Elisedd ap Gwylog
Encyclopedia
Elisedd ap Gwylog also known as Elise, was king of Powys in eastern Wales
.
Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was a descendant of Brochwel Ysgithrog
. He appears to have reclaimed the territory of Powys after it had been overrun by the English. His great-grandson, Cyngen ap Cadell
erected a column in his memory which stands not far from the later abbey of Valle Crucis
. This is known as the Pillar of Eliseg
, but the form Eliseg which appears on the column is thought to be a mistake by the carver of the inscription.
The Latin inscription on the pillar is now very hard to read, but was apparently clearer in the time of Edward Lhuyd
who transcribed it. The translation of the part of the inscription referring to Elisedd is as follows:
Some old poems refer to Elisedd and assert he had a "special crown, a chain of twisted gold links, and armlets and anklets of gold which were the badges of sovereignty of Powys". These artifacts have disappeared from history but perhaps resurfaced briefly during the coronation of Owain Glyndŵr
in 1400.
Elisedd was succeeded by his son Brochfael.
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...
.
Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was a descendant of Brochwel Ysgithrog
Brochwel Ysgithrog
Brochwel ap Cyngen , better known as Brochwel Ysgrithrog, was a king of Powys in Eastern Wales. The unusual nickname Ysgithrog has been translated as ‘of the canine teeth’, ‘the fanged’ or ‘of the tusk’ .-Family:Brochwel was the son of King Cyngen Glodrydd and his wife St...
. He appears to have reclaimed the territory of Powys after it had been overrun by the English. His great-grandson, Cyngen ap Cadell
Cyngen ap Cadell
Cyngen ap Cadell was a king of Powys in eastern Wales.-Biography:Cyngen was of the line of Brochwel Ysgithrog and after a long reign as king of Powys went on a pilgrimage to Rome and died there in 855...
erected a column in his memory which stands not far from the later abbey of Valle Crucis
Valle Crucis
-Places:United Kingdom*Valle Crucis Abbey, WalesUnited States*Valle Crucis, North Carolina, an unincorporated community*Valle Crucis Episcopal Mission, North Carolina...
. This is known as the Pillar of Eliseg
Pillar of Eliseg
The Pillar of Eliseg also known as Elise's Pillar or Croes Elisedd in Welsh, stands near Valle Crucis Abbey, Denbighshire, Wales, at . It was erected by Cyngen ap Cadell , king of Powys in honour of his great-grandfather Elisedd ap Gwylog...
, but the form Eliseg which appears on the column is thought to be a mistake by the carver of the inscription.
The Latin inscription on the pillar is now very hard to read, but was apparently clearer in the time of Edward Lhuyd
Edward Lhuyd
Edward Lhuyd was a Welsh naturalist, botanist, linguist, geographer and antiquary. He is also known by the Latinized form of his name, Eduardus Luidius....
who transcribed it. The translation of the part of the inscription referring to Elisedd is as follows:
- + Concenn son of Catell, Catell son of Brochmail, Brochmail son of Eliseg, Eliseg son of Guoillauc.
- + And that Concenn, great-grandson of Eliseg, erected this stone for his great-grandfather Eliseg.
- + The same Eliseg, who joined together the inheritance of Powys . . . out of the power of the Angles with his sword and with fire.
- + Whosoever repeats the writing, let him give a blessing on the soul of Eliseg.
Some old poems refer to Elisedd and assert he had a "special crown, a chain of twisted gold links, and armlets and anklets of gold which were the badges of sovereignty of Powys". These artifacts have disappeared from history but perhaps resurfaced briefly during the coronation of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
in 1400.
Elisedd was succeeded by his son Brochfael.