Caradoc facts for kids
Caradoc Vreichvras (Welsh pronunciation: [kʰaˈɾɑːdak]), also known as Caradog Freichfras in modern Welsh, means "Caradoc Strongarm." He was a legendary figure who is believed to be an ancestor of the kings of Gwent in Wales. He might have lived a very long time ago, possibly in the 400s or 500s AD.
Caradoc is famous for being a Knight of the Round Table in the stories of King Arthur. In these tales, he is often called King Carados or Carados Briefbras, which means "Carados Shortarm" in French.
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Who Was Caradoc?
The name "Caradoc" was quite common a long time ago. This makes it a bit tricky to figure out exactly who Caradoc Vreichvras was. Many old Welsh family histories and stories mention people named Caradoc. It's possible that some of these stories are about the same person.
Different Names and Stories
Because the name was so popular, Caradoc can sometimes be confused with other famous figures. For example, he might be mixed up with Caratacus, an ancient British hero. His parents are also different in various stories. Sometimes he's called the son of Llŷr Marini, a sea god. Other times, a legend from Brittany says his father was Caradoc the Elder.
A Possible Real Person
Some experts who study old places and objects think Caradoc Freichfras might have been a real person. They call him Caradoc ap Ynyr. He might have been a ruler of Gwent around the 500s AD. His home base might have been Caerwent, which was once a Roman town called Venta Silurum.
These experts believe that Caradoc's name might have been a way to remember the older hero Caratacus. This suggests that traditions from the ancient Silures people, who lived in what is now south-east Wales, continued for a long time.
Caradoc in Old Welsh Tales
Caradoc appears in ancient Welsh writings called the Welsh Triads. These are lists that group three things together, like three heroes or three horses. In the Triads, Caradoc is described as Arthur's main elder or advisor at Celliwig in Cornwall. He is also named as one of the three greatest knights in Britain. His horse was called Lluagor, which means 'Host-Splitter'.
The same title, "chief elder of Cornwall," is also given to him in another old Welsh story called Culhwch and Olwen.
Caradoc in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History
In a famous book called Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth, a character named Caradocus is the ruler of Cornwall. He lived during the time of Emperor Magnus Maximus. The fact that Caradoc is linked to Cornwall in the Welsh Triads might mean that Geoffrey of Monmouth used him as inspiration for this character.
Caradoc in French Arthurian Stories
In the French stories about King Arthur, Caradoc is said to have been a knight of the Round Table even when Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, was king. However, when Arthur became king, Caradoc first joined other kings in a rebellion against him.
Eventually, Caradoc and Arthur became friends again. Caradoc then became one of Arthur's most trusted allies. Caradoc's wife, Tegau, is described in two short stories from the late 1100s. Her name means "pretty golden-breast."
In one of the later Arthurian stories, the Vulgate Mort Artu, Caradoc dies bravely in Arthur's final battle. He is killed by Heliades, a lord from Scotland, but Caradoc also kills Heliades after leading a charge against enemy soldiers.
Other characters named Caradoc or Carados also appear in different French Arthurian stories, but they are not always the same person.
See also
- Bro Gwened
