Glywys facts for kids
Glywys was a legendary Welsh king from the early 400s. He is a key figure in old Welsh family histories. People believe he was the founder king of Glywysing. This was a kingdom in southeast Wales. Its main area was between the Tawe and the Usk rivers.
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Glywys's Family and Kingdom
In some old family records, Glywys is named as the oldest son of Solor. Solor was the son of Mor. Glywys is said to have married Gwawl. She was the daughter of Ceredig of Ceredigion. One story says they had 22 children. All but one were sons. These children included the churchmen Pedrog and Edelig.
How the Kingdom Was Divided
Sources from the 1100s say that after Glywys died, his kingdom was split. It was divided into three smaller areas called cantrefi. His sons created these areas:
Even after this split, the name Glywysing was still used. Later, this area became known as Glamorgan. Gwynllyw gave his name to Newport Cathedral and also to Wentlooge.
The Name Glywys and Gloucester
The name Glywys might have come from the kingdom's name itself. The kingdom of Glywysing might have gotten its name from the Roman-British *Glevenses. This was the name for the land and people of Glevum, which is now Gloucester.
Connecting Names and Places
It was common in old British family histories to invent founding kings. The name "Gloucester" comes from an Old English word meaning "fort." This was combined with the Roman stem "Glev-." In Old Welsh, the city was called Caerloyw. Caer means castle, and loyw comes from gloyw, meaning glowing or bright.
Because of this, Gloucester was also given a founder named Gloyw. Some family histories say that Vortigern was a descendant of Gloyw. Other records link saints and important figures to Gloyw through their family lines.
Glywys's Later Life
Despite being a king, Glywys is believed to have become a hermit later in his life. A hermit is someone who lives alone, often for religious reasons. He traveled to Cornwall. There, he founded the church of St Gluvias near Penryn. Sometimes, he is called the Cornish Glywys, or Glywys Cernyw.
Glywys is honored as a saint. His special day, or feast day, is on May 3rd.
