Person Page - 510

     Casnar Wledig was also known as Casahauth Wledig.¹

     Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr King of Gwynedd was born circa 865 at Wales, England (now).⁴
Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr King of Gwynedd died in 916.^1,2,4
      ; Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr, d. 916 [AU, AC], king of Gwynedd. [JC.25; see also DNB.10.412]
AU = The Annals of Ulster to A.D. 1131, edited by S. Mac Airt and G. Mac Niocaill (Dublin, 1984), also available (without English translation) at the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) website (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/).
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).²

Reference:
Per Genealogics:
     "Anarawd ap Rhodri was born about 865, son of Rhodri 'Mawr'. Rhodri had eventually become ruler of most of Wales, but on his death in 878 his kingdom was shared out between his sons, with Anarawd inheriting the throne of Gwynedd. Anarawd and his brothers Cadell and Merfyn are recorded as cooperating closely against the rulers of the remaining lesser kingdoms of Wales. Earl Aethelred of Mercia invaded Gwynedd in 881, but Anarawd was able to defeat him with much slaughter in a battle at the mouth of the River Conwy, hailed in the annals as 'God's vengeance for Rhodri', Rhodri having been killed in battle against the Mercians.
     "Anarawd then made an alliance with the Danish king of York in an attempt to guard himself against further Mercian attacks. When this alliance proved unsatisfactory, he came to an agreement with Alfred 'the Great' of Wessex, visiting Alfred at his court. In exchange for Alfred's protection, Anarawd recognised the supremacy of Alfred. This was the first time a ruler of Gwynedd had accepted the supremacy of an English king, and formed the basis for the homage which was demanded by the English crown from then on.
     "In 894 Anarawd was able to repel a raid by a Danish host on North Wales, and the following year he raided Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi in southern Wales. He is reported as having some English troops under his command for these raids. In 902 an attack on Ynys Môn (Angelesey) by some of the Danes of Dublin under Ingimund was repulsed. Anarawd died in 916 and was succeeded by his son Idwal Foel (Idwal 'the Bald').
     "Anarawd was the founder of the princely house of Aberffraw, taking the name from his principal seat of government on Ynys Môn. His descendants would rule Gwynedd until the Edwardian conquest of the late 13th century."⁴

Reference:
Genealogics cites:
1. Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, London, 1973. 321
2. Annales Cambriae.⁴ GAV-30 EDV-30. He was King of Gwynedd, [Ashley, pp. 347-348] ANARAWD AP RHODRI Gwynedd, 878-9 16. As RHODRI'S eldest son, Anarawd inherited the greater part of his father's kingdom, namely the heartland of Gwynedd and Anglesey and the kingdom of Powys, although the indication is that his brother Merfyn became at least a sub-ruler in Powys. Another brother, CADELL, became ruler of Seisyllwg. They found strength by acting in unison rather than in opposition and thereby became the major force across Wales. In 880 or 881 Anarawd and his brothers gave the Mercians such a sound beating at the battle of the Conway that they treated it as revenge for the death of their father. Quite what happened next in Anarawd's reign is difficult to say for historians have relied upon the testimony of Asser in his Life of King Alfred, purportedly written during Anarawd's reign by a fellow Welshman, but which has since had doubt cast upon its reliability. Reliance upon it for facts about Anarawd is dangerous. The assumed wisdom, however, is that around the year 885 Anarawd entered into an alliance with the Danes of York, who had just established their kingdom under GOTHFRITH. This, however, backfired, as the Danes of East Anglia (see ERIC) ravaged Gwynedd in 894. Anarawd then turned to ALFRED THE GREAT for help. Alfred apparently obliged, although he insisted that Anarawd be re-confirmed a Christian (but whether Alfred stood as his god-father is something we must treat with caution). Supported by West Saxon soldiers, he attempted to conquer Dyfed and Glamorgan, sending their kings pleading to Alfred for support. The extent to which Alfred involved himself in Welsh affairs, especially at a time when he needed to defend himself against the new Danish incursions, was probably limited. It is likely that Alfred, recognizing the military skill of Anarawd, entered into an alliance with him in opposition to the Danes, and that when the Danes invaded Wales, Anarawd called upon Alfred's soldiers to help defend him and then, in turn, used those soldiers to try and conquer South Wales. What Anarawd did during the next twenty years is not known. Wales was still subject to attacks by the Danes, which Anarawd succeeded in repulsing. His brother Merfyn died in 904 and Cadell in 909. By this time Anarawd must have been well into his sixties but he remained master of his domain until his death. between 878 and 916.⁶

     Rhodri Mawr "the Great" (?) King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth married Angharad ferch Meurig, daughter of Meurig ap Dyfnwallon King of Swisylwwg.¹
Rhodri Mawr "the Great" (?) King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth was born circa 820.³
Rhodri Mawr "the Great" (?) King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth died in 878.^1,3
     GAV-31 EDV-31.

