Kingdom of Cornwall - Post-Roman and Medieval Periods

Post-Roman and Medieval Periods

In the wake of the Roman withdrawal from Great Britain generally dated to 410 CE, Saxons and other Germanic peoples were able to conquer and settle most of the east of the island. In the west, however, Cornwall, Wales and the southwest peninsula remained under the influence of local Romano-British and Celtic elites as part of Dumnonia with close cultural contacts with Christian Ireland, Romano-Celtic Brittany and Byzantium via the West Atlantic trade network with exceptional archaeological evidence for Late Antique trading contacts evidenced at stronghold of Tintagel in Trigg in particular.

In Arthurian legend Gorlois (Gwrlais in Welsh) is attributed the title "Duke of Cornwall", but evidence of his existence is scant. Place names such as Carhurles (Caer-Wrlais) and Treworlas (Tre-Wrlais) suggest the possibility of an historic individual. Gottfried von Strassburg's courtly epic Tristan und Isolde (c.1200) was also set in a Kingdom of Cornwall. There was almost certainly a King Mark of Cornwall, aka cunomorus ('sea-hound' (i.e.'shark') who may also have held parallel teritory in modern Brittany. After most of the territory of Brythonic Dumnonia was absorbed into Saxon Wessex, the British rulers are referred to as kings of Cornwall (Latin Rex Corniu) or the kings of the "West Welsh" (Saxon Westwealas). Early Welsh romances place the court of Arthur in "Celliwig in Cerniw" (Old Welsh/Old Cornish 'Sacred Grove') - later the court is transferred to Caerleon in South Wales.

Th notorious Artognou stone - a reused Roman military slate drain cover discovered at Tintagel - is significant not least because it evidences a level of everyday literacy in both Latin and Brythonic uncommon in sub-Roman Britain with no parallel in Saxon England.