Deifr

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Deifr was the Brythonic name for the eastern half of the modern county of Yorkshire in northern England and was known to the later Anglo-Saxons as Deira. Deifr means coastal or waters in Brythonic and was probably a territorial subdivision of the large tribal territory of the Brigantes before they were incorporated into the Roman Empire in about c.80AD. Its capital was at Ebrauc (modern day York).

Following the end of Roman rule in Britain the area flourished briefly as an independent realm during the early Dark Ages from the death of Coel Hen in c.420AD (when his kingdom was split between his sons) until c.586 when Ebrauc and much of the rest of the realm fell to the invading Angles. Once Deifr had been conquered it was renamed in the Anglian tongue "Deira".

Peredur is named as one of the last kings of this realm and scholars identify him with the Sir Percival of Arthurian fame.

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