Dyfnwal Moelmud (
Welsh for "Dyfnwal the Bald and Silent"; ; ) was accounted as an early king and
lawmaker among the
Welsh, credited with the codification of their
standard units of measure. He also figures as a
legendary king of the
Britons in
Geoffrey of Monmouth's
pseudohistorical ''
History of the Kings of the Britons''.
History
Only two known historical documents mention Dyfnwal. A tenth-century genealogy in the
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
(Harley MS 3859) identifies him as the grandson of
Coel Hen
Coel (Old Welsh: ''Coil''), also called ''Coel Hen'' (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tradition knew of a Coel Hen, a 4th-century leader in Roman Britain, Ro ...
, and ancestor of
Morcant Bulc. A fifteenth-century genealogy in
Jesus College, Oxford (MS 20) also identifies him in the same way.
Legend
In Geoffrey's account, Dyfnwal was the son of
Cloten, the King of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
, and he restored order after the
"Civil War of the Five Kings". His family was a
cadet branch of the dynasty of
Brutus, the dominant line having ended with
Porrex I before the civil war. The ''
Book of Baglan'' expands on this by making Dyfnwal descend directly through the male line of
Camber via his eldest son, Gorbonian.
Dyfnwal was the
King of Cornwall during the war created in the power vacuum left by
Porrex I. He was braver and more courageous than all the other kings in the war. He defeated
Pinner, the king of
Loegria. In response, Rudaucus, king of
Cambria, and Staterius, king of
Albany, allied together and destroyed much of Dyfnwal's land. The two sides met in battle and were stalemated. Dyfnwal then took 600 of his men and himself and dressed themselves in the armour of the dead enemies. They led a charge deep into enemy lines where they killed the two kings. After this battle, Dyfnwal destroyed the remaining defences of the kings and pillaged their lands.
Following the defeat of the rival kings, Dyfnwal created a crown like that of his predecessors and claimed the throne of
Britain. He created a set of rules for the kingdom called the
Molmutine Laws, which nearly ended robbery within his kingdom and lasted for many centuries. The ''Book of Baglan'' also makes him the founder of
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. He reigned in peace and prosperity for forty years then died and was buried in the Temple of Concord, a tribute to his laws, which resided in
Trinovantum. His death sparked another civil war between his two sons,
Belinus
Belinus was a legendary king of the Britons (historic), Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of Dunvallo Molmutius and brother of Brennius and came to power in 390 BC. He was probably named after the ancient god Belenus.
...
and
Brennius.
See also
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Welsh units
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{Geoffrey of Monmouth
Legendary British kings