The earliest recorded mention of the major division of Ireland is in the Ulster Cycle of legends, such as the . The is set during the reign of , king of Ulster, and is believed to have happened in the 1st century. In this period Ireland is said to have been divided into five independent over-kingdoms, or whose (kings) were of equal rank, not subject to a central monarchy. Pseudo-historians called this era , which has been translated as: "Time of the Pentarchs"; "Time of the Five Fifths"; and "Time of the provincial kings". It was also described as "the Pentarchy".