Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the

realms A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Ety ...

of south

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, particularly as opposed to

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, an ...

(Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the

House of Dinefwr The Royal House of Dinefwr was a cadet branch of the Royal House of Gwynedd, founded by King Cadell ap Rhodri (reign 872–909), son of Rhodri the Great. Their ancestor, Cunedda Wledig, born in late Roman Britain, was a Sub-Roman warlord who f ...

, but that Deheubarth itself was not considered a proper kingdom on the model of Gwynedd,

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

, or

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...

is shown by its rendering in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

as ''dextralis pars'' or as ''Britonnes dexterales'' ("the Southern Britons") and not as a named land. In the oldest British writers, ''Deheubarth'' was used for ''all'' of modern Wales to distinguish it from ''

Hen Ogledd Yr Hen Ogledd (), in English the Old North, is the historical region which is now Northern England and the southern Scottish Lowlands that was inhabited by the Brittonic people of sub-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages. Its population sp ...

'' ('' Y Gogledd''), the northern lands whence

Cunedda Cunedda ap Edern, also called Cunedda ''Wledig'' ( 5th century), was an important early Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the Royal dynasty of Gwynedd, one of the very oldest of western Europe. Name The name ''Cunedda'' (spelled ''Cuneda ...

and the

Cymry The Welsh ( cy, Cymry) are an ethnic group native to Wales. "Welsh people" applies to those who were born in Wales ( cy, Cymru) and to those who have Welsh ancestry, perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and sh ...

originated.

History

The south view of Denefawr-Castle, in the county of Caermarthen

Deheubarth was united around 920 by

Hywel Dda Hywel Dda, sometimes anglicised as Howel the Good, or Hywel ap Cadell (died 949/950) was a king of Deheubarth who eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllwg in 920 and shortly thereafter established Deheubart ...

out of the territories of

Seisyllwg Seisyllwg () was a petty kingdom of medieval Wales.Davies, p. 85 It is unclear when it emerged as a distinct unit, but according to later sources it consisted of the former Kingdom of Ceredigion plus the region known as Ystrad Tywi. Thus it cover ...

and

, which had come into his possession. Later on, the Kingdom of Brycheiniog was also added.

Caerleon Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman ...

was previously the principal court of the area, but Hywel's dynasty fortified and built up a new base at Dinefwr, near

Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...

, giving them their name. After the high-water mark set by Hywel, Dinefwr was repeatedly overrun. First, by the Welsh of the north and east: by

Llywelyn ap Seisyll Llywelyn ap Seisyll (died 1023) was an 11th-century King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth. Llywelyn was the son of Seisyll, a man of whom little is known. Llewelyn first appears on record in 1018, the year he defeated and killed Aeddan ap Blegy ...

of Gwynedd in 1018; by Rhydderch ab Iestyn of

Morgannwg Morgannwg was a medieval Welsh kingdom formed via the merger of the kingdoms of the Kingdom of Glywysing and the Kingdom of Gwent. Formation of Morgannwg First under King Morgan the Generous (fl. ) until the end of the reign of his descendant ...

in 1023; by

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ( 5 August 1063) was King of Wales from 1055 to 1063. He had previously been King of Gwynedd and Powys in 1039. He was the son of King Llywelyn ap Seisyll and Angharad daughter of Maredudd ab Owain, and the great-gre ...

of Gwynedd in 1041 and 1043. In 1075,

Rhys ab Owain Rhys ab Owain (died 1078) was a king of Deheubarth in southern Wales. Rhys was the son of Owain ab Edwin of the line of Hywel Dda, and member of the Dinefwr dynasty. He followed his brother Maredudd as king of Deheubarth in 1072. Together with ...

and the noblemen of Ystrad Tywi succeeded in treacherously killing their English-backed overlord

Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Bleddyn ap Cynfyn ( owl, Bledẏnt uab Kẏn ỽẏn; AD 1075), sometimes spelled Blethyn, was an 11th-century Welsh king. Harold Godwinson and Tostig Godwinson installed him and his brother, Rhiwallon, as the co-rulers of Gwynedd ...

. Although Rhys was quickly overrun by Gwynedd and Gwent, his cousin

Rhys ap Tewdwr Rhys ap Tewdwr (c. 1040 – 1093) was a king of Deheubarth in Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire and died at the battle of Brecon in April 1 ...

through his marriage into Bleddyn's family and through battle reestablished his dynasty's hegemony over south Wales just in time for the second wave of conquest: a prolonged

Norman invasion The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the C ...

under the

Marcher Lords A Marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales. A Marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in ...

. In 1093, Rhys was killed in unknown circumstances while resisting their expansion into

Brycheiniog Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Norman ...

and his son Gruffydd was briefly thrown into exile. Following the death of

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the N ...

