Morcant Bulc facts for kids

Morcant Bulc was a powerful leader, possibly a king, in ancient Britain. He lived in the northern parts of Britain during a time of big changes. This was after the Roman Empire left and before England became a country, around the early Middle Ages.

We know about him from old family records called 'pedigrees' from a region known as The Old North. His father was named Cuncar, and his son was Coledauc. Not much else is known for sure about Morcant Bulc himself. However, historians believe his kingdom might have been in areas like Gododdin (which is now Lothian in Scotland), Alt Clut (modern Strathclyde), or Bryneich (which is now Northumberland in England). This was likely in the late 500s AD.

Who Was Morcant Bulc?

Morcant's first name, Morcant, is a form of the name Morgan. Because of this, some historians think he might be the same person as other "Morgans" mentioned in old stories. These stories include the Life of St. Kentigern and the writings of a historian named Nennius.

Different Stories of King Morcant

There are two main stories about a King Morcant that might be about Morcant Bulc:

The Story with Saint Kentigern

One story tells of a King Morken, who was likely the ruler of Alt Clut. This King Morken was an opponent of St. Kentigern (also known as St. Mungo), an early Christian missionary. King Morken was not happy with St. Kentigern's work and eventually forced the saint to leave his kingdom.

The Story of the Brythonic Alliance

Another story describes a King Morcant who played a very important role in the history of the Brythonic people of The Old North. These Britons were trying to fight back against invaders called the Angles in the 6th century.

• A Powerful Alliance: King Morcant was part of a strong alliance of Brythonic kings. This group included King Urien of Rheged, King Riderch Hael of Alt Clut, and King Gwallawc Marchawc Trin of Elmet.
• Early Successes: At first, this alliance was very successful. They managed to push the Angles back from the territory of Bryneich. Around the year 590, they forced the Angles to leave their capital city, which was possibly called Din Guardi. The Brythonic forces then surrounded the Angles on an island called Ynys Metcaut, which we now know as Lindisfarne.
• The Alliance Falls Apart: However, King Morcant became jealous of King Urien's many victories. He might also have worried that if the Angles were completely defeated, King Urien's kingdom of Rheged would become too powerful. Sadly, Morcant betrayed the alliance. He arranged for Urien to be killed by a man named Llofan Llaf Difo.
• The Aftermath: After Urien's death, the strong alliance of the Britons of the North fell apart. The Angles were able to break free from being surrounded and quickly took back most of the lands they had lost before the war began. This event was a big setback for the Britons in their fight against the invaders.