King Maelgwyn Hir Malcolm __the Tall__

ap Cadwallon, Maelgwn Gwynedd 1 2a 3a 4a 5a 6a 7a 8a

Birth Name ap Cadwallon, Maelgwn Gwynedd
Nick Name The Tall
Gender male
Age at Death 69 years

Narrative

The historical Maelgwn king of Gwynedd and one of the most influential rulers of 6th century Britain. He became one of the most famous (or infamous) leaders in Welsh history. He is one of five British kings castigated for their sins by the contemporary Christian writer Gildas (who referred to him as Malgocunus, meaning 'Great Hound') in De Excidio Britanniae. Maelgwn, described as "the island dragon", possibly a reference to his power base on Anglesey, is the most powerful of the five kings "... you the last I write of but the first and greatest in evil, more than many in ability but also in malice, more generous in giving but also more liberal in sin, strong in war but stronger to destroy your soul ...".

Gildas accuses Maelgwn of having driven his uncle from power by force 'while still a youth. He then, says Gildas, repented of his sins and vowed to become a monk, but his repentance did not last and he returned to his previous ways. He is accused of having murdered his wife and his nephew in order to be able to marry his nephew's widow.
He was also said to be a great patron of the arts and a skilled lawgiver, although some attribute this reputation to Maelgwn's own propaganda. He established court at Deganwy, and surrounded himself with an entourage of bards and artisans who wrote glowingly of his achievements. Gildas takes a dim view of this, accusing him of listening to his own praise instead of praising God. By the time of his death, Maelgwn had established himself as the preeminent ruler of the region, and his sons Rhun and Brude would inherit control over both Gwynedd and the lands of the Picts in southern Britain. He is recorded in the Annales Cambriae as dying in the "yellow plague" of 547.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 478 Gwynedd, Caernarvonshire, Wales   9
Death 547 Ynes Mons, Wales   9

Cause: Yellow Plague

Age: 69y

Burial 547 Inys Seiriol, Puffin Island, Anglesey, Wales Burial 9

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father ap Einion, Cadwallon460534
Mother verch Maeldaf, Meddyf446
         ap Cadwallon, Maelgwn Gwynedd 478 547

Families

Family of ap Cadwallon, Maelgwn Gwynedd and verch Afallach, Gwallwen
Married Wife verch Afallach, Gwallwen ( * 471 + ... )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 523      
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
verch Maelgwyn, Rimo512
of the Picts, Bridei I523585
of the Picts, Domelch532

Family of ap Cadwallon, Maelgwn Gwynedd and ingen Girom of the Picts
Unknown Partner ingen Girom of the Picts ( * 508 + ... )
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
ap Maelgwn, Rhun492586
ferch Maelgwn, Dommach

Source References

  1. RCKarnes: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=arciek&id=I09915&style=TABLE Carrie's Family Tree
  2. RCKarnes: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=arciek&id=I09919 Carrie's Family Tree
      • Source text:

        ID: I09919
        Name: *Maelgwn Gwynedd "the Tall" Ap CADWALLON
        Sex: M
        Name: Maelgwn Hir ap CADWALLON
        Name: Maelgwn GWYNEDD
        Birth: ABT 480 in North Wales 1
        Death: ABT 547 1
        Occupation: King of Gwynedd 1
        Note:
        The historical Maelgwn king of Gwynedd and one of the most influential rulers of 6th century Britain. He became one of the most famous (or infamous) leaders in Welsh history. He is one of five British kings castigated for their sins by the contemporary Christian writer Gildas (who referred to him as Malgocunus, meaning 'Great Hound') in De Excidio Britanniae. Maelgwn, described as "the island dragon", possibly a reference to his power base on Anglesey, is the most powerful of the five kings "... you the last I write of but the first and greatest in evil, more than many in ability but also in malice, more generous in giving but also more liberal in sin, strong in war but stronger to destroy your soul ...".

        Gildas accuses Maelgwn of having driven his uncle from power by force 'while still a youth. He then, says Gildas, repented of his sins and vowed to become a monk, but his repentance did not last and he returned to his previous ways. He is accused of having murdered his wife and his nephew in order to be able to marry his nephew's widow.
        He was also said to be a great patron of the arts and a skilled lawgiver, although some attribute this reputation to Maelgwn's own propaganda. He established court at Deganwy, and surrounded himself with an entourage of bards and artisans who wrote glowingly of his achievements. Gildas takes a dim view of this, accusing him of listening to his own praise instead of praising God. By the time of his death, Maelgwn had established himself as the preeminent ruler of the region, and his sons Rhun and Brude would inherit control over both Gwynedd and the lands of the Picts in southern Britain. He is recorded in the Annales Cambriae as dying in the "yellow plague" of 547.
        (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

         

        Father: *Cadwallon "Lawhir" Ap EINION b: ABT 460 in Wales
        Mother: *Meddyf Verch MAELDAF b: ABT 446 in Nanconwy, Arllechwedd, Caernarvonshire, Wales

        Marriage 1 *Gwallwen Verch AFALLACH b: ABT 471 in North Wales
        Children
        Verch MAELGWN
        Bridei I of the PICTS
        *Rhun "the Tall" ap MAELGWN b: ABT 492 in Wales

      • Citation:

        arciek@juno.com

  3. MAELGWN GWYNEDD (died c. 547) king of Gwynedd and monk
      • Page: Davies, W. H., (1959). MAELGWN GWYNEDD (died c. 547) king of Gwynedd and monk. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 24 Sep 2021, from
      • Source text:

