Cynfarch Oer ('Cynfarch the Dismal', also known as Cunomarcus or Cynfarch ap Meirchion) was probably a 6th-century king of the

Sub-Roman Sub-Roman Britain is the period of late antiquity in Great Britain between the End of Roman rule in Britain, end of Roman rule and the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo-Saxon settlement. The term was originally used to describe archaeo ...

realm of Rheged, believed to be located in north-west England and south-west Scotland. Next to nothing is known about Cynfarch. He appears in the

Old Welsh Old Welsh ( cy, Hen Gymraeg) is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic ...

pedigrees of the Brythonic ' Men of the North' as the son of the equally obscure Meirchion Gul (Marcianus ''the Lean'') and father of the better documented Urien Rheged. The

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

"Oer" is literally translated as 'cold', but may be understood in unflattering terms as 'Cynfarch the unwelcoming'. Cynfach was however, well remembered by his own descendents who were referred to as the 'Cynferchyn' in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cynfarch Oer Monarchs of Rheged 6th-century English monarchs 6th-century Scottish monarchs 6th-century English people 6th-century Scottish people