Ieuaf ab Idwal
Encyclopedia
Ieuaf ap Idwal was a king of part of Gwynedd
and possibly part of Powys (in what today is called Wales
).
Ieuaf was the son of Idwal Foel
. His real name was Idwal ab Idwal, but to prevent confusion with his father, he is referred to in the annals as Ieuaf (meaning Junior).
On his father's death in battle in 942 Ieuaf would have expected to succeed to the rule of Gwynedd together with his brother Iago ab Idwal
. However Howell the Good King of Deheubarth took the opportunity to invade Gwynedd and disposses the young princes.
On Howell's death in 950 Ieuaf and Iago were able to claim the throne of Gwynedd, defeating the sons of Howell in battle at Nant Carno and driving them out of Gwynedd. Fighting continued between the two dynasties, with Iago and Ieuaf raiding as far south as Dyfed
in 952 and the sons of Howell raiding as far north as the Conwy valley in 954 before being defeated in battle at Llanrwst
and chased back to Ceredigion
.
The sons of Idwal quarrelled and Iago took Ieuaf prisoner in 969, ruling Gwynedd alone until 979 when Ieuaf's son Hywel ap Ieuaf seized the throne from his uncle. According to J.E. Lloyd, Ieuaf remained in captivity until 988, which would imply that he was kept captive by his son.
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...
and possibly part of Powys (in what today is called 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...
).
Ieuaf was the son of Idwal Foel
Idwal Foel
Idwal Foel ap Anarawd was a King of Gwynedd, referred to as King of the Britons by William of Malmesbury in his Gesta Regum Anglorum. William spells his name as Judwalum in the original Latin ; the Annales Cambriae spell it Iudgual.Idwal inherited the throne of Gwynedd on the death of his...
. His real name was Idwal ab Idwal, but to prevent confusion with his father, he is referred to in the annals as Ieuaf (meaning Junior).
On his father's death in battle in 942 Ieuaf would have expected to succeed to the rule of Gwynedd together with his brother Iago ab Idwal
Iago ab Idwal
Not to be confused with Iago ab Idwal ap MeurigIago ab Idwal was a King of Gwynedd and possibly Powys, also referred to as "King of the Britons" by the Annals of Ulster....
. However Howell the Good King of Deheubarth took the opportunity to invade Gwynedd and disposses the young princes.
On Howell's death in 950 Ieuaf and Iago were able to claim the throne of Gwynedd, defeating the sons of Howell in battle at Nant Carno and driving them out of Gwynedd. Fighting continued between the two dynasties, with Iago and Ieuaf raiding as far south as Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
in 952 and the sons of Howell raiding as far north as the Conwy valley in 954 before being defeated in battle at Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
and chased back to Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
.
The sons of Idwal quarrelled and Iago took Ieuaf prisoner in 969, ruling Gwynedd alone until 979 when Ieuaf's son Hywel ap Ieuaf seized the throne from his uncle. According to J.E. Lloyd, Ieuaf remained in captivity until 988, which would imply that he was kept captive by his son.