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Rhiwallon fab Urien
A Cymric Hero of the Old North, also known as Rhiwallawn Wallt Banhadlen, Rigovellaunos: Most Kingly, Broom-hair
Rhiwallon (Rhiwallawn Wallt Banhadlen, Rigovellaunos) is a Cymric (Welsh) hero of the Old North known from Welsh Triads, the praise poems of Taliesin and the ancient genealogies where he is identified as a son of Urien of Rheged and a defender of the Old North. |
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Cym: Most Kingly, Broom-hair
Rhiwallon is identifeid as one of the sons of Urien Rheged as determined from the praise poems in the Llyfr Taliesin and several triads in the Trioedd Ynys Prydein which name Urien's sons as: Rhiwallon, Rhun, Pascen and Owein. The only other source for the genealogy of Urien's sons can be derived from a later, sixteenth-century manuscript Peniarth 127 which names them as: Ywain ap Urien, Rhun ap Urien, Rhiwallon ap Urien, Elffin ap Urien, Pasgen ap Urien, Cadfael ap Urien ap Cynfarch ap Meirchion ap Gorwst ap Ceneu ap Coel.
However, most of the surviving lore concerning Rhiwallon comes from the Trioedd Ynys Prydein. In this instance it is necessary to progress through the tirads in reverse order, beginning with Triad 62 which names Rhiwallon son of Urien's war band (when fighting the Saxons) as one of the three 'Fettered War-bands of the Island of Britain' which is the only triad that directly names Rhiwallon as the son of Urien. Triad 17 names Rhiwallon Wallt Banadlen (Broom-hair) as one of the 'Three Fettered Men of the Island of Britain' who was fettered because of his great stature as no horse could be obtained that was suited to him. As a result he had to place fetters of gold around the smalls of his legs and across the cruppers of the horse and placed two golden plates beneath his knees. In this poem, Rhiwallon is named with Cadwaladr and Rhun mab Maelgwn Gwynedd and is probably their contemporary. Though there have been many Rhiwallons throug the ages, the only contemporary of the other men is Rhiwallon mab Urien. The fettering of Rhiwallon in this poem is also reminiscent of the fettering of his war-band in traid 62 thus Rhiwallon Wallt Banhadlen, strongly indicating that he and Rhiwallon fab Urien are one and the same. Rhiwallon is also mentioned in triad 4 where he is names as one of the 'Three Well-endowed Men of the Island of Britain' (ie wealthy). One interpretation of the term deifnyawc used in the poem is 'destined to rule', as well as 'wealthy', as suggested by Rachel Bromwich in Trioedd Ynys Prydein and as the first-born son of Urien Rheged, Rhiwallon would be expected to rule. Further indication that the Rhiwallon of the poem is one and the same as Rhiwallon fab Urien.
The name, Rhiwallon is derived from the Brythonic Rigovellaunos (Most Kingly) and his epithet, Gwallt Banhadlen (Broom-haired) probably refers to the colour of the broom's flowers (bright yellow) rather than the wiry nature of the shrub. Thus Rhiwallon can be taken to be yellow-haired.
If you would like to try the foods of the time of the ancient Celts, then why not have a look at the ancient recipes section of this site. For the foods of the time when some of these tales were written down, take a look at the Medieval recipes section of the site and, in particular, the recipes from The Forme of Cury.
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