Arthurian stuff

[dux bellum]

That....seems like way too much speculation...and why would a sub-king in North Wales be worried about Saxons in the Southeast?

Watling Street :roll: .. would bring them right to his doorstep? :wink:

Also Reno has it that Gewissae was a Saxon territory that eventually linked up with Wessex. Apparently there are large Saxon cemeterys, which are larger than those of the initial area of Wessex, indicating reasonable numbers and/or longevity of occupation preceeding the eventiual link up.

He speculates (but then you must about this period) that Cerdic, a celtic name, was of dual nationality, his mother being Saxon, and may have sided with the Saxons of this territory.

Yeah, a Saxon army or warband could take Watling to ...but then they'd be stuck many miles away from home, deep in enemy territory. Seems more likely that the Saxons would try to push westwards towards the Severn, to divide the southern British kingdoms from the more northern ones.

You are right about the Gewissae, and yes, Cerdic was more likely half-Briton, but his father was Osela or Esela, the grandson of Gewis (of the Gewissae). There's no mention anywhere of any of Cerdic's ancestors marrying into the family of Cunedda.