        Son of Cadwallon Lawhir and great-grandson of Cunedda Wledig, he ruled over Venedotia (Gwynedd) in the second quarter of the 6th century. His kingdom seems to have comprised most of north-west Wales, including Anglesey, while tradition credits him with a favourite stronghold at Degannwy on the Creuddyn peninsula. As a fifth and last ruler arraigned by Gildas for his misdeeds, he is addressed as ' Maglocunus, the island dragon,' a martial prince who has overthrown many other rulers. Tall of stature (cf. his sobriquet ' Maelgwn Hir,' ' Maelgwn the Tall') and excelling most contemporary princes in power, he was an able military leader, impetuous and generous by nature, but given to many failings and deeds of violence. In his early years he overthrew his maternal uncle, whose identity is unknown, but not long afterwards gave up all his royal power and dignity and entered a monastery as a monk. It was now or earlier that, as Gildas tells us, he listened to the instruction of 'the accomplished teacher of almost the whole of Britannia,' a teacher generally identified as the celebrated Illtud, the site of whose monastery has been assigned either to Llantwit Major in south Glamorgan or to Caldey Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire. Maelgwn, however, soon found the monastic life unbearable, broke his vow, and returned to his former regal position. It is during this subsequent period that Gildas and Welsh tradition agree in portraying him as opposed to the 'Saints,' i.e. monachism, and the perpetrator of evil deeds, among them the murder of his wife and of his nephew, whose widow he then married. The same traditions, however, hint at later repentance and the bestowal of many privileges upon various religious centres. In the reference of Gildas to Maelgwn's own praises resounding on the lips of 'ranting' minstrels, we may detect a possible allusion to his court bards and his patronage of native song. A strong and able, though wayward ruler, who, according to an old Welsh saying, fell upon his ' long sleep in the court of Rhos.' He died in a widespread plague) c. 547.

  4. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society
      • Page: Barry, E. "Barrymore." Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. VI, no. 45, 1899. pp. 1-11.
      • Citation:

        minstrels, we may detect a possible allusion to his court bards and his patronage of native song. A strong and able, though wayward ruler, who, according to an old Welsh saying, fell upon his ' long sleep in the court of Rhos.' He AQ#v=onepage&q=theodore%20the%20great%20prince%20of%20south%20wales&f=false

  5. Early British Kingdoms
      • Source text:

        Maelgwn Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd
        (c.AD 480-549)
        (Latin: Maglocunus; English: Malcolm)
        Maelgwn Hir (the Tall) was so associated with the kingdom which he inherited from his father, Cadwallon Lawhir, that he is usually known as Maelgwn Gwynedd. Gildas wrote unfavourably of him in the early 6th century, telling of Maelgwn's murder of his own uncle, probably Owain Danwyn (White-Tooth), in order to secure Gwynedd's crown. Gildas did, however, acknowledge the King's leading position amongst the monarchs of the age and gives him the, not unflattering, title of "Dragon of the Isle": a reference to Ynys Mon (Anglesey). Geoffrey of Monmouth considered him to be a High-King of Britain following Arthur's heir, Constantine, and this is not impossible. Legend tells how, soon after taking the throne, Maelgwn was forced to call together all the petty-kings of North Wales, and probably the rest of Britain, in order to obtain their acceptance of him as their over-king. They met on the sands of what is now called Traeth Maelgwyn, near Ynys Las, and agreed upon a strange competition: as the tide started coming in, all those present sat in chairs along the shoreline; the one who dared to remain seated for the longest would take the High-Kingship. Maelgwn, however, had already made special preparations. His chair had been fitted with waxed bird-wings, so he floated above the waterline and won his prize.

        Though the Royal capital remained at Aberffraw, Maelgwn mostly liked to hold court at Din-Gonwy (Deganwy) on the Conwy, which became a major centre for the bardic arts. He had another palace at Caer-Gybi on Holy Island that he eventually gave away to St. Cybi to found a monastery.

        Other saintly men had more troublesome encounters with the king. Maelgwn once heard that St.Padarn, the Bishop of Llanbadarn, had a large store of gold, so devised a plan to trick him out of it. He sent some Royal messengers to the Bishop with sacks of moss and pebbles. Pretending this was the content of the Royal treasury they asked Padarn to retain it in safe keeping while Maelgwn and his armies went off to war. Months later, the messengers returned to collect their sacks but, of course, found them filled with grass and stones. Padarn was immediately dragged before the king and accused of theft. Upon refusing to replace the treasure, the Bishop was forced to undergo a trial by ordeal. Both he and his accusers were obliged to plunge their arms into a pot of boiling water. After a period of healing time, their wounds were examined. The messengers' arms were still raw and painful, but Padarn's burns were completely healed. The saint was thus declared an innocent man, and Maelgwn was forced to admit his deceitful plot. As penance, the King gave Padarn a grant of all the land between the Clorach and the Rheidol.

        On another occasion, King Maelgwn sent his best white horses to St. Tydecho at Llan-y-Mawddwy, near Dinas Mawddwy for stabling. Instead of setting the animals out to pasture, however, the saint let them run wild in the mountains, eating the heather. When Maelgwn called for his horses' return, he was shocked to find that they had all turned yellow! He confiscated Tydecho's oxen as punishment, but the saint charmed some woodland stags to pull his plough instead. Later Maelgwn was hunting in the area when he rested on a large rock. He became stuck to the spot, until St. Tydecho arrived to free him.

