Cinuit of Alt Clut facts for kids

Cinuit (also known as Cynwyd) was likely an early ruler of a kingdom called Alt Clut. This kingdom was in a part of Britain known as the "Old North." Later, Alt Clut became known as Strathclyde.

Who Was Cinuit?

Cinuit was a figure from a very long time ago, around the 400s or 500s AD. This was a time when Britain was changing a lot after the Roman Empire left. Different groups of people, like the Brittons, were forming their own kingdoms.

The Old North and Strathclyde

The "Old North" (or Hen Ogledd in Welsh) was a region in what is now northern England and southern Scotland. It was home to Brittonic-speaking people, who are the ancestors of modern Welsh people.

One of the most important kingdoms in this area was Alt Clut. Its main stronghold was a large rock fortress called Dumbarton Rock (Alt Clut means "Rock of the Clyde"). Over time, this kingdom became known as Strathclyde. It was a powerful kingdom that lasted for many centuries.

Cinuit's Family Tree

Most of what we know about Cinuit comes from old family records, called genealogies. These records were written down to show who was related to whom, especially among important families and rulers.

One important set of these records, called the Harleian genealogies, says that Cinuit was the son of a ruler named Ceretic Guletic. Some historians think this Ceretic might be the same person that Saint Patrick, a famous Christian missionary, wrote about in one of his letters.

According to these same old records, Cinuit was the father of Dumnagual Hen. Dumnagual Hen was an important ancestor for many later Welsh families, even though we don't know much about him today.

Other Stories About Cinuit

Another old Welsh family record, called Bonedd Gwŷr y Gogledd (which means "The Descent of the Men of the North"), tells a slightly different story. In this record, Dumnagual's father is not Cinuit, but someone named Idnyuet. This Idnyuet is said to be the son of Magnus Maximus, a Roman leader who tried to become emperor.

However, the Bonedd record does mention a "Cynwyd Cynwydion" in the family tree of another important figure named Clydno Eiddyn. This suggests that Cinuit or someone with a similar name was still remembered as an important ancestor.

There's also an old Welsh poem or saying called a Triad. This Triad mentions the "three hundred swords of the (tribe of) Cynwydion." It describes them as one of three very strong war bands from the north of Britain. The other two war bands belonged to Coel Hen and Cynfarch. This shows that the people connected to Cinuit were known for being powerful warriors.

Images for kids

• Strathclyde.png

  A map showing the approximate location of the Kingdom of Strathclyde.