Conan

1. Conan

   The name bestowed by Layamon upon the King of South Wales who, in Geoffrey, was Merlin's maternal grandfather.

   
   

2. Conan

   Nephew of King Constantine, Arthur's successor to the throne of Britain, in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia. Conan murdered his uncle and poisoned all of Constantine's sons so that he could take the throne. After several years of tyrannical rule, he fell off a horse and died.

   In his sixth-century diatribe, Gildas reproaches a certain Conan of Powys, accusing him of falsehood, fornication, adultery, and murder. This is probably the historical prototype for Geoffrey's character.

   
   

3. Conan

   A nobleman who urged Mordred, after he usurped the throne of Britain, to reconcile with Arthur. Mordred ignored his advice.

   
   

4. Conan Meriadoc

   A nobleman in Roman Briton who desired to succeed his uncle, Octavius, to the British throne. When Octavius chose Maximus, a Roman senator, Conan became enraged and declared war. Faced with little support from the other noblemen, however, he eventually made peace. In return, Maximus gave him the kingdom of Brittany and the lady Ursula, the daughter of King Dionotus of Cornwall. He thus became the first ruler of Brittany, according to Geoffrey.

   One of Conan’s descendants, Constantine, was Arthur’s grandfather.

   
   

5. Conan the Bold
   Canus de Caee, - de Caere, - de Carre; Conan de Kaert, Ganor de Kahert, Kaune de Cahert, Quenuz de Caerec

   One of Arthur's knights. He participated in the second of Gawaine's quests to find Lancelot.