Cadfan ab Iago

Events

Date of Birth: about 565.

This estimated date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [3]).

Date of Death: unknown.

Kirby (p. 95) notes that by the late 620s Cadfan's son Cadwallon was at war as king of Gwynedd with Edwin, king of Northumbria.

Place of Burial: Llangadwaladr.

His tombstone survives, with the inscription “Catamanus rex sapientisimus opinatisimus omnium regum.” (Lloyd 1:182). Lloyd states that the inscription may date to some time after Cadfan’s burial, but is clearly from 7th century. He argues that the wording implies that Cadfan was hereditary “gwledig”, claiming primacy among the chieftains of the Cymry.

Relationships

Father: Iago.

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [3]) and given by Thornton (ODNB).

Mother: unknown.

(possible) Spouse: Tandreg Ddu ferch Cynan Garwyn.

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [3]). Baldwin (LaI) states that it is difficult to trust the late source for this, as it contains much mythological material, but the relationship is chronologically possible. He regards it as unproven.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Bartrum.)

A daughter (born about 585).

Cadwallon (about 586 - 634).

Efeilian (born about 590) married Gwydr Drwm.

References

Baldwin, Stewart. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ancestor table. (Hosted at Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Accessed 18 May 2014).

Bartrum, Peter C (ed.) Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1968).

The sources Bartrum gives for Cadfan include:

Harleian MS. 3859 -- compiled in about the 970s (“...Rotri map Mermin map Etthil merch Cinnan map Rotri map Iutguaul map Catgualart map Catgollaun map Catman map Iacob map Beli map Run map Mailcun map Catgolaun Iauhir map Eniaun girt map Cuneda ....”);

Vita Sancte Wen[e]frede --written about 1200:

2. [fo. 138^v] “In diebus igitur quibus Katuanus super Venedocie prouincias regnabat, strenuus quidam miles … nomine Teuyth, Eylud filius, in Tekeynglia maneget…”

Historia hen Gruffudd vab Kenan vab Yago -- compiled in the middle of the 13th century (...Anaraut m. Rodri m. Etill verch Kenan o Gastell Dindaethue [m. Rodri] m. Idwal dere m. Catwalader vendigeit m. Catwallaun m. Catvan m. Yago m. Beli m. Run m. Maelgun m Catwallawn llauhir m. Einnyawn yrth m. Cuneda vrenhin…)

Mostyn MS. 117 -- dated to the last quarter of the 13th century (“...Rodri mawr m. Meruyn vrych, gwr priawt Esyllt verch Kyuan Tindaethwy mab Rodri maelwynawc m. Idwal iwrch m. Katwaladyr vendigeit m. Katwallawn m. Katuan m. Iago m. Beli m. Run m. Maelgwn Gwyned, herwyd dull y beird. Namyn o herwyd yr Istoria Beli oed vab y Eynyan vab Maelgwn, y gwr a uu petweryd brenhin ar Ynys Prydein gwedy Arthur. Maelgwn oed vab Katwallawn llawhir m. Eynyawn yrth m. Kuneda wledic...”);

Jesus College MS. 20 -- dated to the last part of the 14th century, probably based on an early-13th-century source:

51: “...Arthur, Constantinus, Aurelius, Iuor, Maelgwn Gwyned, Caterius, Catuan, Catwallawn, Catwaladyr vendigeit.”

Bonedd y Saint - a MS compiled in the twelfth century:

11. “Catwaladyr vendigeit ap Katwallawn ap Catuan m. Yago m. Run m. Maelgwn m. Catwallawn llawhir m. Einyawn yrth m. Cuneda wledic.”

72. “...Eveilian verch Gadvan ap Iago i vam”

Bonedd yr Arwyr (“Mam Gatwallawn ap Katfan, Tandreg ddu ferch Gynan garwyn.”)

Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru:

1a. “...Anarawd m. Rodri mawr m. Esyllt verch Kynan Dindaethwy m. Rodri malwynawc m. Idwal iwrch m. Kydwaladr vendigaid m. Kadwallawn m. Kaduan m. Iago m. Beli m. Run m. Maelgwn Gwynedd m. Kadwallawn llawir m. Einion yrth m. Kunedda wledic...”

28.

Buchedd Beuno

Bartrum, Peter C., “[3]”, in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The source Bartrum cites for Cadfan is his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts]

Bartrum, Peter C. A Welsh Classical Dictionary (1993).

Guy, Ben. Medieval Welsh Genealogy. (The Boydell Press, 2020).

From Guy’s attempted recreation of the St David’s recension of the Gwynedd collection of genealogies as it might have existed in the tenth century, based on the Harleian genealogies:

1. [O]uen map [H]iguel map Catell map Rotri map Mermin map Etthil merch Cinnan map Rotri map Iutguaul map Catguala[tr] map Catgollaun map Catman map Iacob map Beli map Run map Mailcun map Catgolaun [L]auhir map Eniaun Girt map Cuneda map Ӕtern map Patern Pesrut map Tacit map Cein map Guorcein map Doli map Guordoli map Dumn map Guordumn map Amguoloyt map Amguerit map <Oumiud> map Dubun map Brithguein map Eugein map Aballac map Amalech, qui fuit Beli Magni filius et Anna mater eius, quam dicunt esse <consobrinam> Mariae uirginis matris Domini nostri Iesu Christi.

Kirby, D.P. “British Dynastic History in the Pre-Viking Period” in The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 28 (i) (University of Wales Press, 1976) pp. 81-114.

Lloyd, John Edward, A History of Wales. 2 volumes (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911-1912).

Thornton, David E. “Cadfan ab Iago (fl. c.616 - c.626)” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).