Dumnonia was a Brythonic kingdom of sub-Roman Britain, located in the south-west peninsula of modern England and covering Cornwall, Devon, most of Somerset and possibly part of Dorset. Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of the most of the island of Great Britain, and their culture and language, the Brythonic languages. ... Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeologists label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... Cornish Flag Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation). ...

Name

The kingdom is named for the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe who lived in the same area long before the Romans arrived in Britain. It is unclear whether it was a single united kingdom or simply a series of sub-kingdoms. Certainly Cornwall appears to have been at least semi-independent at times, possibly because it was based on the territory of a sub-tribe, the Cornavii. The Dumnonii is the Latin name for a Celtic tribe that inhabited the Westcountry of England. ... A Celtic cross. ... Principal sites in Roman Britain Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... The Kingdom of Kernyw existed during the Dark Ages in Britains southwestern peninsula. ...

Dumnonia is the Latin form of the name. Variants include Damnonia and Domnonia It was known to the English of neighbouring Wessex as the kingdom of the West Welsh. In Welsh, and similarly in the native Brythonic language, it was Dyfneint and this is the form which survives today in the name of the county of Devon. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg) is the label attached to the Welsh language from the time it developed from the Brythonic language, generally thought to be in the period between the middle of the 6th century and the middle of the 7th century, until the early 12th century when it developed... Southwestern Brythonic is one of two dialects into which the Brythonic language split following the Battle of Deorham in A.D. 577, the other being Western Brythonic, which later evolved into Welsh and Cumbric. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ...

Character

Dumnonia is noteworthy for its many settlements which have survived from Romano-British times. As in other Brythonic areas, Iron Age hillforts, such as Cadbury Castle, were refortified for the use of lords or kings. Other high-status settlements like Tintagel were built a-new. Post-Roman imported pottery has been excavated from many sites across the region. The term Romano-British describes the romanised culture of Britannia under the rule of the Roman Empire, when Roman and Christian culture had extensively entered into the life of the native Brythonic and Pictish peoples of Britain. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of the most of the island of Great Britain, and their culture and language, the Brythonic languages. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... The term hill fort is commonly used by archeologists to describe fortified enclosures located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. ... The hill from Corton ridge Cadbury Castle is a hill fort near the village of South Cadbury in Somerset, England, five miles north west of Yeovil at grid reference ST62862512. ... Situated on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, the village of Tintagel (pronounced with the stress on the second syllable; Cornish: Dintagell) and nearby Tintagel Castle are associated with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ...

The people of Dumnonia would have spoken a Brythonic dialect ancestral to modern Cornish. This was spoken east of the Tamar well into the 19th century. Irish immigrants are also in evidence from the Ogham inscribed stones they have left behind. Brythonic is one of two major divisions of Insular Celtic languages (the other being Goidelic). ... The Cornish language (in Cornish: Kernowek, Kernewek, Curnoack) is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages that includes Welsh, Breton, the extinct Cumbric and perhaps the hypothetical Ivernic. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ogham (Old Irish Ogam) was an alphabet used primarily to represent Gaelic languages. ...

Christianity

Christianity also seems to have survived in Dumnonia from the Romano-British era, with a number of late Roman Christian cemeteries extending into the sub-Roman period. The religion was boosted by evangelists from Ireland, like Saint Piran, and Wales, like Saint Petroc or Saint Keyne. There were important monasteries at Bodmin and Glastonbury; and also Exeter where 5th century burials discovered near the cathedral probably represent the cemetery of the foundation attended by St. Boniface (although whether this was Anglo-Saxon or Brythonic is somewhat controversial). The term Romano-British describes the romanised culture of Britannia under the rule of the Roman Empire, when Roman and Christian culture had extensively entered into the life of the native Brythonic and Pictish peoples of Britain. ... For the coastal town and a municipality in southwestern Slovenia please see Piran (Italian Pirano) Saint Piran or Perran is the patron saint of tin-miners. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales for ever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd... Saint Petroc (sometimes spelt Petrock, also Pedrog in Welsh and Perreux in French) (c. ... St. ... Map sources for Bodmin at grid reference SX074667 The town of Bodmin lies in the centre of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, along the western edge of Bodmin Moor. ... Glastonbury Abbey in Glastonbury, Somerset, England, now presents itself as traditionally the oldest above-ground Christian church in the world situated in the mystical land of Avalon by dating the founding of the community of monks at 63 A.D., the legendary visit of Joseph of Arimathea, who was supposed... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in England, UK. It is located at , . In the 2001 census its population was recorded at 111,066. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton because of a fear of sea-raids. ... For the Roman general of this name, see Bonifacius. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of the most of the island of Great Britain, and their culture and language, the Brythonic languages. ...

Kings of Dumnonia

There are odd records of several apparent kings of Dumnonia and several of these appear in a pedigree of the monarchs recorded in Old Welsh sources which may be reconstructed thus: Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg) is the label attached to the Welsh language from the time it developed from the Brythonic language, generally thought to be in the period between the middle of the 6th century and the middle of the 7th century, until the early 12th century when it developed...

