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Maelgwn Gwynedd (Latin:Maglocunus; died c. 547)[1] wasKing of Gwynedd during the early 6th century. Surviving records suggest he held a pre-eminent position among theBrythonic kings inWales and their allies in the "Old North" along theScottish coast. Maelgwn was a generous supporter ofChristianity, funding the foundation of churches throughout Wales and even far beyond the bounds of his own kingdom. Nonetheless, his principal legacy today is the scathing account of his behavior recorded inDe Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae byGildas, who considered Maelgwn a usurper and reprobate. The son ofCadwallon Lawhir ap Einion and great-grandson ofCunedda, Maelgwn was buried onYnys Seiriol (now known asPuffin Island in English), off the eastern tip ofAnglesey, having died of the "yellow plague", debated among historians as either the delayed arrival ofPlague of Justinian, or an extreme variant ofRelapsing fever which causesjaundice.
Maelgwn (IPA:/mɑːɨlgʊn/) in aMiddle Welsh name meaning "Princely Hound". Attested in Latin asMaglocunus in Gildas'De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, it derives from aCommon Brittonic form reconstructed as *Maglo-kunos, acompound composed of the root *maglo- (MW.mael) meaning "prince", attached to *cun- (cwn), an oldoblique case root of*cū (ci), meaning "hound, dog". As the word for "hound" was sometimes used as akenning for warriors in early Welsh poetry, the name may also be translated as 'Princely Warrior'.[2]
After thecollapse of Roman authority in Britain, north Wales was invaded and colonized byGaelic tribes fromIreland.[citation needed] The kingdom of Gwynedd began with the reconquest of the coast by northernBritons under the command of Maelgwn's great-grandfatherCunedda. Three generations later, Maelgwn's fatherCadwallon Lawhir ap Einion completed the process by destroying the last Irish settlements onAnglesey. Maelgwn was the first king to enjoy the fruits of his family's conquest and he is considered the founder of the medieval kingdom's royal family. He is thus most commonly referenced by appending the name of the kingdom to his own: Maelgwn Gwynedd.
By tradition, hisllys (English:royal court, literallyhall) was located atDeganwy, in theCreuddyn Peninsula ofRhos. Tradition also holds that he died at nearbyLlanrhos, and was buried there.[3] Other traditions say that he was buried atYnys Seiriol (English:Island of St. Seiriol, Puffin Island), off easternmostAnglesey. There are no historical records to confirm or deny these traditions.
Historical records of this early era are scant. Maelgwn appears in the royal genealogies of theHarleian genealogies,[4]Jesus College MS. 20,[5] andHengwrt MS. 202.[6] His death in a "great mortality" of 547 is noted in theAnnales Cambriae.[1] Tradition holds that he died of the "Yellow Plague" (dylyt melen[7]) ofRhos, but this is based on one of theTriads that was written much later. The record says only that it was a "great mortality", which followed the outbreak of the greatPlague of Justinian inConstantinople by a few years.
Maelgwn was a generous contributor to the cause ofChristianity throughoutWales. He made donations to support saintsBrynach inDyfed,Cadoc inGwynllwg,Cybi inAnglesey,Padarn inCeredigion, and Tydecho inPowys.[8] He is also associated with the foundation ofBangor, but hard evidence of this is lacking.[8] In his 1723Mona Antiqua Restaurata,Henry Rowlands asserts that Bangor was raised to anepiscopal see by Maelgwn in 550, but he provides no source for the assertion.[9]
The only contemporary information about the person is provided byGildas, who includes Maelgwn among the five British kings whom he condemns in allegorical terms in hisDe Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. He says Maelgwn held a regional pre-eminence among the other four kings, going on to say that he overthrew his maternal uncle (Latin:avunculus) to gain the throne; that he had taken up life as a monk but then returned to the secular world; that he had been married and divorced, then remarried to the widow of his nephew after being responsible for his nephew's death; and that he was tall.[10][11] Some historians[12] identifyOwain Danwyn as the overthrown uncle, but Gildas was fluent in Latin and would be more likely to have used a different word (Latin:patruus) if describing Maelgwn's father's brother Owain.
The evidence suggests that Maelgwn held a pre-eminent position over the regions ruled by the descendants ofCunedda, perhaps in the sense of a regionalhigh king. There is nothing to suggest that Maelgwn held sway over any larger area. Gildas says as much in his condemnation, saying he held a pre-eminence over the other four kings similarly condemned, and also describing him as the "dragon of the island",[13] where theIsle of Anglesey is the ancient stronghold of the kings of Gwynedd.
The fact that Maelgwn's donations to religious foundations are not restricted to the Kingdom of Gwynedd but are spread throughout northern and southern Wales in the regions where the descendants of Cunedda held sway implies that Maelgwn had a responsibility to those regions beyond the responsibilities of a king to his own kingdom.
