Madoc, Son of Uther Pendragon

Madoc is a minor character who appears in the Arthurian legends, but he is significant in that he is presented as the brother of King Arthur. He does not appear in many records, and it is possible that he only appears within Welsh tradition, although there is one character from non-Welsh sources who might be identifiable as Madoc. What do we really know about him? 

Who Was Madoc? 

In Welsh tradition, Madoc was the son of Uther Pendragon and was therefore the brother of King Arthur. He appears as the father of a figure named Eliwlod in Welsh poetry. 

Very little is known for sure about Madoc outside of these brief references to him in Welsh poetic sources. However, it is entirely possible that he can be connected with one or more figures named Madoc who are not commonly identified as this son of Uther Pendragon. 

Since Madoc does not appear in any sources as an ally of King Arthur on any of his adventures or battles, nor even as a generic ally in the Welsh Triads, it is evident that Madoc did not have a prominent role in the political affairs of the sixth century.

Still, he may well have been important in a different sense, in a way that prevented him from being particularly prominent in the legends. Let us go on to consider what we know about him from the few poems in which he appears, and then we will go on to consider how he may be connected to records of other figures named Madoc. 

Madoc ap Uthyr in Welsh Sources

Madoc ap Uthyr appears in several Welsh poems and the Welsh Triads. None of these sources provides any extensive information about him. 

Elegy of Madoc

The first source that we will consider is entirely devoted to Madoc. It is entitled Marwnat Madawg, which translates to ‘Elegy [or ‘Grave-Song’] of Madoc’. It appears in the Book of Taliesin, all the poems of which are attributed to Taliesin, a sixth century poet. 

This poem is the one and only source that provides anything resembling an overview of this legendary figure. The entire poem reads: 

“Madawg, the joy of the wall,
Madawg, before he was in the grave,
Was a fortress of abundance
Of games, and society.
The son of Uthyr before he was slain,
From his hand he pledged thee.
Erof the cruel came,
Of impotent joy;
Of impotent sorrow.
Erof the cruel caused
Treacheries to Jesus.
Though he believed.
The earth quaking,
And the elements darkening,
And a shadow on the world,
And baptism trembling.
An impotent step
Was taken by fierce Erof,
Going in the course of things
Among the hideous fiends
Even to the bottom of Uffern.”

This provides us with various fascinating details. Based on this information, what can we conclude?

Madoc’s Position

The first few lines reveal that Madoc was loved. These lines suggest that he was a ruler of some kind, perhaps a subking under his brother Arthur. With this position, he was able to bring joy and abundance to others. 

This may well tie into the fact that Geoffrey of Monmouth, in the Life of Merlin, describes Merlin as a king of the south Welsh. There is evidence, which we will go on to examine later, that Merlin may actually have been the son of Madoc. This being so, Merlin’s position as king of the south Welsh (evidently a subking) ties in with Madoc’s expected position. 

The Downfall of Madoc

However, the downfall of Madoc is then described. It was somehow related to a figure named ‘Erof the cruel’. The fact that he is described as causing treacheries to Jesus perhaps suggests inciting activities which went contrary to the principles of Christianity, such as a conspiracy involving lies and betrayal. 

On the other hand, the rest of the poem suggests that Madoc’s downfall was related more to some kind of natural disaster. It mentions the earth quaking, the elements darkening, and a shadow falling on the world. 

This suggests that the ‘treacheries to Jesus’ is more likely a reference to a general abandonment of Christianity that occurred as a result of the natural phenomenon that occurred. 

The previous poem in the Book of Taliesin is entitled Marwnat Erof, suggesting that it is about the Erof mentioned in this elegy of Madoc. In this poem, Erof is called Ercwlf and is associated with the changing of the elements. One line says that ‘night turned into day’ and another mentions that ‘the heat of the sun did not leave him’. 