• Cynfawr – whose name occurs on the famous Drustanus stone near Fowey in Cornwall.
• Custennyn Gorneu – see below
• Erbin – see below
• Geraint – probably the man at the Battle of Llongborth
• Cado – who appears in the Life of St. Carannog

Traditionally, Cado’s son was Constantine of Dumnonia, the man reproached by the contemporary writer, Gildas, in the early 6th century. He may be the same as St. Constantine of Cornwall. A later King Geraint appears in the Life of St. Teilo and may be the same man mentioned in the poem Y Gododdin at the Battle of Catraeth (Catterick) around 600. A third King Geraint corresponded with St. Aldhelm and fought King Ine of Wessex in 710. Location within the British Isles. ... Cornish Flag Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... Geraint is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a king of Dumnonia and a valiant warrior. ... The Battle of Llongborth was an ancient battle in Great Britain mentioned in a poem of the same name, traditionally attributed to Llywarch Hen. ... Gildas (c. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Constantine (Cornish: Costentyn) was a 6th century King of Cornwall, rebuked by Gildas for his wickedness. ... Y Gododdin (The Gododdin), attributed to the 7th century poet Aneirin, is a series of 99 elegies to the men of the kingdom of Gododdin in north-eastern Britain who fell in the battle of Catraeth, thought to be Catterick in North Yorkshire, against the Angles, ca. ... Village Green, Catterick Village (photo by Oliver Dixon, May 2006) Catterick, sometimes Catterick Village to distinguish it from the nearby Catterick Garrison, is a village in North Yorkshire. ... Catterick could be Catterick, a village in North Yorkshire, England. ... For other uses, see number 600. ... Geraint was a King of Dumnonia who ruled in the early eighth century. ... Saint Aldhelm (c. ... Ine (died 728) was the King of Wessex from 688 to 726, noted particularly for his code of laws. ... // Events End of the Asuka period, the second and last part of the Yamato period and beginning of the Nara period in Japan. ...

Arthurian Connection

The renowned King Arthur is often said to have been a member of the Royal house of Dumnonia, his traditional grandfather, Constantine, being identified with Custennyn Gorneu above. Erbin and his son, Geraint, appear in the Arthurian tale of Geraint and Enid as ruling “on the far side of Severn” (from Caerleon). Gildas’ Constantine of Dumnonia appears in Arthurian legend as the great King’s successor, Constantine III of Britain. King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship in both war and peace. ... Geraint is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a king of Dumnonia and a valiant warrior. ... Caerleon is a village situated on the river Usk on the northern outskirts of Newport. ... Gildas (c. ... Constantine III was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. ...

It is claimed by some that Arthur’s great victory at the Battle of Mount Badon, took place in Devon where the Brythonic Dumnonians fought off Anglo-Saxons. Most historians, however, believe this battle was fought near Bath. His final Battle of Camlann, is also said to have been fought at Slaughter Bridge near Camelford. In the Battle of Mount Badon (Latin Mons Badonicus, Welsh Mynydd Baddon) Romano-British and Celts inflicted a severe defeat on an invading Anglo-Saxon army sometime in the decade before or after 500. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... For other uses, see Bath (disambiguation). ... The Battle of Camlann is best known as the final battle of King Arthur, where he either died in battle, or was fatally wounded. ... Camelford is a town in Cornwall, England. ...

Territorial Reduction

Conflict between Dumnonia and the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex began to increase in the 7th century. By 658, it lost the part of Somerset east and north of the River Parrett and the rest of the modern county fell in 710. Devon was overrun by the end of the century. The medieval Breton toponyms of Domnonée and Cornouaille/Kernev were probably founded by emigrants from Devon and Cornwall during this period. The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Events The union of Slavic tribes falls apart after Samos death Births Deaths King Samo of the Slavs Categories: 658 ... The River Parrett has its source in the springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset in England and flows west through the Somerset Levels to its mouth in the Bristol Channel at Burnham on Sea a town on the edge of Bridgwater Bay, an important Nature Reserve. ... // Events End of the Asuka period, the second and last part of the Yamato period and beginning of the Nara period in Japan. ... Traditional coat of arms Modern flag (Gwenn-ha-du) Historical province of Brittany région of Bretagne, see Bretagne. ... La Domnonée (lat. ... Cornouaille is an historic region in Brittany, in northwest France. ...

William of Malmesbury reported that Bythons were living alongside Saxon people in Exeter during the 10th century, but King Athelstan put a stop to this. (A part of Exeter retained the title 'Little Britain' until the 18th century.) The same monarch set the modern eastern border of Cornwall in 927. However, the Brythons of the far west survived with at least some degree of indepedence as the Kingdom of Cornwall. William of Malmesbury (c. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of the most of the island of Great Britain, and their culture and language, the Brythonic languages. ... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in England, UK. It is located at , . In the 2001 census its population was recorded at 111,066. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... Athelstan (c. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Events Hubaekje sacks the Silla capital of Gyeongju and places King Gyeongsun on the throne. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of the most of the island of Great Britain, and their culture and language, the Brythonic languages. ... The Kingdom of Kernyw existed during the Dark Ages in Britains southwestern peninsula. ...

References

• Christopher A. Snyder (2003), The Britons

See also

• Dumnonii
• Kingdom of Cornwall

The Dumnonii is the Latin name for a Celtic tribe that inhabited the Westcountry of England. ... The Kingdom of Kernyw existed during the Dark Ages in Britains southwestern peninsula. ...

External links

• Early British Kingdoms: Kingdoms of the West Country
• Early British Kingdoms: Kings of Dumnonia
• History Files: Ancient Dumnonia