NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Old King Cole

A legendary king of Celtic Britain, about all that can be said about Old King Cole with any certainty is that: Image File history File links Old_King_Cole_2_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546. ... Image File history File links Old_King_Cole_2_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546. ... William Wallace Denslow Copyright notice from Denslows Mother Goose of 1901 - note the use of the word, Rex even at that date William Wallace Denslow (May 5, 1856â€“March 29, 1915) was an illustrator and caricaturist remembered for his work in collaboration with author L. Frank Baum, especially his... King Cole can refer to different people: King Cole (1886-1916), a Major League Baseball pitcher Nat King Cole (1919-1965), a pianist and singer Old King Cole, a Celtic Britain king ... This article is about the European people. ...

So runs a traditional nursery rhyme the earliest mention of which appeared in 1708-9.^[1] Cole, or more properly Coel (pronounced like the English word coil), is a Brythonic name possibly derived from the Roman Caelius, and there are several candidates for a historical basis to the rhyme amongst both the legendary and historical kings of the Romano-British and sub-Roman period. A nursery rhyme is a traditional song or poem taught to young children, originally in the nursery. ... The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family. ... For other uses, see Legendary (disambiguation). ... Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeologists label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. ...

King Cole of Colchester

Popular British legend tells us that there is said to have been a King Cole living in the town of Colchester in Essex in the third century AD. In about 1129, Henry of Huntingdon claimed that Cole was the father of St Helena and therefore grandfather of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great. 'Colchester' can be interpreted as meaning 'Cole's castle', although it is generally thought to derive from the River Coln, itself named after the Roman colonia established there. The town also contains an old Roman quarry called 'King Cole's Kitchen'. The town of Colchester is the main settlement in the East of England borough of Colchester, Essex. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... // Overview Events 212: Constitutio Antoniniana grants citizenship to all free Roman men 212-216: Baths of Caracalla 230-232: Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east 235-284: Crisis of the Third Century shakes Roman Empire 250-538: Kofun era, the first... Events Emperor Toba of Japan begins his cloistered rule sharing power with Sutuku, ex-emperor Shirakawas son. ... For Earl Henry, father of two Scottish kings, see Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon Henry of Huntingdon (c. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Constantine. ... A Roman colonia (plural coloniae) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... A dimension stone quarry. ...

In his Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey of Monmouth lists a King Cole as a king of the Britons following the reign of King Asclepiodotus. However, Geoffrey of Monmouth's history is highly untrustworthy.^[2] Geoffrey expands Cole's story, stating that, upset with Asclepiodotus's handling of Diocletian's massacres, he began a rebellion in the duchy of Caercolun (Colchester), of which he was duke. He met Asclepiodotus in battle and killed him, thus taking the kingship of Britain upon himself. Rome, apparently, was thrilled that Britain had a new king and sent a senator, Constantius Chlorus, to negotiate with Cole. Afraid of the Romans, Cole met Constantius and agreed to pay tribute and submit to Roman laws as long as he was allowed to retain the kingship of Britain. Constantius agreed to these terms but, one month later, Cole died. Constantius married Cole's daughter, St Helena, and crowned himself as Coel's successor. Helen later gave birth to a son who became the Emperor, Constantine the Great. Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum BritanniÃ¦ (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) was written around 1136. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of most of the island of Great Britain, and their cultures and languages, the Brythonic languages. ... Asclepiodotus (Welsh language: Alyssglapitwlws) was a Roman praetorian prefect who re-established Roman rule in Britain following the illegal rules of Carausius and Allectus. ... Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (c. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... On the reverse of this argenteus struck in Antioch under Constantius Chlorus, the tetrarcs are sacrificing to celebrate a victory against the Sarmatians. ... Constantine. ...

