Beli ap Rhun
Encyclopedia
Beli ap Rhun was King of Gwynedd
(reigned c. 586 – c. 599). Nothing is known of the person, and his name is known only from Welsh
genealogies, which confirm that he had at least two sons. He succeeded his father Rhun ap Maelgwn as king, and was in turn succeeded by his son Iago
. Beli was the either the father or grandfather of Saint Edeyrn.
The royal genealogies of the Harleian genealogies
, Jesus College MS. 20
, and Hengwrt MS. 202 show him as the ancestor and descendant of kings, and thus presumably a king himself. The Bonedd y Saint
(Descent of the Saints) says that he is the ancestor of Saint Edeyrn (the Bonedd y Saint says that he was the son of Nudd or Lludd who was the son of Beli, while Hengwrt MS. 202 says that he was the son of Beli).
One of the medieval Welsh Triads
mentions a certain 'Rhun ap Beli', implying that there was yet another son of Beli, who was famed for his military exploits. The name is repeated elsewhere in medieval poetry, such as in Hywel Foel
's (fl. c. 1240 – 1300) awdl
lamenting the capture and imprisonment of Owain ap Gruffudd
, where he likens Owain to Rhun: "Who if free, like Rhun the son of Beli, Would not let Lloegria burn his borders". There is no confirming evidence that such a person existed, and it is contradicted by records such as the royal genealogies. Scholars such as Thomas Stephens have concluded that this is a mistake, and that the intended person was someone else.
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 c. 586 – c. 599). Nothing is known of the person, and his name is known only from 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...
genealogies, which confirm that he had at least two sons. He succeeded his father Rhun ap Maelgwn as king, and was in turn succeeded by his son Iago
Iago ap Beli
Iago ap Beli was King of Gwynedd . Little is known of him or his kingdom from this early era, with only a few anecdotal mentions of him in historical documents....
. Beli was the either the father or grandfather of Saint Edeyrn.
The royal genealogies of the Harleian genealogies
Harleian genealogies
The Harleian genealogies are a collection of Old Welsh genealogies preserved in British Library, Harleian MS 3859. Part of the Harleian Collection, the manuscript, which also contains the Annales Cambriae and a version of the Historia Brittonum, has been dated to c. 1100, although a date of c.1200...
, 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 Hengwrt MS. 202 show him as the ancestor and descendant of kings, and thus presumably a king himself. The Bonedd y Saint
Bonedd y Saint
The Bonedd y Saint is a Welsh genealogical tract detailing the lineages of the early Brythonic saints. There are a number of different manuscripts in existence dating from the early 13th to the late 17th century, although the material is much older in origin.-External links:***...
(Descent of the Saints) says that he is the ancestor of Saint Edeyrn (the Bonedd y Saint says that he was the son of Nudd or Lludd who was the son of Beli, while Hengwrt MS. 202 says that he was the son of Beli).
One of the medieval Welsh Triads
Welsh Triads
The Welsh Triads are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
mentions a certain 'Rhun ap Beli', implying that there was yet another son of Beli, who was famed for his military exploits. The name is repeated elsewhere in medieval poetry, such as in Hywel Foel
Hywel Foel ap Griffri ap Pwyll Wyddel
Hywel Foel ap Griffri ap Pwyll Wyddel was a Welsh language court poet.Hywel Foel’s only surviving work is an awdl which laments the capture and imprisonment of Owain ap Gruffudd at Dolbadarn Castle...
's (fl. c. 1240 – 1300) awdl
Awdl
An awdl is a long poem written in Welsh in one of the twenty-four strict metres, using cynghanedd. Such poems are considered among the finest work that a poet can aim to produce, and prizes are given at eisteddfodau for the best awdl....
lamenting the capture and imprisonment of Owain ap Gruffudd
Owain Goch ap Gruffydd
Owain ap Gruffudd, , , was brother to Llywelyn the Last and Dafydd ap Gruffudd and, for a brief period in the late 1240s and early 1250s, ruler of part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd .- Lineage :Owain was the eldest son of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and the grandson of Llywelyn the Great...
, where he likens Owain to Rhun: "Who if free, like Rhun the son of Beli, Would not let Lloegria burn his borders". There is no confirming evidence that such a person existed, and it is contradicted by records such as the royal genealogies. Scholars such as Thomas Stephens have concluded that this is a mistake, and that the intended person was someone else.