48-474: Urien ap Cynfarch Oer or Urien Rheged ( Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɨ̞riɛn ˈr̥ɛɡɛd] , Old Welsh : Urbgen or Urbagen ) was a sixth-century figure who was possibly the ruler of the territory known as Rheged . The evidence for his existence comes from a ninth-century history and eight praise-poems dedicated to him possibly to be dated to his lifetime, attributed to the poet Taliesin . Urien features in medieval literature from Wales as one of
96-523: A kenning referring to one of Ida's sons, perhaps even Theodric, since Owain ab Urien is praised for killing Fflanddwyn alongside a 'broad host of English' in another poem. Nevertheless, Urien is far more often mentioned fighting other Britons or the Picts than the English. The two most technically accomplished poems in the corpus are generally taken to be 'Uryen yr echwyd', and 'Gweith argoet llwyfein'. There
144-664: A fossilised spoken form as a part of bardic lore. Like many other figures of the Early Middle Ages in Welsh tradition, Urien captured interest well into a millennium after his death. In the sixteenth century, Rhys ap Gruffydd , a grandson of Rhys ap Thomas who greatly aided Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field , was disinherited from his grandfather's estates by order of Henry VIII , who instead gave these lands to Walter Devereux . This greatly incensed Rhys, who began
192-733: A king of Deira rather than Bernicia, succeeded him as king after his death. Northumbria did not exist until the union of Bernicia with the kingdom of Deira ; this happened for the first time under Ida's grandson Æthelfrith . The genealogies of the Anglo-Saxon kings attached to some manuscripts of the Historia Brittonum give more information on Ida and his family; the text names Ida's "one queen" as Bearnoch and indicates that he had twelve sons, naming among them Adda , Æthelric , Theodric , Eadric, Theodhere, Osmere and Ealric. Several of these are listed as kings. One of them, Theodric,
240-403: A long feud with Devereux, ultimately culminating in the execution of Rhys on charges of treason. Like Henry Tudor, Rhys tried to weaponise political prophecy to gather support for his cause, and he was accused of going by the name 'FitzUryen' (son of Urien) and attempting to gain support to make himself Prince of Wales independent of Henry with the help of James V of Scotland . Rhys claimed to be
288-608: A member of the house of Dinefwr , which originated with Rhodri Mawr 's son Cadell . Rhodri's ancestry claims an origin from Llywarch Hen , which would make Rhys ap Gruffydd a distant relative of Urien. As Urien was remembered for his battles against the English, the authorities feared he would be able to capitalise on anti-English sentiment in Wales. Urien's son Owain was associated with ravens in later Welsh literature, and Rhys ap Gruffydd, together with his grandfather Rhys ap Thomas, bore three ravens on their coat of arms, which were called
336-509: A much less fantastic Garlot (Garloth). During the reign of Uther Pendragon (Arthur's father), Urien marries a sister or half-sister of the young Arthur, Morgan (sometimes another of Arthur's sisters is named as Urien's wife, such as Hermesan in the Livre d'Artus and Blasine in Of Arthour and of Merlin ). Urien, like the kings of several other lands, initially opposes Arthur's accession to
384-414: A nearby territory to Lindisfarne, it has been suggested that Morgan at that moment felt more as threatened by Urien's powerful presence near his home than by Theodric. Urien has the unique distinction of having many possibly contemporaneous poems surviving dedicated to him, attributed to his court poet Taliesin . Taliesin is mentioned in the Historia Brittonum as well, though his life is synchronised to
432-470: Is Coel Hen , who functioned as an originator for many of the northern Brythonic-speaking dynasties of the early Middle Ages in England . In modern scholarship, it is not generally held that Coel was an important historic figure or even the ancestor of all these dynasties, known collectively as the 'Coeling', at all. Rather, the fact that he features as the origin of so many pedigrees of important figures from
480-516: Is a late tradition, and runs contrary to the association of Urien with Taliesin and the very strong association of Urien with the North, though it seems probable that this story was affixed to the name of Trisfardd later than his appearance in the Triads. Literature about Urien, whether reflecting early material or not, seems to have circulated in more channels than survive to us. This can be evidenced by
