Caradog mab Brân: a Cymric hero (Beloved)

Synonyms: Caradawc mab Brân
Cym: Beloved

Caradog mab Brân is known from the Mabinogi of Branwen ferch Llŷr. There he is named as the son of Brân Fendigaidd. When Bendigaidd Frân sallies forth to Ireland to do battle with Matholwch he leaves his son, Caradog, in charge of Britain along with six other stewards and Pryderi as their page. Some while after Brân's departure Caswallon saw his chance to usurp the throne of Britain. It so happened that he had been gifted a cloak of invisibility and under the protection of this cloak he stole into the main Llys of Britain's stewards and drawing his swords he slew six of the protectors of Ynys y Cedyrn. However, he spared Caradog for he was a kinsman, the son of his nephew (Brân). Unfortunately, Caradog happened upon the scene, but from his perspective all he could see was a magical sword slaying his fellow protectors as if of its own volition. Surveying such a scene of slaughter Caradog's heart simply broke with the grief and he died. However, Pryderi managed to escape into the forests. When Manawyddan, leading the remaining five survivors of Brân's Irish campaign returned to Britain they encountered a fait accompli with their comrades dead and Caswallon declaring himself the leader of Britain.

Caradog mab Brân also appears in two triads of the Trioedd Ynys Prydein. The first of these, Triad 13, alludes to the events in Branwen ferch Llŷr described above. It names Caradog as one of the 'Three Chief Officers of the Island of Britain'. Interestingly the triad also gives Caradog's son, Cawrdaf as the second of these officers. This triad is also alluded to in a poem from the Llyfr Taliesin known as Kadeir Teyrnon. Triad 95 also alludes to the events in the Mabinogi of Branwen Ferch Llyr and names Caradog as one of the 'Three People who Broke their Hearts from Bewilderment'. His fortress is also named in poem XXXVIII of Llyfr Taliesin (I Wallawg) where we have the line O gaer glud hyd gaer garadawc (From the fortress of the Clyde to the fortress of Caradog). This would put the fortress of Caradog somewhere on the Firth of Forth though the reason for the association of Caradog with this place is unknown (except that the genealogies of the North claimed descent from the ancient gods). Indeed, the Mostyn 177 MSS gives Arthur's descent as Arthur m. Vthyr m. Kustenhin m. Kynuawr m. Tutwal m. Moruawr m. Eudaf m. Kadwr m. Kynan m. Karadawc m. Bran m. Llyr lletieith. This is in reality the descent of the royal Dumnonian line onto which Arthur has been grafted. However, the naming of Caradog as a descendant of Llyr Lledieith is interesting as the other Caradog, Caradog Feichfras is hailed as descended from Llŷr Marini an alternate epithet for Llŷr. Though these two heroes named Caradog are probably different personages their parentage has become inextricably mixed, probably because of their similariteis in name and because they may both have been confused with the historical Caractacus.

Caractacos son of Cunebelinos was the traditional Brythonic hero who unsuccsefully led the Britons against the legions of Aulus Platinus in 43 CE. After his defeat he sought sanctuary with the Silures but was betrayed by Cartimandua queen of the Brigantes. As a result he was captured and taken to Rome in chins but so impressed was the emperor Claudius with him that he was released but lived in Rome the remainder of his days. The tale itself is related by the Roman historians Tacitus and Dio Cassius and though there is a folkloric link between Caractacus and Caradog mab Brân it seems that the link cannot be traced back earlier than the eighteenth century. It seems likely that this tradition, like many others, was created by the arch fabulist, Iolo Morganwg. It has also long been believed that Iolo created the belief that Christianity was brought to Britain by Caradog ap Brân. However, this belief seems to originate with a note written in Harleian MSS 4181 by the herald Hugh Thomas at the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Caradog's name is, however, derived from the Brythonic Caractacos which can be related to the reconstructed proto-Celtic element *karant- (friend) and *karatu- (love) giving a meaning of 'beloved'.

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