Erof as a Comet

In view of the dramatic descriptions associated with Erof in the Elegy of Madoc, as well as these descriptions in the Elegy of Erof, it seems as if Erof is actually a comet. While this might sound surprising, Gregory of Tours was a sixth century historian who wrote about several prominent comets which occurred in that century and which he believed were associated with dramatic events on the earth, such as plagues and fires. 

Therefore, there is nothing at all unlikely about concluding that Erof is a reference to one of these comets. The descriptions of dramatic natural phenomena, such as night turning into day, the powerful heat of the sun, and the earth quaking, all point strongly towards this conclusion. 

One particularly notable comet was recorded by Gregory of Tours as lighting up the sky for a whole year in 563. Gregory connected this with a devastating plague that occurred in France. It is entirely possible that this is the specific comet referred to in the poem about Madoc, although we can only speculate. 

Madoc as the Father of Eliwlod

Let us now consider some of Madoc’s other appearances in Welsh sources. He is mentioned in sources which focus on a figure named Eliwlod. One such source is the poem known as Arthur and the Eagle. In this source, Eliwlod is described as appearing to Arthur in the form of an eagle and conversing at length with him. 

Early on in the poem, he identifies himself as the son of Madoc ap Uthyr. Arthur identifies him as his nephew, confirming that Madoc is Arthur’s brother. 

Another source which mentions Madoc as the father of Eliwlod is the Welsh Triads. This is a collection of various traditions organised into groups of threes. One triad is called the Three Golden-Tongued Knights of Arthur’s Court. 

Eliwlod is listed as one of these eloquent knights, and he is called the son of Madoc ap Uthyr. 

However, aside from the Elegy of Madoc, there does not appear to be any other source which describes a Madoc who is identified explicitly as the son of Uthyr. 

Other References to Madoc

Nonetheless, this does not mean that there are no other references to Arthur’s brother Madoc. It may simply mean that the other appearances of Madoc do not explicitly identify who he is. 

Saint Madoc

One possible example is a figure known as Saint Madoc. Nothing is known about his life, since he exists purely as the patron of several churches in Wales. The most logical assumption, however, is that he lived during the British Age of the Saints, which primarily covers the fifth and sixth centuries. 

He is the patron saint of Haroldston West as well as Nolton, both of which are in Dyfed. He is also the patron of Llanfadog in Radnorshire, Powys. Another church dedicated to him is Llanmadoc on the Gower Peninsula. 

In reality, there is no guarantee that all these places are actually dedicated to the same Madoc. It is entirely possible that one or more of these are dedicated to Madoc the son of Uther, while others are dedicated to one or more other figures by that name. 

Was Madoc ap Uthyr the Patron of One of These Sites?

Of all the Madocs who appear in Peter Bartrum’s A Welsh Classical Dictionary, none of them are explicitly presented as saints in the medieval records. However, we can come to some reasonable conclusions based on the geographical placement of the different Madocs. 

One Madoc was from Brittany; at least two Madocs were from the North; and three Madocs were associated with Powys. However, it appears that Madoc ap Uthyr is the only Madoc definitely associated with South Wales. 

On this basis, it is likely that Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon was the patron saint of Haroldston West, Nolton, and Llanmadoc. The patron of Llanfadog in Radnorshire, on the other hand, was presumably one of the three Madocs associated with Powys. 

Maidoc

A somewhat less likely possibility is that Madoc ap Uthyr might be identified with a figure who appears in some records as Maeddog, or Maidoc. Strictly speaking, this is a form of the name Aedd. This same name was usually written as Aeddan, Aidan, Aidanus, or similar forms. 

Another form that this name took was Maeddog, also written as Maidoc. This figure, called Maidoc, appears in several hagiographies. For instance, one manuscript of the Life of St David specifically says that Aidan, a disciple of David, was also known as Maidoc. 

This Aidan in question was a bishop of Ferns in Ireland, and he died in c. 632. 

The other hagiographies in which Maidoc is mentioned generally associated him with the same basic group of companions as those with whom Aidan is associated, lending support to the conclusion that it is this same figure in every case. 

