Coel Hen facts for kids
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Coel (also called Coel Hen or Coel the Old) is a famous person from old Welsh stories and legends. People have known about him since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tales talk about Coel Hen as a leader around the 300s AD in Roman Britain. He was said to be the ancestor of many royal families in a part of Britain called Yr Hen Ogledd (the Old North). This area is now northern England and southern Scotland.
Later legends in the Middle Ages also told stories about a Coel. He was believed to be the father of Saint Helena. This would make him the grandfather of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.
Sometimes, other people with similar names might get mixed up with the Welsh Coel. The legendary "King Coel" is sometimes thought to be the real person behind the popular nursery rhyme "Old King Cole". However, this is probably not true.
Coel's Name
Coel's name was written as "Coil" in old Welsh. It might come from a word meaning "belief" or "omen." He is often called "Coel Hen," because "Hen" means "old." So, "Coel Hen" means "Coel the Old." Sometimes, he is also called "Coel Godebog." "Godebog" means "Protector" or "Shelterer."
Some old family trees say that Godebog was actually Coel's father. A writer named Geoffrey of Monmouth called him both Coel and Coillus in his book Historia Regum Britanniae. Today, some writers just call him "Cole."
Who Was Coel Hen?
Coel Hen appears in old family records as the leader of several royal families after the Romans left Britain. His family, called the Coeling, included famous figures like Urien, a king of Rheged. Other members were Gwallog, Gwrgi, Peredur, and Clydno Eiddin, a king of Edinburgh. An old poem called Y Gododdin mentions some fighting between the "Sons of Godebog" (possibly the Coeling family) and other heroes.
Based on these family records, Coel Hen likely ruled a large part of the Old North. He is seen as an important ancestor, much like another figure named Dyfnwal Hen. People in Scotland believe that Coel and his army died in a battle at a place called Coilsfield. They also say that the region of Kyle was named after Coel. A mound in Coylton in Ayrshire is even thought to be his tomb.
Experts believe Coel Hen lived around 350 to 420 AD. This was when the Romans were leaving Britain. Some historians have suggested that Coel might have been the last Roman commander in northern Britain. He might have divided his lands among his children after he died.
The Colchester Legend
By the 1100s, a new story about Coel became popular. This story, called the "Colchester legend," said that Coel was a ruler of Colchester in England. It also claimed he was the father of Saint Helena, and so the grandfather of Constantine the Great.
This legend came from a folk tale that said Colchester was named after Coel. People thought "Colchester" meant "Coel's fortress." However, the city was actually called Colneceaster a long time ago. Its name probably comes from the nearby River Colne.
Around the same time, this legend appeared in books by Henry of Huntingdon and Geoffrey of Monmouth. Geoffrey's book, Historia Regum Britanniae, tells a longer story. In this book, Coel becomes king of Britain after killing the previous king, Asclepiodotus. Coel was unhappy with how Asclepiodotus treated Christians.
Rome then sent a senator named Constantius to talk with Coel. Coel agreed to pay taxes and follow Roman laws if he could stay king. Constantius agreed. But Coel died a month later. Constantius then married Coel's daughter, Helena, and became the new king. Helena later had a son who became Emperor Constantine the Great. This story gave the Roman emperors a connection to Britain.
Local stories in Colchester also said that Coel built some old buildings there. A water pipe was called "King Coel's Pump." A Roman gate was known as "King Coel's Castle." And the remains of an old Roman temple were called "King Coel's Palace."
Other Stories About Coel
There's an old story from the North about Coel's last fight. Long ago, what is now Scotland had different tribes living there. During Coel's time, a tribe called the Scots started settling on the western coast. Coel worried that these northern tribes would team up against his kingdom, which was south of Hadrian's Wall.
So, Coel sent small groups to raid the northern lands. He hoped this would cause trouble between the tribes. But his plan didn't work. The Picts and Scots didn't fall for it. Instead, Coel's actions pushed them closer together. They began to attack the British kingdom of Strathclyde.
Coel declared war and moved his army north to drive out the invaders. The Picts and Scots ran into the hills. Coel's army set up camp near a river, at a place that became Coylton. For a while, the British army was winning, and the Scots and Picts were starving.
But then, the enemy launched a surprise attack on Coel's camp. Coel and his men were caught off guard and scattered. The story says Coel wandered into a swamp at Coilsfield and drowned. He was first buried there, then later moved to the church at Coylton. This happened around 420 AD. After Coel's death, his northern kingdom was supposedly divided between two of his sons, Ceneu and Gorbanian.
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