric. The difference between this and ‘Meirchion’, while not insurmountable, puts this identification into question.

A similar possibility that accommodates the chronology even better is that he should be identified as the Meurig of the Life of St Cadoc who is made a minor king of Glamorgan.

In any case, the Meirchion of this account is displeased with Illtud for establishing his school on his land without official permission. However, after this initial conflict, he ends up being impressed with Illtud. Thereafter, he officially grants him the use of that land.

Death of Samson

After this point in the account, Samson is described as leaving for Brittany, where he then became the Bishop of Dol. Based on the account in the Life of St Samson, this appears to have occurred not too long before the overthrow of Conomor in 560.

Hence, this part of the account in the Life of St Illtud is likely set in the late 550s. The rest of this passage goes on to describe the death of Samson and how his body was then returned to Illtud. However, it does not appear that what follows should necessarily be placed after Samson’s death, since this may be an isolated passage simply explaining what happened later.

In any case, it shows that Illtud did, allegedly, outlive Samson.

Further Conflicts with King Meirchion

At some point after Samson left for Dol in the 550s, Illtud came into further conflict with King Meirchion of Glamorgan.

These conflicts arose due to two servants of Meirchion, one after the other, treating Illtud harshly. In the first instance, after Meirchion’s servant was killed by divine power, the king sought to take revenge against Illtud.

Consequently, the religious man fled and hid for over a year in a cave near the Ewenny River. After eventually being found by someone taking a bell sent by Gildas to David in Menevia, Illtud returned to Llanilltud Fawr.

After an undisclosed period of time, a similar incident occurred with a second servant of Meirchion. The king set off to attack Illtud again, but this time, the king himself was miraculously swallowed up by the earth, according to the account.

The Secret Burial in the Cave

After this incident, Illtud went into hiding again. He stayed at this cave (which some commentators consider to be the same as the previous one) for three years. At some point during that time, a small boat approached. There were some men transporting a body of a very holy man in secret.

They dug a hole in Illtud’s cave and laid the body to rest there. The account claims that an altar was miraculously suspended above the cave.

Interestingly, this account also appears in the Mirabilia, attached to the end of the Historia Brittonum of the ninth century. This version adds the detail that a church was later built over the body, which suggests that it was moved at some point.

The name of the person being buried in secret is never provided. However, a reasonable case has been made that this is actually supposed to be a description of the burial of King Arthur.

After all, Arthur is remembered for being taken away in a boat at the end of his life. His grave is conspicuously described in the Stanzas of the Graves as being a ‘wonder’, just as the burial in the Life of St Illtud is included as one of the ‘Wonders’ of Britain in the Mirabilia. Furthermore, the weight of evidence concerning when Arthur died corresponds well to the likely date of this event in Illtud’s life.

While only speculation, this appears to be a reasonable suggestion.

Illtud’s Death

After a strange incident involving the attempted theft of some of Illtud’s pigs, the death of this figure is described in the account. He is said to have returned to Llydaw and died there after performing one final miracle, in which he fed many people.

As we saw earlier, there is a firm tradition about Illtud’s burial place being in Brycheiniog, strongly suggesting that the ‘Llydaw’ mentioned in this part of the account is actually a location in that region, or perhaps an alternate name for Brycheiniog as a whole.

Illtud’s Contribution to the Arthurian Legends

Illtud does not have a prominent role in the Arthurian legends, which is ironic given his historically important status. However, one version of the Welsh Triads lists him as one of a group of three special knights of Arthur’s court who were responsible for caring for the Holy Grail.

However, Illtud may well have a much larger contribution to the Arthurian legends than just this one obscure reference. As early as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, written in c. 1137, we see a hint of the claim that many people flocked to Arthur’s kingdom to receive a type of education. Geoffrey’s account says:

“[Arthur] introduced such politeness into his court, as people of the remotest countries thought worthy of their imitation.”

The reference to Arthur’s court being marked by a favourable Christian quality and this being imitated by people from the remotest countries is reminiscent of what happened with Illtud’s school. While not just limited to politeness, Illtud was a religious teacher to whom people from all over Britain flocked to be educated. If any specific historical origin can be identified for that part of the Arthurian legends, it must be this.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Illtud was one of the most prominent religious figures of the Arthurian period. He was allegedly the cousin of King Arthur. Historically, he was a highly influential educator who established an extremely popular school in southeast Wales. Many other prominent religious figures were educated there.

Despite many claims that he lived in the fifth century, Illtud was very clearly a sixth century individual. He was educated by Germanus of Paris likely in the early 530s, and he himself was the educator of Samson of Dol.

Finally, we have seen that it is very likely that the historical popularity of Illtud’s school explains the legend that many people flocked to Arthur’s kingdom to learn about standards of chivalry.

Sources

Bartrum, Peter, A Welsh Classical Dictionary, 1993

Bromwich, Rachel, Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain, 2014

Morris, John, Arthurian Period Sources, Vol 3: Persons, 1995

Farmer, David, Oxford Dictionary of Saints: Fifth Edition Revised, 2011

Howells, Caleb, King Arthur: The Man Who Conquered Europe, 2019

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Germanus-of-Paris https://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/illtud.html

https://www.thecollector.com/illtud-true-history-arthurian-legends/