Anarawd Mawr ap Rhodri (857 - abt. 915)

Born 0857 in Caer Seiont, Caernarfonshire, Wales

Ancestors

Husband of Cynad ferch Meurig — married 0861 in Gwynedd, Caernarfonshire, Wales

Descendants

Died about 0915 at about age 58 in Aberffraw Castle, Anglesey, Wales

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Biography

857 Name and Birth

Anarawd ap Rhodri was a King of Gwynedd. ^[1]

Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr, Prince of Gwynedd. ^[2]

Anarawd Mawr ap Rhodri, Prince of Wales, was born 857 in Caer Seiont, Carnarvonshire, Wales, ^[3]
This was part of the legend of Castell Caer Deiont on Conwy Mountain. This has now been disproved.^[4]

Parents

Cadell, Anarawd, and Mervyn were sons of Rhodri Mawr, or Roderic, the Great, who succeeded to the sovereignty of Wales in 843. ^[5]

Anarawd's father Rhodri the Great, by conquest and alleged inheritances, had become ruler of most of northern Wales. However, under Welsh law he was bound to divide his lands among his able-bodied children upon his death during a Mercian invasion around 878. ^[1]

Siblings

Anarawd, the eldest, retained the principal estate at Aberffraw and the throne of Gwynedd. His brothers Cadell and Merfyn received large estates as well, sometimes said to include the kingdoms of Ceredigion and Powys, respectively. For this, one of the Welsh Triads records the brothers as the "Three Diademed Princes of the Isle of Britain". ^[6]

"The three Bandlet-wearing (the custom of wearing golden fetters or bands was common to the ancient chieftains of Britain) Kings of the Isle of Britain: Cadell, King of Dinevwr; Anarawd, King of Aberfraw; and Merwyn, King of Mathraval. They were also called the three Bandlet wearing Princes." ^[5]

(Rhodri's fourth son, Tudwal the Lame, was apparently too young for the initial division.)^[1]

The brothers are recorded as cooperating closely against the rulers of the remaining lesser kingdoms of Wales. Æthelred of Mercia invaded Gwynedd around 881 and the annals hailed his defeat at Cymryd in the Battle of the Conwy as Dial Rhodri: "God's vengeance for Rhodri". Tudwal was old enough to participate in this battle, but his disfigurement on the field saw him judged as unfit to rule.^[1]

Rhodri Mawr, on his death, in 877, divided the Principality between the three sons here named, giving to the first Deheubarth, to the second Gwynedd and to the last Powys. Dynevwr, Aberfraw, and Mathraval were the royal palaces of these divisions respectively: but the first of these, the seat of Lord Dynevor, is the only one that retains any vestige of its ancient celebrity. ^[5]

[The Gwentian Chronicle records the division of territories effected by "Rhodri the Great" and that "Gwynedd he conferred upon his son Anarawd and his palace was at Aberffraw in Mona"[85].] ^[7]

The Gwentian Chronicle is contradicted by Gerald of Wales´s Descriptio Kambriæ which records that “Rothericus magnus, qui Britannice Rotheri Maur dicebatur” had “tres filios...Mervinum, Anaraut et Cadelh” who divided Wales between them, “Mervino...Nortwallia, Anaraut Powisia, Cadelh...Sudwallia”[86]. ^[7]

Marriages

Cawley states that the name of Anarawd´s wife is not known. ^[7] Boyer does not name any wife. ^[2]

Disputed Wives

Some unsourced sites report that he married Cynad verch Dyfnwallor, born 861 in Gwynedd, Caernarvonshire, Wales, died 920 in Gwynedd, Caernarvonshire, Wales.^[3]

An additional spouse, Meryn of Anglesey is currently linked on WikiTree. She has no identifying data other than a birth year of 880, which suggests a possible marriage date of 900, if such a marriage existed. ^[3]

877 Reign

Anarawd was the founder of the royal house of Gwynedd, succeeding to Anglesey and adjacent portions of Gwynedd when his father's lands were divided according to Welsh custom. ^[2]

Anarawd ap Rhodri was referenced as "King of the Britons" in the Annales Cambriae.^[1]

King of Gwynedd. ^[7]

881 Battle of Conwy

He was probably the leader of the victory in 881 against the English at the battle of the Conwy. ^[2]

Alliance with Danish Kingdom of York

While Cadell then turned on his brother Merfyn, creating the realm that would later empower Hywel the Good, Anarawd made an alliance with the Danish king in York in an attempt to guard himself against further Mercian attacks. .^[1]

He tried to obtain protection through an alliance with the Danish Kingdom of York, but failed. ^[2]

Alliance with Alfred the Great of Wessex

After that alliance proved unsatisfactory, he came to an agreement with Alfred the Great of Wessex, visiting Alfred at his court. He received honors and gifts from the Saxons and King Alfred stood witness at his confirmation. According to Asser, Anarawd used his new Saxon allies to help in repelling a raid by his former Danish allies around 894 and to ravage Cadell's lands in Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi the next year. Around 902, an attack on Anglesey by the Danes of Dublin under Ingimundr was repulsed. Anarawd died c. 916, succeeded by his eldest son Idwal the Bald.^[1]

Then he went to Alfred of Wessex, who received him cordially, betwowed honors and gifts upon him, and stood as his godfather at confirmation. He promised obedience to Alfred as his over-king, and thus gained equality with Ethelred of Mercia by 893. ^[2]

892 Devastation of Ceredigion

[The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Anarawd king of Gwynedd devastated Ceredigion, the territory of his brother Cadell" in 892] ^[7]

In 895 the English helped him to ravage Credigion and ystrad Twyi. ^[2]

900 Retaking of Northwest Wales

Wolcott ^[8]has surmised a military campaign strategy in which Anarawd, Selyf ap Brochwel, and Gwogan ap Caradog jointly strategize to retake northeast Wales from Danes who had begun to occupy it.

The troops of all three princes had other engagements at the moment, so Wolcott theorizes that the three princes offered junior princes the opportunity to rule the retaken lands if they were successful. As a result of the strategy, the Danes were driven out by the following junior princes, who assumed new roles:

• Lies Llyddog was made Lord of Tegeingl, owing allegiance to the king of Powys and the Rhos family, descended from Cunedda, which previously ruled was not reinstated. This would explain how descendants of Lies Llydog, including Ednowain Bendew, and probably Edwin, were Lords of Tegeingl in the 11th century.
• Elgudy ap Gwrysnadd was made Lord of Ystrad Alyn and Dyffryn Clwyd and given several manors in the vicinity of rhuddlan, owing allegiance to the king of Powys.
• Cynan ap Elyfun was made Lord of Abergele, with allegiance to the king of Gwynedd and to the Lord of Rhos. This would explain how Marchudd ap Cynan became Lord of Abergele in Rhos.

915 Death

Anarawd died 915 ^[7] in Anglesey, Wales. ^[3]

The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 915 of "Anaraut rex". ^[7]

The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records the death in 913 of "Anarawd son of Rhodri, king of the Britons"[89]. ^[7]

[The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Anarawd son of Rhodri the Great, king of the Britons" died in 913 and then "Hywel son of Cadell ruled over all Wales"[90].] ^[7]

Anarawd ap Rhodri died about 916. ^{[1] [2]}

Issue

Anarawd & his wife had two children:^[7]

Boyer states that Anarawd had two children, listed by Bartrum: Idwal Foel and Elise.

1. Idwal Foel (Idwal the Bald) was killed 941/43 ^[7] or 942 ^[2] The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Eidwal the Bald son of Anarawd son of Rhodri the Great became king of Aberfraw" in 913 after his father died.] King of Aberfraw. It appears that Idwal "Foel/the Bald" was a different person from Idwal, son of King Rhodri, who became King of Gwynedd. This is apparent from the passage in the Gwentian Chronicle which records that "the Welsh gained their freedom…through the bravery and wisdom of Eidwal the Bald and his brother Elisseu…and Idwal son of Rhodri the Great" in 940. [The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Idwal son of Rhodri, and his brother Elised were killed by the Saxons" in 941[93].] m ---. The name of Idwal´s wife is not known. ^[7]. However, Boyer states that Idwal Foel married Merddon ferch Cadwr ^[2]Idwal & his wife had [one child]: ^[7]
   1. [IDWAL "Fychan/the Little" (-killed [978/79]). The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Idwal Vychan son of Idwal the Bald" was killed in 978[94]. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Idwal was slain" in 97] ^[7]
2. Elise, who died in 942. ^[2] Cawley reports the name as Elisseu, killed 941-942. [The Gwentian Chronicle which records that "the Welsh gained their freedom…through the bravery and wisdom of Eidwal the Bald and his brother Elisseu…and Idwal son of Rhodri the Great" in 940[96].] [The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Idwal son of Rhodri, and his brother Elised were killed by the Saxons" in 941[97].] m ---. The name of Elisseu´s wife is not known. Elisseu & his wife had one child:
   1. CYNAN . [The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Cynan son of Elisseu was endangered by poison given to him" in 943[98].]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Wikipedia: Anarawd ap Rhodri Accessed 2/15/2019 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Anarawd is #3 on page 283.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Unsourced summary
4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell_Caer_Seion
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} T.J. Griffiths, T.J. Griffiths, The Cambrian, Volumes 2-4 (Google eBook). 1882. XLVII. retrieved 2014-05-24, amb
6. ↑ Welsh: Tri theyrn taleithiog Ynys Prydain or Tri thywysog taleithiog. Myv. Arch., Gee's ed., p. 405, No. 43. Cited by Wikipedia: Anarawd ap Rhodri Accessed 2/15/2019 jhd
7. ↑ ^{7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13} Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. See http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/WALES.htm#Rhodridied878A Rhodri at Projects/MedLands/Wales for more information about Rhodri The Great and succeeding generations.
8. ↑ Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. The Retaking of Northeast Wales in the 10th Century Accessed August 12, 2018 jhd

• The pedigree of Hughes of Gwerclas, comprised of four files: File 1. File 2. File 2. File 4.

• Lloyd, John Edward (1911). "A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest". I (2nd ed.). London: Longmans, Green, and Co (published 1912).

• Dumville, David N. (1982). "The 'Six' Sons of Rhodri Mawr: A Problem in Asser's Life of King Alfred". CMCS. 4: 5–18.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Gwyned-6 created through the import of Spencer Family Tree 4 2002.GED on Nov 28, 2011 by Chet Spencer.