While the context is not definitive,Taliesin also implies it, in hisMarwnad Rhun (English:Elegy of Rhun) that laments the death of Maelgwn's sonRhun, where he says that Rhun's death is "the fall of the court and girdle of Cunedda".[14]
In his workOn the Ruin and Conquest of Britain written c. 540,Gildas makes an allegorical condemnation of five British kings by likening them to the beasts of theBook of Revelation 13:2 — the lion, leopard, bear and dragon, with the dragon supreme among them.[15] He says that Maelgwn is the "dragon of the island", and goes on with a litany of moral accusations, in the process describing him almost as a regional high king over the other kings (the power-giving dragon of the Apocalypse). TheIsle of Anglesey was the base of power of the kings of Gwynedd, so describing Maelgwn as the "dragon of the island" is appropriate.[10][11][16]
Gildas restricts his attention to the kings of Gwynedd (Maelgwn),Dyfed (Vortiporius),Penllyn (probable, as its kingCuneglasus (Cynlas) appears in royal genealogies associated with the region),[17]Damnonia/Alt Clud orDumnonia (Constantine), and the unknown region associated with Caninus. Gwynedd is associated with the conquest of the Gaels byCunedda, while Alt Clud had a long and ongoing relationship with Gwynedd and its kings.
In the course of his condemnations, Gildas makes passing reference to the other beasts mentioned in the Apocalypse, such as the eagle, serpent, calf and wolf. The reason for Gildas' disaffection for these individuals is unknown. He was selective in his choice of kings, as he had no comments concerning the kings of the other British kingdoms that were thriving at the time, such asRheged,Gododdin,Elmet,Pengwern/Powys, or the kingdoms of modern-day southernEngland. That he chose only the kings associated with one king's pre-eminence (Maelgwn, the "dragon") suggests a reason other than his claim of moral outrage over personal depravity. Neither outrage nor a doctrinal dispute would seem to justify beginning the condemnation of the five kings with a personal attack against the mother of one of the kings, calling her an "unclean lioness".[18][19]
In theHistoria Brittonum,Nennius says that "the great king Mailcun reigned among the Britons, i.e., in Gwynedd". He adds that Maelgwn's ancestorCunedda arrived in Gwynedd 146 years before Maelgwn's reign, coming fromManaw Gododdin, and expelled theScots [i.e., theGaels] with great slaughter.[20][21]
Maelgwn appears once in theWelsh Triads: In the "Three Tribal Thrones of the Island of Britain", which describes three seats of power, each ruled by Arthur, Maelgwn is Arthur's Chief of Elders in Mynyw (St Davids). The pestilence that killed him also appears as one of the "Three Dreadful Pestilences of the Isle of Britain". It is described as the Yellow Plague ofRhos, originating from the carcasses of the dead.[22]
There is an incidental mention of Maelgwn in the songTo Maenwyn found in theRed Book of Hergest and attributed toLlywarch Hen. The steward (Welsh:maer) Maenwyn is encouraged to resist a command to surrender his post and show his fidelity to Maelgwn.[23][24]
In theBook of Llandaff, compiled c. 1125, Maelgwn Gwynedd is claimed to be one of the benefactors of theDiocese of Llandaff in its early years.[25] One of the specific places mentioned is at Louhai (Tintern parva, some six miles north ofChepstow), where Maelgwn is claimed as a secular witness to its donation.[26]
In theBlack Book of Carmarthen,Dormarch,Gwyn ap Nudd's favourite hound, is recorded as previously belonging to Maelgwn Gwynedd. This is significant in relation to the mythological role of his new master in theWild Hunt.[27]
As a famous king of the past, Maelgwn's name figures strongly in Welsh legend. It is used more often than most in questionable accounts of history and in genuine efforts at history that either invent fictions of their own or repeat the fictions of others as though they were true. Some of the most significant sources of misinformation about Maelgwn are:
Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th centurypseudohistoricalHistoria Regum Britanniae includes Maelgwn (Malgo) as a character in its account ofBritish history. It says thatSaint David was buried atSt Davids on the command of "Malgo, king of the Venedotians",[28] that Malgo addicted himself to sodomy,[29] and that he was succeeded by a certainCareticus.[30] It adds that Britain had groaned under the barbarians since the time of Malgo,[31] that Malgo was the fourth king of Britain afterArthur,[32] and that Malgo had two sons, Ennianus and Runo.[32]
Scholars contend that there is no authority for any of this except Geoffrey's fertile imagination. Historically,Rhun ap Maelgwn was Maelgwn's son and successor (though this may be the "Runo" Geoffrey refers to). Geoffrey appears to twistGildas' words to obtain his reference tosodomy. In his condemnation of 5 British kings in theDe Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, Gildas refers towine as "sodomitical" but never applies that word to any person.[33]