528-412: Is also credited with baptising Edwin of Northumbria , together with Paulinus of York , though as with much of the Historia Brittonum , this is of uncertain historical value. The narrative concerning Urien relates him as having taken hostile action against Theodric, together with Rhydderch Hen , Gwallog ap Llênog , and Morgan , all of whom are recorded as Coeling, Urien's distant relatives, according to
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#1732782991600576-511: Is also one dadolwch , or reconciliation-poem, among these poems, implying that Taliesin ran afoul of Urien at some point and was obliged to get back into his good graces. Due to his appearance in early poetry and place in the narrative of the Historia Brittonum , Urien became a figure in the later Welsh literature concerning the ' Old North ', which functioned as the setting for a great deal of medieval Welsh literature . One such piece of literature concerning Urien, or more accurately Urien's sons,
624-634: Is also said to have led battle in the area of the River Ayr , in the Brythonic-speaking kingdom of Strathclyde , and perhaps against the Picts . He is also recorded as fighting against the English , much like he is said to have done in the Historia Brittonum . One poem mentions Urien and Owain as having fought one 'Fflamddwyn' (meaning 'flame-bearing'), which has been traditionally identified as
672-600: Is fittingly called the 'Urien Rheged' cycle ( Welsh : Canu Urien ) by modern scholars, as the poems are concerned with the events in Rheged after the killing of Urien. The poems survive mainly from two Middle Welsh manuscripts, the Black Book of Carmarthen (c. 1250) and the Red Book of Hergest (after 1382). Nevertheless, Canu Urien is traditionally understood to be a copy Old Welsh -period material, dated to around
720-481: Is likely that Urien at least was descended from Coel, while the others may have been grafted on to this family. Nothing reliable is known of Urien's father Cynfarch, even if he ruled over Rheged, though this may be assumed given that later material refers to the 'Cynferching', those claiming (or attributed) descent from him. The Historia Brittonum , written in 829 AD in Gwynedd, hundreds of years after Urien's death,
768-557: Is noted for fighting against a Brittonic coalition led by Urien Rheged and his sons. The genealogical preface to Chronicon ex chronicis names six sons, Adda, Bealric, Theodric, Ethelric, Osmere, and Theodhere, born to his wife and six born to concubines, Ocga, Alric, Ecca, Oswald, Sogor and Sogothere. Ida's successor, Glappa , does not appear among his sons in any of the early sources. Ida's descendants would rule Bernicia and later Northumbria. Some 18th- and 19th-century commentators, beginning with Lewis Morris , associated Ida with
816-489: Is our only historical record of Urien, though its usefulness for reconstructing history is a matter of academic debate. The Historia Brittonum , based on Bede , synchronises Urien's life to the reign of Theodric of Bernicia (d. c. 579 x 593). Interestingly, in a later prologue attached to the text, the author of the History Brittonum claims to have assembled his text based on the work of Rhun , Urien's son, who
864-981: Is preserved in Middle Welsh . A text in Latin and Old Welsh in the Lichfield Gospels called the "Surrexit Memorandum" is thought to have been written in the early 8th century but may be a copy of a text from the 6th or 7th centuries. Words in bold are Latin , not Old Welsh. surexit tutbulc filius liuit ha gener tutri dierchi tir telih haioid ilau elcu filius gelhig haluidt iuguret amgucant pel amtanndi ho diued diprotant gener tutri o guir imguodant ir degion guragon tagc rodesit elcu guetig equs tres uache, tres uache nouidligi namin ir ni be cas igridu dimedichat guetig hit did braut grefiat guetig nis minn tutbulc hai cenetl in ois oisau Tudfwlch son of Llywyd and son-in-law of Tudri arose to claim
912-547: Is the first known king of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia , which he ruled from around 547 until his death in 559. Little is known of his life or reign, but he was regarded as the founder of a line from which later Angle kings in this part of central Great Britain claimed descent. His descendants overcame Brittonic resistance and ultimately founded the powerful kingdom of Northumbria . The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle indicates that Ida's reign began in 547, and records him as
