Locrinus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Locrinus
Locrinus from the Genealogical Chronicle of the Kings of England to Edward IV (c. 1461)
Issue	Maddan Habren
Father	Brutus of Troy
Mother	Innogen

Locrinus was a legendary king from ancient Britain. His story comes from a book called Historia Regum Britanniae, written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 1100s. Locrinus was the oldest son of Brutus, a famous hero from the city of Troy. His mother was Innogen.

The Kingdom of Locrinus

After his father Brutus died, Britain was divided among his three sons. Locrinus received the central part of Britain. This area was called Loegria, named after him. Loegria covered most of what is now England, except for Cornwall. His brother Albanactus ruled Scotland, which was then called Albany. Their other brother, Kamber, ruled Wales, known as Cymru. Locrinus ruled for ten years, and most of this time was peaceful.

A Battle for Justice

Locrinus's peaceful rule was interrupted when his brother Albanactus was killed. Albanactus was attacked by a fierce leader named Humber the Hun. Locrinus decided to get revenge for his brother. He teamed up with Kamber, his other brother. They fought Humber's army until Humber was forced into a river. Humber drowned in this river, and it was later named the Humber River after him.

Sharing the Spoils of War

After the battle, Locrinus shared the treasures taken from Humber's army. He only kept the gold and silver found on their ships for himself. He also took a young woman named Estrildis. She was the daughter of a German king and had been captured by the Huns.

A Difficult Marriage

Taking Estrildis caused a problem for Locrinus. His father's old friend, Corineus, had already arranged a marriage for Locrinus. Locrinus was supposed to marry Corineus's daughter, Queen Gwendolen. To avoid trouble, Locrinus agreed to marry Gwendolen.

However, Locrinus still secretly loved Estrildis. He kept her hidden in a cave under Trinovantum, which is now London. He kept her there for seven years.

Family and Conflict

Locrinus had children with both women. He had a daughter named Habren with Estrildis. He also had a son named Maddan with Gwendolen. Soon after Maddan was born, Locrinus sent him to live with his grandfather, Corineus.

A New Queen and a Final Battle

When Corineus eventually died, Locrinus made a big change. He left Gwendolen and made Estrildis his queen. Gwendolen was very angry about this. She went to Cornwall and gathered an army. She wanted to fight Locrinus.

The two armies met near a river called the River Stour. During the battle, Locrinus was killed. After his death, Gwendolen became the ruler of Britain.

Locrinus in Literature

Locrinus's story was even turned into a play. An anonymous play called Locrine was published in 1595. It was later included in a collection of plays known as the Shakespeare Apocrypha.