kingdom of Deheubarth

Information about kingdom of Deheubarth

History of Wales
Chronological Eras
Prehistoric Wales
Roman Wales
Early Middle Ages
Norman invasion
Late Middle Ages
Early Modern Era
Modern Era
Kingdoms
Brycheiniog
Ceredigion
Deheubarth
Dyfed
Ergyng
Gwent
Gwynedd
Morgannwg
Powys
Seisyllwg
Topical
Colonial history
Literary history
Welsh Culture
Timeline of Welsh history
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Cantrefi of Deheubarth circa 1160.
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Banner of Deheubarth
Deheubarth was a south-western kingdom or principality of medieval Wales.

History

Deheubarth was created in about 950 by Hywel Dda ("Hywel the Good") out of the territories of Seisyllwg and Dyfed, both of which had come into his possession. The chief seat of the rulers of Deheubarth was at Dinefwr.

Deheubarth, like several other Welsh kingdoms, continued to exist until the Norman Conquest of Wales, but constant power struggles meant that only for part of the time was it a separate entity with an independent ruler. It was annexed by Llywelyn ap Seisyll of Gwynedd in 1018, then by Rhydderch ab Iestyn of Morgannwg in 1023. Llywelyn ap Sisyll's son, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn again annexed Deheubarth and became ruler of most of Wales, but after his death the old Dinefwr dynasty regained power.

In church matters, Sulien of Llanbadarn (b.c. 1030) wrote many sagas and became Bishop of St. David's in 1073. Both of his sons followed him into the service of the church. (At this time the prohibition against priest marriage was not yet established.) One son, Rhygyfarch (also known as Ricemarch) of Llanbadarn wrote the "Life of St. David", and another, Ieuan of Llanbadarn was a skillful calligrapher and copyist of the works of Augustine of Hippo.

Rhys ap Tewdwr ruled from 1078 to 1093 and was able to fight off several attempts to dethrone him, considerably increasing the power of the kingdom. However the Normans were now encroaching on the eastern borders of Deheubarth, and in 1093 Rhys was killed in unknown circumstances while resisting their expansion in Brycheiniog. This led to the Norman conquest of most of his kingdom, with his son Gruffydd ap Rhys reduced to being a fugitive. Gruffydd did eventually become prince of a small part of his father's kingdom, but most was carved up into various Norman lordships.

There was a general Welsh revolt against the Normans in 1136, and Gruffydd formed an alliance with Gwynedd. Together with Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd he won a victory against the Normans at the Battle of Crug Mawr near Cardigan. This liberated Ceredigion from Norman rule, but although it was historically part of Deheubarth it was taken over by Gwynedd as the senior partner in the alliance. Gruffydd was killed in unknown circumstances the following year.

The rule of Deheubarth now fell to Gruffydd's sons, of whom four, Anarawd, Cadell, Maredudd and Rhys ap Gruffydd ruled in turn. The death of a ruler frequently led to disunity and struggles for supremacy, but the four brothers worked together to win back their grandfather's kingdom from the Normans and to expel Gwynedd from Ceredigion. Of the first three only Cadell reigned for more than a few years, but the youngest of the four, Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhys) ruled from 1155 to 1197 and after Owain Gwynedd's death in 1170 made Deheubarth the most powerful of the Welsh kingdoms.

On Rhys ap Gruffydd's death in 1197 the kingdom was split between several of his sons, and Deheubarth did not again rival the power of Gwynedd. The early 13th century princes of Deheubarth usually appear as clients of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd.

Kings and Princes of Deheubarth

External links

Wales has been inhabited by modern humans for at least 29,000 years, though continuous human habitation dates from the period after the last Ice age. Wales has many remains from the Neolithic period (mainly chambered tombs), as well as from the Bronze Age and Iron Age.
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Prehistoric Wales in terms of human settlements covers the period from about 225,000 years ago, the date attributed to the earliest human remains found in what is now Wales, to the year 48 AD when the Roman army began a military campaign against one of the Welsh tribes.
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The history of Wales in the early Middle Ages is sketchy, as there is very little written history from the period. Nonetheless, some information may be gleaned from archaeological evidence and what little written history does exist.
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The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman invasion of England. It was not undertaken with the fervor and intentionality of the invasion of England, and, as such, a specific date is difficult to pin down; nonetheless, it can be said that the invasion gradually
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Wales in the Late Middle Ages covers the period from the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in late 1282 to the incorporation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.
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Brycheiniog was a small independent kingdom of South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west.
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Ceredigion (IPA: [kɛrɛˈdɪgjɔn]) is a county and principal area in mid Wales. It is more or less identical in area to the historic county of Cardiganshire.
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The Kingdom of Dyfed was a sub-Roman and early medieval kingdom in south-west Wales.

