Kingdom of Powys
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Kingdom of Powys Teyrnas Powys | |||||||||||
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5th century–1160 | |||||||||||
Anthem: Unbennaeth Prydain "The Monarchy of Britain"[1][2][3] | |||||||||||
Capital | Caer Guricon, Pengwern (possibly), Mathrafal, Welshpool, Chester | ||||||||||
Common languages | Welsh | ||||||||||
Religion | Celtic Christianity | ||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
• 6th century | Brochwel Ysgithrog | ||||||||||
• d. 616 | Selyf ap Cynan | ||||||||||
• d. 755 | Elisedd ap Gwylog | ||||||||||
• 1063–1075 | Bleddyn ap Cynfyn | ||||||||||
• 1116–1132 | Maredudd ap Bleddyn | ||||||||||
• 1132–1160 | Madog ap Maredudd | ||||||||||
Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||||
5th century | |||||||||||
1160 | |||||||||||
Currency | ceiniog cyfreith & ceiniog cwta | ||||||||||
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Demonym: Powyssi; Powysian ^ |
The Kingdom of Powys (
Name
The name Powys is thought to derive from Latin pagus 'the countryside' and pagenses 'dwellers in the countryside', also the origins of French "pays" and English "peasant". During the Roman Empire, this region was organised into a province, with the capital at Viroconium Cornoviorum (modern Wroxeter), the fourth-largest Roman city in Britain. It was later abandoned for Deva Victrix (Chester).[4] An entry in the Annales Cambriae concerning the death of King Cadell ap Brochfael says that the land later called Powys was originally known as Teyrnllwg.[5]
Early Middle Ages
Throughout the
In 549, the
In 616, the armies of king
If King Cynddylan of Pengwern hailed from the royal Powys dynasty, then forces from Powys may also have been present at the Battle of Maes Cogwy in 642. According to the probably ninth-century cycle of englyn-poems Canu Heledd, the region around Pengwern was sacked soon after, its royal family slaughtered and most of its lands were annexed by Mercia, some by Powys. However, this account is generally now thought to represent ninth-century imaginings of what must have been going on in the seventh, inspired by Powys's political situation in the ninth century.[9]
Powys enjoyed a resurgence with successful campaigns against the English in 655, 705–707 and 722, wrote Davies. The court was moved to Mathrafal Castle in the valley of the river Vyrnwy by 717, possibly by king Elisedd ap Gwylog (d.c. 755). Elisedd's successes led King Æthelbald of Mercia to build Wat's Dyke. This endeavour may have been with Elisedd's own agreement, however, for this boundary, extending north from the Severn valley to the Dee estuary, gave Oswestry (Welsh: Croesoswallt) to Powys. King Offa of Mercia seems to have continued this consultive initiative when he created a larger earth work, now known as Offa's Dyke (Welsh: Clawdd Offa). Davies wrote of Cyril Fox's study of Offa's Dyke, "In the planning of it, there was a degree of consultation with the kings of Powys and Gwent.
On the Long Mountain near Trelystan, the dyke veers to the east, leaving the fertile slopes in the hands of the Welsh; near Rhiwabon, it was designed to ensure that Cadell ap Brochwel retained possession of the Fortress of Penygadden." And for Gwent Offa had the dyke built "on the eastern crest of the gorge, clearly with the intention of recognizing that the river Wye and its traffic belonged to the kingdom of Gwent."[
Rhodri, Hywel, and Gruffydd
Powys was united with Gwynedd when king
History of Wales |
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Rhodri the Great ruled over most of modern Wales until his death in 878. His sons would in turn found dynasties of their own which would loom large in Welsh history, each claiming descent from Rhodri. Merfyn inherited Powys, whilst his brothers, Anarawd ap Rhodri and Cadell, established the Aberffraw dynasty in Gwynedd and the line of Dinefwr respectively.
In 942 Hywel Dda of Deheubarth (Rhodri's grandson through his second son, Cadell) seized Gwynedd on the death of his cousin, Idwal Foel. He apparently took Powys from Llywelyn ap Merfyn at the same time[12] and arranged for a dynastic marriage between their children. Hywel had founded Deheubarth in 920 out of his maternal and paternal inheritances, and maintained close relations with Æthelstan, King of the Anglo-Saxons, often visiting Æthelstan's court. Hywel studied the English legal system and reformed Welsh law in his own realms (later called the Cyfraith Hywel or "Laws of Hywel"), and when he went on pilgrimage to Rome in 928, he took his collection of laws, which allegedly were blessed by the pope.
Hywel encouraged the use of coinage in Wales, having his monies minted in Chester, a benefit of his relations with England. In 945 Hywel held an assembly in Whitland to codify his law codes, though with the aid of the celebrated cleric Blegywryd. Hwyel's works would lead posterity to name him the good (Welsh: Hywel Dda), and his reign is recognised as an unusually peaceful one. On his death, Gwynedd reverted to the Aberffraw dynasty, though Powys and Deheubarth were divided between his sons.
