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     Llywarch Hen ab Elidir died circa 640.²
     GAV-39 EDV-39. He was King of Rheged and Man, [Ashley, pp. 106-107, 422] LLYWARCH HEN Rheged and Man, c560-595. Llywarch was the son of ELIDYR who was killed in about the year 560. It is not clear how old Llywarch was at this time. He may still have been a youth. Elidyr had married the daughter of MAELGWYN of Gwynedd, so it is possible that Llywarch was Maelgwyn's grandson and related to the royal family of Gwynedd and Powys. Although he succeeded to the kingdom of Rheged it is unclear exactly where the boundaries of his territory were. It is possible that he governed southern Rheged whilst his uncle CINMARC and cousin URIEN ruled northern Rheged. His authority may also have extended to the Isle of Man, though this was conquered by Aedán of Dál Riata in 582. Cinmarc may, in any case, have ruled until Llywarch came of age. Llywarch may later have settled into a role as vassal king once Urien came to power. He was more of a scholar and poet than a ruler and it seems that once the power of Rheged waned after the death of Urien and later Owain, Llywarch retired to his relatives in Powys, in North Wales, where he was court poet. He is said to have lived to a great age, dying perhaps as late as 640 when he must have been well into his nineties. It is probable that he died earlier but that his name lived on amongst other court poets who may have used his name on their work. Llywarch's poetry, or least what can be attributed to him, included tributes to Urien, and a lament upon the deaths of Llywarch's own sons in battles against the Angles. Llywarch's descendants are supposed to have ruled Man (see DIWG).

Llywarch the Old was a son of the Men of the North, though also descended from the rulers of Gwynedd. He did not seem to have the temperament to be a king, and he retired at the earliest opportunity to be a poet at the court of the kings of Powys and Gwynedd. It is not certain that he ruled Man, though legend describes the island as belonging to his successors in the kingdom of Rheged. Man was also one of the Mevanian Islands, the other being Anglesey, and it is possible that even after he retired to Gwynedd, Llywarch retained authority over the two islands, at least until Man was conquered by Aedán of Dál Riata in 582. See page 106 for more details. between 560 and 595.²

     Elidir Lydanwyn "the Handsome" ap Meirchion died circa 560.²
     GAV-40 EDV-40. He was living between 540 and 560; King of Rheged, [Ashley, p. 103] ELIDYR or ELEUTHER THE HANDSOME Rheged and/or Man, fl 540s- c560. Elidyr was the son of MERCHIAUN who became king of Rheged some time in the mid sixth century. He almost certainly also inherited the kingdom of the Isle of Man, though it is possible that he ruled only Man, and that the kingdom of Rheged was divided between him and his brother CINMARC. Elidyr had married the sister of RHUN, king of Gwynedd, whose capital was on the Isle of Anglesey. The islands of Man and Anglesey have long been regarded as part of a single unit, known as the Mevanian Islands to the Romans, and probably inhabited by related Celtic tribes since before the Roman conquest. On the death of MAELGWYN, Elidyr believed he had a claim on Anglesey and so invaded the island in about 560. He was killed in the conflict. His brother Cinmarc and other kings of the North raided Anglesey in revenge for Elidyr's death, but this only angered Rhun more who marched on the northern Britons to teach them a lesson which they never forgot. Elidyr should not be confused with his namesake who is usually called ELEUTHER.²

     GAV-41 EDV-41.

     Gurgust "the Ragged" (?) died circa 500.
     GAV-42 EDV-42. Gurgust "the Ragged" (?) was also known as Gwrwst ap Ceneu.² He was living between 480 and 500; [Ashley, p. 99] GURGUST THE RAGGED Rheged, fl 480s-500s. Gurgust, which is a Latinised spelling of GWRGI, is listed in the genealogies as a grandson of COEL and the great-grandfather of URIEN. In the great upheaval of the century after Roman rule, it seems likely that Gurgust inherited most of the Brigantian territory from his father Ceneu, particularly the area of Rheged and the west, though it seems that the central part of the territory went to his brother PABO.¹

     GAV-43 EDV-43. Ceneu ap Coel Hen was living between 450 and 470; [Ashley, p. 99] CENEU or CENEN Ruler of the southern Votadini or of the Brigantes in Yorkshire, probably 450s to 470s. It may have been him who faced the settlement of Deira by SOEMIL. See under AELLE and COEL HEN for details.²

     Coel Hen "Old King Cole" (?) King of Northern Britain married Ystradwal (?), daughter of Cadfan (?).⁴

