Eldol, Consul of Gloucester

Who is Eldol, Consul of Gloucester?

Eldol was the Consul or Count of Gloucester, who was the sole British leader to escape from the massacre of Salisbury in Geoffrey of Monmouth's circa 1136 work Historia Regum Britanniae. Hengist invited all of the British Leaders to a peace treaty. When all of the leaders were there, there were about 460 rulers, he ordered his men to draw their long knives and kill every leader. Vortigern was spared, but every other ruler was slain, save Eldol, who grabbed a stick up off the ground and killed 70 men in his escape.

After the massacre Eldol was a key supporter of Aurelius Ambrosius and helped him defeat the Saxons. Eldol defeated Hengist in hand to hand combat at the battle at Kaerconan/Cunungeburc, which may be the town of Conisbrough, and beheaded him. He was also at the siege of Vortigern's tower. Eldad, Bishop of Gloucester, was his brother.

Morvid, Consul of Gloucester in King Arthur's reign, may be related to Eldol.

In Welsh legend Eldol becomes Eidol or Eidiol Gadarn, recorded as one of the three strong men of Britain, having, at the meeting on Salisbury plain, slain 660 Saxons with a billet of wood.

There was a Welsh hero Eidiol mentioned in The Gododdin who may have inspired the use of the name in Geoffrey's work.