Coel Hen: Biography, Facts and Career
Who is Coel Hen? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.
Coel (Old Welsh: Coil), also called Coel Hen (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tradition knew of a Coel Hen, a c. 4th-century leader in Roman or Sub-Roman Britain and the progenitor of several kingly lines in Yr Hen Ogledd (the Old North), a region of the Brittonic-speaking area of what is now northern England and southern Scotland. Later medieval legend told of a Coel, apparently derived from Coel Hen. He was said to be the father of Saint Helena of Constantinople and through her the grandfather of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Although it is likely to be erroneously identifying Saint Helen of Caernarfon. Other similarly named characters may be confused or conflated with the Welsh Coel. The legendary "King Coel" is sometimes supposed to be the historical basis for the popular nursery rhyme "Old King Cole", but this is unlikely.
Quick facts about Coel Hen
- Full name: Coel Hen
- Born: 0360-01-01
- Nationality: Hen Ogledd
- Known as: Royal
- Wikidata ID: Q2304442
Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Coel Hen?
Coel (Old Welsh: Coil), also called Coel Hen (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages.
What nationality is Coel Hen?
Coel Hen is Hen Ogledd.
When was Coel Hen born?
Coel Hen was born on 0360-01-01.
Sources
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