TEGAU EURVRON -  LADY OF KING ARTHUR'S COURT

Tegau Eurfron (a.k.a. Eurvron, TEG-ay means pretty in Welsh) is perhaps not as well known as husband Caradoc. But she too, is the stuff legends are made of. She lived around the late 400's to middle to late 500's AD. Dates I found vary; she could have born around 518; she could have married Caradoc around 550. She lived in what is now Monmouthshire, in southeast Wales, then called the kingdom of Gwent. Gwent was also near Glamorgan, a place with lots of Arthurian associations. The painting above is from "Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 005." Alternate Spellings: Guinier, Guimier, Geweniger,Guignier, Guimier, Gwegnier ferch Gereint (although one site lists this person as another wife of Caradoc) Gwegnier ferch Gerient Llyngesog, Eurfron, Eurfon, Eurovron. HER LEGEND She was a brave warrior and a virtuous woman. Her bravery comes down to us in a legend about losing a breast in battle. It was replaced by a golden one, thus her nickname, Tegau of the Golden Breast or Tegan Goldbreast. Another version of the story has her losing the breast in a fight with a serpent. Caradoc was the son of a magician, Llyr Merini. During a fight over Caradoc's parentage, the magician conjured up an attacking serpent. The snake clamped on to Caradoc's arm then Tegau's breast, causing her to slice it off. Don't you love these cheery old tales? As far as her virtue, it was celebrated in the Mabinogion and in poems. Thomas Love Peacock, in The Misfortunes of Elphin describes her as "Tegau of the Golden Bosom, one of the Three Chaste Wives of the island of Britain. She is the heroine, who, as the lady of Sir Cradock (or Caradoc) is distinguished above all the ladies of Arthur's court," in the Ballad of the Boy and the Mantle, by Bishop Thomas Percy. According to this, Tegau was one of the three faithful women of Britain. She owned a mantle which became one of the 13 Treasures of Britain. This mantle would reach the ground only when worn by a chaste woman, and became shorter the more faithless its wearer. Here's the last verse of the Ballad: "Thus boar's head, horn, and mantle Were this fair couple's meed; And all such constant lovers, God send them well to speed. " HER FATHER Tegau's father may have been the Grail King Pellinor, who himself comes from a long line of Grail Kings. I saw this here and would love to see more evidence of this relationship. According to this web site, her father was Nudd Hael, the Generous King of Secovia, himself a descendent of Cedic map Dumnagual, King of Strathclyde, born about 490. If she is also known as Gwegnier ferch (daughter of ) Gereint, then Gereint Llyngesog, King of Dumnonia (present-day Cornwall, Devon, and much of Somerset, England) is her father. Following this genealogy, she also had a brother: Cado ap Gereint, a.k.a. Cador or Cadwy. Cado succeeded his father as King of Dumnonia. He too is mentioned in Arthur legends and fought many times with King Arthur against the Saxons on the continent and in Britain. HER MOTHER Tegau's mother could have been Gwyar. Gwyar had a sister named Igernas, or Ygerna ferch Amlawdd. Igernas is also known as Igraine, King Arthur's mother. That makes her Arthur's half-sister. Could it be? According to some, Igraine had three daughters before she married Uther and had Arthur: Morganna, Anna, and Elaine. Where does Tegau fit in? According to the pedigree chart from Selah Youngs, Tegau, referred to as Eurovron, was King Arthur's niece. Hmmm. HER SON Tegau and Caradoc had at least one son, possibly two. My ancestor is Lludoeka, King of Gloster and Hereford. They could have also had a son named Meuric, according to Welsh tradition. Remember, there are both English and Welsh versions of all these stories. Have any info on any of these characters that you'd like to share? Send it to me! back