Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal
Encyclopedia
Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal (Rhodri the Bald and Grey, son of Idwal) was King of Gwynedd
(reigned ? – 754). This era in the history of Gwynedd was not notable, and given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories of Wales
, such that as by Davies
, do not mention Rhodri, while that of Lloyd
mentions his name in passing only to quote the year of his death given in the Annales Cambriae
.
The only mention of him in the historical record is the note of his death, as King of the Britons
, in the Annales Cambriae, and the appearance of his name in genealogies such as those in Jesus College MS. 20
(as the son of "Idwal Iwrch son of Cadwaladr Fendigiad") and the Harleian genealogies
(as the son of "Tutgual son of Cadwaladr"). The Annales do not mention the death of an earlier king within a reasonable time frame, so the date that he became king is not known, nor is the name of his predecessor.
In 722 the Annales Cambriae mention a war in Cornwall
without giving the names of the individuals involved. The Brut y Saeson says that in 721 this was "an extensive war between Rhodri Molwynawg and the Saxons in Cornwall". This change to the historical record is traced to Brut Aberpergwm, a purported medieval Welsh text which was accepted as such by the editors of the Myvyrian Archaiology but which is now known to be the work of Iolo Morganwg
. Thomas Stephens was the first to doubt the text's authenticity and it is now known to be one of Iolo's many antiquarian forgeries.
Rotri has sometimes been misidentified as a ruler of Alt Clut
(modern Dumbarton Rock), the Brythonic
kingdom later known as Strathclyde.
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 ? – 754). This era in the history of Gwynedd was not notable, and given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories of 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...
, such that as by Davies
John Davies (historian)
John Davies is a Welsh historian, and a television and radio broadcaster.Davies was born in the Rhondda, Wales, and studied at both University College, Cardiff, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He is married with four children...
, do not mention Rhodri, while that of Lloyd
John Edward Lloyd
Sir John Edward Lloyd , was a Welsh historian, the author of the first serious history of the country's formative years, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, 2 vols...
mentions his name in passing only to quote the year of his death given in the Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae, or The Annals of Wales, is the name given to a complex of Cambro-Latin chronicles deriving ultimately from a text compiled from diverse sources at St David's in Dyfed, Wales, not later than the 10th century...
.
King of the Britons
The Britons or Brythons were the Celtic-speaking people of what is now England, Wales and southern Scotland, whose ethnic identity is today maintained by the Welsh, Cornish and Bretons...
, in the Annales Cambriae, and the appearance of his name in genealogies such as those in 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...
(as the son of "Idwal Iwrch son of Cadwaladr Fendigiad") and 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...
(as the son of "Tutgual son of Cadwaladr"). The Annales do not mention the death of an earlier king within a reasonable time frame, so the date that he became king is not known, nor is the name of his predecessor.
In 722 the Annales Cambriae mention a war in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
without giving the names of the individuals involved. The Brut y Saeson says that in 721 this was "an extensive war between Rhodri Molwynawg and the Saxons in Cornwall". This change to the historical record is traced to Brut Aberpergwm, a purported medieval Welsh text which was accepted as such by the editors of the Myvyrian Archaiology but which is now known to be the work of Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
. Thomas Stephens was the first to doubt the text's authenticity and it is now known to be one of Iolo's many antiquarian forgeries.
Rotri has sometimes been misidentified as a ruler of Alt Clut
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
(modern Dumbarton Rock), the Brythonic
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
kingdom later known as Strathclyde.