placearthurian

Rodarcus (Rhydderch, King of Cumbria)

The traveller meets a messenger from King Rodarcus of the Cumbrians, who had married Ganieda as his beautiful wife

30 citations1 sources1 traditions

The traveller meets a messenger from King Rodarcus of the Cumbrians, who had married Ganieda as his beautiful wife (Vita Merlini, Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

King Rodarcus received Merlinus with due honour, and the whole household and nobles rejoiced (Vita Merlini, Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

Rodarcus orders Merlinus held under guard and soothed with the lyre, pleading with him to use reason (Vita Merlini, Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

Rodarcus urges Merlinus not to live like a wild beast but to hold royal authority (Vita Merlini, Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

Rodarcus promises many gifts including clothing, birds, dogs, horses, gold, gems, and cups crafted by Guielandus in the city of Sigeni (Vita Merlini, Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

Vita Merlini

  • attestation: The traveller meets a messenger from King Rodarcus of the Cumbrians, who had married Ganieda as his beautiful wife (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Ecce viatori venit obvius alter ab aula Rodarchi regis Cumbrorum, qui Ganiedam Duxerat uxorem, formosa conjuge felix ."

  • attestation: King Rodarcus received Merlinus with due honour, and the whole household and nobles rejoiced (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Rex quoque quo decuit reducem sucepit honore, Totaque turba domus; proceres lætantur in urbe."

  • attestation: Rodarcus orders Merlinus held under guard and soothed with the lyre, pleading with him to use reason (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Tunc præcepit eum posito custode teneri Rodarchus, citharaque suos mulcere furores, Astabatque dolens, verbisque precantibus illum Orabat ratione frui, secumque manere,"

  • attestation: Rodarcus urges Merlinus not to live like a wild beast but to hold royal authority (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Nec captare nemus, nec vivere more ferino : Velle sub arboribus dum regia sceptra tenere Posset, et in populos jus exercere feroces."

  • attestation: Rodarcus promises many gifts including clothing, birds, dogs, horses, gold, gems, and cups crafted by Guielandus in the city of Sigeni (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Hinc promittit ei se plurima dona daturum ; Afferrique jubet vestes, volucresque, canesque, Quadrupedesque citos, aurum, gemmasque micantes, Pocula quæ sculpsit Guielandus in urbe Sigeni."

  • attestation: Rodarcus displays each gift to the prophet one by one, urging him to stay and leave the woods (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Singula prætendit vati Rodarchus et offert, Et monet ut maneat secum, silvasque relinquat ."

  • attestation: Since no gift could retain the prophet, Rodarcus orders him bound with strong chains (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Denique cum nullo potuisset munere tristem Rex retinere virum, forti vincire cathena, Jussit; ne peteret nemorum deserta solutus."

  • attestation: The queen walks through the hall; the king removes a leaf from her hair and throws it away, jesting (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Vidit in illius folium pendere capillis : Ergo suos digitos admovit et abstrait ° illud, Et projecit humi, laetusque jocatur amanti."

  • attestation: Rodarcus demands the madman explain the sudden laughter, offering many gifts, but Merlinus stays silent (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Rex quoque miratur, percunctaturque furentem Tam subito facti causas edicere risus, Adjecitque suis donaria plurima verbis. Ille tacet, differtque suos exponere risus."

  • attestation: Rodarcus, unable to persuade by gifts, orders chains dissolved and grants power to seek the woods (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Ergo cum nullo potuisset munere vatem Flectere Rodarchus, nec cur risisset haberet '; Confestim sua vincla viro dissolvere jussit, Datque potestatem nemorum deserta petendi,"

  • attestation: Rodarcus becomes immediately sorrowful, turns away from the queen, and curses their marriage day (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Ergo super tali Rodarchus crimine tristis Fit subito, vultumque suum divertit ab illa ; Dampnabatque diem qua se conjunxerat illi."