        As with many powerful men, Maelgwn was quite the lady's man. The Pictish people, of what is now the Scottish Highlands, even chose him to father the heir to their throne. Their matriarchal society required a man of Royal blood to impregnate their Princess Royal and thus continue the Royal female line. Both Maelgwn's grandmother's were Pictish, and he was therefore considered to be such himself. There is an old story about one of Maelgwn's many partners, that reminds us of his incessant jealousy, though a similar version is also told of King Riderch Hael (the Generous) of Strathclyde's queen. Upon his first marriage, Maelgwn had presented the beautiful Princess Nesta of the Southern Pennines with the traditional gold ring worn by all Queens of Gwynedd. Soon afterwards, however, the new queen lost the ring while bathing in a pool on the River Elwy. Afraid of what her husband would say, she visited the Bishop of Llanelwy (St. Asaphs), St. Asaph, to ask for his help. The saint invited the Royal couple to dinner that evening, where he explained to Maelgwn what had become of the Queen's ring. Maelgwn was furious and immediately accused Nesta of giving the ring away to an impoverished lover. Asaph managed to calm the situation enough for them to sit down to eat, and they all prayed to God that the ring might be found. Fresh fish, caught in the River Elwy, was served first and when the sceptical King cut into his dish, there was the ring inside!

        Maelgwn abdicated the throne, late in his reign, and entered a monstery but, finding it not to his liking, he returned to the secular way of life, murdered his second queen and his nephew, and married the latter's widow. Soon afterwards, in AD 549, he fled the Royal court to escape the great yellow fever plague that was spreading through the country. He prostrated himself before the altar of the church of Llanrhos and prayed for his life, but it was too late. He died a few days later.

        It is not widely recognised, but Maelgwn does appear in medieval Arthurian literature where he is represented as Malaguin, the King of the Hundred Knights.

         

  6. Ancient Wales Studies
      • Source text:

        MAELGWN GWYNEDD, THE DRAGON OF ANGLESEY
        By Darrell Wolcott

        The casual student of early Welsh History will recognize this man, sometimes called Maelgwn Hir, as a powerful 6th century ruler of Gwynedd. He was one of 5 contemporary rulers singled out for scorn by Gildas in his c. 540 The Ruin of Britain. Much has been written about him by later men, some probably accurate but much clearly fables. Leaving aside the preachy condemnation directed at him by Gildas, he tells us several specific things about his life[1]:

        a. As a youth, he "dispatched his uncle the king with sword and spear".
        b. Soon afterward, he repented his wickedness and entered a monastery, vowing to remain a monk forever.
        c. Later, he violated that oath and returned to his evil ways.
        d. After leaving the monastery, he took a wife.
        e. After enjoying his wife "for some little time", he spurned her and sought another.
        f. The object of his affections was a young lady already married to his nephew.
        g. To have that lady, he killed her husband and his own lawful wife.

        To learn who this Maelgwn was, we must turn to the early pedigree manuscripts...none written before c. 970. Here, we learn that he was a son of Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion Urdd ap Cunedda[2]. His mother was Meddyf ferch Maeldaf ap Dylan Traws of Nant Conwy[3]. His father had cleared the last of the Irish squatters from the island of Anglesey[4], a task begun by Cadwallon's grandfather, father and uncles about 435/440AD. Cadwallon had an elder brother, Owain Ddantgwyn[5], who seems to have succeeded their father as king of Gwynedd.

        Marriages cited for Maelgwn include an unknown Gwallen ferch Affleth[6]; while she was the mother of his eldest son, Rhun, most sources say she was merely a mistress of young Maelgwn, but the boy was acknowledged by his father and became his heir[7]. Maelgwn did marry a lady named Nest ferch Samuel Penisel ap Pappo ap Ceneu ap Coel Hen[8], by whom he had a son Einion[9] and a daughter Eurgain. The other lady cited as his wife was Sanan ferch Cyngen Glodrydd[10], a sister of Brochwel Ysgithrog of Powys.

        Our chart of his family, together with probable birthdates looks like this:

        385 Cunedda
        l Dylan Traws 395
        415 Einion Urdd l
        ___________________l______ Maeldaf 430
        l l l
        445 Owain Ddantgwyn 450 Cadwallon Lawhir==Meddyf 465
        l
        480 Maelgwn Gwynedd

        The consorts assigned to Maelgwn and mothers of his children are:

        340 Coel Hen
        l
        380 Ceneu
        l
        415 Pappo*
        l
        450 Samuel Penisel ? Afallach 475 Cyngen Glodrydd
        l l l
        490 Nest ? Gwallwen 510 Sanan

        Einion and Eurgain Rhun, c. 505 no issue known
        c. 515/520

        *This is NOT Pabo Post Prydain whose son was Sawl Penuchel; the Samuel Penisel line is cited in Harleian Ms 3859, 19. See APPENDIX II

        The "king, his uncle" whom Maelgwn slew in his youth is nowhere named. Gildas referred to him as "avunculus" or "mother's brother", so this seems to rule out Owain Ddantgwyn... his father's brother. Thus, the deposed king must have been a son of Maeldaf ap Dylan Traws of Nant Conwy[11]. We suggest some of the men Gildas called "kings" were merely rulers of appanages of larger kingships[12]. This man likely ruled Nant Conway, a part of Gwynedd subject to its king. Likewise, Cadwallon Lawhir ruled only Anglesey (and possibly Arfon) while his brother was overall king of Gwynedd[13].

