Seisyllwg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingdom of Seisyllwg
Teyrnas Seisyllwg
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| 680–920 | |||||||||
Medieval kingdoms of Wales
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| Common languages | Welsh | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
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• Changed name from Ceredigion
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680 | ||||||||
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• Union with Dyfed forming Deheubarth
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920 | ||||||||
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Seisyllwg (pronounced say-SUTH-loog) was a small but important kingdom in Wales during the Middle Ages. It's not clear exactly when it started, but it was made up of two main areas: the old Kingdom of Ceredigion and a region called Ystrad Tywi. This means it covered parts of what are now Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, including the Gower Peninsula. The kingdom was named after Seisyll ap Clydog, who was a king of Ceredigion in the 7th or early 8th century. In the 10th century, Seisyllwg became the main power base for Hywel Dda, a famous Welsh ruler. In 920, Hywel joined Seisyllwg with the Kingdom of Dyfed to create a new, larger kingdom called Deheubarth.
Contents
What Was Seisyllwg?
It's a bit of a mystery when Seisyllwg first became its own kingdom. Most people believe it was named after Seisyll ap Clydog, a king from the 600s or early 700s. He is often seen as the founder of Seisyllwg. Seisyll's name appears in old family trees of the kings of Ceredigion. However, older records don't actually say that Seisyll himself created Seisyllwg. The name Ceredigion was still used for the area even into the 800s.
How Do We Know About Seisyllwg?
The name Seisyllwg shows up in some later historical books. These include the Book of Llandaff, the Welsh Triads, and the Welsh laws. The Welsh laws describe Seisyllwg as one of the three main parts of South Wales. The other two were Morgannwg and Reinwg (which was probably Dyfed).
The clearest description of Seisyllwg's size comes from the Mabinogion, a collection of ancient Welsh stories. In the first story, it says that Seisyllwg included four cantrefs (which were like large districts) from Ceredigion. It also included three cantrefs from Ystrad Tywi. This matches what the old Welsh laws say about the kingdom's borders.
How Seisyllwg Became Part of a Bigger Kingdom
In 872, Gwgon, who was the last king in the traditional line of Ceredigion rulers, sadly drowned. He didn't have any children to take over. Gwgon's sister, Angharad, was married to Rhodri the Great. Rhodri was a very powerful king from Gwynedd, a kingdom in North Wales. Because of this marriage, Rhodri became the caretaker of Gwgon's lands.
The Rise of Cadell and Hywel Dda
Even though Rhodri couldn't claim to be king himself, he was able to make his younger son, Cadell, the new King of Seisyllwg. Cadell ruled under his father's authority. Later, he ruled under his older brother, Anarawd. Anarawd's family later became known as the Dinefwr family, which was very important in Welsh history.
After Cadell died in 911, Seisyllwg was divided between his two sons, Hywel and Clydog. Hywel later became known as Hywel Dda, meaning "Hywel the Good." Hywel probably already controlled the nearby kingdom of Dyfed by this time. There are no records of kings in Dyfed after 904. We also know that Hywel was married to Elen, who was the daughter of Dyfed's last known king.
The Birth of Deheubarth
By the time Clydog died in 920, Hywel definitely controlled Dyfed. This meant Hywel now had all of Seisyllwg as well. Hywel quickly joined Seisyllwg and Dyfed together. He formed a brand new kingdom called Deheubarth. This new kingdom covered most of southwest Wales. From this strong base, Hywel Dda went on to unite almost all of Wales under his rule. He is remembered as one of the most important Welsh kings.