Native client kings only survived for a few years after the Roman invasion^{[citation needed]}, but leading tribal families may still have held positions of power at this later period. This character is, however, most likely to be a memory of the great pre-Roman King Cunobelinus of the Catuvellauni tribe – Shakespeare's Cymbeline – who made Colchester his capital. Yet another possibility is that Cole is the Celtic deity, Camulus, a god of war.^[3] The old Brythonic name of Colchester was Camulodunum, and the derivation sequence /kamul/ (+ lenition) > /kawul/ > /kaul/ > /ko:l/ is possible, especially among the Celtic languages.^[4] If Camulus is Cole, then Colchester (from the Latin for 'Cole's fortress') and Camulodunum (from Brythonic Celtic for 'Camulus' fortress') are synonyms. It is possible that the Latin form is a calque on the Celtic. The Roman client kingdoms in Britain were native tribes who chose to align themselves with the Roman Empire because they saw it as the best option for self-preservation or for protection from other hostile tribes. ... Britain was the target of invasion by forces of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire several times during its history. ... Cunobelinus (also written Kynobellinus, Cunobelin) was a historical king of the Catuvellauni tribe of pre-Roman Britain. ... The Catuvellaunii (meaning probably good in battle) were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Isles, before the Roman invasion of Britain. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Dame Ellen Terry as Imogen This article is about Shakespeares play. ... This article is about the European people. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In Celtic mythology, Camulus or Camulos was the god of war of the Remi, a Celtic tribe, who lived in the area of todays Belgium. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of most of the island of Great Britain, and their cultures and languages, the Brythonic languages. ... This article is about the town in England. ... Lenition is a kind of consonant mutation that appears in many languages. ... The Celtic languages are the languages descended from Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, spoken by ancient and modern Celts alike. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... // In linguistics, a calque (pronounced ) or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal, word-for-word (Latin: verbum pro verbo) or root-for-root translation. ...

Image File history File links Old_King_Cole_1_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546. ... Image File history File links Old_King_Cole_1_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546. ... William Wallace Denslow Copyright notice from Denslows Mother Goose of 1901 - note the use of the word, Rex even at that date William Wallace Denslow (May 5, 1856â€“March 29, 1915) was an illustrator and caricaturist remembered for his work in collaboration with author L. Frank Baum, especially his... A page from a late 17th century handwritten and illustrated version of Charles Perraults Contes de ma mÃ¨re lOye (Mother Goose Tales) depicting Puss in Boots. ...

King Coel of Northern Britain

An altogether more historical character was Coel Hen, a Welsh name which actually means 'Coel the Old'. He appears in a number of Old Welsh pedigrees – notably the Bonedd Gwyr y Gogledd (or 'The Descent of the Men of the North') – at the head of several post-Roman Brythonic Royal families of the Hen Ogledd, the "Old North" covering modern Northern England and Southern Scotland, including those ruling Rheged, Elmet and possibly York, Bryneich, the other kingdoms in the Pennines and possibly the Gododdin territory extending well into Scotland. He is also considered to be the father-in-law of Cunedda, founder of the Kingdom of Gwynedd in North Wales, by his daughter Gwawl. The so-called Arthur stone names him as an ancestor of Artognou, a post-Roman ruler at Tintagel. King Coel was born to Cunedda I. His siblings were Ceredig, Edurn, Meirionydd, Dunoding, Rhufoniog, and Dogfeling. His children were Garmonion, Cunedda II Menrudd, and Gwawl. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg) is the label attached to the Welsh language from the time it developed from the Brythonic language, generally thought to be in the period between the middle of the 6th century and the middle of the 7th century, until the early 12th century when it developed... Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeologists label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. ... Brythonic is one of two major divisions of Insular Celtic languages (the other being Goidelic). ... Yr Hen Ogledd or The Old North. Part of northern Britain before the Anglo-Gaelic conquest The Hen Ogledd, or Yr Hen Ogledd, is an Old Welsh term meaning The Old North which refers to the sub-Roman Brythonic kingdoms of what is now northern England and southern Scotland. ... Northern England, The North or North of England is a rather ill-defined term, with no universally accepted definition. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... Entrance to the Rheged Discovery Centre Rheged was a Brythonic nation of Sub-Roman Britain, where the natives spoke Cumbric. ... Elmet is an area close to Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with York. ... Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich or Bryneich) was a kingdom of the Angles in northern England during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... Typical Pennine scenery. ... Gododdin (pronounced god-o-th-in), or Guotodin (Votadini in Latin), refers to both the people and to the region of a Dark Ages Brythonic kingdom south of the Firth of Forth, extending from the Stirling area to the Northumberland kingdom of Brynaich, and including what are now the Lothian... Father-in-law A father-in-law is a spouses father. ... Cunedda ap Edern (AD 386-460; reigned from the 440s or 450s) (Latin: Cunetacius; English: Kenneth), also known as as Cunedda Wledig (the Imperator), was an important early Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the royal dynasty of Gwynedd. ... Gwynedd was one of the kingdoms or principalities of medieval Wales. ... The Arthur stone was discovered in 1998 in 6th Century ruins at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, England. ... There is considerable debate among historians about the historical basis of King Arthur. ... Remains of Tintagel Castle Tintagel (pronounced with the stress on the second syllable; Cornish: Dintagell) is a village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, in England, UK. The village and nearby Tintagel Castle are associated with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ...

