Rhodri Mawr ap Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad, king of Gwynedd

King of Gwynedd

Rhodri became the ruler of Gwynedd on the death of his father. He acquired Powys around the year 855, and Seisyllwg soon after 872. By the time of his death, he controlled all of North Wales and part of the South.

He spent much of his reign dealing with the invasion of the “black” Danes. He was killed by the English in 878.

(Lloyd 1:324-326)

Rhodri’s epithet, Mawr, means “the Great”.

Events

Date of Birth: about 815.

This estimated date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [41]). He was probably born in the Isle of Man (Bartrum 1993).

Date of Death: 878.

Brut y Tywysogion (Williams pp. 16-17) and Annales Cambriæ (Williams p. 15) record his death under the year 877. The Annals of Ulster also record the death, in the year U878. Lloyd (1:326) gives 878.

Relationships

Father: Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad (died 844).

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [41]), and given by Lloyd (1:324), and by Thornton (ODNB). It is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion, Annales Cambriæ, and the Annals of Ulster.

Mother: uncertain.

Bartrum (EVWG [12]) shows Esyllt ferch Cynan Dindaethwy, noting that some sources make her Merfyn’s mother and make Nest ferch Cadell Merfyn’s wife. Sims-Williams (WHR 17:1:1-40) argues that Esyllt is indeed Merfyn’s mother, but Nest is probably a late invention. Baldwin (LaL) finds Sims-Williams’s arguments convincing.

Spouse: uncertain.

Bartrum (EVWG [41]) shows Rhodri’s wife as Angharad ferch Meurig. Sims-Williams (WHR 17:1:1-40) argues that Angharad is probably a late invention. Baldwin (LaL) finds Sims-Williams’s arguments convincing.

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.)

Anarawd (about 835 - 916). Ruler of Gwynedd.

Cadell (about 840 - 910). Ruler in South Wales.

Merfyn (about 840 - 904).

Aeddan (born about 840).

A daughter (born about 840) married Einion ap Bleiddud.

Meurig.

Tudwal Gloff (born about 850) of Uchelogoed Gwynedd.

Gwyddelig.

Rhodri Fychan.

Elise (born about 855).

Gwriad (about 850 - 878).

Nest (born about 860) married Owain ap Hywel.

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 Rhodri include:

Harleian MS. 3859 -- compiled about the 970s (“...Rotri map Mermin...”);

Mostyn MS. 117 -- dated to the last quarter of the 13th century (“...Rodri mawr m. Meruyn vrych...”);

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

17. “Rodri mawr m. Meruyn vrych m. Gwrhyat…”

18. “Rodri mawr mab Nest ferch Cadell Pywys, brenin Pywys. Cadell m. Brochuael…”

19. “Rodri mawr m. Meruyn m. Guriat …”

20. “Llyma enweu meibon Rodri mawr: Cadell, Meruyn, Anarawt, Aidan, Meuruc, Morgant; Nest oed y vam ef. Ac Anghara[d] (verch) oed vam y rei ereill. A deu dyn oed o wreic arall, Tutwawl ac Elisse.”

22. “Rodri m. Meruyn m. (space) Ethellt merch Cynan Tintaethwy …”

24: “Rees gryc m. Rees mwynuawr m. Gruffudd m. Rees m. Tewdwr m. Cadell m. Einyawn m. Ewein m. Howel da m. Kadell m. Rodri mawr.”

26. “...Meuric m. Itwal voel m. Anarawt mab Rodri mawr.”

42. “Howel da m. (space) Kadell m. Rodri mawr m. Meruyn vrych. Aghara oed mam [veibyan] Rodri mawr, merch Veuruc m. Dyfnwal m. Arden m. Seissyll m. Cledawc m. Aruodeu m. Argloes m. Podew m. Seruul m. Vsai m. Karedic m. Kuneda wledic.”

Bonedd y Saint - MS compiled in the twelfth century. (“...Llewelyn sant ap Einawn ap Bleuddud ap Tegonwy ap Theon o Gegidfa ap Gwinau dau freuddwyd, yn y Trallwng. Merch Rodri mawr oedd i fam. Penteulu i Rodri oedd Llewelyn sant.”)

Bonedd yr Arwyr (“Y dryddedd oedd Esyllt verch Gynan Dindaethwy, gwraig Vervyn vrych mam Rodri mawr.”)

Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru:

1a. “...Anarawd m. Rodri mawr m. Esyllt verch Kynan Dindaethwy…”

1e. “...Kadell ap Rodri mawr ap Mervyn vrych ap Gwriad…”

2f. “... Kadell ap Rodri mawr.”

6j. “Mam meibon Rodri mawr: Angharat ferch Feurig ap Dyfynwal…”

6k. “Mam Merfyn vrych, tad Rrodri mawr: Nest ferch Gadell ap Brochwal…”

6l. “...Anarawd gallgrwm m. Merfyn mawr m. Kynfyn m Afech…”

7a. “Meibion Rhodri mawr: Anarawt a Chadell a Meurig a Merfyn a Thudawal a Gwriat a Gwydelig.”

7q. “Tudwal gloff ap Rhodri a vrathwyt ym penn y lin yNgwaith Kymrit Konwy, pann ymladdawdd meibyon Rhodri ag Edryd gwallthir vrenhin Lloegyr, ag or brath hwnnw y kloffes. Am hynny y rhoddes y vrodyr iddaw Uchelogoed Gwynnedd.”

10. “Rrys ap Gruffudd ap Rrys ap Tewdwr [ap Cadell] ap Eynon ap Ewein ap Howel dda ap Kadell ap Rhodri…”

Hen Lwythau Gwynedd a’r Mars 4a (“...Tudawal m. Rhodri mawr”)

Annales Cambriæ (877)

Bartrum, Peter C., “[12]”, ”[41]”, in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The source Bartrum cites for Rhodri Mawr 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.

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

Mac Airt, Seán and Gearóid Mac Niocaill (eds and trs.). The Annals of Ulster (to AD 1131). DIAS, Dublin, 1983.

The Annals of Ulster electronic edition at CELT.

Sims-Williams, Patrick. “Historical need and literary narrative” in Welsh history review, Vol. 17, no. 1 (June 1994), p. 1-40.

Thornton, David E. “Rhodri Mawr (b. before 844, d. 878)” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).

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).