; Rhodri Mawr, king of Gwynedd, d. 878 [AC, AU]. [JC.25] [HG.1: "Rotri map Mermin"] (also #1568)
AC = Annales Cambriae
AU = The Annals of Ulster to A.D. 1131, edited by S. Mac Airt and G. Mac Niocaill (Dublin, 1984), also available (without English translation) at the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) website (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/).
HG = Genealogies from Harleian MS. 3859, fo. 193r-195r, edited in EWGT, pp. 9-13 (a copy made ca. 1100 of genealogies compiled probably between 954 and 988)
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).² He was King of Gwynedd, RHODRI MAWR (THE GREAT) ruled Gwynedd, 844-78; Powys, 855-78; Seisyllwg, 871-78.
The first Welsh king to receive the epithet the Great, Rhodri was the son of MERFYN FRYCH and, through his mother, the grandson of CADELL AP BROCHFAEL of Powys. Rhodri thereby succeeded to the kingdom of Gwynedd on the death of his father, and to the kingdom of Powys on the abdication of his uncle, CYNGEN AP CADELL. Through his marriage to Angharad, the daughter of MEURIG of Seisyllwg, Rhodri also came to rule that territory when Angharad's brother GWGON drowned in 871. By the end of his reign Rhodri ruled the greater part of Wales, the most united under a single monarch since the days of MAELGWYN.
If there was any time when Wales needed a strong king, it was then. Rhodri's kingdom was under attack from the Danes to the west and the Saxons to the east. In 853 BURGRED and Mercia combined forces with ATHELWOLF of Wessex in a major assault against the Welsh. Though they overran Powys, they were unable to defeat Rhodri and withdrew. In 855 the first Viking attack occurred on the coast of Anglesey. Rhodri marshalled his defences and, in the following year, he met a Danish fleet in battle and slew their leader, Gorm. The victory was celebrated not only in Wales, but across England and in Francia, which was also subject to Danish attacks. The Danes continued to harry the coasts of England and Ireland, and later returned to Dyfed in southern Wales, but left Anglesey alone for twenty years. This indicates that Rhodri had established significant defences to discourage any invasion. Rhodri again faced an onslaught from the Mercians in 865, when Burgred invaded as far as Anglesey but had to withdraw because of the Viking threat to his own kingdom.
For Rhodri to sustain his defences on both east and west borders shows a high degree of strategic skills and an ability to command considerable support and loyalty. There is no doubt that Rhodri gave back to the Welsh a belief in themselves and a chance to show their strength. If this had been achieved earlier and sustained by RHUN and CADWALLON, the native British might well have regained much of the island, but they were never able to sustain it beyond the reign of one ruler. With Rhodri there came a ruler who changed the culture and thinking of his people, a change which outlasted him and formed the basis for the establishment of modern Wales.
Unfortunately for Rhodri his abilities let him down after a powerful reign of over thirty years. In 877 the Danes renewed their raids on Anglesey, this time with a stronger power base in Dublin and the Western Isles. They succeeded in breaking through Rhodri's defences and he fled for safety into Ireland. He returned to Gwynedd in the following year to face an onslaught from CEOLWULF II of Mercia, himself a vassal king of the Danes, and Rhodri died in battle. between 844 and 878.⁹ He was King of Powys between 855 and 878.⁷ He was King of Seisyllwg between 871 and 878.⁷

     Angharad ferch Meurig married Rhodri Mawr "the Great" (?) King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth, son of Merfyn Frych 'the Freckled" ap Gwriad and Nest ferch Cadell.¹

     GAV-32 EDV-33.

     Cadell ap Rhodri Prince of Deheubarth was born circa 854.⁴
Cadell ap Rhodri Prince of Deheubarth died between 909 and 910;
Per Genealogics d. 909.^1,5,4
     GAV-30 EDV-30.