960-595: The Cadfan Stone – thought to date from the 7th century, although more recent scholarship dates it in the 9th century. A key body of Old Welsh text also survives in glosses and marginalia from around 900 in the Juvencus Manuscript and in De raris fabulis . Some examples of medieval Welsh poems and prose additionally originate from this period, but are found in later manuscripts; Y Gododdin , for example,
1008-566: The Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh . The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, has been called "Primitive" or "Archaic Welsh". The phonology of Old Welsh is as follows. The oldest surviving text entirely in Old Welsh is understood to be that on a gravestone now in Tywyn –
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#17327829916001056-402: The 'historic' Taliesin poems. Only one poem of these twelve, called 'Yspeil Taliessin', is explicitly attributed to Taliesin in the manuscript, but since Taliesin was strongly associated with Urien in later medieval Welsh literature, and the bulk of the content of the manuscript is to do with Taliesin, the attribution has stuck. The dating of these poems is still hotly debated between those who see
1104-452: The 'ravens of Urien' by contemporaneous poets. Geoffrey of Monmouth , drawing on Welsh sources and his own imagination, adapted Urien into Arthurian legend , and made him known across Europe with the explosive popularity of his Historia Regum Britanniae . In Geoffrey's telling, taken on by many following him, Urien is one of three brothers who ruled Scotland before the Saxon invasion –
1152-470: The body of his caring lord behind. Urien is mentioned in passing in the Llywarch Hen cycle, poems about the sufferings of his kinsman Llywarch and written in his voice. They are, like Canu Urien , certainly later than Llywarch and Urien's time. Urien is recorded as supplying Llywarch's last surviving son Gwên with a horn which Llywarch advises Gwên to blow if he needs aid while on guard at night. In
1200-423: The figure of Welsh tradition known as Fflamddwyn ("Flame-bearer"). This Fflamddwyn was evidently an Anglo-Saxon leader opposed by Urien Rheged and his children, particularly his son Owain , who slew him. However, Rachel Bromwich notes that such an identification has little to back it; other writers, such as Thomas Stephens and William Forbes Skene , identify Fflamddwyn instead with Ida's son Theodric , noting
1248-533: The genealogies. Echoing Gildas , it is said that the conflict between the Britons and the Saxons was back and forth, but Urien and his allies eventually had the upper hand and besieged Theodric on Lindisfarne (Old Welsh: Medcaut ). Urien, however, was killed at the instigation of Morgan, who the author of the Historia Brittonum says was jealous of Urien's martial ability. As Morgan is supposed to have come from
1296-519: The hands of Llofan Llaw Ddifo is one of the 'Three Unfortunate Slaughters'. There are chronological impossibilities with associating his wife with a daughter of Brychan, however, and Modron is a purely legendary figure, whose first association with Urien is in this triad. Nevertheless, these show the enduring interest in Urien in the later Middle Ages, and the invention of tradition to satisfy continued regard for his life and deeds. As well as Taliesin, Urien
1344-424: The immediate aftermath of Urien's killing, with the name of the assassin given in another poem as Llofan Llaw Ddifro. In 'Pen Urien' and 'Celain Urien', it is an unnamed companion and relative of Urien who was forced to finish Urien off and strike off his head, with the implication that it was unsafe to carry Urien's entire body home for burial. The narrator laments his fortune and curses his hand and that he must leave
1392-527: The land of Telych, which was in the hand of Elgu son of Gelli and the tribe of Idwared. They disputed long about it; in the end they disjudge Tudri's son-in-law by law. The goodmen said to each other 'Let us make peace'. Elgu gave afterwards a horse, three cows, three cows newly calved, in order that there might not be hatred between them from the ruling afterwards till the Day of Judgement. Tudfwlch and his kin will not want it for ever and ever. Page 141 (on which
