Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: King of Gwynedd
• FSID: LD3L-QC6

Notes:

Gwriad ap Elidyr
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gwriad ap Elidyr (English: Gwriad son of Elidyr) or Gwriad Manaw was a late-8th century figure in Great Britain. Very little is known of him, and he chiefly appears in the historical record in connection to his son Merfyn Frych, King of Gwynedd from around 825 to 844 and founder of the Merfynion dynasty.

Background

Almost nothing is known about Gwriad's background. He married Esyllt ferch Cynan, daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy, King of Gwynedd.

Their son Merfyn Frych later became the first king of Gwynedd known not to have come from the dynasty of its founder Cunedda. Merfyn evidently claimed the throne through his mother rather than through Gwriad, and bolstered this atypical matrilineal claim through his own power and reputation.[1] [2]

According to the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20, Gwriad was the son of a certain Elidyr and was a descendant of Llywarch Hen and Coel Hen, rulers from the Hen Ogledd or "Old North", the Brittonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England.[2][3 ]

The bardic poetry indicates that Merfyn was "from the land of Manaw", a Brittonic place name applied to several districts, including Manaw Gododdin, the area around the Firth of Forth. This locale in the Hen Ogledd would be consistent with Gwriad's descent from Llywarch's northern lineage.[4] An origin in Manaw Gododdin was supported by scholars such as William Forbes Skene and John Edward Lloyd.[5]

Other scholars connect Gwriad to the Isle of Man, known in Welsh as Ynis Manaw rather than Manaw Gododdin, especially following the 1896 discovery of an 8th- or 9th-century cross on man inscribed Crux Guriat ("Cross of Gwriad").[5][ 6] Lloyd wrote that this discovery "undoubtedly strengthens the case" for a Manx origin.[5]

John Rhys suggested that Gwriad may have taken refuge on the Isle of Man during the bloody dynastic struggle in Gwynedd between Cynan Dindaethwy and Hywel prior to Merfyn's accession to the throne.[7] Still other locations for "Manaw" have been suggested, including Ireland, Galloway and Powys.[1]

Rhys further noted that the Welsh Triads mention a "Gwryat son of Gwryan in the North", counted among the "Three Kings who were the Sons of Strangers", which he suggests is a reference to the father of Merfyn.[7][8] However, this conflicts with the Jesus College MS 20 pedigree, in which Gwriad's father is Elidyr. James E. Fraser suggests that the Gwriad of the Triad is instead to be identified with the King Guret of Alt Clut recorded by the Annals of Ulster as dying in 658.[9]
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Our royal, titled, noble and commoner ancestors

Gwiard, King of Manaw1
Last Edited 4 Apr 2020
M, #9963
Father Elydyr, Prince of Deheubarth
Gwiard, King of Manaw married Eisyllt, Queen of Wales, daughter of Cynan, King of Gwynedd and Matilda of Flint.
Family
Eisyllt, Queen of Wales
Children
Mervin Frych 'the Freckled', King of Gwynedd+ d. 844
Cadrod ap Gwriad+2 b. c 800

Gwriad married verch Cynan, EsylltWales. Esyllt (daughter of ap Rhodri, King Cynan and of Flint, Matilda) was born in 711 in Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 811 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 811 in Anglesey, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: 1st King of Isle of Man
• Appointments / Titles: Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales; King
• FSID: L172-TT3
• Appointments / Titles: Between 825 and 844, Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales; King of Gwynedd

Notes:

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 Maelgwn 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 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.

Merfyn allied himself to the royal house of Powys by marrying Nest, daughter of Cadell ap Brochwel and sister of Cyngen king of Powys. [Actually, according to The History of The Princes, The Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog, Nest verch Cadell is Merfyn's mother, not his wife.] He had a reputation as a patron of scholars; for example the Historia Britonum 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 to hand the Kingdom 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 played a major role in Welsh politics until the end of Welsh independence in 1283.

Powys was united with Gwynedd when king Merfyn Frych of Gwynedd married princess Nest, the sister of king Cyngen of Powys, [Actually, according to The History of The Princes, The Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog, Nest verch Cadell is Merfyn's mother, not his wife.] the last representative of the Gwertherion dynasty. With the death of Cyngen in 855 Rhodri became king of Powys, having inherited Gwynedd the year before. This formed the basis of Gwynedd's continued claims of overlordship over Powys for the next 443 years.

Family/Spouse: verch Cadell, Queen Nest. Nest (daughter of ap Brochfael, King Cadell and N.N., N.N.) was born in 770 in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales; was christened in 770; died in 825 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 825 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LDQ1-TMR
• Military: 843; The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Rhodri the Great opposed [Berthwrd king of Mercia]…with the assistance of Meuryg son of Hywel king of Glamorgan" in 843, adding that Meuryg was killed in the battle and was succeeded by "Ithel son of Hywel" who was killed by "the men of Brecknockshire" on his way to assist Rhodri.
• Appointments / Titles: Between 844 and 878; King of Gwynedd (succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych)
• Appointments / Titles: 844; Prince of Wales
• Military: 856; Won a notable victory against the Danish and killed their leader Gorm.
• Appointments / Titles: 856; King of Powys (succeeded his maternal uncle Cyngen ap Cadell)
• Appointments / Titles: 871; King of Seisyllwg
• Military: 872; Vvictories by Rhodri: the first at a place given as Bannoleu, where he defeated the Vikings
• Appointments / Titles: 877; King of the Britons

Notes:

877 AD; The Annals of Ulster record that "Rhodri, son of Merfyn, King of the Britons, came in flight from the dark foreigners to Ireland."

