Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Alanus]

Sadly, we can't seem to trust the few specifics we have of this era, but building history on generalities dooms us to failure, too. :roll:

Yes, Ron. We can't trust the genealogies because they are polluted and, in some cases such as Theodoric's, also bogus. Yet they do record specifics that link most of the families (just mentioned by Agraes and myself) into a larger whole through marriages. Some of it is certainly real, and perhaps the trick is scanning wisely for actual clues.

When we discover that Aldrian/Andrew ap Saloman (father of John and Illtyd) married a certain "Ringulida," it seems unimportant at first. Then we discover that her real name was "Rhineguilda" and she was the daughter of Rusticus (Praefect of Gaul). Her brother was Saint Germanus; and this shows laterally in Germanus' benificence toward Illtyd and the founding of Llanwit Major. In turn, Illtyd was recorded in Welsh tradition as one of "Arthur's" greatest knights. Now this may be legendary, but it places correctly when we move to the "Lifer St. Illtutus," where we hear much the same thing. The tale has all the characteristics of the later "Grail Knight," and it also places Illtyd as a proto-Lancelot... even the fact/legend that he came from France. 8)

By this means of cross-referencing, we can discover plausible historicity. When you add it all up, you begin to form a picture (depending upon your perception, and mine is rather romantic). These nuptials indicate alliences betrween the southern dynasties; and Theodoric's family marries into Andrew's twice, his sister to John (Riothamus?) and his grand-niece to John's grandson. I don't think this part of the genealogies is fictional. And I have no reason to believe that "Ringulida" could have been dreamed up by medieval scribes who had no clue that she was actually Germanic, that her mother's name was Germanilla, and that her father was the probable Fraomarius (as in Fraomarius Rusticus) the King of the Alamanni mentioned by Ammianus as seated by Valentinian and arriving in Britain in 372. Little links, viewed carefully, can shed bright light.

ps. The old farts (Victorians) have been overly discredited, but when you read 19th century references such as "Illtyd appears to be a German" or Ashe saying, "A curious thing is said about Daniel [son of Riothamus], that he was a King of the Alamanni," then perhaps our cold-hard 21st century evaluations might need "down-dating." :roll: