The Coelbren y Beirdd alphabet

The Barddas

Portrait of Edward Williams Bardd Braint a Defod. NLW.

This script which appears in the Barddas, meaning Bardism, a work of two volumes posthumously published in 1862 and 1874, by John Williams ab Ithel (1811-1862) who used fragments of manuscripts left by Edward Williams, better known as Iolo Morganwg (1747-1826), a renowned forger.

In 1856 John Williams had published the Dosparth Ederyn Dafod Aur, also attributable to Iolo. Davod Aur Edeyrn (The Golden Tongued) is said to have written a grammar of the Welsh language around 1270.

The legendary history of the Coelbren script

God’s name.

Einigan Gawr used 3 rods of mountain ash to inscribe God’s name but the people misinterpreted the rods for God himself causing Einigan to die of grief. Afterwards Menw ap y Teirgwaedd recovered the knowledge resulting in the first form of the alphabet consisting of 10 symbols:

First 10 symbols.

Note, the Coelbren letters would only consist of vertical and diagonal lines, as is the case in God’s name. This would make inscription easier on stone and wood. Beli Mawr increased the alphabet to 16 letters:

Coelbren of 16 letters.

Then, over time, 8 additional letters were added as indicated in the following diagrams to produce the commonest form of Coelbren which had 24 letters altogether. These additons were made to accomodate for sounds specific to Welsh.

Additions by Talhaiarn and Taliesin.

Additions by Ithel the Tawny.

Additons by Geraint the Blue Bard.

Evidence for the historicity of Coelbren script

It is generally believed that the script was the creation of Iolo as nothing exists that make use of that alphabet. One inscription that speculatively may have evidence for the writing was found near Kenfig in Glamorgan. Although far from being certain, some of the symbols at the bottom look similar to Coelbren letters:

Kenfig, in Glamorgan.

Rev. John Williams wrote of these marks:

Indeed, if these arrow heads had been alone on the stone, I should have considered them most certainly as nothing but the Druidical rays; but then come the other forms on the other angle, to create a difficulty which I cannot get over consistently with this theory.

Arch. Camb. No. Iv 1846,416.

The Sicyonian kings

Isthmus of Corinth. CC BY 2.5.

Eusebius of Caesarea stated:

From the latter [Sardanapallus] until the first Olympiad 67 years elapsed … Thus it turns out that the [total] duration [of the Assyrian kingdom] was 1,280 years.

Chronography of Eusebius 15

The document says Sardanapallus was the last Assyrian ruler. As the first Olympiad was held in 776 BCE it follows that the Chronography was asserting that the first ruler started his reign in the year 2123 BCE. Later on, the text lists the kings of the Sicyonians:

Aegialeus, 52 years. The Peloponnese was originally called Aegialeia, after this Aegialeus. He is said to have started to rule Sicyon in the 15th year of Belus, the first king of the Assyrians. According to legend, [Belus] was the son of Poseidon and Libya.

Chronography of Eusebius 63.

We may conclude that Aegialeus’s rule started in the year 2109 BCE. The list gives the following lengths of reign from which we may derive the dates of their commencements:

No.	Name	Years	Comment	Date BCE
1	Aegialeus	52	[See quote above.]	2109
2	Europs	45	He reigned at the same time as Ninus, the son of Belus.	2057
3	Telchin	20	He reigned at the same time as Semiramis.	2012
4	Apis	25	The Peloponnese was then called Apia, after this Apis.	1992
5	Thelxion	52		1967
6	Aegydrus	34		1915
7	Thurimachus	45	During his reign, Inachus became the first king of the Argives.	1881
8	Leucippus	53		1836
9	Messapus	47	During his reign Egypt was ruled by Joseph, as the Hebrews record.	1783
10	Eratus	46		1736
11	Plemnaeus	48		1690
12	Orthopolis	63		1642
13	Marathonius	30	During his reign, Cecrops Diphyes became the first king of Attica.	1579
14	Marathus	20	During his reign, Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt, as will be shown in due course.	1549
15	Echyreus	55	During his reign, Danaus became king of the Argives.	1529
16	Corax	30		1474
17	Epopeus	35		1444
18	Laomedon	40		1409
19	Sicyon	45	During his reign, the kingdom of the Argives came to an end, after lasting for 540 years.	1369
20	Polybus	40		1324
21	Inachus	40		1284
22	Phaestus	8		1244
23	Adrastus	4		1236
24	Polypheides	31	During his reign, Troy was captured.	1232
25	Pelasgus	20	During his reign, Aeneias was king of the Latins.	1201
26	Zeuxippus	31		1181

Fig. 1 Sicyonian kings.

Eusebius then adds:

There were a total of 26 kings of Sicyon, who reigned for 959 years. After [Zeuxippus], there were no more kings. Instead the priests of [Apollo] Carneius [ruled].

Chronography of Eusebius 63.

No.	Name	Years	Comment	Date BCE
1	Archelaus	1	The first [of these] priest[s] was Archelaus [who ruled] one year.	1194
2	Automedon	1		1193
3	Theoclytus	4		1189
4	Euneus	6		1183
5	Theonomus	9		1174
6	Amphigyes	12		1162
7	Charidemus	1	Finally, Charidemus one year. He could  not bear the expense, and went into exile. He was priest 352 years before the first Olympiad.	1161

Fig. 2 Sicyonian priests.