1440-576: The mnemonic devices known as the Welsh Triads , intended for poets to recall traditional stories, Urien is mentioned repeatedly. These mostly agree with the testimony of the Historia Brittonum and the other early sources, though there are some references to the later traditions. Urien is one of the 'Three Armoured Warriors', 'Three battle-rulers', and 'Three Holy Womb-burdens'. The latter gives his mother as Nefyn ferch Brychan Brycheiniog , and his wife as Modron ferch Afallach. Likewise, his killing at
1488-612: The most celebrated figures of Welsh legend down to today. Outside of the Welsh context, he eventually was transformed in Arthurian legend into the figure of king Urien of Garlot or Gore. His most celebrated son, Owain mab Urien , similarly gave his name to the character of Ywain . The earliest genealogy of Urien, found in Harley MS 3859 (c. 850–950 AD), gives his patrilineal descent as 'Urien son of Cynfarch son of Meirchion son of Gwrwst son of Coel Hen.' His earliest recorded ancestor
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1536-405: The name and character of another Arthurian king, Nentres of Garlot (husband of Arthur's sister Elaine ), could have been derived from that of Urien. Malory also sometimes spells Urien's name as Urience , which has led some later authors (e.g. Alfred Tennyson ) to identify him with Arthur's relentless rival King Rience . Old Welsh Old Welsh ( Welsh : Hen Gymraeg ) is the stage of
1584-480: The other pages in the Lichfield Gospels . This language-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Wales -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to the history of Wales is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ida of Bernicia Ida ( / ˈ ɪ d ɑː / ; died c. 559 )
1632-476: The others being Lot of Lothian , and Augusel. After freeing Scotland, Arthur restored the throne of Alba to Augusel, and made Urien king of Mureif (perhaps Monreith , or Moray ). Urien's son Eventus later succeeds Augusel as king of Alba. In Arthurian chivalric romances, the location of his kingdom is transferred to either the Otherworldly and magical Kingdom of Gorre [ fr ] (Gore) or
1680-402: The passages in the genealogies discussing Theodric's battles with Urien and his sons. At the time Ida ruled, Bernician control did not extend far inland from the coast. It was not until the time of Æthelfrith , Ida's grandson, that the kingdom expanded significantly to the west. This is supported by the Historia Brittonum' s description of fighting between Bernicians and the native Britons of
1728-465: The poems as reflecting early material, and those who favour a later date. These poems are in sometimes obscure language and do not offer very much in the way of clear biographical information about Urien, though fleeting references to Urien as 'lord of Catraeth ' have led to much speculation about his involvement in the Battle of Catraeth . Much of the place-name evidence of these poems is understood to refer to places in modern-day Cumbria , though Urien
1776-486: The reign of Ida of Bernicia (c. 547 – 559), slightly before Urien's reign. Much like many cultures in north-western Europe during Late Antiquity , medieval Welsh culture valued praise-poetry, that is, poems extolling the virtues of a ruler or leading figure in a society, very highly. The poems which are attributed to Taliesin survive in the Book of Taliesin , a Middle Welsh manuscript of the early fourteenth century. Taliesin
1824-461: The same period of the Historia Brittonum . This material is called 'saga poetry' by comparison with Icelandic sagas , both because like the Icelandic material, the Welsh poems are thought to have been taken from longer, partly prose (or oral) works, and because they both might reflect earlier history through a literary lens. Though one of Urien's allies in the narrative of the Historia Brittonum
1872-503: The sixth century in Welsh, and Ifor Williams went so far as to say the trisyllabic form must be reinserted in one of the Taliesin poems to rectify a defect in the metre in a line in one poem. Assuming Cynddelw did not independently create this form so that he might fill the metre of this line in his own poem, this gives the tantalising suggestion that he was reading sources about Urien which do not survive to us, or that this name survived in
