Hyfaidd ap Bleiddig

A Welsh triad (Bromwich no. 68) states that Hyfaidd son of Bleiddig was sprung from peasants in Deheubarth. Lloyd (1:327) states that “[i]n Dyfed, Hyfaidd ap Bledri, himself the terror of the wealthy “clas” of St. David’s, dreaded the violence of the new lords of Seisyllwg.” Hyfaidd placed himself under the protection of Alfred.

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: 894.

This date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [20]). Annales Cambriæ (Williams p. 15) gives the death under the year 892 (“Himeẏd moritur.”) Brut y Tywysogion (Williams pp. 16-17) gives the death under the year 891 (“And, a year after that, Heinuth, son of Bledri, died.”) Kirby gives the date as 892/3.

Relationships

Father: Bleiddig.

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [20]).

Mother: Tangwystl ferch Owain ap Maredudd.

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [20]) and given by Lloyd (1:262).

Spouse: unknown.

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.)

Llywarch (died 904).

Rhodri (died 905).

References

Asser, “Life of King Alfred” (William Henry Stephenson ed.) in Asser’s Life of King Alfred (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1904)

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

The sources Bartrum gives for Hyfaidd are:

Harleian MS. 3859 -- dated to about the 980s:

2. “[O]uein map Elen merc Ioumarc map Himeyt map Tancoyslt merc Ouein map Margetiut map Teudos map Regin map Catgocaun map Cathen map Cloten map Nougoy map Arthur map Petr map Cincar map Guortepir map Aircol map Triphun (map) Clotri map Gloitguin map Nimet map Dimet map Maxim gulecic (map) Protec (map) Protector (map) Ebiud map Eliud (map) Stater (map) Pincr misser map Constans map Constantini et Helen luicdauc que de Britannia exiunt ad crucem Christi querendam usque ad Ierusalem, et inde attulit secum usque ad Constantinopolin, et est ibi usque in hodiernum diem”;

Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru -- probably compiled in the early 1400s:

18a. “Iwein ap Elen ferch Llywarch ap Hyfeidd ap Tangwystyl ferch Ewein ap Maredudd ap Tewdos [ap Rhain] ap Kadwgon ap Kathen ap Gwlyddian ap Nowy ap Arthur ap Pedyr ap Kyngar ap Gwerthefyr ap Erbin ap Aergul (ap) Llawir ap Tryffin ap Ewein ap Gwledyr ferch Gletwin ap Nyfedd ap Dyved ap Ebynt ap Elynt ap Amloyd ap Amweryd ap Kustennin ap Maxen wledig”;

Trioedd Ynys Prydein no. 68

Brut y Tywysogion

Annales Cambriæ (B) (892).

Bartrum, Peter C.,“[20]” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The sources Bartrum cites for Hyfaidd are his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts, Annales Cambriæ (892), and Brut y Tywysogion.]

Bromwich, Rachel. Trioedd Ynys Prydein. (University of Wales Press, 1961).

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:

2. [O]uein map [H]elen merc [L]oumarc map Himeyt map Tancoys[tl] merc Ouein map Margetiut map Teudos map Regin map Catgocaun map Cathen map Cloten map Nougoy map Arthur map Petr map Cincar map Gourtepir map Aircol map Triphun map Clotri map Gloitguin map Nimet map Dimet map Maxim Gule[t]ic map Protec map Protector map Ebiud map Eliud map Stater map Pincr Misser map Constans map Constantini magni map Constantii et Helen Lui[t]dauc, que de Brittania exuit ad crucem Christi querendam usque ad Ierusalem, et inde attulit secum usque ad Constantinopolin, et est ibi usque in hodiernum diem.

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).

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).

Abstracts and Transcriptions

From Asser’s Life of King Alfred (80):

Illo enim tempore et multo antes omnes regiones dexteralis Britanniae partis ad Ælfred regem pertinebant et adhuc pertinent: Hemeid scilicet, cum omnibus habitatoribus Demeticae regionis, sex filiorum Rotri vi compulsis, regali se subdiderat imperio…