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{{Short description|Welsh medieval cantref and legendary kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Ewyas''' ({{langx|cy|Ewias}}) was a possible early [[Welsh people|Welsh]] kingdom which may have been formed around the time of the [[Roman withdrawal from Britain]] in the 5th century.  The name was later used for a much smaller [[commote]] or administrative sub-division, which covered the area of the modern [[Vale of Ewyas]] (now within [[Monmouthshire]], [[Wales]]) and a larger area to the east including the villages of [[Ewyas Harold]] and [[Ewyas Lacy]] (now within [[Herefordshire]], [[England]]).
==A legendary kingdom==
Some researchers interpret the evidence of the medieval [[Llandaff charters]] to suggest that early Ewyas may have encompassed much of south-east Wales, including the later kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Gwent|Gwent]] and [[Ergyng]]. However, these sources are open to several interpretations and this is not generally accepted by mainstream historians.  [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] gives the legend of Octavius (Welsh: [[Eudaf]]), "earl of Ewyas and [[Ergyng]]", in his famous pseudo-history ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'', making him a descendant of [[Caratacus]] who had led the [[Silures]] in battle against the Romans. According to Geoffrey, he took up a supposed "British [[King of the Britons|High Kingship]]" after defeating [[Trahern]], the brother of King [[Coel Godhebog]], in the late third or early fourth century. There is no historical evidence to corroborate this and Coel's reign in the [[Hen Ogledd]] is usually placed in the 5th century. In the Welsh versions of the ''Historia'', such as ''Brut Dingestow'', Octavius is called Eudaf; this is the same legendary figure that appears in ''[[The Dream of Macsen Wledig|Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig]]'' as father of [[Elen (saint)|Elen]], wife of [[Macsen Wledig]], and living near [[Segontium]] in north Wales.<ref>Henry Lewis (ed.). ''Brut Dingestow'' (Cardiff, 1942), pp. 228-30.</ref><ref>Ifor Williams (ed.), ''Breuddwyd Maxen'' (Bangor, 1920), p. 24.</ref>
An 8th-century charter relating to the church at [[Clodock]] includes an account of its origin at a time when [[Clydog|Clydawg]], "king in Ewyas" was murdered while on a hunting expedition, and an oratory was built to commemorate his martyrdom.<ref name="ewyaslacy">[http://ewyaslacy.org.uk/doc.php?d=nw_ewy_9001 The History of Ewyas Lacy]</ref>
==Cantref==
Whatever the origins of Ewyas may be, north of the present site of [[Longtown, Herefordshire|Longtown]], a religious centre dedicated to [[Beuno|St Beuno]] was founded at [[Llanveynoe]], where what is probably the oldest stone cross in the modern county of Herefordshire stands, from around 600 AD.  At around the same time, a religious centre may have been founded at [[Llanthony Priory|Llanthony]], on the site of the later [[Llanthony Priory|Priory]].<ref name="archenfield">[http://www.archenfield.com/Longtown.htm Archenfield Archaeology – Longtown and Clodock<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  In the mid 10th century there were seven [[cantref]]s in Glamorgan, including "Ystradyw and Ewyas".
==Lordship==
In about 1046 [[Osbern Pentecost]], a [[Normans|Norman]] follower of [[Edward the Confessor]], built a [[motte and bailey]] castle at [[Ewyas Harold Castle|Ewyas Harold]], believed to be one of the first built in Britain. Following the [[Norman Conquest]], Ewyas remained in Welsh hands briefly under Rhydderch ap Caradog, apparently a client ruler of Ewyas obeisant to William the Conqueror. It was then granted to the Norman retainer [[Walter de Lacy (died 1085)|Walter de Lacy]]<ref name="ewyaslacy"/>
By the time of the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086, Ewyas or Ewias was an autonomous area bounded by the [[Black Mountains, Wales|Black Mountains]] in the west, [[Graig Syfyrddin]] in the south, the line of the [[Golden Valley, Herefordshire|Golden Valley]] in the east, and Yager Hill and Cefn Hill to the north, just below the village of [[Clifford Castle]] near [[Hay-on-Wye]].<ref name="history">[http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesBritain/CymruGwent.htm The History Files]</ref>   Domesday records that Alfred of Marlborough held the castle of Ewyas of the king; this was presumably the re-built Pentecost Castle.<ref name="archenfield"/> Land around Ewyas Harold Castle was held by Walter's son Roger de Lacy.<ref name="ewyaslacy"/>
Ewyas became a [[Marcher lord]]ship, largely independent of the English crown. Further motte and bailey castles were built at Walterstone, Llancillo, Rowlestone and Clodock, followed after 1216 by [[Longtown Castle]], presiding over the newly founded borough of [[Longtown, Herefordshire|Longtown]].  The line of de Lacys ended in 1241, when the Lordship of Ewyas Lacy was divided.
==Into Herefordshire and Monmouthshire==
In [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542|1536 the administration of Wales was re-organised]], and the [[England–Wales border|border]] between Herefordshire and Wales took more or less its present form, with the county of Herefordshire assimilating the Welsh territory of Ewyas Lacy.  The [[Llanthony]] valley, or [[Vale of Ewyas]], became part of the [[hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Abergavenny]], within [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]].  In 1852 the Parishes of [[Clodock]] with [[Longtown, Herefordshire|Longtown]], [[Michaelchurch Escley]], [[Craswall]], St Margarets, Ewyas Harold, [[Rowlestone]], [[Llancillo]], Walterstone, Dulas and [[Llanveynoe]] were transferred from the diocese of [[St David's]] to that of Hereford.  To the west of [[Hatterall Ridge]], the other old parishes of Ewyas – [[Llanthony]], [[Cwmyoy]] and [[Oldcastle, Monmouthshire|Oldcastle]] - were transferred from St David's to the [[diocese of Llandaff]].<ref>[http://www.hereford.uk.com/history/thetudors.asp Hereford.uk.com - Herefordshire History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Cantrefs]]
[[Category:History of Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:History of Herefordshire]]