, in 1136 Gruffydd formed an alliance with

for the purpose of a revolt against Norman incursions. He took part in

Owain Gwynedd Owain ap Gruffudd ( 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great ( cy, Owain Fawr) and the first to be ...

and

Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd (c. 1100 – 1172) was the third son of Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, and brother of Owain Gwynedd. Appearance in history Cadwaladr first appears in the historical record in 1136, when following the killing of the ...

's victory over the English at

Crug Mawr Crug Mawr is a hill in the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Powys, Wales. Its summit at a height of 550 m (1,805 ft) is marked by a trig point. The peak sits high above the valleys of the Grwyne Fawr ...

. The newly liberated region of

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...

, though, was not returned to his family but annexed by Owain. The long and capable rule of Gruffydd's son the

Lord Rhys Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales. It was believed that h ...

and the civil wars that followed Owain's death in Gwynedd briefly permitted the South to reassert the hegemony Hywel Dda had enjoyed two centuries before. On his death in 1197, though, Rhys redivided his kingdom among his several sons and none of them ever again rivalled his power. By the time

Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and ...

won the wars in Gwynedd, in the first half of the 12th century, lords in Deheubarth merely appear among his clients. Following the

conquest of Wales by Edward I The conquest of Wales by Edward I took place between 1277 and 1283. It is sometimes referred to as the Edwardian Conquest of Wales,Examples of historians using the term include Professor J. E. Lloyd, regarded as the founder of the modern academi ...

, the South was divided into the historic counties of

Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Ce ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

and

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a county in the south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The county is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Park oc ...

by the

Statute of Rhuddlan The Statute of Rhuddlan (12 Edw 1 cc.1–14; cy, Statud Rhuddlan ), also known as the Statutes of Wales ( la, Statuta Valliae) or as the Statute of Wales ( la, Statutum Valliae, links=no), provided the constitutional basis for the government of ...

Religion

In the arena of the church,

Sulien Sulien was an 11th-century Bishop of St David's, for two periods (1073-1078 and 1079/80-1085/6). He died about 1090/1. Sulien is closely associated with the '' clas'' church at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth where it appears that he took refuge ...

was the leader of the monastic community at Llanbadarn Fawr in Ceredigion. Born ca. 1030, he became

Bishop of St David's The Bishop of St Davids is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St Davids. The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, ...

in 1073 and again in 1079/80. Both of his sons followed him into the service of the church. At this time the prohibition against the marriage of clerics was not yet established. His sons produced a number of manuscripts and original Latin and vernacular poems. They were very active in the ecclesiastical and political life of Deheubarth. One son, Rhygyfarch (Latin: ''Ricemarchus'') of Llanbadarn Fawr, wrote the ''Life of

Saint David Saint David ( cy, Dewi Sant; la, Davidus; ) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail a ...

'' and another, Ieuan, was a skilful scribe and illuminator. He copied some the works of

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

and may have written the ''Life of St. Padarn''.

List of rulers

The kingdom of Deheubarth was formed by the union of the kingdoms of Ceredigion, Seisyllwg and Dyfed. Ceredigion was absorbed into Seisyllwg and Dyfed was merged with Seisyllwg to form Deheubarth in 909.

Ceredigion

* Ceredig ap Cunedda (424–453)A history of WalesEncyclopaedia of Wales * Usai (453–490) * Serwyl (490–525) * Boddw (525–560) * Arthfoddw (560–595) * Arthlwys (595–630) * Clydog I (630–665)

Dyfed

* Anwn Ddu (Welsh rendering of ''Antonius the Black''). According to Welsh legend, born in Greece, and later appointed to the rule of Demetia (Dyfed) by

Magnus Maximus Magnus Maximus (; cy, Macsen Wledig ; died 8 August 388) was Roman emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 383 to 388. He usurped the throne from emperor Gratian in 383 through negotiation with emperor Theodosius I. He was made emperor in B ...

. Also known as Anwn Dynod (rendering ''Antonius Donatus''). Realm included Gwent and

. * Ednyfed - realm also included the Caer-Went part of Gwent (his brother received the remainder) * Clotri *

Triffyn Farfog Triffyn Farfog ( en, Triffyn the Bearded; born c. AD 385) was a legendary king of Dyfed, son of , a Deisi invader from Ireland, of the dynasty of Eochaid Allmuir. Triffyn married Gwledyr, the heiress of the British kings of Dyfed, in the mid-5 ...

* Aergol Lawhir (?-c. 515) *

Vortiporius Vortiporius or Vortipor ( owl, Guortepir, Middle Welsh ''Gwrdeber'' or ''Gwerthefyr'') was a king of Dyfed in the early to mid-6th century. He ruled over an area approximately corresponding to modern Pembrokeshire, Wales. Records from this era ar ...