However, that very group of companions was essentially composed of the most prominent religious figures of South Wales in that era, so this is not necessarily a very meaningful connection. Thus, it is possible that at least some of the references to Maidoc are not actually about Saint Aidan, but are about a different figure altogether. 

Recall that Aidan the bishop of Ferns died in c. 632. Hence, his birth was likely no earlier than c. 552. This is a useful piece of information, since it helps us to assess whether or not all the references to Maidoc in the hagiographies could really be about him. 

In the Life of St Teilo, there is an account of Teilo and Maidoc in a courtyard reading from the Book of Lamentations. This is set before the arrival of the Yellow Plague, which struck Britain in about the middle of the sixth century. Therefore, this account presents Maidoc as being active before Aidan of Ferns was even born. 

Could Maidoc Have Been Madoc?

This raises a very interesting possibility. If the Maidoc of this account in the Life of St Teilo cannot have been Aidan of Ferns, then to whom is it actually referring? As we saw earlier, there is only one Madoc who is definitely associated with South Wales, and that is Madoc son of Uther Pendragon. 

Since the account in the Life of St Teilo is set in South Wales, this indicates that the most likely candidate for this Maidoc is Madoc ap Uthyr. 

The obvious objection to this idea is that ‘Maidoc’ is not actually the same name as ‘Madoc’. While this is technically true, this is not a valid objection to identifying the two figures. 

By way of comparison, the name ‘Maxen’ is technically not the same as the name ‘Maximus’. The former is the Welsh form of ‘Maxentius’, while the latter is the Welsh form of ‘Maximus’. Yet despite this, Magnus Maximus is regularly called ‘Maxen’ in the Welsh records. 

An even more relevant example is the place name Ffynnon Ffaeddog in Dyfed. In earlier records, this location appears as ‘Ffynnon Fadog’. This demonstrates the corruption from ‘Fadog’ (a mutated form of the name ‘Madoc’) into ‘Ffaeddog’ (a mutated form of the name ‘Maeddog’). 

Regardless of the supposed correctness of it, these things did frequently happen. Therefore, there is no valid objection to identifying the Maidoc of the Life of St Teilo with Madoc ap Uthyr. The geography and chronology supports the identification. 

This being the case, it is also possible that the Maidoc mentioned in the Life of St Cadoc can also be identified with Madoc ap Uthyr. However, this is less certain, since the chronology does not definitely rule out the normal interpretation of this as Aidan of Ferns.  

The Father of Myrddin

Perhaps the most unexpected figure with whom Madoc might be connected is Myrddin. This figure is usually known as Myrddin Wyllt. He was a bard of northern Britain and was the semi-legendary figure who evolved into the character of Merlin. 

As mentioned earlier, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account entitled the Life of Merlin describes Merlin as a king of the South Welsh. Early Welsh poetry, independent of Geoffrey’s writings, supports this claim inasmuch as it indicates that Myrddin came from Dyfed originally, before eventually moving to the North. 

Various statements exist within Welsh records to the effect that Myrddin’s father was a man named Morfryn. For example, this fact is mentioned in the poem Cyfoesi Myrddin a Gwenddydd ei Chwaer, as well as other poems. 

Myrddin’s Descent

The earliest reference to any kind of genealogical information for Myrddin comes from the writings of Gwilym Ddu in the early thirteenth century. He refers to Myrddin as being of ‘the tribe of Meirchion’. 

There are only two notable figures called Meirchion in this period. One was Meirchion Gul, although he is unlikely to be the Meirchion of this record on the basis that he was a northern figure, unconnected to Dyfed. 

The other notable figure was Meirchion Wyllt, a king of Glamorgan in the sixth century. On the basis of geography, he is a much stronger candidate for the Meirchion mentioned by Gwilym Ddu. The place name ‘Dyfed’ is sometimes used in the medieval records for South Wales in general, rather than just the southwest, which is therefore consistent with Glamorgan. 