Dyfed, or in its Latin form Demetia, was one of the ancient kingdoms of Wales prior to the Norman Conquest.
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For the subsequent region of Herefordshire, see Archenfield
Ergyng was a Welsh Kingdom of the sub-Roman and early medieval period. It is referred to by the English as Archenfield.
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Gwent was one of the kingdoms or principalities of mediæval Wales, in the Welsh Marches.

Emergence

The area has been occupied since the Paleolithic, with Mesolithic finds at Goldcliff and growing activity during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period.
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Gwynedd (pr. /'gwɪnɛð/) was one of the kingdoms or principalities of medieval Wales. Traditionally covering an area between the rivers Dyfi and Dee in the north-west of the country around Snowdonia (Welsh: Eryri) and
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Glywysing was a post-Roman and early medieval kingdom of mid-South Wales. Its people were decended from the Brythonic tribe of the Silures.

Location

Glywysing is said to be named after Glywys, an early monarch.
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The Kingdom of Powys was a Welsh successor state that emerged during the Dark Ages following the Roman withdrawal from Britain. Based on the Romano-British tribal lands of the Cornovii, its boundaries originally extended from the Cambrian Mountains in the west to include the
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Seisyllwg was a kingdom of medieval South Wales.

Origins

Seisyll (born c. 665) was a direct descendant of King Ceredig's eldest son, Usai. He was a late 7th century king of Ceredigion who invaded Dyfed and managed to conquer Ystrad Tywi.
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Welsh settlement in the Americas was the result of several individual initiatives to found distinctively Welsh settlements in the New World. It can be seen as part of the more general British colonization of the Americas.
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The term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. However, it more often refers to literature written in the Welsh language.
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Though a part of the United Kingdom and in union with England since its conquest in1282, the nation of Wales has preserved its own distinctive culture, language, holidays and music.
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principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or (in the widest sense) a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince.
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Motto
Cymru am byth   (Welsh)
"Wales forever"
Anthem
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau"
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9th century - 10th century - 11st century
920s  930s  940s  - 950s -  960s  970s  980s
947 948 949 - 950 - 951 952 953
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Hywel Dda (c. 880?–950), (English Hywel the Good, sometimes anglicized to Howell the Good) was originally king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales but eventually came to rule most of Wales.
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Seisyllwg was a kingdom of medieval South Wales.

Origins

Seisyll (born c. 665) was a direct descendant of King Ceredig's eldest son, Usai. He was a late 7th century king of Ceredigion who invaded Dyfed and managed to conquer Ystrad Tywi.
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Dyfed is a late 20th century county of Wales.

The Local Government Act 1972 caused the county of Dyfed to be created on April 1, 1974. It covered the former administrative counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire which were divided into local government
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Dinefwr Castle (sometimes anglicized as Dynevor) is a Welsh castle overlooking the River Tywi near the town of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, West Wales. It lies on a ridge on the northern bank of the Tywi, with a steep drop of several hundred feet to the river.
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Norman conquest of England began in 1066 with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), and his success at the Battle of Hastings resulted in Norman control of England.
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Llywelyn ap Seisyll (died 1023) was a King of Gwynedd and of Deheubarth in north-west and south-west Wales, also called King of the Britons by the Annals of Ulster.

Lineage


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Rhydderch ap Iestyn (died 1033) was king of Gwent and Morgannwg in south Wales and later took over the kingdom of Deheubarth and controlled Powys.

Comparatively little has been recorded about Rhydderch ab Iestyn in the annals.
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See also Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr


Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1000–August 5, 1063) was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, one of very few able to make this boast.
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Dinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, West Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Deheubarth and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales.
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Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) was a philosopher and theologian, and was bishop of the North African city of Hippo Regius for the last third of his life.
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