Projections back from dated individuals suggest that Coel Hen lived around AD 350–420, during the time when the Romans withdrew their forces from Britain. This has led historians, such as John Morris, to suggest that he may have been the last of the Roman Duces Brittanniarum (Dukes of the Britons) who commanded the Roman army in Northern Britain. He may have taken over the northern capital at Eburacum (York) to rule over what had been the northern province of Roman Britain. Upon Coel Hen's death, his lands would have been split between his sons, Garmonion and Cunedda II, and later his grandsons, Dunwal Moelmut, Cunedda III, and Gwrwst Ledlwn, thus creating the many old northern kingdoms of Britain. WF Skene recorded traditions of his death whilst campaigning in the Kyle district of what was later called Ayrshire (Scotland), which was subsequently named after him.^[5] Events January 18 - Magnentius proclaimed Emperor by the army in Autun. ... For other uses, see 420 (disambiguation). ... The Roman departure from Britain was nearly completed by 400. ... Dr. John Morris was the late 20th century Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at University College, London. ... See: Structural history of the Roman military The branches of the Roman military at the highest level were the Roman army and the Roman navy. ... York is a city in North Yorkshire, England, at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss. ... Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... The District of Kyle today forms part of East Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Ã€ir in Scottish Gaelic) is a region of south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II...

Welsh sources also give this man the alternative name of Coel Godhebog, meaning 'Coel the Magnificent' or 'Coel the Defender', but David Nash Ford considers this name may have been transferred from Cole of Colchester. From the 15th century to the 18th century, the two were certainly much confused. There are a number of other lesser known Coels mentioned in various Old Welsh sources too. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg) is the label attached to the Welsh language from the time it developed from the Brythonic language, generally thought to be in the period between the middle of the 6th century and the middle of the 7th century, until the early 12th century when it developed...