Maredudd ab Owain rebuilt the kingdom of his grandfather Hywel Dda. He was king of Deheubarth and Powys by 986, when he seized Gwynedd. Maredudd fought off English encroachment in Powys and increasing Viking raids in Gwynedd. He is recorded to have paid a penny for hostages captured by Vikings, a large sum for his time. With Maredudd's death in 999, Powys passed to his grandson Llywelyn ap Seisyll, through Maredudd's elder daughter Princess Anghared (with her first husband Seisyll ap Owian), while Deheubarth was divided between his sons.
Gwynedd temporarily returned to the Aberffraw line, though the next century would see the abandonment of the senior historic families as increased Viking incursions and incessant warfare led usurpers to overthrow the Aberffraw and Dinefwr houses; they would not recover until the end of the 11th century. Llywelyn's son Gruffydd would unite all Wales under his own kingship, displacing his cousins in Deheubarth, even expanding into England and affecting politics there. With Gruffydd's death Deheubarth passed through a series of rulers with various claims, but would return to the historic Dinefwr dynasty in 1063 in the person of Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin.
House of Mathrafal
It is through Princess Anghared (as daughter of Maredudd ab Owain of Deheubarth and Powys), her second husband was Cynfyn ap Gwerstan, that the
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and his brother Rhiwallon fought alongside the Anglo-Saxons against the
After
Division
Through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the House of Mathrafal struggled to retain its lands in Powys against Norman Marcher lords and a resurgent Gwynedd. After 1160, when Madog ap Maredudd died and his son and designated heir, Llywelyn ap Madog, was killed, the realm was divided along the River Rhaeadr:
- Cantrefs north of the Rhaeadr were allocated to Madog's remaining sons:
- Jones of Faerdref Uchaf.
- Owain Glyndwr, Prince of Wales, and the Vaughans of Corsygedeol and the Yale family.
- Swydd y Waun (the commotes of Nanheudwy, and Cynllaith) was received by Lord Owain Fychan.
- Cantrefs south of the Rhaeadr (Cyfeiliog, Ystlyg, and Caereinion) were allocated to Owain, Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn, (subsequently Owain Cyfeiliog), the son of Madog's deceased brother
- The cantref spanning the Rhaeadr – Mochnant – was received by Prince Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd, Madog's surviving half-brother.
In 1166, Owain Cyfeiliog and Owain Fychan attacked Iorwerth Goch, forcing him out of Mochnant, and dividing the land between them; Owain Cyfeiliog kept Mochnant Uwch Rhaeadr, while Owain Fychan kept Mochnant Is Rhaeadr (which became part of Swydd y Waun). In 1187, Owain Fychan died, and his lands were transferred to Gruffydd. By the end of the century, the resulting realms had become known by the names of the next generation of rulers:
- Powys Fadog, north of the Rhaeadr, after Madog the son of Gruffydd
- Powys Wenwynwyn, south of the Rhaeadr, after Gwenwynwyn, the son of Owain Cyfeiliog.
Impact of external hegemons
Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of Deheubarth, had tried to change the law to exclude his eldest son, Maelgwn, born out of wedlock, from the succession; traditional Welsh law differed from that in England and Europe, which disinherited illegitimate children. Maelgwn was forced into exile. In 1197, when Rhys died, Gwenwynwyn loaned troops to Maelgwn to help him take the throne of Deheubarth. Loyal vassals of Rhys, like the ruler of Arwystli, had sided with Gruffydd, the eldest son of Rhys to be born in wedlock, so Gwenwynwyn attacked and subjugated Arwystli; Arwystli (at that time including Cedewain) thenceforth became part of Powys Wenwynwyn.
Rhys had been the most powerful of the Welsh princes at the time, but now the princes of Gwynedd sought hegemony, gaining it under
Gwynedd was forced by King Henry III to restore Gwenwynwyn's son, Gruffydd, to power in Powys Wenwynwyn. Nevertheless, the power of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, prince of Gwynedd, lead both divisions of Powys to acknowledge Llywelyn as Prince of Wales, by 1263. Llywelyn proceeded to cultivate relations with the enemies of King Henry III, particularly the family of Simon de Montfort.
In 1274, Llywelyn married Simon de Montfort's daughter, and Gruffydd repudiated his allegiance. Gruffydd was forced into exile in England, but the following year Llywelyn was declared a rebel by King Edward I, who launched a new campaign against Gwynedd in 1276. The success of the campaign resulted in Gruffydd being reinstated. By this time, Gruffydd's son, Owain, had chosen to anglicise his name to Owen de la Pole (taking the surname from the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn – Pool).
Following the death of
In 1282, Llywelyn attacked the
Post-kingdom Powys
Powys Fadog (except for Mortimer's portion) had allied with Gwynedd during Edward's 1282 invasion, so in 1283, in the aftermath of King Edward's total extinction of Gwynedd, Edward abolished Powys Fadog, granting Gruffudd Fychan's lands to
Nevertheless, the Earl argued for Gruffudd Fychan to retain a portion of Powys Fadog, for the sake of dignity or to reduce the risk of revolt; thus a small portion of Mortimer's lands (the region around Sycharth – approximately half the former commote of Cynllaith) and a small portion of the Earl's (Glyndyfrdwy) were granted to Gruffudd Fychan as a Barony (i.e. remaining ultimately subject to the authority of the Marcher Lords). The Barony survived until the rebellion (in nominal support of King Richard II's heir) of Owain Glyndŵr, the great-grandson (or great-great-grandson) of Gruffudd Fychan.
