Gwrtheyrnion
Encyclopedia
Gwrtheyrnion or Gwerthrynion was a commote
in medieval Wales
, located in Mid Wales
on the north side of the River Wye
. For most of the Middle Ages its rulers operated independently of other powers, but it was sometimes associated with the cantref of Maelienydd
and the Kingdom of Powys, and, in the Norman
era, with the region known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
. It is said to have taken its name from the legendary king Vortigern
, and for a time was part of an independent regional kingdom.
Guorthegirnaim, was named for Vortigern
, a legendary 5th-century King of Britain. John Edward Lloyd
considers this derivation accurate. Generally, its boundaries were the cantrefs of Arwystli
to the north, Maelienydd
(in its restricted sense) to the east, Elfael
to the southeast, and Buellt to the southwest.
Around 800 Gwrtheyrnion formed part of a minor regional kingdom with Buellt, situated across the Wye
. Later medieval lists of commotes and cantrefs more generally associate it with territories on the north side of the Wye; some, but not all, tie it to the cantref of Maelienydd. Others tie it instead to Arwystli, though this is evidently the result of a scribal error. The historical centre of Gwrtheyrnion was Rhayader
, from which it is thought the traditional county of Radnorshire
was named.
had castigated him for his various sins. He eventually died, and his son Pascent received Gwrtheyrnion and Buellt from Ambrosius Aurelianus
. Additionally, one of the text's copyists, from whose copy most other surviving manuscripts are derived, took particular interest in this kingdom, and introduced a passage on a certain Ffernfael, whose descent is traced back to Vortigern through Pascent. This Ffernfael is also known from the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
. These indicate that his cousin Brawstudd married Arthfael Hen ap Rhys, who ruled Morgannwg in the early 9th century, implying a floruit for Ffernfael around that time.
Gwrtheyrnion, along with the cantrefs of Elfael
and Maelienydd
, were for some time considered part of the Kingdom of Powys, though in the later Middle Ages Powys exerted no control over them. The Historia genealogy is interesting in showing that the kings of Gwrtheyrnion themselves claimed no connection to the Powys dynasties, but instead traced their pedigree to the unrelated Vortigern. By the time of Gerald of Wales the general area was known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
(Between Wye and Severn), and was almost entirely independent of Powys. After the Norman invasion Rhwng Gwy a Hafren was nominally in the hands of Norman Marcher Lords
, but their control was often tenuous and Welsh lords periodically re-established dominance.
In the 16th century Gwrtheyrnion and the rest of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren were reorganised into the county of Radnorshire
by the Laws in Wales Acts. It is currently part of the modern county of Powys
.
Commote
A commote , sometimes spelt in older documents as cymwd, was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales. The word derives from the prefix cym- and the noun bod...
in medieval Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, located in Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
on the north side of the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
. For most of the Middle Ages its rulers operated independently of other powers, but it was sometimes associated with the cantref of Maelienydd
Maelienydd
Maelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys...
and the Kingdom of Powys, and, in the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
era, with the region known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren was a region of medieval Wales, located in the Welsh Marches between Powys to the north and Brycheiniog to the south. It was bounded by the rivers Wye and Severn , hence its name. It covered approximately the same territory as Radnorshire, now part of the county of Powys...
. It is said to have taken its name from the legendary king Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
, and for a time was part of an independent regional kingdom.
Name and location
According to the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, Gwrtheyrnion, here LatinisedLatinisation (literature)
Latinisation is the practice of rendering a non-Latin name in a Latin style. It is commonly met with for historical personal names, with toponyms, or for the standard binomial nomenclature of the life sciences. It goes further than Romanisation, which is the writing of a word in the Latin alphabet...
Guorthegirnaim, was named for Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
, a legendary 5th-century King of Britain. John Edward Lloyd
John Edward Lloyd
Sir John Edward Lloyd , was a Welsh historian, the author of the first serious history of the country's formative years, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, 2 vols...
considers this derivation accurate. Generally, its boundaries were the cantrefs of Arwystli
Arwystli
Arwystli was a cantref in medieval Wales, located in the headland of the River Severn in what is now the county of Powys. It was chiefly associated with the Kingdom of Powys, but was heavily disputed between Powys, Gwynedd, and the Norman Marcher Lords for hundreds of years, and was the scene of...
to the north, Maelienydd
Maelienydd
Maelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys...
(in its restricted sense) to the east, Elfael
Elfael
Elfael was one of a number of Welsh kingdoms occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages it became a cantref. After the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it became part of the new county of Radnorshire. ...
to the southeast, and Buellt to the southwest.
Around 800 Gwrtheyrnion formed part of a minor regional kingdom with Buellt, situated across the Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
. Later medieval lists of commotes and cantrefs more generally associate it with territories on the north side of the Wye; some, but not all, tie it to the cantref of Maelienydd. Others tie it instead to Arwystli, though this is evidently the result of a scribal error. The historical centre of Gwrtheyrnion was Rhayader
Rhayader
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
, from which it is thought the traditional county of Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
was named.
History
The Historia Brittonum provides the earliest mention of Gwrtheyrnion. According to the text, Vortigern fled to the Gwrtheyrnion after Saint Germanus of AuxerreGermanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre was a bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. He is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, commemorated on July 31. He visited Britain in around 429 and the records of this visit provide valuable information on the state of post-Roman British society...
had castigated him for his various sins. He eventually died, and his son Pascent received Gwrtheyrnion and Buellt from Ambrosius Aurelianus
Ambrosius Aurelianus
Ambrosius Aurelianus, ; called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere, was a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas...
. Additionally, one of the text's copyists, from whose copy most other surviving manuscripts are derived, took particular interest in this kingdom, and introduced a passage on a certain Ffernfael, whose descent is traced back to Vortigern through Pascent. This Ffernfael is also known from the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
The genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 are a medieval Welsh collection of genealogies preserved in a single manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Jesus College, MS 20, folios 33r–41r...
. These indicate that his cousin Brawstudd married Arthfael Hen ap Rhys, who ruled Morgannwg in the early 9th century, implying a floruit for Ffernfael around that time.
Gwrtheyrnion, along with the cantrefs of Elfael
Elfael
Elfael was one of a number of Welsh kingdoms occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages it became a cantref. After the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it became part of the new county of Radnorshire. ...
and Maelienydd
Maelienydd
Maelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys...
, were for some time considered part of the Kingdom of Powys, though in the later Middle Ages Powys exerted no control over them. The Historia genealogy is interesting in showing that the kings of Gwrtheyrnion themselves claimed no connection to the Powys dynasties, but instead traced their pedigree to the unrelated Vortigern. By the time of Gerald of Wales the general area was known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren was a region of medieval Wales, located in the Welsh Marches between Powys to the north and Brycheiniog to the south. It was bounded by the rivers Wye and Severn , hence its name. It covered approximately the same territory as Radnorshire, now part of the county of Powys...
(Between Wye and Severn), and was almost entirely independent of Powys. After the Norman invasion Rhwng Gwy a Hafren was nominally in the hands of Norman Marcher Lords
Marcher Lords
A Marcher Lord was a strong and trusted noble appointed by the King of England to guard the border between England and Wales.A Marcher Lord is the English equivalent of a margrave...
, but their control was often tenuous and Welsh lords periodically re-established dominance.
In the 16th century Gwrtheyrnion and the rest of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren were reorganised into the county of Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
by the Laws in Wales Acts. It is currently part of the modern county of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
.