Celtic Kingdoms of the British Isles

Rheged (Recet)

Rheged was a comparatively large kingdom that covered the whole of modern north-west of England. It stretched from Hadrian's Wall above Caer Ligualid (Carlisle - a possible pre-Roman British town that was turned into a civitas by the Romans and named Luguvalium) all the way down to Campodunom (Celtic Loidis, modern Leeds) in the Midlands, and west to Caer Legion (Chester). The kingdom was initially part of Coel Hen's Kingdom of Northern Britain. Upon the death of his son, St Ceneu ap Coel, Northern Britain was divided between Ebrauc to the east of the Pennines and Rheged to the west. Its northern capital was Caer Ligualid.

The name of Rheged seems to derive from the confederation of Celtic tribes that occupied almost the whole of the north below Hadrian's Wall, the Brigantes. Formed at a time when the Celtic language was undergoing rapid change, Brigant seems to have become Breged and then Rheged. The kingdom was divided in 535 into North Rheged and South Rheged. Mike Hancox suggests it was not even a single kingdom, but a confederation in the spirit of the Brigantes.

c.450 - c.490

Gwrast Lledlwm (the Ragged)

Son of Ceneu ap Coel. First king of Rheged. Born 422.

c.470

Gwrast's eldest son, Meirchion Gul, is his confirmed successor to the throne of Rheged. For his younger son, Mascuid, the region of Elmet, which until now appears to have been under the direct control of Rheged, is granted to him. This event seems to coincide with the death of Mor ap Ceneu, 'King of Northern Britain', and the subsequent division of his north-eastern territory into Ebrauc to the east of Elmet and the 'Kingdom of the Pennines' to the west. This would probably leave Elmet permanently cut off from Rheged and perhaps even in danger of annexation, so it is in Gwrast's interests to ensure that one of his sons is in command of the territory.

c.490 - 535

Meirchion Gul (the Lean)

Son.

c.490

Gawain appears to rule Goutodin from a distance, being found first in Rheged and then in Wales.

535

Upon Meirchion's death the kingdom is divided between his sons to form North and South Rheged.

North Rheged

The Rheged capital of Caer Ligualid was retained for North Rheged, although Urien also had a palace at Llwyfenydd on the River Lyvennet, and probably dwellings at Caer Brogwm (Brougham) and Pen Rhionydd (possibly near Stranraer). The modern county of Cumbria, the heart of North Rheged, remembers in its name the British Cymri of the area. Centered on part of Lancashire, and all of Cumbria and Galloway (Galwyddel) at its peak under Urien Rheged, this kingdom is one of the better known through that leader and his son.

535 - c.570

Cynfarch Oer (the Dismal)

First king of North Rheged.

547

To the east, the British kingdom of Bernaccia is seized by the Angles who have been serving as laeti and the ruling king, Morgan Bulc is forced out. He takes refuge with the Goutodin, shifting his power base there, but the loss leaves North Rheged's border exposed to the invaders. As one of the stronger northern kingdoms, Rheged develops into a key player in the task keeping the Angles bottled up in their new capital.

c.550

Galwyddel is invaded and annexed to the kingdom. The king there flees with his family to Ynys Manau.

559

(Or later) Ebrauc is besieged by Deiran Angles and North Rheged gains its western territory of Catraeth.

573

Rheged gains the small northern Selgovae state of Caer-Guendoleu.

c.570 - 590

Urien Rheged

Possible High King.

577 or 579

Urien fights King Theobald of fledgling Bernicia when he besieges the Angles at Metcaud Lindisfarne (Northumbria). His son, Owain, kills Theobald in battle after the latter demands hostages which are refused. Urien also receives a mention for 586.

590

Elmet and Rheged form a confederation of British kings, primarily based and operating in the north. The dispossessed Morcant Bulc of Bernaccia and Riderch Hael of Alt Clut both join the confederation in operations against the Angles, and are present at the siege of Ynys Metcaut (Lindisfarne) in this year. The Bernicians are almost driven out of Britain but the confederation falls apart when Morcant Bulc of Goutodin has Urien Rheged assassinated, fearing his great power should the Britons win the war against the invaders. His act fatally weakens the British cause in the North.

590 - c.597

Owain map Urien

Last powerful king of North Rheged. Mentioned in 586 & 593.

595

Five years after Urien's assassination, North Rheged's borders are threatened as the Pennine kingdom of Dunoting falls to Bernicia.

c.597

Morcant Bulc, dispossessed king of Bernaccia, attacks Rheged and kills Owain, fatally weakening the kingdom. Catreath is lost, prompting the Gododdin-led attack (described in The Gododdin poem) to try and retrieve it. Rheged survives for a few more years. Although its ruler is uncertain, it was likely to be Owain's son Elffin.

c.597 - c.616

Elffin map Owain

Ruled? Held the remains of the kingdom.

c.616

The remnants of North Rheged collapse after being overrun by Edwin of Bernicia, although there is the possibility that an enclave remains.

?c.616 - ?c.638

Rhoedd map Rhun map Urien Rheged

Ruled? Passed Rheged to great-grandson Alcfrith of Bernicia.

685

Alcfrith gains the Northumbrian throne and the remains of Rheged, if any, and its title, are officially, and peacefully, adjoined to Northumbria.

South Rheged

The detached southern section of Rheged covered modern Lancashire and Cheshire. Caer Robais (Ribchester) was probably its capital. Modern Rochdale seems to retain the kingdom's name (from Rheged-dale).

535 - c.560

Elidyr Llydanwyn, (the Stout & Handsome)

First King of South Rheged.

c.570 - c.613

Llywarch Hen (the Old)

Son. Flourished from al.600. Last King of South Rheged (d.634).

c.570 - c.582

During Llywarch's reign he is also king of Ynys Manau.

c.613

Most of the remaining Northern British kingdoms fall around this time, during a period of vigorous expansion by the Bernicians. Llywarch Hen and his large family flee west to Penllyn in Powys (a refugee centre for many Northern British royal families around the turn of the century). In around 790, Elidyr map Sandde map Alcwn map Tegid map Gwyar map Llywarch Hen becomes King of Ynys Manau. Elidyr's son, Gwriad, becomes King of Gwynedd in 815, still carrying the title, Heir to South Rheged.