The Votadini exodus to Wales

[Alanus]

The story must have a historical background. I rather doubt Mascen was involved, but certainly Cunedda Wledig, aka "Cunedda the regional leader," or even possibly the term meaning, "legate." I would posit Cunedda cira 400-410, exactly when we have the supposed Roman evacuation. Who was involved in pulling him and his Goddadin south? Perhaps the legendary Vortigern or the northern potentate he so judiciously replaced through trechery. I would venture that the time was right-- time to consolodate British forces into a protectable geographical area, which of course, would become modern Wales.

David Day wrote an interesting, if not slightly fabulous, book on the Goddodin and their "Arthur." He posited that the tribe had intermarried with left-over Sarmatians and illustrated a piece of graffitio purportedly scratched near Hadrian's Wall. The graffiti was actually from Duro Europa in Asia... somewhat a journey from the Wall. Skene proposed a number of Arthurian battles fought in this locality, but he had a northerm bias. We do have a "Sarmatian" draconarius on a memorial stele now in a museum at Chester (as I recall, but then again I may recall incorrectly at times).

Cunedda is a fascinating character, but I cannot say he singlehandedly saved the British people. That was an effort of several tribal leaders, most of them now unknown. But Cunedda must have been a big cheese or he could not have had the high status of a Wledig. Few men had it, and two of them do fall into the Roman period-- Mascen (Maximus the Child Dealer) and Cunedda, who was far more concerned with the British people than Maximus ever was. Another Wledig was Ambrosius Aurelianus, but he was later.

Your idea that the term "Votadini" might be Latin could be correct. I think Goddodin might be Welsh; at least Lady Charlotte Guest thought so.

Alanus, A.J. Campbell