Morgannwg was a medieval Welsh kingdom formed via the merger of the kingdoms of Glywysing and Gwent.
Kingdom of Morgannwg Teyrnas Morgannwg | |||||||||||||||||
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c. 7th/8th century-c. 745 942–974 1055/1063–1091 | |||||||||||||||||
Coat of arms
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Capital | Various[1] | ||||||||||||||||
Common languages | Welsh | ||||||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||||
Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||||||||||
• Morgannwyg formed from Gwent and Glywysing (under Morgan the Generous) | c. 7th/8th century | ||||||||||||||||
• Union disestablished | c. 745 | ||||||||||||||||
• Reunited (under Morgan Hen ab Owain) | 942 | ||||||||||||||||
• Union disestablished | 974 | ||||||||||||||||
1055 | |||||||||||||||||
• Independent | 1063 | ||||||||||||||||
• Conquered (by the Norman lord, Robert Fitzhamon) | 1091 | ||||||||||||||||
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First under King Morgan the Generous (fl. c. 630-730) until the end of the reign of his descendant Ithel (d. c. 745), and later again under King Morgan the Old (r. 942-74), the kingdom merged with Gwent and changed its name to Morgannwg or Gwlad Morgan in honour of the Morgan Kings.[2][3] During such unions Glywysing and Gwent seem to have been together or occasional sub-kingdoms or principalities of the Kingdom of Morgannwg.[2]
After the death of Morgan the Old, Gwent and Glywysing were separated again from 974 to 1055, but Glywysing alone was often referred to as Morgannwg. Both areas were conquered by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in about 1055, subsequently King of Wales, but on Gruffydd's death in 1063, Glywysing was regained by the native lineage under Caradog ap Gruffudd.[2] Morgannwg, the union between Gwent and Glywysing, was reconstituted. How this occurred is unclear; possibly the Kings of Glywysing were also Kings of Morgannwg and the Kings of Gwent were semi-independent under-Kings, or vice versa.[2]
With Gwent increasingly overrun by the Norman conquest of Wales, the last native King of Morgannwyg and Glywysing was Iestyn ap Gwrgan (1081–1090), who was subsequently deposed by Robert Fitzhamon. Iestyn's sons became Lords of Afan, while Owain ap Caradog ap Gruffudd contented himself with Gwynllwg and founded the line of the Lords of Caerleon.[2]
The name Morgannwg is still used in Wales for the former Marcher Lordship and county of Glamorgan (itself a corruption of the term Gwlad Morgan) and its successor counties
The kingdom of Morgannwg was formed by the union of the kingdoms of Morgannwg and Gwent. Over time, in a few instances, the kingdoms were separate and independent.
Glywysing is ruled by the Kings of Gwent until Rhys ap Ithel
Iestyn was the last ruler of an independent Morgannwg, which was thereafter in the possession of the Normans and became the lordship of Glamorgan
Iestyn was the last ruler of an independent Morgannwg, which was thereafter in the possession of the Normans and became the lordship of Glamorgan