Later interpretations

Iona and Peter Opie believe the 'Old King Cole' of nursery rhyme fame was really 'Old Cole' (alias Thomas Cole-brook), a supposed 12th century Reading cloth merchant whose story was recounted by Thomas Deloney in his The Pleasant History of Thomas of Reading (circa 1598). Some analysts think it unlikely that the nursery rhyme was written before 1585, when Sir Walter Raleigh introduced tobacco into England. Others consider the "pipe" referred to may not have been a smoking pipe, but rather a musical instrument, or a measure of wine. The theory that "pipe" refers to a musical instrument (probably some form of woodwind instrument) is further suggested by the final lyrics of the song "there's none so rare, As can compare With King Cole and his fiddlers three", which seem to suggest that King Cole and his fiddlers played music together as a group. The term "pipe" is commonly used as an "informal term for a flute or recorder". The word ceol actually means music in Gaelic, and this may be the origin of the name in the rhyme. Peter Mason Opie (1918 - 1982) and Iona Archibald Opie (born Iona Archibald, 1923) were a husband-and-wife team of folklorists, who applied modern techniques to childrens literature, summarized in their studies, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1952) and The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (1959). ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Reading is a town, unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) and urban area in the English county of Berkshire. ... A Cloth Merchant is, strictly speaking, like a draper, the term for any vendor of cloth. ... Thomas Deloney (1543 - 1600) was an English novelist and balladist. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ... Not to be confused with Walter Raleigh (professor). ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in genus Nicotiana. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified - by Athelstan 927 AD Area - Total 130... Youth with pipe, by Hendrick Jansz Terbrugghen A smoking pipe is a device used for smoking combustible substances such as tobacco and cannabis. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes â€” whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Goidelic is one of two major divisions of modern-day Celtic languages (the other being Brythonic). ...

Modern usage

In the United States, "King Coal" is sometimes invoked as a metaphor for the centrality of coal mining in the economy of Appalachia, a role similar to that played by King Cotton in the Deep South. Surface coal mining in Wyoming. ... It has been suggested that Poverty in Appalachia be merged into this article or section. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ... Historic Southern United States. ...

In Canada, King Cole is a brand of tea which has been manufactured by G.E. Barbour Inc for about a century.

The late Nat 'King' Cole has stated in the past that he based his name on the fable of King Cole, the merry old soul.

In the Fables comic book, King Cole was the long-time mayor of 'Fabletown', a secret community of 'Fables', who were forced into exile in our world by a conqueror at home. He was defeated in an election by Prince Charming and is no longer mayor. He then became ambassador of 'Fabletown' to the Arabian fables. Fables is a Vertigo comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Prince Charming meets Cinderella in a 1912 book of fairy tales. ...

The prog rock band Genesis included the rhyme on their song "The Musical Box", from their 1971 album Nursery Cryme. It has been suggested that Six of the Best be merged into this article or section. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Nursery Cryme is the third studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1971. ...

In the 1970s, American comedian George Carlin offered this alternative: The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... George Dennis Carlin (born May 12, 1937 in New York, New York)[2] is a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. ...

The manner in which Carlin spoke the final line suggested that the pipe and bowl can be interpreted as marijuana references. A Cannabis sativa plant The drug cannabis, also called marijuana, is produced from parts of the cannabis plant, primarily the cured flowers and gathered trichomes of the female plant. ...

The United States military also has a version in the form of a marching cadence during the 1980s and in to the present:

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
and a merry ol' soul was he, uh huh.
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
and he called for his privates three, uh huh.
Beer! Beer! Beer! cried the private.
Brave men are we
There's none so fair as they can compare
to the airborne infantry, uh huh.

The cadence included a verse for ranks from private to captain that included a dig at each rank.

There seems to be a reference to the nursery rhyme in Joyce's Finnegans Wake (619.27f):

"With pipe on bowl. Terce for a fiddler, sixt for makmerriers, none for a Cole."

Joyce is at the same time punning on the canonical hours Tierce, Sext, Nones (Terce ... sixt ... none) and on Finn MacCool (fiddlers ... makmerriers ... Cole)

"Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?"

References

William Camden William Camden (May 2, 1551 - November 9, 1623) was an English antiquarian and historian. ...

External links

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | British traditional history | Fictional kings | Northern Brythonic monarchs | Nursery rhymes Asclepiodotus (Welsh language: Alyssglapitwlws) was a Roman praetorian prefect who re-established Roman rule in Britain following the illegal rules of Carausius and Allectus. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and to make a clear distinction between fact and fiction, this article may require cleanup. ... On the reverse of this argenteus struck in Antioch under Constantius Chlorus, the tetrarcs are sacrificing to celebrate a victory against the Sarmatians. ...

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