;
Per Baldwin: Cadell ap Rhodri, king of South Wales, d. 910 [AC] [HG.1: "Catell map Rotri"], citing:
     AC = Annales Cambriae
     HG = Genealogies from Harleian MS. 3859, fo. 193r-195r, edited in EWGT, pp. 9-13 (a copy made ca. 1100 of genealogies compiled probably between 954 and 988)

Per Genealogics: "Cadell ap Rhodri was born about 854, son of Rhodri 'Mawr' ('the Great'). He inherited the kingdom of Seisyllwg from his father in 878. and passed it to his son Hywel Dda ('the Good'), on his death in 909. Cadell and Hywel had previously conquered Dyfed in 904/905, established Hywel as the king in that region. After his father's death, Hywel merged the two kingdoms to establish Deheubarth."^6,4 Cadell ap Rhodri Prince of Deheubarth was also known as Cadell ap Rhodri Mawr.²

Reference:
Genealogics cites:
1. Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, London, 1973. 321
2. Annales Cambriae. circa 854. He was King of Seisyllwg between 878 and 909.⁴

     Merfyn ap Mawr died in 904.¹

     Nest ferch Mawr married Owain ap Hywel ap Rhys.¹

     Gwriad ap Mawr died in 878.¹

     (?) ferch Mawr married Einion ap Bleiddud.¹

     Merfyn Frych 'the Freckled" ap Gwriad was born circa 800.² He married Nest ferch Cadell, daughter of Cadell ap Brochfael King of Powys, before 820.^7,2,3,8,9

Merfyn Frych 'the Freckled" ap Gwriad died in 844.^1,2,3
      ; Per Genealogics:
     “Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad (or Merfyn 'the Freckled') was a king of Gwynedd and possibly also of Powys, who styled himself king of the Britons.
     “Merfyn Frych seized control of Gwynedd in 825 on the death of Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog, though he may have held power in Anglesey since 818. Merfyn was not a member of the traditional dynasty of Gwynedd, the direct male line of Maelgwyn Gwynedd, and his succession marked the start of a new dynasty. His claim was apparently based on the fact that his mother Esyllt was the daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri and the niece of Hywel ap Rhodri. According to bardic tradition, Merfyn came 'from the land of Manaw', but it is uncertain whether this refers to the Isle of Man ('Ynys Manaw' in Welsh) or to Manaw Gododdin, the area around the Firth of Forth. It would seem likely that it was the latter on account of the probability that he would be a blood relative of Cunedda, the founder of the Gwynedd dynasty, who was a prince of Manaw Gododdin. On the other hand there is an inscription 'Crux Guriat' on a cross in the Isle of Man. This cross has been dated to the eighth or ninth century and might possibly refer to Merfyn's father Gwriad.
     “Merfyn allied himself to the royal house of Powys by marrying Nest, daughter of Cadell ap Brochwel, king of Powys, and sister of his son Cyngen, also king of Powys. Merfyn added the three _cantrels_ (districts) of Arfon, Lleyn and Arllechwedd to Anglesey on the death of Hywel ap Caradog, the last king.
     “Merfyn had a reputation as a patron of scholars; for example the _Historia Brittonum_ attributed to Nennius is thought to have been written in Gwynedd during his reign, possibly by request of Merfyn himself. A manuscript found at Bamberg gives a further insight into Merfyn's scholarly interests. Irish visitors to his court were given a cryptogram which could only be solved by transposing the letters from Latin into Greek.
     “Despite Danish raids, Merfyn was able to maintain his position, and on his death in 844 the kingdom was handed over intact to his son Rhodri 'the Great'. He is said to have died in battle, but the circumstances are not recorded. His descendants came to rule not only Gwynedd but also Powys and Deheubarth, and they played a major role in Welsh politics until the end of Welsh independence in 1283.”.² GAV-33.

; This is the same person as ”Merfyn Frych” at Wikipedia.

This is also the same person as ”Merfyn Frych” at the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.^10,11

Reference: Genealogics cites:

; Per Boyer (2001, p. 126, LLYWELYN ab IORWERTH): "The descent of Merfyn Fruch to Llwyelyn ab Iorwerth relies on the work of Peter C. Bartrum in "Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400, stems from Merfyn Frych, the earliest undisputed ancestor of the line. It has been said that Mergyn Frych may have grafted his pedigree to the earlier generations...[back to Coel Hen]“.⁴

; Per Med Lands:
     "MERFYN ap Gwriad "Frych/the Freckled" (-844). The 13th century History of Gruffydd ap Cynan names "Rodri Mawr son of Mervyn Vrych son of Gwryat…"[64]. King of Gwynedd. The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 844 of "Mermin"[65]. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records the death in 844 of "Mervyn the Freckled"[66].
     "m [either: ETHYLL of Gwynedd, daughter and heiress of CYNAN [King of Gwynedd] & his wife ---, or: NEST of Powys, daughter of CADELL ap Brochwell King of Powys & his wife ---. [The Gwentian Chronicle records that the mother of "Mervyn the Freckled" was "Nest daughter of Cadell of Derrnllwg, son of Brochwel Ysgithrog", after recording that "[the] daughter [of Cynan Tindaethwy king of all Wales] who was his heir married a chieftain of the name of Mervyn the Freckled"[67].] The alternative marriage to Nest of Powys is now recorded in manuscripts dated no earlier than the later 14th century, although possibly copied from earlier texts[68]. It is impossible to judge which version is preferable. Indeed, it is possible that both Ethyll and Nest were not historical figures at all but were invented to legitimise claims to Gwynedd and Powys, respectively, in the eyes of successor generations of kings and their supporters.]"
Med Lands cites:

