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The Latin text inscribed in the Pillar of Eliseg describes "Concenn filius Cattell Cattell / filius Brohcmail Brohcmal filius / Eliseg Eliseg filius Guoillauc." "Filius," of course, is Latin for "son of." "Concenn filius Cattell" obviously describes Cyngen ap Cadell, King of Powys from 808 to 855. The third and fourth names, "Brohcmal filius Eliseg" and "Eliseg filius Guoillauc," just as obviously describe Brochfael ap Elisedd (King of Powys from approximately 755 until 773) and Elisedd ap Gwylog (King of Powys from 725 until approximately 755), respectively. However, the identity of the second name in the inscription, "Cattell filius Brohcmail," is less clear. The King of Powys in between Brochfael ap Elisedd and Cyngen ap Cadell was Cadell ap Elisedd, who succeeded his brother Brochfael ap Elisedd as King of Powys in 773 and was succeeded by his son Cyngen ap Cadell in 808. See Kingdom_of_Powys#Rulers_of_Powys. So how could the Pillar of Eliseg refer to "Cattell" as the "son of Brohcmail" instead of as his brother?
Given the fact that Cyngen ap Cadell ordered the inscription on the Pillar of Eliseg and that he knew quite well the name of his father, uncle and grandfather, there are only two explanations for this discrepancy. One is that the carver of the inscription, whom we already know made an error by carving "Eliseg" instead of "Elisedd" (not to mention referring to "Brochfael" interchangeably as "Brohcmail" and "Brohcmal"), mistakenly carved "filius" instead of "frater" (or is "frateque" the correct form?) between the names "Cattell" and "Brohcmail." A second possibility would be that the man that succeeded to the throne of Powys in 808, whom we know as Cadell ap Elisedd, actually was a son, not a brother, of his predecessor Brochfael ap Elisedd, and perhaps Cadell went by the double-patronymic "Cadell ap Brochfael ap Elisedd" (which would be rare, but not unheard of in medieval Wales). Could someone have shortened Cadell's full name (removing the first patronymic) at some point 1,000 years ago and led future generations to believe that he was the son, not the grandson, of Elisedd ap Gwylog, based on the perceived patronymic?
I certainly am no expert on Welsh history, and would welcome any thoughts on which of the two possible explanations for the discrepancy between the text of the inscription and the historical record is correct (or, if unverifiable, which is likelier). If the discrepancy was due to an error by the carver, then we should correct the ubiquitous references throughout Wikipedia to Cyngen ap Cadell being the "great-grandson" of Elisedd ap Gwylog to clarify that he was his grandson. But if the discrepancy is due to Cadell being the son, not the brother, of Brochfael, then the ubiquitous references to Cadell's parentage would need to be corrected, as well as Cadell's full name.
AuH2ORepublican ( talk) 22:24, 1 July 2016 (UTC)
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The Latin text inscribed in the Pillar of Eliseg describes "Concenn filius Cattell Cattell / filius Brohcmail Brohcmal filius / Eliseg Eliseg filius Guoillauc." "Filius," of course, is Latin for "son of." "Concenn filius Cattell" obviously describes Cyngen ap Cadell, King of Powys from 808 to 855. The third and fourth names, "Brohcmal filius Eliseg" and "Eliseg filius Guoillauc," just as obviously describe Brochfael ap Elisedd (King of Powys from approximately 755 until 773) and Elisedd ap Gwylog (King of Powys from 725 until approximately 755), respectively. However, the identity of the second name in the inscription, "Cattell filius Brohcmail," is less clear. The King of Powys in between Brochfael ap Elisedd and Cyngen ap Cadell was Cadell ap Elisedd, who succeeded his brother Brochfael ap Elisedd as King of Powys in 773 and was succeeded by his son Cyngen ap Cadell in 808. See Kingdom_of_Powys#Rulers_of_Powys. So how could the Pillar of Eliseg refer to "Cattell" as the "son of Brohcmail" instead of as his brother?
Given the fact that Cyngen ap Cadell ordered the inscription on the Pillar of Eliseg and that he knew quite well the name of his father, uncle and grandfather, there are only two explanations for this discrepancy. One is that the carver of the inscription, whom we already know made an error by carving "Eliseg" instead of "Elisedd" (not to mention referring to "Brochfael" interchangeably as "Brohcmail" and "Brohcmal"), mistakenly carved "filius" instead of "frater" (or is "frateque" the correct form?) between the names "Cattell" and "Brohcmail." A second possibility would be that the man that succeeded to the throne of Powys in 808, whom we know as Cadell ap Elisedd, actually was a son, not a brother, of his predecessor Brochfael ap Elisedd, and perhaps Cadell went by the double-patronymic "Cadell ap Brochfael ap Elisedd" (which would be rare, but not unheard of in medieval Wales). Could someone have shortened Cadell's full name (removing the first patronymic) at some point 1,000 years ago and led future generations to believe that he was the son, not the grandson, of Elisedd ap Gwylog, based on the perceived patronymic?
I certainly am no expert on Welsh history, and would welcome any thoughts on which of the two possible explanations for the discrepancy between the text of the inscription and the historical record is correct (or, if unverifiable, which is likelier). If the discrepancy was due to an error by the carver, then we should correct the ubiquitous references throughout Wikipedia to Cyngen ap Cadell being the "great-grandson" of Elisedd ap Gwylog to clarify that he was his grandson. But if the discrepancy is due to Cadell being the son, not the brother, of Brochfael, then the ubiquitous references to Cadell's parentage would need to be corrected, as well as Cadell's full name.
AuH2ORepublican ( talk) 22:24, 1 July 2016 (UTC)