Mechain was a medieval

cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a Wales in the Early Middle Ages, medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divid ...

in the

Kingdom of Powys The Kingdom of Powys (; ) was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. It very roughly covered the northern two-thirds of the modern county of Pow ...

. This cantref has also been referred to as Y Fyrnwy (''Vyrnwy''). Mechain may owe its name to the River Cain which flows through it on its way to join the

River Vyrnwy The River Vyrnwy (, ) flows through northern Powys, Wales, and Shropshire, England. The name derives from Severn, the river of which it is a tributary. Course The river used to be sourced from the many rivers and streams running off the mount ...

; 'Me' or 'Mach' (cf. Machynlleth, Mathrafal, etc., and in modern Welsh, field is ''maes'') may signify meadows or plain, in which case Mechain would mean "Meadows of the Cain". It corresponds to the later

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...

Llanfyllin Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales. The community (which measures 41.8 square kilometres) population in 2021 was 1,586 and the town's name means ''church or parish'' (Llan (placename), llan) ''o ...

. Mechain lay almost in the centre of the kingdom, bordering with the cantref of

Caereinion Caereinion (fort of Einion) was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys, or possibly it was a commote (''cwmwd'') within a cantref called Llŷs Wynaf. It was divided into the manors of Uwch Coed and Is Coed. It lay towards the south of the ki ...

to the south, the two commotes of the cantref of

Mochnant was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. In the 12th century it was divided into the commotes of Mochnant Is Rhaeadr (in the north) and Mochnant Uwch Rhaeadr (in the south) (''Is'' signifying 'below' and ''Uwch'' 'above' the River Rhaeadr) ...

to the north, and the commotes of Deuddwr and

Ystrad Marchell ; sometimes ''Strad Marchell'') was a medieval commote () in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It roughly coincides with the parish of Welshpool. It lay at the east of the kingdom, bordering the cantref of Caereinion to the west ...

in the cantref of Ystlyg to the east. It consisted of the

commote A commote (, sometimes spelt in older documents as , plural , less frequently )'' Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru'' (University of Wales Dictionary), p. 643 was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales. The word derives from the prefix ("together" ...

s (''cymydau'') of Mechain Uwch Coed (''Mechain above the wood'') and Mechain Is Coed (''Mechain below the wood'') separated by the large wood or forest which stretched across the cantref around Bwlch-y-cibau. The

caput A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may not ...

of Mechain Uwch Coed was at Tomen yr Allt () near

and that of Mechain Is Coed was at Tomen y Castell () near Llanfechain. The inclusion of ''ym-Mechain'' in a placename means 'in Mechain', e.g. Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain and Llanarmon-ym-Mechain (an historic name for Llanfechain).

Gwerful Mechain Gwerful Mechain (fl. 1460–1502), is the only female medieval Welsh poet from whom a substantial body of work is known to have survived. She is known for her erotic poetry, in which she praised the vulva among other things. Life Gwerful Mech ...

, a female Welsh poet of the later Middle Ages renowned for her daring erotic verse, was a native of Mechain.

References

Cantrefs History of Powys {{Powys-geo-stub