  • attestation: Rodarcus laughs at Merlinus's three contradictory death predictions for one boy, believing him to speak falsely about the queen (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Frater ei, movitque sua ratione cachinnum Regi Rodarcho: quoniam de morte rogatus Unius pueri, tres dixerat esse futuras. Ergo putabat eum de conjuge falsa locutum,"

  • attestation: Rodarcus takes pity and orders Merlinus led through the city marketplace to cheer him (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Ergo videns illum Rodarchus pellere cunctam Lætitiam, nec velle dapes libare paratas ; Educi præcepit eum miseratus in urbem, Per fora, per populos, ut lætior esset eundo,"

  • attestation: Rodarcus hopes that seeing crowds and commerce will lift Merlinus out of his depression (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Educi præcepit eum miseratus in urbem, Per fora, per populos, ut lætior esset eundo,"

  • attestation: Rodarcus orders Merlinus released on condition he explain his two laughs, granting him return to the woods (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Ocius ergo volens Rodarchus scire quid esset Quodportendisset risu, dissolvere nexus Ilico jussit,ei concedens posse reverti Ad solitas silvas, si risus exposuisset."

  • attestation: Rodarcus sends servants to the river and they find the drowned youth among the squalid sands, confirming Merlinus's prophecy (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Jussa ducis peragunt : nam flumina circumeuntes Submersum juvenem squalentes inter harenas Inveniunt; redeuntque domum, regique renarrant."

  • attestation: Rodarcus digs beneath the doorkeeper and finds the hidden treasure, joyfully saluting the prophet (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Et rex interea, forium custode remoto,"

  • attestation: King Rodarcus will die after long discord between the Scots and Cumbrians until Cumbria is given to the growing tooth (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

    "Rodarchus moritur postquam discordia longa Scotos et Cumbros per longum tempus habebit, Donec crescenti tribuatur Cumbria denti."

  • attestation: [0030.0] Ganieda dies or faces death (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "It Ganieda domum, Thelgesinumque reversum, Defunctumque ducem reperit, tristesque clientes. Ergo fluens lacrimis collabitur inter amicos,"

  • attestation: [0030.1] Rodarcus is connected to specific circumstances described in the verse (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Et laniat crines, et profert talia dicens : - « Funera Rodarchi, mulieres, plangite mecum ! Ac deflete virum qualem non protulit orbis"

  • attestation: [0030.2] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('hactenus,...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Hactenus, in nostro quantum discernimus ævo. Pacis amator erat : populo nam jura feroci Sic dabat, ut nulli vis inferretur ab ullo."

  • attestation: [0030.3] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('tractabat...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Tractabat sanctum justo moderamine clerum : Jure regi populos summos humilesque sinebat. Largus erat; nam multa dabat, vix quid retinebat :"

  • attestation: [0030.4] Seasons and their effects on the natural world are described (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Omnibus omnis erat, faciens quodcumque decebat. Flos equitum, regumque decor, regnique columpna (Heu michi!) qui fueras, inopinis vermibus esca"

  • attestation: [0030.5] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('datus...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Nunc datus es, corpusque tuum putrescit in urna ! Sicne cubile tibi post serica pulcra paratur ? Siccine subgelido, caro candida, regia membra"

  • attestation: [0030.6] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('condentur...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Condentur saxo; nec eris nisi pulvis et ossa ? Sic equidem : nam sors hominum miseranda per ævum Ducitur, ut nequeant ad pristina jura reduci."

  • attestation: [0030.7] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('nichil...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Ergo nichil prodest pereuntis gloria mundi, Quæ fugit atque redit, fallit læditque potentes. Melle suo delinit apes quod postmodo pungit ;"

  • attestation: [0030.8] Seasons and their effects on the natural world are described (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    " ' Hactenus duo exemplaria; Cleop. sic. desinit, plurima plangens. - Sic quos demulsit divertens gloria mundi, Fallit, et ingratæ collidit verbere caudæ."

  • attestation: [0030.9] Seasons and their effects on the natural world are described (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "More fluentis aquæ transit quodcumque ministrat. Quid rosa si rutilet, si candida lilia vernent, Si sit pulcher homo, vel equus, vel cætera plura ?"

  • attestation: [0030.10] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('creatori...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Ista Creatori non mundo sunt referenda. Felices igitur qui perstant corde piato, Obsequiumque Deo faciunt, mundumque relinquunt :"

  • attestation: [0030.11] Specific circumstances and conditions are stated in the Latin verse ('illis...') (Vita Merlini > Reunion and Return to Court)

    "Illis perpetuo fungi concedet honore, Qui sine fine regit, Christus, qui cuncta creavit , Vos igitur proceres, vos mœnia celsa, laresque,"

Appears in: Places, Entities in Vita Merlini, Arthurian Tradition