Penychen was a possible minor kingdom of early medieval Wales and later a cantref of the Kingdom of Morgannwg. Penychen was one of three cantrefi that made up the kingdom of Glywysing, lying between the rivers Taff and Thaw, the other two being Gwynllwg and Gorfynydd. The cantrefi were created on the death of Glywys (c.480 AD), the first king of Glywysing, when the kingdom was divided between three of his sons: Pawl, Gwynllyw and Mechwyn.  Pawl's brother Gwynllyw was the ruler of Gwynllwg and upon his death  the cantref passed to his son Cadoc (Cadwg), also known as St. Cadoc. Cadoc would later take control of Penychen, but when he was killed by the Saxons he had no heirs, and both cantrefi fell under the control of Meureg of Gwent and were absorbed into his kingdom.  
Penychen was a possible minor kingdom of early medieval Wales and later a cantref of the Kingdom of Morgannwg. Penychen was one of three cantrefi that made up the kingdom of Glywysing, lying between the rivers Taff and Thaw, the other two being Gwynllwg and Gorfynydd. According to tradition, these cantrefi were created on the death of Glywys (c.480 AD), the first king of Glywysing, when the kingdom was divided between his three sons: Pawl, Gwynllyw and Mechwyn. But our knowledge of the early history of the kingdom is very uncertain, being mainly sourced from medieval documents and traditional pedigrees. Pawl's brother Gwynllyw was the ruler of Gwynllwg and upon his death it is said that the cantref passed to his son Cadoc (Cadwg), also known as St. Cadoc. Cadoc would later take control of Penychen, but when he was killed by the Saxons he had no heirs, and both cantrefi fell under the control of Meureg of Gwent and were absorbed into his kingdom. After the Norman conquest of South Wales, the southern parts of Penychen, on the Bristol Channel, came under the direct rule of the Norman Marcher Lords and their descendants, ond arosodd y blaenau — sef cymydau Glyn Rhondda a Meisgyn — dan reolaeth arglwyddi Cymreig lleol. Talai'r arglwyddi hyn wrogaeth i'r arglwyddi Normanaidd grymus ond cadwent raddau helaeth o annibyniaeth er hynny a buont yn barod iawn i amddiffyn yr annibyniaeth honno. Yn yr Oesoedd Canol roedd Penychen yn cynnwys dwy ganolfan eglwysig o bwys, sef Llandaf, sedd esgobion Llandaf, a Llancarfan (Nant Carfan), clas a gysylltir â'r awdur cynnar Caradog o Lancarfan
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According to tradition, these
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three of his
his three
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But our knowledge of the early history of the kingdom is very uncertain, being mainly sourced from medieval documents and traditional pedigrees.
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it is said that
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After the Norman conquest of South Wales, the southern parts of Penychen, on the Bristol Channel, came under the direct rule of the Norman Marcher Lords and their descendants, ond arosodd y blaenau — sef cymydau Glyn Rhondda a Meisgyn — dan reolaeth arglwyddi Cymreig lleol. Talai'r arglwyddi hyn wrogaeth i'r arglwyddi Normanaidd grymus ond cadwent raddau helaeth o annibyniaeth er hynny a buont yn barod iawn i amddiffyn yr annibyniaeth honno.
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Yn yr Oesoedd Canol roedd Penychen yn cynnwys dwy ganolfan eglwysig o bwys, sef Llandaf, sedd esgobion Llandaf, a Llancarfan (Nant Carfan), clas a gysylltir â'r awdur cynnar Caradog o Lancarfan