; Per Med Lands:
     "[NEST . The marriage of Nest of Powys is recorded in manuscripts dated no earlier than the later 14th century, although possibly copied from earlier texts[702]. [On the other hand, the Gwentian Chronicle records that the mother of "Mervyn the Freckled" was "Nest daughter of Cadell of Derrnllwg, son of Brochwel Ysgithrog", after recording that "[the] daughter [of Cynan Tindaethwy king of all Wales] who was his heir married a chieftain of the name of Mervyn the Freckled"[703].] It is impossible to judge which version is preferable. Indeed, it is possible that both Ethyll and Nest were not historical figures at all but were invented to legitimise claims to Gwynedd and Powys, respectively, in the eyes of successor generations of kings and their supporters.
     "m MERFYN ap Gwriad "Frych/the Freckled" King of Gwynedd, son of GWRIAD King of Gwynedd & his wife [Ethyll heiress of Gwynedd] (-844).]"
Med Lands cites: He was King of Gwynedd: [Ashley, p. 149] MERFYN FRYCH (THE FRECKLED) Gwynedd, 825-844. Merfyn came to power following the death of HYWEL ap Caradog, and his accession marked the end of a period of turmoil in Gwynedd's affairs and the start of a new dynasty. Merfyn was the son of GWRIAD, the king of the Isle of Man, through whom he could claim descent from LLYWARCH HEN. His mother was Esyllt, the daughter of CYNAN ap Rhodri, who was descended from the main line of Venedotian kings since the days of CUNEDDA. Merfyn married Nest, the daughter of CADELL AP BROCHFAEL of Powys, thus uniting the two great North Wales royal families. Someone of Merfyn's strength of character was needed at this time. The seas around Wales, Man and Ireland were being patrolled by Viking pirates. Merfyn must have been regarded as having authority over the seas - his name means "sea ruler", not a great surprise for someone descended from the rulers of Man, who relied upon their marine skills for their livelihood. But Merfyn was obviously also a skilled negotiator and statesman. His alliance with Powys meant that the two kingdoms presented a powerful front to the Saxons in the east. Merfyn thus established a stable, if uneasy peace. It was during the early part of Merfyn's reign that the History of the Britons was completed. This is attributed to Nennius, a cleric and scholar of Gwynedd who may well have been requested by Merfyn to establish a history of Britain. Some evidence suggests that Nennius had already started on this, either for his own interests or perhaps at the instigation of Hywel ap Caradog, but it seems almost certain that it was Merfyn who recognized the project for its true worth and promoted it. Interestingly it was not used as a way of demonstrating the power and might of Merfyn, as he is not mentioned anywhere in the History. Nevertheless it demonstrates that during Merfyn's reign scholarship was encouraged, which is always the sign of a strong but compassionate king. Merfyn passed these and other qualities on to his son RHODRI Mawr who would become king of all North Wales. between 825 and 844.¹²

     Gwriad ab Elidir married Esyllt ferch Cynan Dindaethwy, daughter of Cynan Dindawthwy ap Rhodri Molwynog King of Gwynedd.^3,4

     GAV-33 EDV-33. Gwriad ab Elidir was King of Man, [Ashley, p. 422] GWRIAD or GURIAT Man, fl 800s. Gwriad was a Welsh prince and descendant of LLYWARCH HEN who seems to have re-established himself on the Isle of Man sometime around the year 800 or later. As Man was predominantly Irish at this time, the presence of a Welsh chieftain suggests an interloper rather than a native ruler. Gwriad may have been of Powys descent, as it was in Powys that Llywarch Hen sought refuge after his self-exile from Rheged. Gwriad must have established himself with some degree of authority as he was in league with CYNAN AP RHODRI, who was seeking to claim the kingship of Gwynedd. Gwriad married Cynan's daughter Esyllt and their son, MERFYN, who was reputedly born on Man, later inherited Gwynedd. Gwriad left his mark on Man with the noted Guriat Cross originally placed on the north of the island, near Maughold. Merfyn was believed to have ruled both Man and Gwynedd, but although Man probably remained in Welsh hands for several generations, it subsequently fell under Viking control. circa 800.²

     GAV-34 EDV-34. Elidyr ap Sandde was living circa 760.²