(c. 540) * Arthur ap Pedr * Cloten (c. 630) married Ceindrech of Brycheiniog, uniting the two kingdoms of Dyfed and Brycheiniog * Rhain ap Cadwgan (c. 690-740) - also king of Brycheiniog. On his death, his kingdoms were divided again by his sons. *

Tewdwr ap Rhain Tudor most commonly refers to: * House of Tudor, English royal house of Welsh origins ** Tudor period, a historical era in England coinciding with the rule of the Tudor dynasty Tudor may also refer to: Architecture * Tudor architecture, the fin ...

Maredudd ap Tewdws Maredudd ap Tewdws ( eng, Meredith son of Theodosius; died c. 797) was a king of Dyfed in South Wales. His father was Tewdws son of Rhain ap Cadwgan. His sons, who both reigned after him, were Rhain and Owain. His lineage is included among the ...

(c. 740–797) *

Rhain ap Maredudd Rhain son of Maredudd ( cy, Rhain ap Maredudd; died c. 808) was a king of Dyfed. He ruled following his father Maredudd ap Tewdws and was succeeded by his brother Owain. His son Triffyn then succeeded Owain. His lineage is included among the Ha ...

(c. 797–808) * Owain ap Maredudd (c. 808–810) *

Triffyn ap Rhain Triffyn son of Rhain ( cy, Triffyn ap Rhain; died c. 814) was an 8th- and 9th-century king of Dyfed. He was the son of Rhain ap Maredudd. On the death of his father, Triffyn did not succeed himinstead, his uncle Owain did. After Triffyn succe ...

(?-c. 814) * Hyfaidd *

Llywarch ap Hyfaidd Llywarch ap Hyfaidd (died ) was a king of Dyfed from until its conquest around 904 by King Cadell of Ceredigion / Seisyllwg and his son Hywel. Upon Llywarch's death, the kingdom passed briefly to his brother Rhodri, but Hywel soon consolida ...

(c. 893-904) *

Rhodri ap Hyfaidd Rhodri ap Hyfaidd (died 905) was briefly the king of Dyfed. After his brother Llywarch was killed by Hywel Dda and his father Cadell, Rhodri reigned briefly before he himself was killed and the throne was usurped by Hywel, under whom the king ...

(c. 904-905) *

("Hywel the Good") (c. 905-909), an invader from Seisllywg who conquered Dyfed (but later chronicles claim he acquired it by marrying Llywarch's daughter)

Seisyllwg

* Seisyll ap Clydog, prince of

(eponym and possibly founder of Seisyllwg) * Arthen (?-807) * DyfnwallonHeritage Consulting. Millennium File atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003. *

Meurig of Seisyllwg Meurig is a Welsh name of Brittonic origin and may refer to: *Meurig ap Tewdrig (, the son of Tewdrig (St. Tewdrig), and a king of the early Welsh kingdoms of Gwent and Glywysing * Meurig ap Idnerth, king of Buellt, a Welsh kingdom from c. 510 to 5 ...

Gwgon of Seisyllwg Gwgon ap Meurig (died ) was a 9th-century king of Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi (i.e., Seisyllwg) in southwest Wales. Gwgon was the son of the former king Meurig or Morydd ap Llywarch Llwyd and inherited the realm on the death of his father. Gwg ...

(?-c. 870/871) ''House Manaw'' *

Angharad ferch Meurig Angharad ferch Meurig was a 9th-century Welsh noblewoman. She was the wife of Rhodri the Great of Gwynedd, and mother of Anarawd (Rhodri's successor), Cadell ap Rhodri, and Merfyn. Life Angharad was the daughter of Meurig, evidently the King ...

(?-872) and

Rhodri the Great Rhodri ap Merfyn ( 820 – 873/877/878), popularly known as Rhodri the Great ( cy, Rhodri Mawr), succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych, as King of Gwynedd in 844. Rhodri annexed Powys c. 856 and Seisyllwg c. 871. He is called "King of the Britons ...

(?–873/877/878) - stewards *

Cadell ap Rhodri Cadell ap Rhodri (854–909) was King of Seisyllwg, a minor kingdom in southwestern Wales, from about 872 until his death. Life Cadell was the second son of King Rhodri the Great of Gwynedd and Angharad, a princess from Seisyllwg. In 872 Ang ...

, second son of Anghared and Rhodri (872–909) *

(Hywel the Good) (909-920) - he ruled Seisyllwg in 920 and shortly thereafter merged it with Dyfed into Deheubarth

Deheubarth

(Hywel the Good) (920–950) * His son, Owain ap Hywel (950–986) **

Rhodri ap Hywel Rhodri ap Hywel (died 964) was a King of Deheubarth in South Wales, and son of Hywel Dda. On Hywel's death in 950 Deheubarth was shared between Rhodri and his two brothers, Edwin and Owain. The sons of Hywel were not able to keep hold of Gwynedd ...

