Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd was an illegitimate son of Owain Gwynedd

Owain Gwynedd

Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...

, a Prince of the ancient Kingdom of Gwynedd

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...

, 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...

. He held the title "Lord of Meirionnydd

Merionethshire

Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...

". Before his father's death in 1169 he became implicated in the murder of a prince of Deheubarth and was deposed from his lands by his elder brother Hywel

Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd

Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd Wales Prince of Gwynedd in 1170, a Welsh poet and military leader. Hywel was the son of Owain Gwynedd, prince of Gwynedd, and an Irishwoman named Pyfog. In recognition of this, he was also known as Hywel ap Gwyddeles...

.

He supported his sons Gruffudd

Gruffudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd

Gruffudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd was the grandson of Owain Gwynedd a famous king of Gwynedd and ruler of most of Wales in the 12th century. The longer patronymic form of his name is usually used to distinguish him from the earlier and better-known Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd.He was born...

 and Maredudd

Maredudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd

Maredudd ap Cynan was the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, a king of Gwynedd and ruler of most of Wales in the 12th century.Maredudd is known to have fought alongside his brother Gruffudd against his uncle Hywel in 1170 and later fought on the side of his cousin Llywelyn ab Iorwerth between 1194–1197 in...

 in the palace coup against his father's chosen successor (Hywel

Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd

Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd Wales Prince of Gwynedd in 1170, a Welsh poet and military leader. Hywel was the son of Owain Gwynedd, prince of Gwynedd, and an Irishwoman named Pyfog. In recognition of this, he was also known as Hywel ap Gwyddeles...

) in 1170. After Hywel had been safely despatched he was driven into exile himself in 1173 by Gwynedd's new co-rulers Dafydd

Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd

Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd was Prince of Gwynedd from 1170 to 1195. For a time he ruled jointly with his brothers Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd....

 and Rhodri

Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd

Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd was prince of part of Gwynedd, one of the kingdoms of medieval Wales. He ruled from 1175 to 1195.On the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, fighting broke out among his nineteen sons over the division of his kingdom...

. After Cynan's death in 1174 his sons would come to support his nephew Llywelyn ab Iorwerth's successful bid for the throne in 1195.

External references

• The National Library of Wales