Tewdwr Mawr facts for kids

Tewdwr Mawr was an important king who lived a long time ago, around the middle of the 500s. His name means "Theodore the Great." He ruled in two main areas: Armorica, which is now a part of France called Cornouaille, and Cornwall, which is in England.

The Life of King Tewdwr

His Family and Early Challenges

Tewdwr was part of the royal family of Cornouaille in Armorica. His father was a man named Hoel. Hoel is even mentioned in old Welsh stories, especially those about King Arthur and the famous love story of Tristan and Iseult.

When Tewdwr was young, his grandfather, King Budic II, lost his throne. Budic had to leave his home and find safety with another ruler, Aergol Lawhir, in a place called Dyfed. Budic managed to get his throne back in the 540s. However, Tewdwr's father, Hoel, seems to have passed away before Budic.

To protect his family's future, King Budic made an agreement with a nearby ruler, Macliau of the Veneti people. They agreed that whoever lived longer would protect the other's young heir. But when Budic died, Macliau did not keep his promise. Instead, he attacked and took over Cornouaille around the year 544.

Tewdwr's Time in Cornwall

Because of Macliau's invasion, Tewdwr had to leave his home. He fled to Cornwall and became a ruler there. He governed the area of Penwith from a place called Carnsew, which was near the mouth of the Hayle River.

Tewdwr became well-known for how he treated Irish missionaries. These were people who traveled to share their Christian faith. Tewdwr was not friendly to them. For example, when a missionary named Breage arrived, Tewdwr made them land at Reyvier instead of Carnsew. Later, he harmed or even killed some of these missionaries for their beliefs, including a woman named Ia. Another saint, Gwinear, and his followers faced a similar sad fate.

Returning to Brittany

After many years away from his home, Tewdwr finally returned to Brittany. In 577, he fought against Macliau and Macliau's oldest son, Jacob. Tewdwr won the battle. He then allowed Macliau's younger son, Waroc, to rule in the area around Vannes.

Tewdwr's Lasting Impact

Because of his harsh actions against the Irish missionaries, Tewdwr became very famous, but not always in a good way. He was known for being a tough ruler. Stories about him even started appearing in the biographies of saints, called hagiographies. This happened even for saints he could not have possibly met, like Meriasek, who lived much earlier in the 300s.

One story tells how Saint Kea, who lived in the early 500s, supposedly protected a deer that Tewdwr was hunting. In return, Tewdwr took away Saint Kea's oxen. But the saint simply used a wild animal to pull his plow instead!

Some experts, like John T. Koch, believe that Tewdwr's appearances in old Cornish plays, such as Beunans Meriasek and Bewnans Ke, were actually a way to make fun of King Henry VII of England. This might have happened after Henry stopped the Cornish rebellion in 1497.