(950–953) ''and'' **

Edwin ap Hywel Edwin ap Hywel (died ) was a 10th-century king of Deheubarth in Wales of the High Middle Ages. One of three sons of Hywel Dda, he divided his father's realm with his brothers Rhodri and Owain according to Welsh law. The sons of Idwal were abl ...

(950–954) * Owain ap Hywel's son, Maredudd ab Owain (986–999) * Cynan ap Hywel, prince of Gwynedd (999–1005) * the sons of Einion ab Owain (brother of Maredudd ab Owain), who ruled jointly: ** Edwin ab Einion (1005–1018) ** Cadell ab Einion (1005–1018) *

, prince of Gwynedd (1018–1023) *

Rhydderch ap Iestyn Rhydderch ap Iestyn (died 1033) was king of Gwent and Morgannwg in south Wales and later took over the kingdom of Deheubarth and controlled Powys. Comparatively little has been recorded about Rhydderch ab Iestyn in the annals. He appears to hav ...

, prince of Glywysing (1023–1033) * Edwin ab Einion's son,

Hywel ab Edwin Hywel ap Edwin (died 1044) was king of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1033 to 1043. Hywel was the son of Edwin ap Einion and great-grandson of Hywel Dda. When the previous king, Rhydderch ap Iestyn, who had usurped the throne, died in 1033 Hywel ...

(1033–1044) * Rhydderch ap Iestyn's son, Gruffydd ap Rhydderch (1047–1055) *

, invader and prince of Gwynedd (1055–1063) * Edwin ab Einion's grandson,

Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin (died 1072) was a prince of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south west Wales. Maredudd was the son of Owain ab Edwin and was hence the male-line heir of Hywel Dda. The throne had been seized from the previous king of this ...

(1063–1072) * his brother,

(1072–1078) * his second cousin,

(1078–1093) ''Deheubarth was in the possession of the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...

from 1093 to 1155'' *

Gruffydd ap Rhys Gruffydd ap Rhys (c. 1090 – 1137) was Prince of Deheubarth, in Wales. His sister was the Princess Nest ferch Rhys. He was the father of Rhys ap Gruffydd, known as 'The Lord Rhys', who was one of the most successful rulers of Deheubarth du ...

(1116–1137) ''ruled a portion of Deheubarth with Norman permission'' * his son,

Anarawd ap Gruffydd Anarawd ap Gruffydd (died 1143) was a Prince of Deheubarth in Southwest Wales. Lineage Anarawd was the eldest son of Gruffydd ap Rhys. On the death of his father in 1137, Anarawd took over the rule of Deheubarth. Resistance In 1136 he and ...

(1136–1143) * his brother,

Cadell ap Gruffydd Cadell ap Gruffydd (died 1175) was prince of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in Southwest Wales. Cadell was the son of Gruffydd ap Rhys, who held part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth with the remainder in the hands of various Norman lords. Gruffydd died i ...

(1143–1151) * his brother,

Maredudd ap Gruffydd Maredudd ap Gruffydd (1131–1155) was a prince of the kingdom of Deheubarth in Southwest Wales. Maredudd was the fifth of six sons of Gruffydd ap Rhys, and the third of four by Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd;Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright), ...

(1151–1155) * his brother, The Lord Rhys (Rhys ap Gruffydd) (1155–1197) * his son,

(1197–1201) ''who for a time ruled jointly with his brother,'' * Maelgwn ap Rhys (1199–1230) ''who disputed the territory with his brother,'' * Rhys the Hoarse (

Rhys Gryg Rhys Gryg ('Rhys the Hoarse') (died 1234), real name Rhys ap Rhys, also known as Rhys Fychan ('Rhys the Younger') was a Welsh prince who ruled part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. Lineage Rhys was the fourth son of Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord R ...

) (1216–1234) ''From 1234 to 1283, Deheubarth was subject to the princes of Gwynedd'' * Rhys the Hoarse's son, Rhys Mechyll (1234–1244) ''ruled a portion of Deheubarth'' * his brother, Maredudd ap Rhys (1244–1271) ''ruled a portion of Deheubarth'' * his son, Rhys ap Maredudd (1271–1283) ''ruled a portion of Deheubarth''

References

* ''The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2008

External links

{{coord, 51.8768, N, 4.0184, W, source:wikidata, display=title 1197 disestablishments in Europe Kingdoms of Wales States and territories established in the 10th century 920 establishments 10th-century establishments in Wales