By contrast, Owen de la Pole – having been on the side of the King during the 1282 conflict – was able to strengthen his position in Powys Wenwynwyn. He converted it into a marcher lordship, via surrender and regrant – the Lordship of Powis. This made him a vassal of Edward I, enabling him to rely on English support to keep him in power, while otherwise remaining completely independent (like other Marcher Lords).
The name Powys for this area disappeared (at the latest) with the introduction of the
Powys would not be resurrected as a polity until the boundary changes in 1974 created a new and enlarged county of Powys that merged the counties of Montgomeryshire, Brecknockshire and Radnorshire. However, Brecknockshire had not traditionally been within the bounds of the old kingdom, Radnorshire had not been part of it since the mid-10th century (if it ever had before, rather than just held by family members), and most of what had once been Powys Fadog was placed in the new county of Clwyd.
Rulers of Powys
- House of Gwerthrynion
- Sevira, daughter of Magnus Maximus
- Cadeyern Fendigaid (c. 430–447); reputed eldest son of Gwrtheyrn, blessed by Saint Germanus
- House of Ternyllwg
- Cadell Ddyrnllwg (c. 447–460)
- Rhyddfedd Frych (c. 480)
- Cyngen Glodrydd (c. 500)
- Pasgen ap Cyngen (c. 530)
- Morgan ap Pasgen (c. 540)
- Brochwel Ysgithrog (c. 550)
- Iago ap Brochwel (?–582)
- Cynan Garwyn (582–610)
- Selyf ap Cynan (610–613)
- Manwgan ap Selyf (613)
- Eiludd Powys (613–?)
- Beli ap Eiludd(c. 655)
- Gwylog ap Beli (695–725)
- Elisedd ap Gwylog (725–755?)
- Brochfael ap Elisedd (755?–773)
- Cadell ap Brochfael (773–808)
- Cyngen ap Cadell (808–854); throne usurped by Gwynedd and exiled to Rome where the family endured
House of Manaw
- Rhodri Mawr (854–878) of Gwynedd, inheriting through his mother
- Merfyn ap Rhodri (878–900)
- Llywelyn ap Merfyn (900–942)
- Hywel Dda (942–950); usurped from the Aberffraw line
- Owain ap Hywel (950–986); ruled thereafter by a cadet branch of the House of Dinefwr, establishing the Mathrafal dynasty of rulers
- Maredudd ap Owain(986–999)
- Llywelyn ap Seisyll (999–1023), son of Anghered by her first husband. Anghered was the daughter of Maredudd ab Owain.
- Rhydderch ap Iestyn (1023–1033)
- Iago ap Idwal(1033–1039)
- Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (1039–1063)
Mathrafal Princes of Powys
- Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (1063–1075) and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn (1063–1070) (co-rulers)
- Iorwerth ap Bleddyn (1075–1103; part)
- Cadwgan ap Bleddyn (1075–1111; part)
- Owain ap Cadwgan (1111–1116; part)
- Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1116–1132)
- Madog ap Maredudd (1132–1160)
From 1160 Powys was split into two parts. The southern part was later called Powys Wenwynwyn after Gwenwynwyn ab Owain "Cyfeiliog" ap Madog, while the northern part was called Powys Fadog after Madog ap Gruffydd "Maelor" ap Madog.
References
- Wade-Evans, Arthur. Welsh Medieval Law. Oxford Univ., 1909. Accessed 1 Feb 2013.
- ^ Bradley, A. G. Owen Glyndwr and the Last Struggle for Welsh Independence. G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York), 1901. Accessed 1 Feb 2013.
- ^ Jenkins, John. Poetry of Wales. Houlston & Sons (London), 1873. Accessed 1 Feb 2013.
- ^ Roger White and Hal Dalwood. "Archaeological assessment of Wroxeter, Shropshire" (PDF). Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Cambrian Archaeological Association. Archaeologia Cambrensis: "The Pillar of Eliseg", p. 297. W. Pickering, 1851. Accessed 27 Feb 2013.
- ^ Fiorentino, Wesley (2017). Magnus Maximus, World History Encyclopedia, Accessed 18 July 2023
- ISBN 978-0-7864-5824-0. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ISBN 9780907158738.
- ^ Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 120–41.
- ^ Davies, John (1990), A History of Wales (First ed.), London: Penguin Group (published 1993), ISBN 0-7139-9098-8
- ^ Lloyd, John Edward (1911), A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, vol. I (2nd ed.), London: Longmans, Green, and Co (published 1912), p. 323-324
- ISBN 1297345517.
Sources
- Davies, John (1990). History of Wales, Penguin Books.
- Llywarch Hen (attribution) (c. 9th century). Canu Heledd.
- Morris, John (1973). The Age of Arthur. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
- Remfry, P. M., (2003) A Political Chronology of Wales 1066 to 1282 (ISBN 1-899376-46-1)