Guendoloena (or Gwendolen ) is a legendary queen of the island of Brittany (current Great Britain), whose “history” is reported by Geoffroy de Monmouth in his Historia regum Britanniae (towards 1135). It is the girl of the king of Cornouailles, Corineus and marries it Locrinus, king de Loegrie. Its reign lasted 15 years and it would be contemporary Greek Aède Homère.

With died of the king Brutus of Brittany, the kingdom is divided in three parts: Locrinus receives the center from the island to which it gives the name of “Loegrie”, Kamber receives the “Cambrie” (current Wales) and its name gives him, Albanactus inherits the area of north and calls it “Albania” (Scotland).

The kingdom of Albania having been attacked by Humber the king of the Huns and Albanactus having been killed, Locrinus and Kamber are combined and raise a army to face Huns. Humber escapes, but drowns in the river which bears its name now. On the enemy ships, Locrinus discovers Estrildis, girl of king de Germanie, who had been removed by Humber and with which it falls immediately in love. He would like to marry it but he is already engaged with the girl of the king of Cornouailles, which threatens to kill it with its axe if he does not hold his promise. He thus marries Guendoloena, but not being able to give up his love for Estrildis, he locks up it in an underground where he finds it in secrecy, pretexting sacrifices with the gods. Estrildis puts at the world a girl Habren and Guendoloena a son, Maddan, whose education is entrusted to his/her grandfather.

When his/her father dies, Guendoloena is repudiated and Estrildis becomes queen. Guendoloena goes in Cornouailles or it raises an army and attacks the troops of her former husband. The decisive battle takes place close to the Stour river where Locrinus is killed. Victorious, Guendoloena becomes main kingdom and orders that Estrildis and Habren are precipitated in a river now named Severn, according to the name of Habren.

Guendoloena reigns 15 years after Locrinus and entrusts the kingdom to his/her Maddan son when it becomes adult. It is withdrawn in Cornouailles.

Source

• Geoffroy de Monmouth, History of the kings de Bretagne , translated and commented on by Laurence Mathey-Mesh, Beautiful letters, coll “the Wheel with books”, Paris, 2004.

Related articles

• Historia regum Britanniae

• Kingdom of the island of Brittany
• List of the legendary kings of the island of Brittany