Alex Woolf (2004) argues that the Cadwallon who fought the Northumbrians was the son of Guitcon, son of Sawyl Penuchel, and was mistakenly inserted by later genealogists into the pedigree of the kings of Gwynedd. Nicholas Evans (2011) describes this theory as “plausible”.
The history of the Cadwallon who fought in Northumbria seems to be roughly this: Edwin, king of Northumbria chased Cadwallon to Priestholm, a small island off Anglesey, and beseiged him there, probably in 632. Cadwallon seems to have escaped and sought refuge in Ireland. Cadwallon returned, and in alliance with Penda, king of Mercia, fought and killed Edwin at Hatfield Chase in 633. Northumbria then split up into the kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia. The king of Deira, Osric, attacked Cadwallon, but Cadwallon defeated and killed him. Cadwallon also killed the king of Bernicia, Eanfrith, who had been attempting to negotiate peace with him. Cadwallon ruled Northumbria for a year; his reign was remembered by Northumbrians for its cruelty and destruction. Eanfrith’s brother, Oswald, defeated and killed Cadwallon in the Battle of Heavenfield.
The outcome of the battle ended any serious hope the Britons had of retaking Britain from the Saxons.
Cadwallon is a prominent figure in later Welsh literature.
Events
Date of Birth: born about 586.
This estimated date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [3]).
(possible) Date of Death: 635.
The date is given by Kirby (p. 91). Plummer (2:121) argues that Bede’s account should be interpreted as giving the date as 634. Annales Cambriæ (Williams p. 7) records the death under the year 631. If Woolf (2004) is correct, these dates are for a different Cadwallon.
(possible) Place of Death: “Riuus Denisi”, Northumbria. (The Rowley Burn)
Bede (Lib. III, Cap. I) describes Cadwallon’s place of death as “riuus Denisi”, which is said to be the stream now known as the Rowley Burn.
Relationships
Father: Cadfan ab Iago.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [3]). One of the Welsh triads (Bromwich 29), in one version, refers to Cadwallon as Cadfan’s adopted son.
(possible) Mother: 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.
Spouse: uncertain.
Bartrum (EVWG [3]) shows Cadwaladr’s wife as a daughter of Pybba, and sister of Penda, king of Mercia. Baldwin (LaI) notes that the source for this, Geoffrey of Monmouth, is too unreliable to be accepted as an authority.
Children:
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 Cadwallon 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 ....”);
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:
22. “Rodri m. Meruyn m. (space) Ethellt merch Cynan Tintaethwy m Rodri molwynawc m. Idwal iwrch m. Kadwaladyr vendigeit m. Katwallawn m. Kadwgawn m. Iago m. Beli m. Run hir m. Maelgwn Gwyned m. Kadwallawn llawhir m. Einyawn yrth m. Kuneda wledic.”
51: “...Arthur, Constantinus, Aurelius, Iuor, Maelgwn Gwyned, Caterius, Catuan, Catwallawn, Catwaladyr vendigeit.”
Bonedd y Saint - a MS compiled in the twelfth century (“Catwaladyr vendigeit ap Katwallawn ap Catuan m. Yago m. Run m. Maelgwn m. Catwallawn llawhir m. Einyawn yrth m. Cuneda wledic.”)
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.
Historia Brittonum
Annales Cambriæ (629, 631).
Buchedd Beuno
The Black Book of Carmarthen
Trioedd Ynys Prydein (passim)
Bartrum, Peter C., “[3]”, in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The source Bartrum cites for Cadwallon is his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts]
Bartrum, Peter C. A Welsh Classical Dictionary (1993).
Bede, Historia Ecclesiasticum Gentis Anglorum, (Charles Plummer, ed.) 2 volumes (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1896).
Evans, Nicholas, “The Irish Chronicles and the British to Anglo-Saxon Transition” in The Medieval Chronicle VII, pp. 15-43, (2011).
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).
Mommsen, Theodor (ed.) Historia Brittonum (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auct. Antiq., Tom. xiii) (Berlin, 1898).
Williams ab Ithel, John (ed.). Annales Cambriæ (London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; 1860).
Williams ab Ithel, John (ed.). Brut y Tywysogion; or, The Chronicle of the Princes (London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; 1860).
Woolf, Alex, “Caedualla Rex Brittonum and the Passing of the Old North,” in Northern History Volume 41, Issue 1, pp. 5-24 (2004).
Abstracts and Transcriptions
From Historia Brittonum:
(Mommsen p. 204)
duo filii Edgum erant et cum ipso corruerunt in bello Meicen, et de origine illius numquam iteratum est regnum, quia non evasit unus de genere illius de isto bello, sed interfecti omnes sunt cum illo ab exercitu Catguallauni regis Guendotae regionis.
(Mommsen pp. 207-208)
Oswald filius Eadfred regnavit novem annis: ipse est Oswald Lamnguin. ipse occidit Catgublaun regem Guenedotae regionis in bello Catscaul cum magna clade exercitus sui.
From Annales Cambriæ
629. CLXXXV. Annus. Obsessio Catguollam regis in insula Glannauc.
630. CLXXXVI. Annus. Guidgar venit et non redit, Kal. Januar. Gueith Meiceren; et ibi interfectus est Etguin cum doubus filiis suis: Catguollaaun autem victor fuit.
631. CLXXXVI. Annus. Bellum Cantscaul, in quo Catguollan [cum suis] corruit.