Not much is known about him. However, the fact that he was a king of Glamorgan is notable, since this is the region with which King Arthur is closely associated. Although we do not definitely know what the genealogical background of this king was, it is reasonable for him to have been a relative of Arthur. 

Myrddin’s Grandfather

The next genealogical record regarding Myrddin Wyllt is a seventeenth century account of his life. In this account, he is called the grandson of Meurig, a king of Dyfed. The name of Myrddin’s father is not given. 

The only Meurig who ruled as king of South Wales in the late fifth or early sixth century (as per the dating of Myrddin Wyllt) was Meurig ap Tewdrig. Therefore, this strongly suggests that Myrddin was the grandson of this Meurig. 

When we combine this with the fact that Welsh poetry repeatedly makes Myrddin the son of Morfryn, this would suggest that Morfryn was the son of Meurig of Dyfed – that is, Meurig ap Tewdrig. 

Madoc Morfryn

Finally, an even later record about the genealogy of Myrddin comes from the Iolo Manuscripts. While the reliability of these manuscripts has been called into question, the fact is that Iolo Morgannwg did preserve numerous genuine traditions. Therefore, it is certainly worth taking into account what these records claim. 

In these records, Myrddin is again described as the son of Morfryn. However, Morfryn is actually called ‘Madog Morfryn’. He is described as distinguishing himself as a teacher within the monastery of Illtud. Specifically, this description comes from the Third Series of the Welsh Triads. 

The Iolo Manuscripts also present Madoc Morfryn as being a son of Morydd, son of Mar, of the line of Coel Hen. 

The fact that this genealogy is inaccurate is evident for two reasons. Firstly, it contradicts the earlier evidence from the seventeenth century account of Myrddin, which made him the grandson of Meurig of Dyfed. Secondly, Mar was a northern figure, which contradicts Myrddin’s origin in South Wales. 

We can plausibly understand this mistaken genealogy to have arisen from the similarity between ‘Meurig’ and ‘Morydd’ (compare the spelling ‘Eliseg’ on the Eliseg Pillar, set up in honour of King Elisedd).

In any case, this provides us with evidence that Morfryn, the father of Myrddin, was also known as Madoc. Could Madoc Morfryn have been identical to Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon? 

Was Madoc Morfryn the Son of Uther Pendragon?

While there is no smoking gun that requires identifying Madoc ap Uthyr with Madoc Morfryn, there is a good case to be made for this identification. 

For example, consider the fact that the religious figure named Maidoc in the Life of St Teilo, as argued earlier, can likely be identified with Madoc ap Uthyr, as can the patron of several churches in South Wales. 

This being the case, this ties in very well with the description of Madoc Morfryn in the Iolo Manuscripts. He is described there as becoming a notable religious figure in the monastery of Illtud, which was in South Wales. 

What about evidence that connects him directly to Madoc ap Uthyr? Recall that Myrddin is described as being from ‘the tribe of Meirchion’. As we saw, this Meirchion is likely to be identified with Meirchion the king of Glamorgan. 

Given the connections between King Arthur and Glamorgan, Meirchion is very likely to have been of the same ‘tribe’, as it were, of Arthur. This would obviously also apply to Madoc ap Uthyr, seeing as he was from the same family. 

Therefore, the reference to Myrddin being of the tribe of Meirchion is arguably evidence in support of identifying Myrddin’s father with Madoc ap Uthyr. 

The Athrwys Theory

However, perhaps the most significant point to make regarding this argument is that many researchers consider Athrwys ap Meurig to have been the historical King Arthur. Other scholars argue that, while he himself was not the original Arthur, he did contribute to the legends. 

The reason that this is so significant is because Athrwys’ father, Meurig, was Meurig ap Tewdrig. As explained earlier, Meurig ap Tewdrig is almost certainly to be identified as the king described as the grandfather of Myrddin in the seventeenth century account of Myrddin’s life. 