        Since Gildas first took notice of Maelgwn when he was in his youth, i.e. early 20's, we should describe his world as he might have seen it in the period AD500-505. The battle of Baden had recently defeated the main Saxon army and Wales was no longer threatened by outside invaders. It is quite likely that Maelgwn, and his cousins, had been among Arthur's warriors at Baden. His father and uncle were in their 50's, probably still capable of leading a warband to defend their own lands, but a bit old to be active on the battlefield far from home. Flush with victory in his first campaign, Maelgwn may have chafed under the constraints imposed back home. He would not step into his father's shoes until Cadwallon Lawhir either died or retired to a monastery in his old age, but he had a following of noble youths that had fought with him; they saw him as a born leader and powerful warrior and gladly joined him in an attempt to unseat the neighboring ruler in Nant Conwy. The coup was successful, his mother's brother fell to their swords and spears as the band of youths despoiled his lands, taking loot and young maidens. Maelgwn took over the Lord's manor and took to his bed a young lady, Gwallwen ferch Afallach. It was about the year 505 when she bore a son, Rhun, whom Maelgwn saw as a mirror image of himself (and indeed the boy did grow up to be taller and stronger than the average man). In seeking to identify this lady, we note that Maelgwn's mother would have been born c. 465 and her brother perhaps c. 460. A daughter of that brother would have occurred c. 490 and thus be of child-bearing age in 505. The timeline is wholly consistent with identifying the slain Lord of Nant Conwy as Afallach ap Maeldaf and Gwallwen as his daughter. We further suggest that family was among the descendants of Eudaf Hen who had ruled Gwynedd prior to the arrival of Cunedda. Dylan Traws fits as a younger son of Tudwal ap Turmwr Morfawr ap Gaedon ap Cynan ap Eudaf Hen, and may have received the Lordship of Nant Conwy when his brother, Cynfawr, succeeded to the overall kingship.

        Probably never his intent to rule these conquered lands to the benefit of their occupants, he and his rowdy group of friends simply took what they wanted from the people of Nant Conway. We suggest these people appealed to the clergy to assist them in their woes, and asked St. Illtud to intercede with Maelgwn. Illtud was then the most respected bishop in Wales[14], a first-cousin of Arthur[15] and probably maternally related to Maelgwn[APPENDIX I]. Early writers identify Illtud (born c. 460/465) as the "teacher" of Maelgwn, so we think he is the holy man who convinced Maelgwn to renounce his selfish and evil past and enter a monastery to train for a peaceful life as a spiritual leader. Maelgwn was wholly won over and Illtud promised to see that the infant Rhun was cared for and raised to be a fine man of whom a father could be proud.

        After some few years as a monk, during which time he ministered to the weak and poor and comforted the ill, and indeed led an exemplary life, his father finally died near age 65. When it became evident that other male kinfolks were prepared to assume rule over his own paternal lands, Maelgwn renounced his vows and left the monastery. He returned to become Lord of Anglesey, was reunited with his young son, and took a wife. Gildas called this marriage "illegal", but we aren't sure if he meant Maelgwn already had a "wife" in the eyes of the church...the mother of Rhun...or he meant Maelgwn had taken the celibacy oath of a monk. We suggest this wife was Nest, a lady about 10 years younger than himself. Maelgwn was now about 35 years old, so Nest likely was a 25 year old widow or divorcee.

        By this lady, Maelgwn had a son Einion and a daughter Eurgain, probably in the years 516/520. We suggest he did not emerge from the monastary and immediately resume the evil ways of his youth. But an event around the year 525 changed him forever; he was selected to be the interim king of all Gwynedd.

        His cousin, the king of Gwynedd, had fallen in battle that year...a man in his mid-40's[16]. The king's eldest son was but a teenager so the leading men of the realm gathered to select an interim king to rule until the legal heir came of his full age. There were several eligible candidates, but it was Maelgwn who received the nod[17]. He moved from Anglesey to occupy the royal manor at Degannwy, and all the trappings of power went to his head. Becoming as ruthless as when a youth, but with all the authority and power of kingship, Maelgwn indeed returned to iniquities "like a sick dog returns to his vomit". Disdaining his wife, now in her 30's, he became enamored of a much younger lady whom we would identify as the 16 year old wife of his own nephew[18]...Sanan ferch Cyngen Glodrydd.

        Unable to induce the lady to leave her husband and come to his bed, he killed that man leaving her a widow. Apparently his wife Nest objected to having the younger woman take her place in Maelgwn's bed, so she too was slain. Maelgwn was a man near age 41 at the time he wed the pretty teenage widow. By the account of Gildas, he went downhill from there so far as decency and honor were concerned. It is known, however, that he made many generous gifts and landgrants to various churches throughout Wales. Whether these were proof that he had a strong spiritual nature, or were simply bribes he offered the holy men to offset the offenses he committed against them and his fellow men, is anyone's guess.

        But his heady ride as the most powerful man in north Wales ended, we suggest, about 545. The rightful heir was now of ful

  7. Wikiwand: Maelgwn Gwynedd
      • Source text:

        Maelgwn Gwynedd (Latin: Maglocunus; died c. 547 was king of Gwynedd during the early 6th century. Surviving records suggest he held a pre-eminent position among the Brythonic kings in Wales and their allies in the "Old North" along the Scottish coast. Maelgwn was a generous supporter of Christianity, funding the foundation of churches throughout Wales and even far beyond the bounds of his own kingdom. Nonetheless, his principal legacy today is the scathing account of his behavior recorded in De excidio et conquestu Britanniae by Gildas, who considered Maelgwn a usurper and reprobate. The son of Cadwallon Lawhir and great grandson of Cunedda, Maelgwn was buried on Ynys Seiriol (now known as Puffin Island in English), off the eastern tip of Anglesey, having died of the "yellow plague"; quite probably the arrival of Justinian's Plague in Britain.