Following this list Eusebius says:

The total for the Sicyonian kings and priests is 998 years.

Chronography of Eusebius 63.

Alternative dates for the Trojan war

Polypheides was the Sicyonian king at the time of the Trojan war which means it occurred some time between 1232 and 1202 BCE. 1218 BCE, the date indicated by the eclipse data, lies in that range.
However, we can analyse the information by starting with Assyrian chronologies. The rule of Bel-bani, identified with Belus, started c. 1700 BCE. So, the first Sicyonian king, Aegialeus, ruled from c. 1686 BCE. The sum of all the reigns from his rule to that of Polypheides,the Sicyonian king during the Trojan war, is 877 years. This means Polypheides ruled from around 809 to 778.

The two Patricks and Davids

The confusion with dating is caused by two individuals with the name Patrick.

Palladius (Patrick I)

The Annales Cambriae state:

annus Sanctus Patricius ad dominum migratur .

Year Saint Patrick goes to the Lord.

AC a13

Anus sanctus patricíus obít

Year Saint Patrick died.

AC b484

This would be the year 456 and thus likely referring to Palladius’s obit. This is supported by the Chronicon Scotorum which tells us:

Dormitatio Sancti Senis Patricii episcopi .i. Glostoniensis Ecclesiae.

Kal. iv. Repose of Old Saint Patrick, Bishop, i.e. of the church of Glastonbury.

CS 457

As St. Patrick is not identified with Glastonbury, Old Patrick is a reference to Palladius. The year of his obit appears in other manuscripts:

Quies senis Patricii, ut alii libri dicunt.

Repose of the elder Patrick, as some books state.

AU 457

Hic alii quietem Patrici dicunt.

Here some record the repose of Patrick.

AU 461

Quies Patricii h-i .xui. Kl. April, anno .cccc.xxxii. a Pasione Domini.

Kl. Repose of Patrick on the 16th of the Kalends of April in the 432nd year from the Passion of the Lord.

AI 496

St. Patrick (Patrick II)

Anus · sanctus patricius monente angelo hiberníam petíít

Year. Saint Patrick having been warned by an angel proselytises Hibernia.

AC b455

This entry belongs to Block 3 implying a date of 455.¹

St. David

To see how these dates are consistent with those of St. David we need to understand there were two bishops with that name.²

Recap

AC B block	Tag	Event	Date
3	[b455]	Patrick II to Ireland	455
4	[b484] [a13]	Obit of Palladius (Patrick I)	456
4	[b485]	Birth of David I	457
	[cw 127]	Obit of David I	514
4	[b628] [a157]	Obit of David II	600

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1. Structure in the Annales Cambriae B. ^˄
2. The two bishop Davids. ^˄

Lucius Hiberius

Also known as Lucius Tiberius, he is said to have been a Roman procurator in the Historia Regum Britanniae. He is first mentioned following Arthur’s coronation and the ensuing court entertainments. His letter reprimands Arthur for refusing to pay Britain’s tribute and for taking territory originally under Roman control. The problem is that no such Roman is known of in the historical records.

The name Lucius Tiberius appears in that of Lucius Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus. His father was Lucius Aurelius Commodus Pompeianus and his grandfather was Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus. Did Geoffrey conflate Lucius Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus with his similar named grandfather who was offered emperorship three times and wisely refused?

Bust of Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, Imperium Romanum.

He distinguised himself in the Roman-Parthian war under the command of emperor Lucius Verus. He was made military governor of Lower Pannonia and so a battle in a valley called Siesia, mentioned in HRB 168.242, may be a reference to the Croatian city of Sisak. When Verus died he married his wife, Lucilla, the daughter of Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Aurelius and Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus.

The Adventus Saxonum and the consuls Gratian and Equitius

At the end of HB 31 we have the following:

“When Gratian ruled for the second time with Equitius, the Saxons were received by Vortigern, 347 years after the Passion of Christ.”

The consulships of Gratian were:

Year	Consul prior	Consul posterior
366	Flavius Gratianus	Dagalaifus
371	Flavius Gratianus Augustus II	Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus
374	Flavius Gratianus Augustus III	Flavius Equitius
377	Flavius Gratianus Augustus IV	Flavius Merobaudes
380	Flavius Gratianus Augustus V	Flavius Theodosius Augustus

How did this incorrect dating for the Advenrtus come about. There are two possible explanations:

1. It has already been shown how the error of Vortigern’s reign starting in the year 390 AD came to occur, see Vortigern to Badon in the Red Book of Hergest. This would have implied an Adventus in 393 AD, that is 366 AP. If it was later assumed that 366 was in anno domini dating, then the notion would have occurred it was during the consulship of Gratian.

The inclusion of Equitius was an error as can be seen by the HB claiming it was Gratian’s second consulship, rather than his third. As it turns out, the reference was to Gratian’s first period as consul.

2. Alternatively, again using the 393 AD date for the Adventus, if this event was placed one Metonic cycle too early it would result in the date 374 which is indeed the year of the consulship of Gratian and Equitius.