Caerdroia

The design of a Caerdroia was very similar to a classical labyrinth
A diagram of the "Classical" labyrinth
For the Doctor Who audio drama see Caerdroia (Doctor Who audio).

Caerdroia: the Welsh name for ancient Troy (variations include Caer Droia and Caer Droea); because of the similarity between Welsh troeau (a plural form of tro "turn") and the second element Troea (Troy), the name was later popularly interpreted as meaning "Fortress of Turns" (caer = "fort"). In medieval times a Caerdroia was a turf labyrinth usually in the sevenfold Cretan Labyrinth design. They were created by shepherds on hilltops and were apparently the setting for ritual dances the nature of which have been lost. However, at the centre of each Caerdroia was a small hillock—in Welsh, "twmpath." A gathering for folk dancing in Wales is still called a "twmpath dawns."

Mythical link

There is another tenuous connection between Wales and Troy that has been disproven by historians but remains a resilient myth. Geoffrey of Monmouth, following the early Welsh historian Nennius, created a Christian/classical genealogy which placed Brutus of Troy, grandson of Aeneas and liberator of enslaved Trojans, as founder of Britain. This Brutus is generally considered a medieval fiction.

Glastonbury Tor

Glastonbury Tor is thought by many to be a very large "Caerdroia", and modern imaging techniques seem to confirm this theory. It is also known as a "Cretan maze".

See also

Further reading

External links

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