     GAV-44 EDV-44 GKJ-45. Coel Hen "Old King Cole" (?) King of Northern Britain was Ruler of the northern Britons (dates approximate), [Ashley, pp. 98-99] COEL HEN (THE OLD) Ruler of the northern Britons, c410s-c430s. Whether the nursery rhyme about Old King Cole has any connection with the real King Coel is unlikely, but that a real King Coel existed is indisputable, although records of him survive only from later songs and genealogies. He was almost certainly a native Briton whose forebears had probably been high-ranking individuals amongst the Romano-British nobility. He was likely to be either from the British tribe of the Brigantes or, more likely, the Votadini. In the late fourth century and early fifth century the northern frontier of the Roman empire, which had retrenched along Hadrian's Wall, came under fierce attack from the Picts to the north. Following the withdrawal of support from Rome in 410, the British were left to fend for themselves. In such events leaders emerge, and it was under these circumstances that Coel emerged. Whether he was a dux bellorum, as John Morris has suggested, is not proven, but there is little doubt that he met the need for strong leadership to protect the northern British against the Picts as well as from incursions by the Irish who, over the last century, had made regular forays into the Galloway territory of what is now Scotland. Coel has become the name associated with whichever leader first took control during this period of considerable unrest. Gildas and others record this as a period of civil wars, invasions and ultimately famine. It lasted for about a generation from some time after 410 to around 450. That period also saw the arrival of Saxons or other Germanic adventurers who probably came as mercenaries to help in Coel's army rather than as invaders. Some may have received land in payment. It has been conjectured that HENGEST'S lieutenant OISC (sometimes described as his son) could have been the leader of these Germans, perhaps of a second and more significant wave that came across in the 440s or 470s.
The extent of Coel's "kingdom" is uncertain. It is possible that it extended as far south as York, perhaps to a line between the Humber and the Mersey, and possibly as far north as the Antonine Wall between the Forth and the Clyde. This is a vast territory, too much for one man to govern, and covering more than one tribe. Coel would almost certainly have appointed a number of commanders, perhaps the leaders of the individual tribes. Whether or not these were related to him as later genealogies suggest can neither be proved nor disproved. One son, GARBANIAWN (or Germanianus), ruled the southern Votadini, the territory known to the British as Bryneich, which became Bernicia under the Angles. Coel's son-in-law, CUNEDDA, ruled the territory of the northern Votadini, also known as the Gododdin, a realm later known as Lothian (from the ruler Lewdwn or LEUDONUS). Another son, Cenen or CENEU, seems to have taken command of the lands south of Bryneich, around York, firmly in the territory of the eastern Brigantes, which later became known as Deira but at this time probably known as Catraeth. To the west was CERETIC who commanded the territory of the Clyde, including Galloway and probably down into Cumbria, the territory of the Novantae and Selgovae. It is difficult to say for sure how definite these commands were. Coel might have moved his commanders about or, more likely, perhaps during or soon after his death the old tribal enmities returned with leaders fighting for supremacy. Whatever the case, their final power bases almost certainly formed the core of later (mostly short-lived) British kingdoms. Coel's own headquarters are variously stated as being at York or in the area around Ayr, which is now called Kyle, possibly named after him. Coel seems to have dominated this area for perhaps twenty years, possibly up until the year 430 or beyond. One legend has it that he died fighting the Irish near Ayr.
There is certainly no truth in the stories perpetuated by Geoffrey of Monmouth that Coel was the duke of Colchester, and that his daughter Helena married the Roman emperor CONSTANTIU5. It seems that Colchester later adopted Coel as its own patron, because of the similarity of names. It is true that later generations of rulers in northern Britain claimed themselves as "sons of Coel". Whether this was literal, or whether it meant they had inherited the lands that he ruled, we cannot be sure. The most famous amongst them are DUMNAGUAL (or Dyfnwal), MORCANT, ELEUTHER, PEREDUR and PABO. between 410 and 430.⁵

     Idwal ap Meurig King of Gwynedd died in 996.¹
      ; Idwal ap Meuric, d. ca. 997 [AC], king of Gwynedd. [JC.25; see also DNB 10, 412]
AC = Annales Cambriae
DNB = Dictionary of National Biography.
JC = Jesus College (Oxford) MS. 20, in EWGT, pp. 41-50. The manuscript itself is from the fourteenth century, but since the latest individuals mentioned in the manuscript are Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and some of his contemporaries, its source appears to date from the early thirteenth century (or perhaps a bit earlier - see the sources cited in EWGT, p. 41).
EWGT = Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts, edited by P. C. Bartrum (University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 1966).³ GAV-27 EDV-27.

     Meurig ab Idwal died in 986.¹
     GAV-28 EDV-28. Meurig ab Idwal was also known as Meuric ab Idwal Voel Meuric ab Idwal Voel, d. 986 [AC]. [JC.25; see also DNB 10, 412]
AC = Annales Cambriae
JC = Jesus College (Oxford) MS. 20, in EWGT, pp. 41-50. The manuscript itself is from the fourteenth century, but since the latest individuals mentioned in the manuscript are Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and some of his contemporaries, its source appears to date from the early thirteenth century (or perhaps a bit earlier - see the sources cited in EWGT, p. 41).
DNB = Dictionary of National Biography.
EWGT = Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts, edited by P. C. Bartrum (University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 1966).⁴

     Ionagal (?) died in 985.¹

     Idwal Foel/Voel "the Bald" ab Anarawd King of Gwynedd married Mereddon ferch Cadwr, daughter of Cadwr ap Cadwr Wenwyn.¹

Idwal Foel/Voel "the Bald" ab Anarawd King of Gwynedd died in 943; Boyer says d. 942.^1,3
     GAV-29 EDV-29.

