 Who were the people of the Kingdom of Strathe Clyde and the Hain or Glaive and what is the connection to Wales? Today I have come to Dunbarthun Castle, which sits on the volcanic plug known as Dumbarton Rock. Dumbarton, meaning fortress of the Britons, was the scene of countless epics down through history, including a Viking raid that I will explore in more detail later. Dumbarton Castle was the capital of the Kingdom of Strathe Clyde, also known as the All Clw ac mae'n rhaid i'r Clywodraeth Brython, yn dweud o'r 5th Cymru ar y 11th Cymru. Y cyflwyno ym Mhwylwyr Rhaith Clywodraeth, yn cymbrach, yng Nghymru Llywodraeth Cymru, Cymbrach yn yn ymwylwyr i'r Old Welsh, ac mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth yn ystod. Mae'n ddiddorol ym Mhwylwyr Rhaith Clywodraeth yn ymwylwyr llwysydd, ym Mhwylwyr Rhannoglath, in Welsh or the Old North in English. It refers to a historical region in parts of southern Scotland and northern England that was inhabited by Brithonic people who spoke Cwmbrick. Interestingly, the Welsh word for themselves is Cwmry, meaning fellow countrymen. Strathclyde was just one of many kingdoms and peoples in the Hain or Glave. They included the Gadovan, who inhabited a region of modern south-east Scotland and north-east England, and who were descendants of the Votadini. Another kingdom was the kingdom of Elmett, who inhabited a region around West Yorkshire. And finally, the Cregid, who inhabited a region around Galloway and modern Scotland and Cwmbrill. There was and still is a strong affinity between the people of Wales and the Hain or Glave. But why is this the case? Perhaps part of the reason for this affinity is that some traditions state that an important Welsh leader called Cenedar, who lived from 386 to 460 AD, came from the Kingdom of Gadovan in the Hain or Glave. Cenedar has said to have come from Manay Gadovan, the modern Clarkmanishire region of Scotland, and settled in north Wales. He would go on to become the King of Gwyneth in ancient Wales and found the royal dynasty of the Gwyneth. The men of the north are constantly featured in Welsh literature and many heroes are from the Hain or Glave. Cole Hain is one legendary figure, for instance, a leader of the Brithonic peoples in the late Roman period and the progenitor of several kingly lines of the Hain or Glave. Later legends spoke of him being the grandfather of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great. If we turn their attention back to the Kingdom of Strathclyde, Dumbarton was an important defensive stronghold of the All Clw, given that it allowed them to control the shipping routes along the River Clyde. Long considered a prize fort, Dumbarton Rock was attacked several times during the All Clw period, including by a coordinated attack by the Picks and the Angles, as well as the Vikings. The Viking siege took place in around 870 AD by Ivar the Boneless and the Viking ruler of Dublin, Olaf the White. It's important to note that there is some debate about who exactly these Viking leaders were. With this being said, Ivar marched his army north from York, whilst Olaf sailed across from Ireland. Hebridean Vikings were also likely to have fought alongside Ivar and Olaf. The ensuing siege lasted for four months and eventually resulted in the Britons of Dumbarton having to surrender due to starvation. North Sagas claimed that the only All Clw water well eventually dried up, leaving them no choice but to surrender. The Vikings then stormed and plundered the fort, taking whatever valuable treasure they could get their hands on. This treasure was then put on a fleet of over 200 ships that set sail for Ireland along with any captured slaves. The King of the All Clw, Artgal Mac Domagol, was taken prisoner and potentially killed in Dublin in 872 AD as a favour to the Picks, who looked to exert their influence over the Kingdom of Strathclyde. The All Clw did survive, however, with Govan going on to become an important centre of the Kingdom for a century or so, until the Kingdom of Strathclyde was absorbed into the Gaelic-speaking Kingdom of Alipa in the 11th century AD. From the Vikings to the Welsh, Dumbarton Rock is at the heart of so much history. Thanks for watching. If you would like to support this work through Patreon, buy me a coffee dot com or make a donation through PayPal, please do so via the links in the description below. Please remember to subscribe and hit the bell and I'll speak to you soon.