Once attributed toSaint Tysilio (died 640), theChronicle of the Kings of Britain was written c. 1500 as an amalgam of earlier versions of theBrut y Brenhinedd, a derivative of Geoffrey of Monmouth'sHistoria Regum Britanniae. Among its spurious claims is that Maelgwn Gwynedd came to the crown followingVortiper, that he was succeeded by a certain Caretig, that he was the fourth king of all Britain afterArthur, and that he had two sons, Einion and Rhun.[34]
Maelgwn Gwynedd is mentioned repeatedly in the spurious 18th centuryIolo Manuscripts ofIolo Morganwg. His three Chief Bards are named, and he is proclaimed King Paramount over the other kings.[35] A Maelgwn Hir of Llandaff is described, and said to be commonly mistaken for Maelgwn Gwynedd.[36]Taliesin is said to have been dispossessed of his property by Maelgwn, and so cursed him.[37] Saint Eurgain is said to be Maelgwn's daughter.[38]Saint Cwyllog, daughter of Caw Cawlwyd ofTwr Celyn, had been given lands by Maelgwn Gwynedd.[39] In "The Three Holy Families of the Isle of Britain", there is a story of Caw and his children who had been driven from their lands by the Gwyddelian Picts, and who then came to Wales and were given land in Anglesey by Maelgwn.[40] Without independent and reputable verification, the material found in theIolo Manuscripts is considered to be the product of Iolo's fertile imagination.
TheTale of Taliesin (Hanes Taliesin orYstoria Taliesin) is a genuine legendary story aboutTaliesin which is preserved in two principal redactions dating from the mid-16th century and the early 17th century but which probably derives from older sources.[41] It was first printed inLady Charlotte Guest's translation of theMabinogion: the notes to that edition are the work ofIolo Morganwg and contain inaccuracies and some of his inventions. The story itself tells of events where the Taliesin of legend is placed in difficult or impossible situations but invariably overcomes all obstacles, usually through feats of magic. Maelgwn Gwynedd is conspicuously depicted in a negative light, being foiled in unscrupulous actions of deceit and being outwitted.[42]
The historical Taliesin was actually a contemporary of Maelgwn Gwynedd's son and successorRhun. An elegy for Rhun, theMarwnad Rhun (English:Elegy of Rhun) was once attributed to Taliesin by some scholars.[43] but is now considered to be of later provenance and is no longer accepted as his work.[44] There is nothing to connect the historical Taliesin with Maelgwn Gwynedd, although references to the legend are found in medieval Welsh poems.[45]
According to the account ofJohn of Fordun'sChronicle of the Scottish Nation, written c. 1360, a certain "Maglo, King of the Britons" asks for aid from King Aydanus. There is nothing to link Maelgwn Gwynedd to the Pictish king, Fordun's claim notwithstanding. In the next section, Fordun says that later on it is "Cadwallo, King of the Britons" who is receiving aid from King Aydanus.[46]
This story is repeated uncritically in some later histories, and subsequently "Malgo the Briton" is mentioned inThomas Stephens' notes on an 1888 publication ofY Gododdin, with the stated suggestion that Maelgwn was an ally of "Aeddan" against thePictish kingBridei.[47] Fordun'sChronicle is given as one of Stephens' references.
Bridei (died c. 584) was the son of a certain Maelchon (or Melcho, or Maelchú inIrish records). Aside from having a similar name, there is nothing that connects the father of Bridei to Maelgwn Gwynedd.
Of those who have promoted a connection, perhaps the most notable person of late isJohn Morris in hisAge of Arthur, where he refers in passing and without authority, to "... Bridei, son of Maelgwn, the mighty king of north Wales, ...".[48] Though the book has been a commercial success, it is disparaged by historians as an unreliable source of "misleading and misguided" information.[49]
As a famous king of the past, Maelgwn has been associated with unsubstantiated but popular legends and stories throughout history. Modern authors have occasionally used his name as a character in fictional stories. These include the trilogies ofTraci Harding, Mary Gilgannon's historical novels, and a fantasy novel byNikolai Tolstoy.
His father wasCadwallon Lawhir and his motherMeddyf, a daughter of Maeldaf. He had a brother and nephew,[50] mentioned in Gildas'De Excidio, but they are unnamed. He is given various wives, including Nesta, Sanan (his nephew's wife) and Gwallwyn (possibly his cousin). It is also possible that he impregnated the Pictish princessWaelgush.
His children are variously given as:
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It is possible but highly debated whetherBridei I and his sister Domelch were children of Maelgwn. Their father is given as Máelchú,[51] which is the Irish form of Maelgwn.
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link); in Welsh{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Gwynedd c. 520 – c. 547 | Succeeded by |
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