Glywysing was, from the sub-Roman period to the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

, a petty kingdom in south-east

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Its people were descended from the Iron Age tribe of the Silures, and frequently in union with Gwent, merging to form Morgannwg.

Name and early history

Glywysing is said in medieval Welsh tradition to be named after Glywys, supposedly an early king of the region. In reality, the name probably comes from '' Glevum'', the Roman name for what is now Gloucester, via a Latin name *''Glevenses'' ('people of Glevum') or *''Glevensis'' ('person from Glevum'). Thus the name suggests that the kingdom was named after invaders or migrants, or a particular ruler, from Glevum. According to 12th-century sources, after the death of Glywys, the kingdom was divided into three cantrefs named for his sons: Penychen, Gwynllwg, and Gorfynydd. These were typically ruled together by the head of the family and sometimes treated as appenage subkingdoms.

Location

The borders changed over time, but it is generally thought that its lands originally lay between the Afon Llwyd and either the River Loughor, or the River Neath. At times they expanded eastwards in union with both Gwent and Ergyng. The Gower had either returned or was inherited from Dyfed to Glywysing by 928 prior to the reign of King Morgan the Old.Ashley, Mike (1998) ''The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens '' (Carol & Graf) Today the area of Glywysing is known as Glamorgan.

Morgannwg

First under King Morgan the Generous (fl. ) until the end of the reign of his descendant Ithel (d. c. 745), and later again under King Morgan the Old (r. 942-74), the kingdom merged with Gwent and changed its name to Morgannwg or Gwlad Morgan in honour of the Morgan Kings.Lloyd, John E. ''A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest'', Vol. 1
p. 274
Longmans, Green, & Co. (London), 1911. Accessed 22 Feb 2013. During such unions Glywysing and Gwent seem to have been together or occasional sub-kingdoms or principalities of the Kingdom of Morgannwg. After the death of Morgan the Old, Gwent and Glywysing were separated again from 974 to 1055, but Glywysing alone was often referred to as Morgannwg. Both areas were conquered by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in about 1055, subsequently King of Wales, but on Gruffydd's death in 1063, Glywysing was regained by the native lineage under Caradog ap Gruffudd. Morgannwg, the union between Gwent and Glywysing, was reconstituted. How this occurred is unclear; possibly the Kings of Glywysing were also Kings of Morgannwg and the Kings of Gwent were semi-independent under-Kings, or vice versa.

Norman conquest

With Gwent increasingly overrun by the Norman conquest of Wales, the last native King of Morgannwyg and Glywysing was Iestyn ap Gwrgan (1081–1090), who was subsequently deposed by Robert Fitzhamon. Iestyn's sons became Lords of Afan, while Owain ap Caradog ap Gruffudd contented himself with Gwynllwg and founded the line of the Lords of Caerleon. The name ''Morgannwg'' is still used in Wales for the former Marcher Lordship and county of Glamorgan (itself a corruption of the term ''Gwlad Morgan'') and its successor counties

List of rulers

Glywysing

* Eugenius, son of Magnus Maximus (c.383 - c.440) * Marius, son of Eugenius (c.440 - c.450s) * Congar, son of Marius (c. 450s) * Solar, son of Marius (fl c.470) * Glywys, son of Solar (c. 470–c. 480), who gave his name to the kingdom ** Gwynllyw, son of Glywys, ruler of Gwynllwg (c. 480–523), cantref of Glywysing ** Pawl, son of Glywys, ruler of Penychen (c. 480–540), cantref of Glywysing ** Mechwyn, son of Glywys, ruler of Gorfynydd (c. 480–c.500), cantref of Glywysing ** Edelig, son of Glywys, King of Edeligion, (fl c.480 - 500?) * Cadoc, son of Gwynllyw, ruler of Gwynllwg (523–580) and Penychen (540–580), died without heirs ''Glywysing is ruled by the Kings of Gwent until Rhys ap Ithel'' * Rhys ap Ithel/ Rhys ab Idwal, son of the Kings of Gwent (c. 755–785), with brothers, Rhodri and Meurig * Arthfael Hen ap Rhys (Arthfael the Old) (785–c. 825) with Brochfael ap Rhys * Rhys ap Arthfael, (c. 830–c. 840) * Hywel ap Rhys, (c. 840–886) * Owain ap Hywel (886–) ** Gruffydd ab Owain (–934) King of Gower ** Cadwgan ab Owain (–950) King of West Glywysing * Morgan the Old ( Morgan Hen or Morgan ab Owain or Moragn Hen Fawr) (930–974) ''united the former kingdoms of Gwent and Glywysing in 942 under the name of Morgannwg, but they were broken up again immediately after his death, remaining separate until about 1055'' * Morgan the Old's son, Owain ap Morgan (974–c. 983) * brothers of Owain ap Morgan (Idwallon, Hywel and Cadell) (dates unknown) * his son, Rhys ab Owain (c. 990–c. 1000) ''who ruled Glywysing jointly with his brothers'' * Ithel the Black, son Idwallon (990) ** Hywel ab Owain (c. 990–c. 1043) ''and'' ** Iestyn ab Owain (c. 990–c. 1015) * his son, Rhydderch ap Iestyn (c. 1015–1033) * his son, Gruffydd ap Rhydderch (1033–1055) * Gwrgant ab Ithel the Black (1033 - 1070) * Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, invader and prince of Gwynedd (1055–1063) * Gruffydd ap Rhydderch's son, Caradog ap Gruffydd (1063–1081) ''who was a subject of the King of Gwent and King of Morgannwg Cadwgan ap Meurig before he deposed him and took the kingdom for himself'' * Iestyn ap Gwrgan(t) (1081–1091) ''Iestyn was the last ruler of an independent Morgannwg, which was thereafter in the possession of the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

and became the lordship of Glamorgan''

References

{{coord, 53, 14, N, 4, 1, W, type:country, display=title Kingdoms of Wales 1091 disestablishments States and territories established in the 940s History of Glamorgan History of Monmouthshire 942 establishments