According to legend, the first Dinefwr Castle was build by Rhodri Mawr

"Roderick the Great" "Mawr the Great"

Rhodri ap Merfyn (c. 820–878), later known as Rhodri the Great (Welsh: Rhodri Mawr), succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych, as King of Gwynedd in 844. Rhodri annexed Powys c. 856 and Seisyllwg c. 871. He is called "King of the Britons" by the Annals of Ulster. In some later histories, he is referred to as "King of Wales", although the title is anachronistic and his realm did not include southern Wales.

Lineage and inheritance

Rhodri was the son of Merfyn Frych, who had claimed Gwynedd upon the extinction of Cunedda's male line. Rhodri then inherited the realm after his father's death around 844. Merfyn hailed from "Manaw" which may either refer to the Isle of Man or Manau, the ancestral homeland of all Gwynedd's kings since Cunedda.

According to later genealogies, his mother or grandmother was Nest ferch Cadell of the ruling dynasty in Powys. Although surviving texts of Welsh law expressly forbid inheritance along the maternal line, Nest and Rhodri's supposed inheritance was later used to justify Gwynedd's annexation of Powys after the c. 855 death of Cyngen ap Cadell in preference to Cyngen's other heirs.

Similarly, Rhodri's marriage to Angharad ferch Meurig was used to explain his supposed inheritance of her brother Gwgon's kingdom of Ceredigion after that king's death in 872[a] via a principle of jure uxoris that does not survive in our sources for Welsh law.

Reign
Now the master of much of modern Wales, Rhodri faced pressure both from the English and, increasingly, from Vikings, called the "black gentiles"[b] in the Welsh sources. The Danish are recorded ravaging Anglesey in 854. In 856, Rhodri won a notable victory and killed their leader Gorm.

The Chronicle of the Princes records two victories by Rhodri in 872: the first at a place given variously as Bangolau,[1] Bann Guolou,[2] or Bannoleu,[3] where he defeated the Vikings on Anglesey "in a hard battle"[1] and the second at Manegid[1] or Enegyd[4] where the Vikings "were destroyed".

The Chronicle of the Princes records his death occurring at the Battle of Sunday on Anglesey in 873;[1] the Annals of Wales record the two events in different years[2][3] and Phillimore's reconstruction of its dates places Rhodri's death in 877.[2] According to the Chronicle, Rhodri and his brother Gwriad were killed during a Saxon invasion (which probably would have been under Ceolwulf of Mercia, given that the Wessex forces under Alfred the Great were fighting Vikings in East Anglia at the time). The Annals record no great details of the death, but where the B text calls Gwriad Rhodri's brother,[3] the A text has him as Rhodri's son instead.[2] It is likely he was killed in battle given that all the sources call his son Anarawd's victory over the Mercians at the Battle of the Conwy a few years later "God's vengeance for Rhodri".

Succession
Rhodri died leaving at least four sons to share his land among themselves. The traditional account is that his eldest, Anarawd, became king of Gwynedd and the head of the subsequent House of Aberffraw which produced Gruffudd ap Cynan and Llywelyn the Great. Another, Cadell, was given Ceredigion and killed his brother Merfyn to claim Powys as well. Cadell's family was later known as the House of Dinefwr, after its base of operations was moved by Hywel the Good to Dyfed following another (supposed) inheritance via his marriage to Elen ferch Llywarch. Hywel's wide domain, later known as Deheubarth, briefly eclipsed Gwynedd under his immediate heirs before fracturing.

A fourth son, possibly too young to have been considered for the first division of Rhodri's lands, took part in Anarawd's 881 revenge against Mercia and, wounded there, became known to history as Tudwal the Lame, a condition disqualifying him from rule under Cyfraith Hywel, Welsh customary law.

Children
Anarawd ap Rhodri (died 913)[5]

Cadell ap Rhodri (854–907)[5]

Gwriad ap Rhodri: He had a son named Gwgawn who was killed in 955.[5]

Tudwal ap Rhodri (born 860)

Rhodri married verch Meurig, Queen Angharad in 840 in Gwynedd, Wales. Angharad (daughter of ap Dyfnwallon, Lord Meurig and N.N., Lady N.N.) was born in 825 in Wales; died in 900 in Wales; was buried in 900 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LDQ1-R1D
• Appointments / Titles: Between 878 and 900, Powys, Wales; King of Powys

Notes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merfyn_ap_Rhodri

Merfyn ap Rhodri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a Welsh name. It means Merfyn son of Rhodri.
Merfyn ap Rhodri (died c. 900) was a late 9th-century Aberffraw prince of Gwynedd. He is sometimes credited with ruling Powys after the death of his father Rhodri the Great in AD 878. In the accounts where he is credited as a king, he is reported to have lost his realm to an invasion by his brother Cadell, King of Ceredigion. Merfyn's death may be connected to the incursion into Anglesey by the Viking Ingimundr in the first decade of the 10th century.

The drowning of his son Haearnddur, or "Haardur", was reported by both the Chronicle of the Princes[1] and the Annals of Wales.[2] The first places it in the year 953; Phillimore's reconstruction of the latter's dating[3] would place it in 956.

Merfyn married verch Rheiny, Rhain in 878 in Carnarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales. Rhain was born in 863 in Caernarfon, Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 920 in Heinsberg, Heinsberg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]