Hywel ap Edwin (died 1044) was king of

Deheubarth Deheubarth (; , thus 'the South') was a regional name for the Welsh kingdoms, realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under ...

in south

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 ...

from 1033 to 1043. Hywel was the son of Edwin ap Einion and great-grandson of

Hywel Dda Hywel ap Cadell, commonly known as Hywel Dda, which translates to Howel the Good in English, was a Welsh king who ruled the southern Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth and eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllw ...

, law giver and a king of great influence in early medieval Wales. When the previous king of Deheubarth,

Rhydderch ap Iestyn Rhydderch ab Iestyn (died 1033) was king of Deheubarth and controlled the Kingdom of Powys in Wales dring the early part of the eleventh century. Comparatively little has been recorded about Rhydderch ab Iestyn in the annals. When Llywelyn ap Sei ...

, (who had usurped the throne following the 1023 death of

Llywelyn ap Seisyll Llywelyn ap Seisyll (died 1023) was a king of Gwynedd in the 11th century who ruled over the Welsh kingdoms of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth. Biography Llywelyn was the son of Seisyll, about whom little is known. Llywelyn's mother, Prawst, w ...

), died in 1033, Hywel became king of

, sharing the realm with his brother Maredudd ap Edwin. They were considered the heirs due to their seniority in descent from Hywel Dda. Hywel and Maredudd's rule did not go unchallenged as the sons of Rhydderch fought in a battle against them in 1034 at Irathwy. Though sources do not name the victors, it seems as though Hywel and Maredudd were victorious as they remained in power. On Maredudd's death in 1035, Hywel became sole king of Deheubarth. He came under increasing pressure from

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

raids and from King

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ( – 5 August 1063) was the first and only Welsh king to unite all of Wales under his rule from 1055 to 1063. He had also previously been King of Gwynedd and Powys from 1039 to 1055. Gruffudd was the son of Llywelyn ap ...

, son of the previous king of Dehuebarth,

. Gruffydd had already seized the throne of

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

. In 1042 Hywel won a victory over a host of Viking marauders near

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...

but that year or in 1043 he was driven out of his kingdom by Gruffydd, who also took Hywel's wife (unnamed) as his own. Hywel returned in 1044 with the aid of an Irish fleet to try to regain his kingdom, but Gruffydd defeated them in the Battle of Pencader near the mouth of the

River Towy The River Towy (, ; also known as the River Tywi) is one of the longest rivers flowing entirely within Wales. Its total length is . It is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing. Route The Towy rises within of the source of the River Teif ...

, in which Hywel was killed. Hywel ap Edwin's nephew, son of his brother Owain,

Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin (died 1072) was a prince of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south west Wales, ruling between 1063 and his death in 1072. Maredudd was the son of Owain ab Edwin and was hence the male-line heir of Hywel Dda. The throne had ...

, succeeded to the throne when Gruffydd ap Llywelyn died in 1063.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hywel Ab Edwin 1044 deaths Monarchs of Deheubarth People of medieval Wales killed in battle 11th-century Welsh monarchs Year of birth unknown Monarchs killed in action