House of Gwynedd
Encyclopedia
The House of Gwynedd is the name given to the old royal house of the Kingdom of Gwynedd
. Technically it is divided between the earlier House of Cunedda which lasted from c.420
-825
and the later House of Aberffraw beginning in 844
. They are so named after the founding king of Gwynedd; Cunedda
, and the old capital of Gwynedd; Aberffraw
. The House of Aberffraw is believed by many to have become extinct on the death of Owain Lawgoch
in 1378.
Under the laws
of Hywel Dda
, which were adapted from the much earlier pagan Molmutine Laws
, any son can inherit from his father. This refers even to illegitimate sons if they are acknowledged by their father while he still lives. The throne cannot be inherited through the female line, unless her father was royal and so was the ancestry of her spouse. In many examples cousins were inter-married which made the distinction somewhat academic.
The House of Aberffraw began with the accession of Rhodri Mawr to the throne of Gwynedd. His father Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad
had seized the throne of Gwynedd on the death of the last of the old royal line Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog
. He had married the former king's niece Ethyllt verch Cynan ap Rhodri Molwynog and their son, thus uniting both lines, was Rhodri Mawr.
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...
. Technically it is divided between the earlier House of Cunedda which lasted from c.420
420
Year 420 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius and Constantius...
-825
825
Year 825 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Egbert of Wessex defeats Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellandun. Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex submit to Wessex and East Anglia acknowledges Egbert as overlord.* Emperor Louis the Pious of the Franks wars against the Wends...
and the later House of Aberffraw beginning in 844
844
Year 844 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Rhodri Mawr becomes king of Gwynedd....
. They are so named after the founding king of Gwynedd; Cunedda
Cunedda
Cunedda ap Edern , was an important early Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the royal dynasty of Gwynedd.-Background and life:The name Cunedda derives from the Brythonic word , meaning good hound. His genealogy is traced back to Padarn Beisrudd, which literally translates as Paternus of the...
, and the old capital of Gwynedd; Aberffraw
Aberffraw
Aberffraw is a small village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey , in Wales, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan. In the early Middle Ages Aberffraw was the...
. The House of Aberffraw is believed by many to have become extinct on the death of Owain Lawgoch
Owain Lawgoch
Owain Lawgoch, , full name Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri , was a Welsh soldier who served in Spain, France, Alsace and Switzerland. He led a Free Company fighting for the French against the English in the Hundred Years' War...
in 1378.
Under the laws
Welsh law
Welsh law was the system of law practised in Wales before the 16th century. According to tradition it was first codified by Hywel Dda during the period between 942 and 950 when he was king of most of Wales; as such it is usually called Cyfraith Hywel, the Law of Hywel, in Welsh...
of Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...
, which were adapted from the much earlier pagan Molmutine Laws
Molmutine Laws
The Molmutine Laws were established in Britain by King Dunvallo Molmutius , according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. Dyfnwal Moelmud is referred to in Welsh tradition, predating Geoffrey's work, as a lawmaker but there are no native sources for Geoffrey's elaboration of that tradition.One of the...
, any son can inherit from his father. This refers even to illegitimate sons if they are acknowledged by their father while he still lives. The throne cannot be inherited through the female line, unless her father was royal and so was the ancestry of her spouse. In many examples cousins were inter-married which made the distinction somewhat academic.
The House of Aberffraw began with the accession of Rhodri Mawr to the throne of Gwynedd. His father Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad
Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad
Merfyn Frych was King of Gwynedd , the first king not descended from the male line of Maelgwn Gwynedd. Little is known of his reign, and his primary notability is as the father of Rhodri the Great...
had seized the throne of Gwynedd on the death of the last of the old royal line Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog
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...
. He had married the former king's niece Ethyllt verch Cynan ap Rhodri Molwynog and their son, thus uniting both lines, was Rhodri Mawr.