General Notes

Riwal Mawr Marchou ap Riotham

FROM: David Nash Ford, Early British Kingdoms: Biographies, 2000, www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios\riwalmdo.html, Internet.

Riwal Mawr Marchou, Prince of Domnonée
(c.AD 475-520)
(Welsh: Rhiwal; Latin: Rivalus; English: Riwald)
Deroch I map Riothamus' son was Riwal the Great Knight. He is said to have hailed from Britain and to have emigrated to Brittany with a large number of followers. This, however, was probably invented to explain his supposed British Dumnonian ancestry; though it is possible he held lands on both sides of the Channel. In Brittany, Riwal found it politic to pay homage to King Lothaire I of the Franks, as well as his cousins in Cornouaille, in order to secure his position.
When Prince Fracan of Cerniw settled in Domnonée, he quickly had a set to with his new monarch. Riwal claimed to have a much swifter horse than Fracan, but the latter could not agree. They organised a race to decide whose beast was the best, but the new arrival's jockey fell and was nearly killed. Luckily, Fracan's son, St. Winwaloe was able to heal him. Riwal may have been impressed by this saint's miracle working for he became a patron of the church and gave much land to his cousin, St.Brioc. Riwal probably died around AD 520 and was succeeded by his son as Deroch II.