Beli ap Rhun (c. 517 – c. 599) wasKing of Gwynedd (reigned c. 586 – c. 599). Nothing is known of the person, and his name is known only fromWelsh genealogies, which confirm that he had at least two sons. He succeeded his fatherRhun Hir ap Maelgwn as king, and was in turn succeeded by his sonIago. Beli was either the father or grandfather ofSaint Edeyrn.
The royal genealogies of theHarleian genealogies,[1]Jesus College MS. 20,[2] andHengwrt MS. 202[3] show him as the ancestor and descendant of kings, and thus presumably a king himself. TheBonedd y Saint (English:Descent of the Saints) says that he is the ancestor of Saint Edeyrn (theBonedd y Saint says that he was the son of Nudd or Lludd who was the son of Beli,[4] whileHengwrt MS. 202 says that he was the son of Beli[5]).
One of the medievalWelsh Triads mentions a certain "Rhun ap Beli",[6][7] 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 inHywel Foel's (fl. c. 1240 – 1300)awdl lamenting the capture and imprisonment ofOwain ap Gruffudd, where he likens Owain to Rhun: "Who if free, like Rhun the son of Beli, Would not let Lloegria burn his borders".[8] There is no confirming evidence that such a person existed, and it is contradicted by records such as the royal genealogies. Scholars such asThomas Stephens have concluded that this is a mistake,[8] and that the intended person was someone else.
^Phillimore 1888:169–170 – the pedigree is given as:... map Rotri map mermin map etthil merch cinnan map rotri map Intguaul map Catgualart map Catgollaun map Catman map Iacob map Beli map Run ..., and from there back toCunedda and his ancestors.
^Phillimore 1887:87 – the pedigree is given as... Cynan tintaeth6y. M. Rodri mol6yna6c. M. Idwal I6rch. M. Kadwaladyr vendigeit. M. Katwalla6n. M. Kad6ga6n. M. Iago. M. Beli. M. Run hir. M. Maelg6n g6yned ..., and from there back to Cunedda.
^Phillimore 1886:133 – katwaladyr vendigeit ap katwalla6n ap katwan ap iago ap beli ap run ap maelg6n g6yned ap einion wwr ap pabo post prydein.
^Parry 1821:201 – Edeyrn, the son of Nudd, or Lludd, ab Beli ab Rhun ab Maelgwn Gwynedd ab Caswallon Law Hir ab Einion Yrth ab Cunedda.
^Phillimore 1886:133 – Edern ap beli ap run ap maelg6n g6yned ap katwalla6n lla6ir ap einion yrth ap kuneda wledic.