        Name
        Maelgwn (IPA: /mɑːɨlgʊn/) in Welsh literally means "Princely Hound" and is composed of the elements mael "prince" (*maglo- in earlier, Common Brittonic) and cwn, the old oblique case form of ci "hound, dog" (from Common Brittonic nominative singular *cū, oblique *cun-). As "hound" was sometimes used as a kenning for a warrior in early Welsh poetry, the name may also be translated as "Princely Warrior."

        Reign
        After the collapse of Roman authority in Britain, north Wales was invaded and colonized by Gaelic tribes from Ireland. The kingdom of Gwynedd began with the reconquest of the coast by northern Britons under the command of Maelgwn's great-grandfather Cunedda Wledig. Generations later, Maelgwn's father Cadwallon Long-Hand completed the process by destroying the last Irish settlements on Anglesey. Maelgwn was the first king to enjoy the fruits of his family's conquest and he is considered the founder of the medieval kingdom's royal family. He is thus most commonly referenced by appending the name of the kingdom to his own: Maelgwn Gwynedd.

        By tradition, his llys (English: royal court, literally hall) was located at Deganwy, in the Creuddyn peninsula of Rhos. Tradition also holds that he died at nearby Llanrhos, and was buried there. Other traditions say that he was buried at Ynys Seiriol (English: Island of St. Seiriol, Puffin Island), off easternmost Anglesey. There are no historical records to confirm or deny these traditions.

        Historical records of this early era are scant. Maelgwn appears in the royal genealogies of the Harleian genealogies, Jesus College MS. 20, and Hengwrt MS. 202. His death in a "great mortality" of 547 is noted in the Annales Cambriae. Tradition holds that he died of the 'Yellow Plague' of Rhos, but this is based on one of the Triads that was written much later. The record says only that it was a "great mortality", which followed the outbreak of the great Plague of Justinian in Constantinople by a few years.

        Maelgwn was a generous contributor to the cause of Christianity throughout Wales. He made donations to support Saint Brynach in Dyfed, Saint Cadoc in Gwynllwg, Saint Cybi in Anglesey, Saint Padarn in Ceredigion, and Saint Tydecho in Powys. He is also associated with the foundation of Bangor, but hard evidence of this is lacking. In his 1723 Mona Antiqua Restaurata, Henry Rowlands asserts that Bangor was raised to an episcopal see by Maelgwn in 550, but he provides no source for the assertion.

        The only contemporary information about the person is provided by Gildas, who includes Maelgwn among the five British kings who he condemns in allegorical terms in his De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. He says Maelgwn held a regional pre-eminence among the other 4 kings, going on to say that he overthrew his paternal uncle (Latin: avunculus) to gain the throne; that he had taken up life as a monk but then returned to the secular world; that he had been married and divorced, then remarried to the widow of his nephew after being responsible for his nephew's death; and that he was tall.

        "High King"
        The evidence suggests that Maelgwn held a pre-eminent position over the regions ruled by the descendants of Cunedda, perhaps in the sense of a regional high king. There is nothing to suggest that Maelgwn held sway over any larger area. Gildas says as much in his condemnation, saying he held a pre-eminence over the other 4 kings similarly condemned, and also describing him as the "dragon of the island," where the Isle of Anglesey is the ancient stronghold of the kings of Gwynedd.

        The fact that Maelgwn's donations to religious foundations are not restricted to the Kingdom of Gwynedd but are spread throughout northern and southern Wales in the regions where the descendants of Cunedda held sway implies that Maelgwn had a responsibility to those regions beyond the responsibilities of a king to his own kingdom.

        While the context is not definitive, Taliesin also implies it, in his Marwnad Rhun (English: Elegy of Rhun) that laments the death of Maelgwn's son Rhun, where he says that Rhun's death is "the fall of the court and girdle of Cunedda."

        Gildas
        In his work On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain written c. 540, Gildas makes an allegorical condemnation of 5 British kings by likening them to the beasts of the Book of Revelation, 13-2: the lion, leopard, bear, and dragon, with the dragon supreme among them. He says that Maelgwn is the "dragon of the island," and goes on with a litany of moral accusations, in the process describing him almost as a regional high king over the other kings (the power-giving dragon of the Apocalypse). The Isle of Anglesey was the base of power of the kings of Gwynedd, so describing Maelgwn as the "dragon of the island" is appropriate.

        Gildas restricts his attention to the kings of Gwynedd (Maelgwn), Dyfed (Vortiporius), Penllyn (probable, as its king Cuneglasus/Cynlas appears in royal genealogies associated with the region), Damnonia/Alt Clud (Constantine), and the unknown region associated with Caninus. The Welsh kingdoms are all associated with the conquest of the Gaels by Cunedda, while Alt Clud had a long and ongoing relationship with Gwynedd and its kings.

        In the course of his condemnations, Gildas makes passing reference to the other beasts mentioned in the Apocalypse, such as the eagle, serpent, calf, and wolf. The reason for Gildas' disaffection for these individuals is unknown. He was selective in his choice of kings, as he had no comments concerning the kings of the other British kingdoms that were thriving at the time, such as Rheged, Gododdin, Elmet, Pengwern/Powys, or the kingdoms of modern-day southern England. That he chose only the kings associated with one king's pre-eminence (Maelgwn, the "dragon") suggests a reason other than his claim of moral outrage over personal depravity. Neither outrage nor a doctrinal dispute would seem to justify beginning the condemnation of the five kings with a personal attack against the mother of one of the kings, calling her an "unclean lioness."

