Caradog ap Meirion
Encyclopedia
Caradog ap Meirion was King of Gwynedd
(reigned 754? – 798). This era in the history of Gwynedd was not notable, and given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories of Wales
, such that as by Davies
, do not mention Caradog, while that of Lloyd
mentions his name only in a footnote quoting the year of his death in the Annales Cambriae
.
The year of Caradog's rise to the throne is an assumption based on the death of King Rhodri Molwynog
in 754, noted in the Annales Cambriae. As the records are quite sparse in this era, an intervening king or kings between Rhodri and Caradog is not precluded. The sole references to Caradog in the historical record are the appearance of his name in genealogies such as those in Jesus College MS. 20
, and the note of his death in 798 in the Annales Cambriae, which says that he was killed by the Saxons (ie, the Mercia
ns).
It was during Caradog's reign that the Welsh
church adopted the Catholic method of calculating Easter
through the efforts of Bishop Elfodd
in 768, thus removing an ecclesiastical point of contention. In 796 a battle occurred at Rhuddlan Marsh , but neither the combatants nor the outcome is given. According to Brut Aberpergwm, a purported medieval Welsh text which was accepted as such by the editors of the Myvyrian Archaiology but which is now known to be the work of Iolo Morganwg
, Caradog was slain in the 796 battle. Thomas Stephens was the first to doubt the text's authenticity and it is now known to be one of Iolo's many antiquarian forgeries.
The pedigree in Jesus College MS. 20 states that the later King Hywel
(reigned 816 – 825) was Caradog's son, while historical works such as that by Lloyd say that Hywel was the son of Caradog's predecessor and the brother of his successor, King Cynan
(reigned 798 – 816). Lloyd does not cite his sources for this assertion.
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
(reigned 754? – 798). This era in the history of Gwynedd was not notable, and given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, such that as by Davies
John Davies (historian)
John Davies is a Welsh historian, and a television and radio broadcaster.Davies was born in the Rhondda, Wales, and studied at both University College, Cardiff, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He is married with four children...
, do not mention Caradog, while that of Lloyd
John Edward Lloyd
Sir John Edward Lloyd , was a Welsh historian, the author of the first serious history of the country's formative years, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, 2 vols...
mentions his name only in a footnote quoting the year of his death in the Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae, or The Annals of Wales, is the name given to a complex of Cambro-Latin chronicles deriving ultimately from a text compiled from diverse sources at St David's in Dyfed, Wales, not later than the 10th century...
.
Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal
Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal was King of Gwynedd . This era in the history of Gwynedd was not notable, and given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories of Wales, such that as by Davies, do not mention Rhodri, while that of Lloyd mentions his name in passing only to quote the...
in 754, noted in the Annales Cambriae. As the records are quite sparse in this era, an intervening king or kings between Rhodri and Caradog is not precluded. The sole references to Caradog in the historical record are the appearance of his name in genealogies such as those in Jesus College MS. 20
Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
The genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 are a medieval Welsh collection of genealogies preserved in a single manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Jesus College, MS 20, folios 33r–41r...
, and the note of his death in 798 in the Annales Cambriae, which says that he was killed by the Saxons (ie, the Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
ns).
It was during Caradog's reign that the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
church adopted the Catholic method of calculating Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
through the efforts of Bishop Elfodd
Elfodd
Elfodd , also known as Elfoddw , was a Welsh bishop who induced the Welsh church to adopt the Roman method of determining the date of Easter....
in 768, thus removing an ecclesiastical point of contention. In 796 a battle occurred at Rhuddlan Marsh , but neither the combatants nor the outcome is given. According to Brut Aberpergwm, a purported medieval Welsh text which was accepted as such by the editors of the Myvyrian Archaiology but which is now known to be the work of Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
, Caradog was slain in the 796 battle. Thomas Stephens was the first to doubt the text's authenticity and it is now known to be one of Iolo's many antiquarian forgeries.
The pedigree in Jesus College MS. 20 states that the later King Hywel
Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog
Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog was King of Gwynedd . He rose to power following a destructive dynastic struggle in which he deposed his brother, King Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri . During Hywel's reign Gwynedd's power was largely confined to Anglesey...
(reigned 816 – 825) was Caradog's son, while historical works such as that by Lloyd say that Hywel was the son of Caradog's predecessor and the brother of his successor, King Cynan
Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri
Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri was King of Gwynedd . His reign was marked by a destructive dynastic power struggle with his brother Hywel, and is not otherwise notable....
(reigned 798 – 816). Lloyd does not cite his sources for this assertion.