; Idwal Voel ab Anarawd, d. 943 [AC], king of Gwynedd. [JC.25; see also DNB.10.412]
AC = Annales Cambriae
DNB = Dictionary of National Biography.
JC = Jesus College (Oxford) MS. 20, in EWGT, pp. 41-50. The manuscript itself is from the fourteenth century, but since the latest individuals mentioned in the manuscript are Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and some of his contemporaries, its source appears to date from the early thirteenth century (or perhaps a bit earlier - see the sources cited in EWGT, p. 41).
EWGT = Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts, edited by P. C. Bartrum (University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 1966).³ He was King of Gwynedd, [Ashley, p. 348] IDWAL FOEL (THE BALD) AB ANARAWD Gwynedd, 916-42. The son of ANARAWD AP RHODRI, Idwal inherited the pride of his father which was, ultimately, to be his undoing. Fiercely independent, Idwal was the most reluctant of the Welsh rulers who submitted to the English king EDWARD THE ELDER in 918, and though he was present at ATHELSTAN'S court several times over the next decade we can imagine that this was more out of necessity than desire. He was also present at the meeting called by Athelstan at Hereford in 926 where the river Wye was established as the border between England and South Wales. At this same meeting Athelstan is recorded as exacting a huge annual tribute from the Welsh princes, though it is uncertain how often this was paid. Unlike his distant cousin HYWEL DDA, who saw the advantages of certain aspects of English life and used them to develop his own kingdom in Deheubarth, Idwal distanced himself from them. Probably the final straw came in 934, when Idwal was forced to accompany Athelstan in his campaign against the Scots. Athelstan was pitting Celt against Celt, and though the Celts had often fought against each other in their own lands, it had not been at the instigation of the Saxon overlords, who were still regarded as invaders. Thereafter Idwal bided his time and, after the death of Athelstan, took up arms against his young son, EDMUND. However Edmund was no pushover. Although struggling to maintain his father's kingdom, he succeeded in fighting battles on several fronts and defeated Idwal, who died in the battle along with his son, Elisedd. Two other sons, IAGO and IEUAF, were expelled, and the territory of Gwynedd passed to Hywel Dda. Idwal was known as Idwal the Bald, and though this is not necessarily an indication of his age, it is likely that Idwal was nearly, if not actually, into his sixties when he entered into his final battle against Edmund. Evidently it was rare for Welsh rulers to lose their hair, as no others acquired this nickname (although two Scots rulers of the next generation did). between 916 and 942.⁶

     Mereddon ferch Cadwr married Idwal Foel/Voel "the Bald" ab Anarawd King of Gwynedd, son of Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr King of Gwynedd.¹

     Iago ab Idwal died in 979.¹
     He was King of Gwynedd between 950 and 979.²

     Rhodri ab Idwal died in 968.¹

     Idwal Fychan ab Idwal died in 980.¹

     Ieuaf ab Idwal died in 988.¹
     He was (an unknown value.) He was [Ashley, p. 349] IEUAF AB IDWAL co-ruler of Gwynedd, 950-69. The joint rule of Iago and his brother Ieuaf is a good example of how battles between the Welsh royal dynasties stopped Wales from establishing itself as a formidable force for any consistent period. There were just too many princes striving for power and too few strong kings to maintain authority.
When IDWAL AB ANARAWD died, his sons Iago and Ieuaf were driven from the kingdom by HYWEL DDA who then ruled most of southern and northern Wales. However upon Hywel's death, war broke out between his sons (OWAIN, RHODRI and EDWIN) and Iago and Ieuaf. Between them Iago and Ieuaf were able to regain Gwynedd and, in a series of battles between 950 and 952, drove Hywel's sons back into their southern territories, ravaging Dyfed and Ceredigion in the process.
The two brothers then turned on each other and waged a civil war for the next seventeen years. In the end Ieuaf was imprisoned in 969. Whether he spent the rest of his life in prison is not clear, though he lived until 988. Ieuaf's son HYWEL continued the battle with Iago. Although both attended the council called by the English king EDGAR at Chester in 973 to acknowledge Edgar as their overlord, the two factions continued to fight and the next year, 974, Hywel managed to briefly expel Iago from Gwynedd, though Iago soon re-established himself. The pair played off against each other whatever forces they were able to command, Hywel sometimes using English troops, sometimes Vikings, and Iago likewise. In the end, in 979, Hywel gained the upper hand. Iago had been using Viking mercenaries whom Hywel succeeded in buying off, and the Vikings captured Iago. Hywel had him imprisoned. His fate thereafter is unknown, but it is unlikely that he lived much beyond 979. He was probably well into his late fifties by then. Iago's son Custennin tried to avenge his father, but Hywel slew him in the following year.
Iago and Ieuaf inherited a certain stubbornness and hot-headedness from their father, and a pride that would not allow them to settle their differences and work together. As a result they destroyed each other and the power of Gwynedd which would not recover for another hundred years. between 950 and 969.³