        Literary record
        In the Historia Brittonum, Nennius says that "the great king Mailcun reigned among the Britons, i.e., in Gwynedd". He adds that Maelgwn's ancestor Cunedda arrived in Gwynedd 146 years before Maelgwn's reign, coming from Manaw Gododdin, and expelled the Scots [i.e., the Gaels] with great slaughter.

        Maelgwn is not mentioned in the Welsh Triads, but the pestilence that killed him appears as one of the 'Three Dreadful Pestilences of the Isle of Britain'. It is described as the Yellow Plague of Rhos, originating from the carcasses of the dead.

        There is an incidental mention of Maelgwn in the song To Maenwyn found in the Red Book of Hergest and attributed to Llywarch Hen. The steward (Welsh: maer) Maenwyn is encouraged to resist a command to surrender his post and show his fidelity to Maelgwn.

        In the Book of Llandaff, compiled c. 1125, Maelgwn Gwynedd is claimed to be one of the benefactors of the Diocese of Llandaff in its early years. One of the specific places mentioned is at Louhai (Tintern parva, some 6 miles north of Chepstow), where Maelgwn is claimed as a secular witness to its donation.

        In the Black Book of Carmarthen, Dormarch, Gwyn ap Nudd's favourite hound, is recorded as previously belonging to Maelgwn Gwynedd. This is significant in relation to the mythological role of his new master in the Wild Hunt.

        Fictional tradition
        As a famous king of the past, Maelgwn's name figures strongly in Welsh legend. It is used more often than most in questionable accounts of history and in genuine efforts at history that either invent fictions of their own, or repeat the fictions of others as though they were true. Some of the most significant sources of misinformation about Maelgwn are:

        The History of the Kings of Britain
        Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae includes Maelgwn (Malgo) as a character in its account of British history. It says that Saint David was buried at St David's on the command of "Malgo, king of the Venedotians," that Malgo addicted himself to sodomy, and that he was succeeded by a certain Careticus. It adds that Britain had groaned under the barbarians since the time of Malgo, that Malgo was the fourth king of Britain after Arthur, and that Malgo had two sons, Ennianus and Runo.

        Scholars contend that there is no authority for any of this except Geoffrey's fertile imagination. Historically, Rhun ap Maelgwn was Maelgwn's son and successor (though this may be the 'Runo' Geoffrey refers to). Geoffrey appears to twist Gildas' words to obtain his reference to sodomy. In his condemnation of 5 British kings in the De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, Gildas refers to wine as "sodomitical" but never applies that word to any person.

        The Brut Tysilio
        Once attributed to Saint Tysilio (died 640), this Chronicle of the Kings of Britain was written c. 1500 as an amalgam of earlier versions of the Brut y Brenhinedd, a derivative of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. Among its spurious claims it says that Maelgwn Gwynedd came to the crown following..

  8. Maelgwn Gwynedd (Latin: Maglocunus; died c. 547)
      • Source text:

        Maelgwn Gwynedd (Latin: Maglocunus; died c. 547) was king of Gwynedd during the early 6th century. Surviving records suggest he held a pre-eminent position among the Brythonic kings in Wales and their allies in the "Old North" along the Scottish coast. Maelgwn was a generous supporter of Christianity, funding the foundation of churches throughout Wales and even far beyond the bounds of his own kingdom. Nonetheless, his principal legacy today is the scathing account of his behavior recorded in De excidio et conquestu Britanniae by Gildas, who considered Maelgwn a usurper and reprobate. The son of Cadwallon Lawhir and great grandson of Cunedda, Maelgwn was buried on Ynys Seiriol (now known as Puffin Island in English), off the eastern tip of Anglesey, having died of the "yellow plague"; quite probably the arrival of Justinian's Plague in Britain.

        «b»Name«/b»
        Maelgwn in Welsh literally means "Princely Hound" and is composed of the elements mael "prince" (maglo- in earlier, Common Brittonic) and cwn, the old oblique case form of ci "hound, dog" (from Common Brittonic nominative singular cu, oblique cun-). As "hound" was sometimes used as a kenning for a warrior in early Welsh poetry, the name may also be translated as "Princely Warrior".

        «b»Reign«/b»
        After the collapse of Roman authority in Britain, north Wales was invaded and colonized by Gaelic tribes from Ireland. The kingdom of Gwynedd began with the reconquest of the coast by northern Britons under the command of Maelgwn's great-grandfather Cunedda Wledig. Generations later, Maelgwn's father Cadwallon Long-Hand completed the process by destroying the last Irish settlements on Anglesey. Maelgwn was the first king to enjoy the fruits of his family's conquest and he is considered the founder of the medieval kingdom's royal family. He is thus most commonly referenced by appending the name of the kingdom to his own: Maelgwn Gwynedd.

        By tradition, his llys (English: royal court, literally hall) was located at Deganwy, in the Creuddyn peninsula of Rhos. Tradition also holds that he died at nearby Llanrhos, and was buried there. Other traditions say that he was buried at Ynys Seiriol (English: Island of St. Seiriol, Puffin Island), off easternmost Anglesey. There are no historical records to confirm or deny these traditions.

        Historical records of this early era are scant. Maelgwn appears in the royal genealogies of the Harleian genealogies, Jesus College MS. 20, and Hengwrt MS. 202. His death in a "great mortality" of 547 is noted in the Annales Cambriae. Tradition holds that he died of the 'Yellow Plague' of Rhos, but this is based on one of the Triads that was written much later. The record says only that it was a "great mortality", which followed the outbreak of the great Plague of Justinian in Constantinople by a few years.

