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CERETIC GULETIC'S ANCESTRY
Roman Family North of the Wall

Ceretic Guletic was a powerful Celtic monarch who ruled a considerable area around Caer-Brithon alias Alclud (Dumbarton). Though the Strathclyde region was his main power-base, he may have held sway over most of what is now Southern Scotland. His descendants certainly ruled kingdoms as far south as the Isle of Man. Though their pedigrees became confused in later generations and many mistakenly claimed descent from Magnus Maximus who had no connection with the North. Thus we find pedigrees of the following type in several early Welsh genealogical tracts, in this case the Bonedd yr Arwyr:

Maxen Wledig Macsen Wledig (the Imperator) alias Magnus Maximus, Roman Emperor
Ednyved Ednyfed, King of Dyfed
Dyfnwal Hen Dumnagual Hen (the Old), King of Strathclyde
Gwydawl Gwidol
Gorwst Priodawr Gwrwst Briodor (the Land-Holder)
Elidir Mwynuawr Elidyr Mwynfawr (the Wealthy), Prince of Strathclyde. Invader of Gwynedd

It appears that there was a prince named Dyfnwal amongst the early monarchs of Dyfed who have become confused with Dumnagual Hen, the great King of Strathclyde. His true ancestry, and that of Ceretic Guletic, is revealed in the Harleian MS.3859:

Confer Possible duplicate generations
Fer
Cursalem Briefly mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth
Cluim Clemens
Cinhil Quintilius
Cynloyp Cynllwyb alias Quintilupus
Ceritic Guletic Ceretic Guletic (the Imperator)
Cinuit Cinuit alias Cynwyd
Dumngual Hen Dumnagual Hen (the Old)

Ceretic's immediate ancestry appears to be pure Roman. Cynllwyb is a bit problematic, but Quintilius and Clemens are certainly good Latin names. This seems a little strange considering that the family lived some way north of Hadrian's Wall and thus outside Roman control. However, by the end of the Roman period, relations with the Northern tribes appear to have settled down somewhat. Those immediately over the border may have been pro-Roman allies, used as a buffer zone by the Imperial authorities. The ruling class would, no doubt, have been considerably Romanized, even down to their names.

 

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