Geraint
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2008-07-07T22:23:30Z
Djnjwd
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from the Latin
{{for|the 8th century king of Dumnonia|Geraint of Dumnonia}}
[[Image:Idylls of the King 5.jpg|right|thumb|Geraint, with his wife Enid, from ''The [[Idylls of the King]]'']]
'''Geraint''' is a character from [[Wales|Welsh]] folklore and [[Arthurian legend]], a king of [[Dumnonia]] and a valiant warrior. He may have lived during or shortly prior to the reign of the [[Historical basis for King Arthur|historical Arthur]], but some scholars doubt he ever existed. The name is a Welsh form of the [[Latin]] [[Gerontius]].
==Historical character==
Geraint's father was [[Erbin of Dumnonia|Erbin]], a herder of [[sheep]], and according to ''[[Culhwch and Olwen]]'', he had brothers named Ermind and Dywel. It is uncertain whether other records of a similar period refer to the same or another man. David Nash Ford suggests they were two people. A 'Geraint of the South' appears at the [[Battle of Catraeth]] (circa [[600]]) in the poem ''[[Y Gododdin]]'', attributed to [[Aneirin]]. Geraint was one of the "Three Seafarers of the Isle of Britain" according to the [[Welsh Triads]]. His death may be that recorded in the ''Elegy for Geraint'' at the [[Battle of Llongborth]], although this is also attributed to the [[8th century]] man of the [[Geraint of Dumnonia|same name]]. A King Geraint also appears in the 'Life of Saint [[Teilo]]' and there are local legends of a King Geraint, the [[patron saint]] of [[Gerrans]], near [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth]], being buried on Carne Beacon near [[Veryan]]. His feast day is [[10 August]].
==Arthurian legend==
He is probably most famous as the protagonist in the Welsh tale ''[[Geraint and Enid]]'', where he becomes the lover of [[Enide|Enid]]. ''Geraint and Enid'' is one of the three [[Welsh Romances]] associated with the ''[[Mabinogion]]''. Its story closely parallels Chrétien's ''[[Erec and Enide]]''. Some scholars feel both works derived from a common lost source, but most believe the Welsh version derives directly or indirectly from Chrétien. In this case, the renowned figure of Geraint would have been added to the story to suit Welsh audiences unfamiliar with Chrétien's protagonist. ''Geraint and Enid'' was reworked by [[Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Alfred, Lord Tennyson]] into the poems ''The Marriage of Geraint'' and ''Geraint and Enid'', part of his ''[[Idylls of the King]]''.
==See also==
{{Arthurian Legend}}
==External links==
*[http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/gerresdm.html Early British Kingdoms: St. Gerren, King of Dumnonia]
*[http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/gerreldm.html Early British Kingdoms: Gerren Llyngesoc, King of Dumnonia]
[[Category:Arthurian characters]]
[[Category:Cornish saints]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Dumnonia]]
[[cy:Geraint]]
[[fr:Geraint]]
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[[kw:Gerens vab Erbin]]