        Maelgwn was a generous contributor to the cause of Christianity throughout Wales. He made donations to support Saint Brynach in Dyfed, Saint Cadoc in Gwynllwg, Saint Cybi in Anglesey, Saint Padarn in Ceredigion, and Saint Tydecho in Powys. He is also associated with the foundation of Bangor, but hard evidence of this is lacking. In his 1723 Mona Antiqua Restaurata, Henry Rowlands asserts that Bangor was raised to an episcopal see by Maelgwn in 550, but he provides no source for the assertion.

        The only contemporary information about the person is provided by Gildas, who includes Maelgwn among the five British kings who he condemns in allegorical terms in his De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. He says Maelgwn held a regional pre-eminence among the other 4 kings, going on to say that he overthrew his paternal uncle (Latin: avunculus) to gain the throne; that he had taken up life as a monk but then returned to the secular world; that he had been married and divorced, then remarried to the widow of his nephew after being responsible for his nephew's death; and that he was tall.

        «b»"High King"«/b»
        The evidence suggests that Maelgwn held a pre-eminent position over the regions ruled by the descendants of Cunedda, perhaps in the sense of a regional high king. There is nothing to suggest that Maelgwn held sway over any larger area. Gildas says as much in his condemnation, saying he held a pre-eminence over the other 4 kings similarly condemned, and also describing him as the "dragon of the island", where the Isle of Anglesey is the ancient stronghold of the kings of Gwynedd.

        The fact that Maelgwn's donations to religious foundations are not restricted to the Kingdom of Gwynedd but are spread throughout northern and southern Wales in the regions where the descendants of Cunedda held sway implies that Maelgwn had a responsibility to those regions beyond the responsibilities of a king to his own kingdom.

        While the context is not definitive, Taliesin also implies it, in his Marwnad Rhun (English: Elegy of Rhun) that laments the death of Maelgwn's son Rhun, where he says that Rhun's death is "the fall of the court and girdle of Cunedda".

        «b»Gildas
        «/b»In his work On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain written c.?540, Gildas makes an allegorical condemnation of 5 British kings by likening them to the beasts of the Book of Revelation, 13-2: the lion, leopard, bear, and dragon, with the dragon supreme among them. He says that Maelgwn is the "dragon of the island", and goes on with a litany of moral accusations, in the process describing him almost as a regional high king over the other kings (the power-giving dragon of the Apocalypse). The Isle of Anglesey was the base of power of the kings of Gwynedd, so describing Maelgwn as the "dragon of the island" is appropriate.

        Gildas restricts his attention to the kings of Gwynedd (Maelgwn), Dyfed (Vortiporius), Penllyn (probable, as its king Cuneglasus/Cynlas appears in royal genealogies associated with the region),[15] Damnonia/Alt Clud (Constantine), and the unknown region associated with Caninus. The Welsh kingdoms are all associated with the conquest of the Gaels by Cunedda, while Alt Clud had a long and ongoing relationship with Gwynedd and its kings.

        In the course of his condemnations, Gildas makes passing reference to the other beasts mentioned in the Apocalypse, such as the eagle, serpent, calf, and wolf. The reason for Gildas' disaffection for these individuals is unknown. He was selective in his choice of kings, as he had no comments concerning the kings of the other British kingdoms that were thriving at the time, such as Rheged, Gododdin, Elmet, Pengwern/Powys, or the kingdoms of modern-day southern England. That he chose only the kings associated with one king's pre-eminence (Maelgwn, the "dragon") suggests a reason other than his claim of moral outrage over personal depravity. Neither outrage nor a doctrinal dispute would seem to justify beginning the condemnation of the five kings with a personal attack against the mother of one of the kings, calling her an "unclean lioness".

        «b»Literary record«/b»
        In the Historia Brittonum, Nennius says that "the great king Mailcun reigned among the Britons, i.e., in Gwynedd". He adds that Maelgwn's ancestor Cunedda arrived in Gwynedd 146 years before Maelgwn's reign, coming from Manaw Gododdin, and expelled the Scots [i.e., the Gaels] with great slaughter.

        Maelgwn is not mentioned in the Welsh Triads, but the pestilence that killed him appears as one of the 'Three Dreadful Pestilences of the Isle of Britain'. It is described as the Yellow Plague of Rhos, originating from the carcasses of the dead.

        There is an incidental mention of Maelgwn in the song To Maenwyn found in the Red Book of Hergest and attributed to Llywarch Hen. The steward (Welsh: maer) Maenwyn is encouraged to resist a command to surrender his post and show his fidelity to Maelgwn.

        In the Book of Llandaff, compiled c. 1125, Maelgwn Gwynedd is claimed to be one of the benefactors of the Diocese of Llandaff in its early years. One of the specific places mentioned is at Louhai (Tintern parva, some 6 miles north of Chepstow), where Maelgwn is claimed as a secular witness to its donation.

        In the Black Book of Carmarthen, Dormarch, Gwyn ap Nudd's favourite hound, is recorded as previously belonging to Maelgwn Gwynedd. This is significant in relation to the mythological role of his new master in the Wild Hunt.

        «b»Fictional tradition«/b»
        As a famous king of the past, Maelgwn's name figures strongly in Welsh legend. It is used more often than most in questionable accounts of history and in genuine efforts at history that either invent fictions of their own, or repeat the fictions of others as though they were true. Some of the most significant sources of misinformation about Maelgwn are:

        «b»The History of the Kings of Britain«/b»
        Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae includes Maelgwn (Malgo) as a character in its account of British history. It says that Saint David was buried at St David's on the command of "Malgo, king of the Venedotians", that Malgo addicted himself to sodomy, and that he was succeeded by a certain Careticus. It adds that Britain had groaned under the barbarians since the time of Malgo, that Malgo was the fourth king of Britain after Arthur, and that Malgo had two sons, Ennianus and Runo.

