Welsh Kingdoms
Teyrnasoedd Cymru - The Early Welsh Heptarchy
The Seven Early Welsh Kingdoms
After the Romans departed Britain around 410 CE, Wales emerged as a collection of independent successor kingdoms. These kingdoms, often called the Heptarchy of Wales, developed from earlier tribal territories and Roman administrative regions, becoming the foundation of medieval Welsh political structure.
The Welsh Heptarchy: The seven early Welsh kingdoms formed the political backbone of post-Roman Wales. Each kingdom developed its own royal dynasties, legal systems, and cultural traditions while maintaining connections through intermarriage, alliance, and shared heritage. These kingdoms would eventually evolve into the major principalities that defined medieval Wales.
The Seven Kingdoms:
Gwynedd, Powys, Dyfed, Ceredigion, Morgannwg, Ystrad Tywi, and Gwent
Each kingdom became home to numerous Welsh tribes (llwythau) who traced their descent from royal ancestors and founding patriarchs. The tribal genealogies often connected back to the ruling dynasties of these kingdoms, creating intricate webs of kinship that defined Welsh aristocratic society for centuries.