Iago (ap Beli)

Events

Date of Birth: about 545.

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

Date of Death: about 616.

This date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [3]). Kirby (p. 91) gives 616. Annales Cambriæ (Williams p. 6) records the death under the year 613 (“Et Iago filii Beli dormitatio.”) Lloyd (1:181) notes that the word “dormitatio” is used almost exclusively to describe the death of clerics, suggesting that Iago had resigned from office and withdrawn to a monastery before his death. Two medieval Welsh triads (Bromwich 33 and 34) suggest that Iago was assassinated by one of his own men with an axe.

Relationships

Father: uncertain.

The traditional ancestry of Iago, shown by Bartrum (EVWG [3]), is Iago son of Beli son of Rhun Hir son of Maelgwn Gwynedd. Maelgwn is an attested historical person. However, there are some problems with chronology. Lloyd (1:182 n), although admitting that the traditional pedigree had “fairly good authority”, expressed some scepticism with regard to the tight chronology required for the six generations from Maelgwn (died about 550) to Cadwaladr (died about 664). Baldwin (LaI) notes that the death entry for Maelgwn in Annales Cambriæ has been shown to be a late forgery, and it may turn out that Maelgwn’s reign has been dated too late. Some other death dates that are regarded as being chronologically problematic for this line may not in fact be correct. Cadwaladr may actually have died in 682, and the Cadwallon who died in 634 may have been a different Cadwallon from Cadwaladr’s father. Thus, the traditional pedigree may possibly be correct at least as far back as Maelgwn.

Mother: unknown.

Spouse: unknown.

Children:

Cadfan.

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 Iago 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:

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.”

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”

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.

Annales Cambriæ (613)

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

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.

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

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.

Williams ab Ithel, John (ed.). Annales Cambriæ (London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; 1860).