Mark of Cornwall - The Drustanus Stone

The Drustanus Stone

In Wrmonoc of Landévennec's Life of St. Pol de Leon, he refers to a "King Marc whose other name is Quonomorus". Also rendered Cunomorus, this name means literally the 'Hound-of-the-sea.' An inscription on a 6th century gravestone near the Cornish town of Fowey memorializes (in Latin) a certain "Drustanus son of Cunomorus" and it has been conjectured that this is the Tristan son of Mark (alias Quonomorus) of legend. There is a monument believed by some to refer to Tristan ("Drustanus") at grid reference SX112521. However, in most versions of the story, Mark is Tristan's uncle. His sister is Tristan's mother, Blancheflor alias Elizabeth/Isabelle, or, in some later versions, he is related to Tristan's father, Meliadus. Some identify King Mark with King Conomor of Dumnonia. However, it is also thought that Wrmonoc may have made a mistake with his recorded alias. In Old Welsh records, Mark is recorded as March son of Meirchion and is variously associated with North Wales, South Wales or South-West Scotland. The stone led to Mark's association with Castle Dore but modern archaeology can find no trace of a settlement there in the post Roman period. Dr Ralegh Radford's excavations, however, did reveal the traces of a rectangular timber hall consistent with a 5th - 6th century use.

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