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Ceredigion
Founded in circa
AD 424, this small coastal kingdom was centred on the Bay of Cardigan.
According to tradition, Ceredigion was originally part of the territory
governed by the Gododdin chief, Cunedda, after he was
invited by Magnus Maximus
to settle in north-west Wales. Cunedda granted the land to Ceretic as his own
kingdom, and it was named after him. The earliest form of that name may have been Ceretica.
Ceredigion means 'the people/followers of Ceretic'.
Situated along the western coast of Wales, its territory corresponded
roughly to that of the modern county of Ceredigion which includes the towns
of Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Lampeter, Llanddewi brefi, New Quay,
and Tregaron, and it is where the rivers Severn and Wye have their sources.
The Cambrian Mountains covered much of the east of the kingdom and its hilly
geography made it difficult for foreign invaders to conquer. As a coastal
kingdom, its creation was a good strategic move as it sealed the vulnerable
coastal gap between Dyfed
to the south and
Gwynedd to the north, thereby
preventing any further
Irish gains in Wales.
For part of its length the River Teifi formed the border between Ceredigion
and Dyfed.
(Additional information by Edward Dawson, and from The Landscape of King Arthur,
Geoffrey Ashe.) |
c.424 - c.453 |
Ceretic / Corotic
/ Ceredig |
Fifth son of
Cunedda Wledig. |
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The
name Ceretic or its various versions means 'beloved of Dagda', Dagda
being Dag, the solar god who is cognate with English 'day', plus 'da',
meaning 'good' - 'good Dag', in the same way that Christians might say
'blessed lord'. The same format is used in the name Carantoc, and in an
earlier form with Togodumnus of the
Catuvellauni. |
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Corun ap Ceredig |
Son. Apparently predeceased his father. |
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In
Ceretic's later years, when the kingdom is under threat of attack by
Irish raiders, he is
advised to abdicate in favour of his young grandson, Carantocus, but the
saintly Carantocus is horrified at such a prospect and flees the court to
live as a hermit at Edilu. Becoming the learned St Carannog/Carantoc
(after whom is named Crantock in Cornwall), he is mentioned in connection
with Arthur and a certain Cado who is probably Cado, king of
Dumnonia in the
early sixth century. |
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Carantocus / St Carannog ap Corun |
Son. Fled the court to become St Carannog/Carantoc. |
c.453 - c.490 |
Usai ap Ceredig |
Son of Ceretic. |
c.490 - c.525 |
Serwyl ap Usai |
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c.525 - c.560 |
Boddw ap Serwyl |
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c.560 - c.595 |
Arthfoddw ap Boddw |
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c.595 - c.630 |
Arthlwys ap Arthwfoddw |
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c.630 - c.665 |
Clydog ap Arthlwys |
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c.665 - c.700 |
Seisyll ap Clydog |
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Seisyll embarks on a series of conquests, adding to his
territory the three cantrefs of Ystrad Tywy. With his neighbour Dyfed
now denuded of a great swathe of its own lands, Seisyll has formed an
enlargened kingdom - a third bigger than it had been - which bears his name:
Seisyllwg. |
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Seisyllwg (with Ystrad Tywy)
Seisyllwg consisted of the former kingdom of Ceredigion together with
the newly conquered territory of Ystrad Towy. Note that the dates given for
the reigns of Seisyll and his immediate descendents must be treated with
caution, being little more than educated guesses. The only secure date
available is for the death of Gwgan ap Meurig which is derived from the
Annales Cambriae.
(Additional information by Hywel George, and from the Annales Cambriae, James Ingram (taken from
the Harleian manuscript, the earliest surviving version, London, Everyman
Press, 1912).) |
c.700 - c.735 |
Arthwyr ap Seisyll |
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c.735 - c.770 |
Dyfnwal ap Arthwyr |
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c.770 - c.807 |
Meurig ap Dyfnwal
/ Morydd |
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by 800 |
The kingdoms of
Builth and
Gwrtheyrnion
are taken directly within Seisyllwg. |
807? |
Arthen |
(Annales Cambriae). |
c.808 - 872 |
Gwgan ap Meurig |
Son of
Meurig. Drowned and left no heir. |
c.810 |
Angharad ferch Meurig |
Sister. m Rhodri Mawr, king of
Gwynedd &
Powys. |
872 - 873 |
Gwgan
is drowned while crossing the River Llychwr in Gower whilst chasing off a
Viking raid. The kingdom passes to his brother-in-law, Rhodri Mawr, after he
quickly marries into the bereaved family. Rhodri is now king of much of
north and central
Wales. From this point
onwards, Seisyllwg is ruled by a branch of the kings of Gwynedd as a sub-kingdom.
In 873, Rhodri's son, Cadell, is placed in command of Ceredigion and the palace at
Dinefwr. |
873 - 909 |
Cadell ap Rhodri |
'King of South Wales'.
Founder of the House of Dinefwr. |
878 |
Upon the
death of Rhodri Mawr, and according to his wishes,
Wales
is officially divided between his sons. Anarawd succeeds him in
Deheubarth, Merfyn in
Powys, and Cadell is confirmed in Seisyllwg. |
904 |
Cadell ap Rhodri and his
son, Hywel Dda, conquer
Dyfed. Hywel is granted control
of the kingdom, a position which is an entirely legitimate claim in principle
(if not in law) thanks to his marriage to Elen ferch Llywarch ap Hyfaidd,
effectively the heiress of Dyed. |
909 - 920 |
Clydog ap Cadell |
Son. No heir.
Mentioned in the
Annales Cambriae. |
920 |
Drawn into
full union with Dyfed under Cadell's second son, Hywel Dda, creating the
kingdom of
Deheubarth.
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Unusually for the dominant rulers in later medieval Wales, Hywel
Dda was a man of the south, having been the driving force behind
the creation of Deheubarth out of several smaller states and
territories (1909 oil imagining the prince's appearance)
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950 |
The death of Hywel Dda, king of all Wales, leaves the country divided. Hywel's sons, Owain, Rhun, Rhodri and Edwyn, take possession
of his estates in South Wales, with Rhodi becoming king of
Deheubarth itself and Owain
becoming prince of Ceredigion. |
950 -
957 |
Owain ap Hywel
Dda |
Prince of
Ceredigion. |
952 - 953 |
As
part of the ongoing conflict between
Deheubarth and
Gwynedd,
Owain leads an army into the North Wales kingdom and engages its men at the
Battle of Aberconwy. The fighting is so fierce that both sides are forced to
withdraw, having sustained heavy losses. The following year, Gwynedd repays
the compliment, invading and devastating Ceredigion and being driven out by
more fierce fighting. |
957 |
Owain
succeeds to the throne of
Deheubarth and Ceredigion is
fully reunited with it under him as its single ruler. |
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by 1100 |
Ceredigion is now regarded as a duchy
of Gwynedd, and is ruled in the king's name by his sons. |
? - 1143 |
Cadwaladr |
Ruled the North. Brother of Owain
Gwynedd. |
before 1143 - ? |
Hywel ap Owain Gwynedd |
Ruled the South. Son of Owain Gwynedd.
Gained North in 1143. |
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