Owain Black-Lipped

Owain’s father was either Rin , governor of southeast Wales, and then the first governor of mid-south Wales ^[1] , or Magn Maxim and his wife Elena , and the children were Eginir and St. Madog ^{[2] [3]} . According to Rin, he was a descendant of Karatak , the leader of the Siluro tribe ^{[4] [1]} . The main city of his possessions was Tamium (Kaer-Diff) .

In "The Life of St. Cadog" he appears as the ancestor of this saint, being the father of Nora, the father of Solor, the father of Glevis, etc. (§45). Similarly in en: Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 , which adds that Owind's mother was Keiindrech Ferch Raiden. In the treatise “Twenty-Four Greatest Rulers,” of which the earliest version is that of Gutun Owain (1475), he is called Owain Finddu, “Black Lip,” a noble knight, and his mother, saying Elaine Verh Eidaw ^[5] . ^[6]

It is believed to be mentioned in the "Red Book of the Treasury" (XII century), which states:

Buillt , one of the countrys; and beyond the laws of Wales, as people from this province killed their lord, Owain ap Maxen. ^[6]

Eugene (in the British way - Owain ^[7] ) was the son of the short-lived Emperor of Britain and Gaul Magnus Maximus (Maxen Wledig). He remained in Britain with his mother when Magnus went to the continent, where he died. His position allowed him to take control of Mid-South Wales at the end of the 4th century, although he did not bear the title of king. Perhaps he was the decurion of the civilian settlement around the fort in Tamium, or perhaps he held some military rank there. Its influence spread to the modern Glamorgan . ^[eight]

Around the 430s, Evias could still be part of Mid-South Wales under “protection,” Eugene, but might fall under the control of King Vortigern , now the most powerful man in Britain (and by the way Owain’s son-in-law). He gives territory to his eldest son, Vortimer , thus creating the state of Gwent . According to tradition, Eugene himself renames the rest of his territory to Kerniu (about 437 years), but this, perhaps, happened later, after the recognition of the loss of the eastern territory, possibly with his son, Marius . ^[9]

Despite the fact that the territory under his command was under relative security for forty years, Eugene meets his demise in a battle, probably against the Irish raiders. His son, Marius, succeeded in controlling what was in the process of becoming the kingdom of Kerniu, and not as a possible protectorate or romanized territory of Mid-South Wales. In some sources, Cadell of Powys is allegedly responsible for sending the “side branch to Glevising” (Glevising is a later name for Kerniu), which suggests that he places his family member on the throne. It seems an unlikely statement, given the hereditary nature of the Kerniu inheritance, but perhaps this line of succession was fabricated to show direct origin with such a large personality as Eugene. ^[9]

There is an old story about how Owain died. He and his brother, King Constantine (some sources identify him as a usurper , others with the ruler of Dumnonia ) from North Wales, accompanied his mother, St. Helena, through the mountains of Snowdonia , when an evil giant named Kidum attacked the rear of Owain, near Nantmore . These two took part in a fierce battle, in which they threw each other with arrows or huge steel balls. In the end, Owain killed the giant, but was so badly wounded that he shot an arrow into the air and asked to be buried where it fell. He died immediately afterwards and was buried there; that place became known as Bedd Owain. Later rumors suggested that his brother was to blame for his death. ^[eight]

The sons of Maxen Wledig: Kustennin, Peblig and Owain, whose head and body were buried in Nanhuinan in Bedgelert County in Koed Ffaraon. Owain killed Eurnach the Great, and he killed him. The same thing, in a slightly different spelling, appeared in Y Greal, although it contained many fakes of Yolo Morganugsky. If this is not a fake, then perhaps the earliest and most authentic version, which calls by the name of the opponent Owain. Yolo Morganug came up with a lot about Owain in his third series of triads in Mivirian Archeology. In these triads, Owain has no nickname. Owain’s fight with the Giant is mentioned three times. Here the giant is called Eurnache the Old, Urns of the Irishman from Dinas Ffaraon, Briny the Irishman, King of Gwynedd. Owain is nicknamed Black-Lipped in all three cases. ^[6]

In fact, Owain most likely died in a battle with the Irish. ^[7]

• Rachel Bromwich (gol.), Trioedd Ynys Prydein (Caerdydd, arg. Newydd 1991).
• TD Breverton, The Book of Welsh Saints (Cyhoeddiadau Glyndŵr, 2000).
• Arthur Morris (gol.), Nennius (Phillimore, 1980).

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