This would mean that we can identify Madoc Morfryn as the son of Meurig ap Tewdrig. As such, he would have been the brother of Athrwys. If Athrwys was the real King Arthur, the importance of this is obvious. It would mean that Madoc Morfryn can indeed be identified as Madoc the brother of King Arthur, the son of Uther Pendragon. 

However, why is Athrwys associated by many researchers with King Arthur?

According to the weight of chronological evidence, Athrwys was born in about the beginning of the sixth century. Although many scholars place him later, this is the chronology supported by the Oxford Dictionary of Saints (up to and including the most recent edition), as well as a number of other respected modern academics. 

This would make him a contemporary of King Arthur. He was a prince of the dynasty that ruled over the entire south-eastern portion of Wales, which is the region with which King Arthur was most closely associated in the legends. 

In other words, Athrwys lived at the same time and in the same place as King Arthur. Various family members of Athrwys can be connected with family members of King Arthur in the legends. 

It is for these and other reasons that many researchers believe that he was the historical King Arthur. 

Even if he was not actually King Arthur, historians such as Christopher Gidlow and David Nash Ford argue that he may well have contributed to the legends.

Therefore, the fact that Athrwys apparently had a brother named Madoc (that is, Madoc Morfryn) can clearly be identified as the origin of the legend that King Arthur had a brother named Madoc. 

Madoc the Sailor

The evidence that Madoc was also known as ‘Morfryn’ is an interesting piece of information, because it potentially reveals a bit more about him. The name ‘Morfryn’ is possibly a corruption of the better attested ‘Morfran’, which means ‘cormorant’ or ‘sea crow’. 

If Madoc was known as Madoc the Cormorant, this would suggest that he was a sailor. Why else would he be described as a cormorant, or ‘sea crow’? 

Alternatively, if the name ‘Morfryn’ is not a corruption, then it would simply mean ‘sea hill’. However, this makes less sense as a person’s epithet, suggesting that ‘Morfryn’ may well be a corruption. 

In either case, we see that Madoc was associated with the sea. The most natural conclusion is that he spent much of his time at sea. This offers a convenient explanation for why he is generally absent from the Arthurian legends and from other records. 

With this in mind, it may be significant that all three sites which are likely dedicated to Madoc ap Uthyr (Haroldston West, Nolton, and Llanmadoc) are all right on the coast. 

A Voyage to America?

Some modern researchers have attempted to link Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon to the legends of a figure named Madoc sailing to America. According to the legend, this Madoc was the son of Owen Gwynedd and lived in the twelfth century. 

However, there is no contemporary support for the idea that Owen Gwynedd had a son named Madoc. In contrast, there are several legends of sea voyages to a distant land in the west in the sixth century. 

One example is the legend of Brendan, the Irish religious figure. He engaged on a voyage which can indeed be convincingly associated with a journey to North America. This route involves island-hopping past the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and finally Greenland. 

The historian and explorer Tim Severin proved that not only was Brendan’s voyage possible, but the medieval account of the journey matches the actual journey to North America strikingly well. Furthermore, medieval Norse records show that the Irish were already there when the Vikings arrived in the eleventh century. 

Another example is Preiddeu Annwn. This is an early Welsh poem that speaks of Arthur engaging on a voyage to a distant land across the sea. It shares some fascinating similarities to the Voyage of St Brendan, suggesting that it may well be the same event. 

To be clear, these are not the only examples of figures from the sixth century who are recorded as going on journeys which are plausibly understood as voyages to America. 

Given the concentration of such stories set the sixth century, and the fact that there was a Madoc who lived in this very era who appears to have been a sailor, it is not unreasonable to propose that the legend of Madoc sailing to America was originally about Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon. 

Madoc in the Later Romances

Although there are no definite mentions of Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon in the later, non-Welsh romance tales of King Arthur, there is at least one figure who might be based on him. 