        Scholars contend that there is no authority for any of this except Geoffrey's fertile imagination. Historically, Rhun ap Maelgwn was Maelgwn's son and successor (though this may be the 'Runo' Geoffrey refers to). Geoffrey appears to twist Gildas' words to obtain his reference to sodomy. In his condemnation of 5 British kings in the De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, Gildas refers to wine as "sodomitical" but never applies that word to any person.

        «b»The Brut Tysilio«/b»
        Once attributed to Saint Tysilio (died 640), this Chronicle of the Kings of Britain was written c. 1500 as an amalgam of earlier versions of the Brut y Brenhinedd, a derivative of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. Among its spurious claims it says that Maelgwn Gwynedd came to the crown following Vortiper, that he was succeeded by a certain Caretig, that he was the fourth king of all Britain after Arthur, and that he had two sons, Einion and Rhun.

        «b»The Iolo Manuscripts«/b»
        Maelgwn Gwynedd is mentioned repeatedly in the spurious 18th century Iolo Manuscripts of Iolo Morganwg. His three Chief Bards are named, and he is proclaimed King Paramount over the other kings. A Maelgwn Hir of Llandaff is described, and said to be commonly mistaken for Maelgwn Gwynedd. Taliesin is said to have been dispossessed of his property by Maelgwn, and so cursed him. Saint Eurgain is said to be Maelgwn's daughter. Saint Cwyllog, daughter of Caw Cawlwyd of Twr Celyn, had been given lands by Maelgwn Gwynedd. In 'The Three Holy Families of the Isle of Britain', there is a story of Caw and his children who had been driven from their lands by the Gwyddelian Picts, and who then came to Wales and were given land in Anglesey by Maelgwn. Without independent and reputable verification, the material found in the Iolo Manuscripts is considered to be the product of Iolo's fertile imagination.

        «b»The Tale of Taliesin«/b»
        The Tale of Taliesin (Hanes Taliesin or Ystoria Taliesin) is a genuine legendary story about Taliesin which is preserved in two principal redactions dating from the mid-16th century and the early 17th century but which probably derives from older sources.[39] It was first printed in Lady Charlotte Guest's translation of the Mabinogion: the notes to that edition are the work of Iolo Morganwg and contain inaccuracies and some of his inventions. The story itself tells of events where the Taliesin of legend is placed in difficult or impossible situations but invariably overcomes all obstacles, usually through feats of magic. Maelgwn Gwynedd is conspicuously depicted in a negative light, being foiled in unscrupulous actions of deceit and being outwitted.

        The historical Taliesin was actually a contemporary of Maelgwn Gwynedd's son and successor Rhun. An elegy for Rhun, the Marwnad Rhun (English: Elegy of Rhun) was once attributed to Taliesin by some scholars. but is now considered to be of later provenance and is longer accepted as his work. There is nothing to connect the historical Taliesin with Maelgwn Gwynedd, although references to the legend are found in medieval Welsh poems.

        «b»The Chronicle of the Scottish Nation«/b»
        According to the account of John of Fordun's Chronicle of the Scottish Nation, written c. 1360, a certain "Maglo, King of the Britons" asks for aid from King Aydanus. There is nothing to link Maelgwn Gwynedd to the Pictish king, Fordun's claim notwithstanding. In the next section, Fordun says that later on it is "Cadwallo, King of the Britons" who is receiving aid from King Aydanus.

        This story is repeated uncritically in some later histories, and subsequently "Malgo the Briton" is mentioned in Thomas Stephens' notes on an 1888 publication of Y Gododdin, with the stated suggestion that Maelgwn was an ally of "Aeddan" against the Pictish king Bridei. Fordun's Chronicle is given as one of Stephens' references.

        «b»The Pictish king Bridei«/b»
        Bridei (died c. 584) was the son of a certain Maelchon (or Melcho, or Maelchú in Irish records). Aside from having a similar name, there is nothing that connects the father of Bridei to Maelgwn Gwynedd.

        Of those who have promoted a connection, perhaps the most notable person of late is John Morris in his Age of Arthur, where he refers in passing and without authority, to "... Bridei, son of Maelgwn, the mighty king of north Wales". Though the book has been a commercial success, it is disparaged by historians as an unreliable source of "misleading and misguided" information.

        «b»Later fiction«/b»
        As a famous king of the past, Maelgwn has been associated with unsubstantiated but popular legends and stories throughout history. Modern authors have occasionally used his name as a character in fictional stories. These include the trilogies of Traci Harding, Mary Gilgannon's historical novels, and a fantasy novel by Nikolai Tolstoy.

        «b»Family and Children«/b»
        His father was Cadwallon Lawhir and his mother Meddyf, a daughter of Maeldaf. He had a brother and nephew, mentioned in Gildas' De Excidio, but they are unnamed. He is given various wives, including Nesta, Sanan (his nephew's wife) and Gwallwyn (possibly his cousin). It is also possible that he impregnated the Pictish princess Waelgush.

        His children are variously given as:

        1.) Alser

        2.) Doeg

        3.) Einion

        4.) Eurgain (daughter)

        5.) Rhun Hir

        It is possible but highly debated whether Bridei I and his sister Domelch were children of Maelgwn. Their father is given as Máelchú, which is the Irish form of Maelgwn.

  9. LYSJ-8JQ FamilySearch.org