1920-590: The sixth century is because it adds a greater sense of cohesion to the story of Urien's career. Since the 'Coeling' first appear in genealogies together in Harley 3859 with the Historia Brittonum , the first historical reference to Urien, it is thought the compiler of the genealogies joined together the lineages of all the British (i.e. 'Welsh' -speaking) leaders mentioned in the narrative. Nevertheless, it
1968-531: The son of Eoppa, grandson of Esa, and great-grandson of Ingwy. Likewise, the Historia Brittonum calls him as the son of Eoppa and the first king of Berneich or Bernicia. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle elaborates that he ruled for twelve years and built the Bernician capital of Bamburgh Castle . Later, however, the Chronicle confuses his territory with the later Northumbria, saying that Ælla , historically
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2016-456: The text is written) also has a Latin memorandum above the Old Welsh text. It appears to hold more text written below the main text, and a mysterious section where text appears to have been erased, both of which are partially overwritten with Old English text. No translations or transcripts have yet been offered for this section. It is unknown why that particular page was used for the glosses, as little or no text appears to have been added to any of
2064-684: The throne after Uther's death. He and the others rebel against the young monarch (with Urien even briefly kidnapping Arthur's wife Guinevere in the Livre d'Artus ), but upon their defeat, he is among the rebel leaders become Arthur's allies and vassals. His marriage to Morgan is not portrayed as a happy one, however, as in a popular version from the Post-Vulgate Cycle (also included in Thomas Malory 's influential Le Morte d'Arthur ) Morgan plots to use Excalibur to kill both Urien and Arthur and place herself and her lover Accolon on
2112-569: The throne. Morgan fails in all parts of that plan, being foiled by their own son and by the Lady of the Lake . Urien is usually said to be the father of Ywain (Owain) by Morgan but many texts also give him a second son, Ywain the Bastard , fathered on his seneschal 's wife. Welsh tradition further attributes to him a daughter named Morfydd , daughter of Modron . According to Roger Sherman Loomis ,
2160-472: The twelfth-century poet Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr 's attribution of the 'wrath of Urien' to his patron Owain Cyfeiliog , using the form Urfoën (Middle Welsh: Uruoen ). This reflects an older form of the name * Urbogen which retained the composition vowel also reflected in weakened form in a rendition of Urien's name in the Historia Brittonum , Urbagen. Kenneth Jackson dated the loss of this vowel to
2208-441: Was Gwallog ap Llênog , he is recorded as having fought against Urien's son Elffin in another one of the poems in this cycle, 'Dwy Blaid'. Likewise, one Dunod fought with Owain, while Brân ab Ymellyrn and Morgan – the orderer of Urien's killing – fought the narrator. The most impactful and moving poems from this cycle are given the titles 'Pen Urien' (Urien's Head) and 'Celain Urien' (Urien's corpse) by modern scholarship. They relate
2256-537: Was supposed to have employed a poet named Tristfardd (literally 'sad poet'), as recorded in another triad, which calls Tristfardd one of the 'Three Red-Speared Bards'. Three englynion preserved in a very late manuscript record a story recounting how this Tristfardd secretly courted Urien's wife, and, not recognising the king, sent a disguised Urien to send a message to her. Urien slew Tristfardd for this offence at 'Rhyd Tristfardd', supposed to be in Radnorshire . This
2304-664: Was very well known for his poetic skill in later medieval Wales, and all sorts of legends sprang up about him attributing to him magic powers, including many poems 'in character' attributed to him, and these poems form the bulk of this text. The manuscript was given its title in the seventeenth century because of the preponderance of this material within it. There are eight poems in this manuscript attributed to Taliesin which are dedicated to Urien Rheged and devoid of supernatural or gnomic content, and so these are, together with one poem to Cynan Garwyn , one to Owain ab Urien , and two to Gwallog ap Llênog , together, these are categorised as
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