In Chretien de Troyes’ Perceval, written in the late twelfth century, we find a reference to a knight of Arthur’s named Mado. Both appearances of this knight associate him with very well known figures from the Arthurian legend. This suggests that Mado was also a prominent figure, although he has evidently been largely forgotten. 

Various other Arthurian romance tales mention a character named Mador de La Porte, or Sir Mador of the Gate. He never has a particularly prominent role, but he is described as a powerful and intimidating warrior. 

A source known as Livre d’Artus mentions a knight named Sir Madoc li Noirs de la Porte, or Sir Madoc the Black of the Gate. Given his role as Arthur’s knight and his epithet, it is logical to conclude that this is another manifestation of the character of Sir Mador of the Gate. 

With this in mind, it is likely that Mado, Mador, and Madoc can all be identified as Madoc ap Uthyr, the brother of Arthur from Welsh tradition. 

Was Sir Mador of the Gate Really the Brother of King Arthur?

One potential objection to this identification is the fact that Mador is never explicitly identified as the brother of King Arthur in any of the legends. However, while somewhat unusual, this is not without precedent. 

The simple reality is that many of the family members of King Arthur in early Welsh tradition do not make any appearance whatsoever in the non-Welsh sources. Therefore, it is not shocking for Madoc’s relationship with Arthur to have disappeared in the non-Welsh versions. In fact, it is surprising enough that Madoc seems to be in them at all. 

As a comparable example, there is good evidence that the Margadud mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth as the king of South Wales after Arthur’s generation was originally Morgan, a son of Arthur. Yet, Geoffrey makes no mention of such a connection between Margadud and Arthur. 

Another potential objection is the fact that Mador’s epithet, ‘of the Gate’, suggests that he was Arthur’s porter. Would Arthur’s brother really have been a porter? 

The first thing to recognise is that despite his epithet, Mador is definitely presented as one of Arthur’s knights. This means that he was a warrior. Generally, when the Knights of the Round Table can be traced back to Welsh tradition, they can be seen to come from kings and princes. 

Therefore, given Mador’s position as a knight of Arthur, and one who is explicitly presented as being powerful, he was clearly not a minor figure. 

Secondly, there is evidence that close family members of Arthur’s dynasty served as court officials. For example, Arthur’s son Amhar is described as his one of his chamberlains in the Welsh tale Geraint and Enid. Thus, Mador’s position as Arthur’s porter does not prevent him from being Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon. 

Connection to the Hesperides

One final interesting observation about Madoc’s appearance as Sir Mador is that there is a fascinating connection to the Hesperides. In an Irish tale called Eachtra Mhelóra agus Orlando, Mador appears. In this tale, he is described as the son of the King of the Hesperides. 

This is fascinating, since the Hesperides are characters from Greek mythology who represent the setting sun in the far west. This connection between Mador and the far west could be related in some way to the suggestion that Madoc ap Uthyr travelled on a voyage to the west. 

Furthermore, the tale in question ends with Mador being banished. This, too, might be a distant recollection of such a voyage away from Britain. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Madoc the son of Uther Pendragon is a figure from Welsh tradition. He was the brother of King Arthur and the father of Eliwlod. It appears that he was a ruler of some kind, possibly as a subking under his brother. However, there is also evidence that he pursued a religious life at some point. 

While explicit references to Madoc ap Uthyr are rare, we can likely identify him with the patron saint of several sites in South Wales, as well as with Maidoc from one or more of the hagiographies. He should probably be identified with Madoc Morfryn, the father of Myrddin and son of Meurig ap Tewdrig. 

Finally, we have seen that there is some evidence that this Madoc was a sailor. As such, the famous legend of a Mador sailing to a distant land in the west may have originally been attached to this son of Uthyr.

Sources

Bartrum, Peter, A Welsh Classical Dictionary, 1993

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

Jones, Nerys Anna, Arthur in Early Welsh Poetry, 2019

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

Severin, Tim, The Brendan Voyage, 1979