Dyfnwal Moelmud facts for kids
Dyfnwal Moelmud was a very old and important king from Welsh legends. His name in Welsh means "Dyfnwal the Bald and Silent." People believed he was a great lawmaker for the Welsh people. He was even said to have created the first standard ways to measure things. Dyfnwal also appears as a legendary king of the Britons in a famous old book by Geoffrey of Monmouth. This book, called History of the Kings of the Britons, tells many stories about ancient British rulers.
Who Was Dyfnwal Moelmud?
Not many old writings talk about Dyfnwal Moelmud. We know about him from just two very old documents.
Early Mentions of Dyfnwal
One document is a family tree from the 900s. It is kept safe in the British Library. This old paper says that Dyfnwal was the grandson of a person named Coel Hen. It also says he was an ancestor of someone called Morcant Bulc. Another family tree, written in the 1400s and kept at Jesus College, Oxford, tells the same story. These are the only historical records that mention Dyfnwal.
Dyfnwal's Legendary Story
In the famous book by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Dyfnwal Moelmud is a brave and important king.
Becoming King of Britain
Geoffrey's story says that Dyfnwal was the son of King Cloten of Cornwall. After a big fight called the "Civil War of the Five Kings," Dyfnwal brought peace back to the land. The old royal family had ended, so Dyfnwal's family, a smaller branch of the family of Brutus, became important. Another old book, The Book of Baglan, says Dyfnwal was a direct descendant of Camber, Brutus's oldest son.
Battles and Victories
During the "Civil War," Dyfnwal was the King of Cornwall. He was known for being braver than all the other kings fighting. First, he defeated Pinner, who was the king of a place called Loegria.
After this, two other kings, Rudaucus of Cambria and Staterius of Albany, teamed up. They attacked and destroyed much of Dyfnwal's land. The two sides met in a big battle, and it was a tough fight with no clear winner.
Dyfnwal then came up with a clever plan. He and 600 of his men put on the armor of their dead enemies. They charged deep into the enemy lines, surprising everyone. In this bold attack, they managed to kill both Rudaucus and Staterius. After winning this battle, Dyfnwal destroyed the remaining defenses of the other kings and took over their lands.
Creating the Molmutine Laws
After defeating all his rivals, Dyfnwal made himself king of all Britain. He created a special crown, just like the kings before him. He then made a set of rules for the kingdom. These rules were called the Molmutine Laws. They were so good that they almost stopped all robbery in his kingdom. These laws were followed for many, many centuries!
The Book of Baglan also says that Dyfnwal was the person who founded the city of Bristol. He ruled his kingdom peacefully and successfully for forty years. When he died, he was buried in a special place called the Temple of Concord in Trinovantum. This temple was built to honor his great laws. Sadly, after his death, his two sons, Belinus and Brennius, started another civil war.
See also
