View source for Cadfan ap Iago

{{Short description|King of Gwynedd from c. 616 to c. 625}}
{{distinguish|Saint Cadfan}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

'''Cadfan ap Iago''' (c. 569 – c. 625) was [[List of rulers of Gwynedd|King of Gwynedd]] (reigned c. 616 – c. 625). Little is known of the history of Gwynedd from this period, and information about Cadfan and his reign is minimal.<ref>{{Cite DNB |wstitle=Cadvan |author-first=Thomas Frederick |author-last=Tout |authorlink=Thomas Frederick Tout |page=190}}</ref>

The historical person is known only from his appearance in royal genealogies, from his grant to [[Beuno|Saint Beuno]] for the monastery at [[Clynnog Fawr]], and from his inscribed gravestone in [[St Cadwaladr's Church, Llangadwaladr]].

Cadfan was the son and successor of King [[Iago ap Beli]] and is listed in the royal genealogies of the [[Harleian genealogies]] and in [[Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20]].{{sfn|Phillimore|1888|pp=169–170}}{{efn|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 to [[Cunedda]] and his ancestors.}}{{sfn|Phillimore|1887|pp=87}}{{efn|Phillimore, 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.}} Cadfan came to the throne near the time of the [[Battle of Chester]] ({{langx|cy|Gwaith Caerlleon}}) in 616, in which the [[Northumbria]]ns under [[Æthelfrith]] decisively defeated the neighboring [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Kingdom of Powys]] and then massacred the monks of [[Bangor-on-Dee|Bangor Is Coed]]. However, there is no evidence that Gwynedd had any part in the battle,<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=181}}, ''A History of Wales'', Vol. I.</ref> so Cadfan's accession at that time appears to be no more than coincidence.

Cadfan was succeeded as king by his son, [[Cadwallon ap Cadfan]].

== Gravestone ==
Cadfan's gravestone is at [[Llangadwaladr]] ({{langx|en|Cadwaladr's Church}}) on [[Anglesey]], a short distance from the ancient ''[[Royal court|llys]]'' ({{langx|en|[[royal court]]}}) of the kings of Gwynedd, and reputed to be their royal burial ground. The inscription refers to him as ''sapientisimus'' ({{langx|en|most wise}}), and as this term is historically used for [[Ecclesiastical|ecclesiastics]], it suggests that at some point, Cadfan had resigned as king to live a [[consecrated life]].{{sfn|Chadwick|1959|pp=156}}{{efn|In the footnote. ''Sapientisimus'' here applied to him means simply, in the [[Latin]] of the period, a "highly learned man", and presumably, therefore, an ecclesiastic. Compare the epithet of [[Gildas]] (Gildas Sapiens), implying clerical status, not natural wisdom.}}

<div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">
Photographic image of the tombstone at [[St Cadwaladr's Church, Llangadwaladr]]

: [[File:Catamanus Stone, in Llangadwaladr church. November 2018.jpg|600px|centre|The Catamanus stone in Llangadwaladr church, 2018]]

Enhanced image: [[Image:Cadfan.JPG|600px|centre|King Cadfan's gravestone in Llangadwaladr church<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=182}}, ''A History of Wales'', Vol. I.</ref>]]

Inscribed {{circa|634 AD}}, {{langx|la|Catamanus rex sapientisimus opinatisimus omnium regum}}, in {{langx|en|King Cadfan, the Wisest and Most Renowned of All Kings}}.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=182}}, ''A History of Wales'', Vol. I.</ref>
</div>

== Saint Beuno ==
[[Beuno|Saint Beuno]] and the monastery at [[Clynnog Fawr]] are often cited in conjunction with Cadfan. An 1828 article by 
P. B. Williams in the ''[[Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion|Cymmrodorion]]'' cited a manuscript stating that a local prince named 'Gwytheint' gave Clynnog Fawr to God and Saint Beuno, who was then Abbot at the monastery at Clynnog, and that the donation was free from taxes and obligations forever. It goes on to say that Beuno founded a convent at Clynnog in 616 and that Cadfan was Beuno's great patron, promising him extensive lands. The promise was carried out by Cadfan's son, King [[Cadwallon ap Cadfan|Cadwallon]], and that Cadwallon was given a [[sceptre|golden sceptre]] worth 60 cows as a token of acknowledgment.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Williams|1828|pp=236}}, ''Clynog Vawr''</ref>{{efn|A consistent version is given in [[William Jenkins Rees]]' 1853, ''Lives of the Cambro-British Saints''}}{{sfn|Rees|1853|pp=300}} (''Life of Saint Beino'') (Rees was the editor of the 1828 ''Cymmrodorion'' that published P. B. Williams' account.)

There are minor variations of these accounts, sometimes with the details rearranged, such as in Rice Rees' 1836, ''Essay on the Welsh Saints'', where he says that Cadfan (rather than his son Cadwallon) was given the golden sceptre by Beuno.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Rees|1836|pp=268}}, ''Essay on the Welsh Saints''</ref>

== Fictionalization by and after Geoffrey of Monmouth ==
The largely fictional stories of ancient Britain written by [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] use the names of many historical personages as characters, and the use of these names is a literary convenience made in order to advance the plot of Geoffrey's stories. One of these stories uses the names of Cadfan and other contemporary people, telling of how a certain Edwin spent his exiled youth at the court of King Cadfan, growing up alongside Cadfan's son, the future King Cadwallon. There is no historical basis for this story, as is readily acknowledged in the preface of works on the subject.<ref>{{Citation |last=Menzies |first=Louisa L. J. |year=1864 |contribution=The Legend of Cadwallon |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S4svAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA167
|title=Legendary Tales of the Ancient Britons, Rehearsed from the early Chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth |publisher=John Russell Smith |publication-date=1864 |publication-place=London |pages=167–190}}</ref>

Nevertheless, a "traditional" story arose blending Geoffrey's fiction with known history, implying that the future King [[Edwin of Northumbria]] had actually spent his youth at the court of King Cadfan, growing up alongside Cadfan's son, the future King Cadwallon. In point of fact, Cadwallon and Edwin were enemies with no known youthful connections: King Edwin invaded Gwynedd and drove King Cadwallon into exile, and it would be Cadwallon, in alliance with [[Penda of Mercia]], who would ultimately defeat and kill Edwin in 633 at the [[Battle of Hatfield Chase]] ({{langx|cy|Gwaith Meigen}}). The story that they had spent an idyllic youth together may have had a romantic appeal.

What is known from history is that in 588 King [[Ælla of Deira]] died, and [[Æthelfrith|Æthelfrith of Bernicia]] took the opportunity to invade and conquer [[Deira]], driving Ælla's 3-year old infant son, the future [[Edwin of Northumbria]], into exile. Edwin would eventually ally himself with [[Rædwald of East Anglia]] in 616, defeating and killing Æthelfrith and becoming one of [[Northumbria]]'s most successful kings. Edwin's life in exile is unknown but there is no historical basis for placing him at the court of King Cadfan.<ref>{{Citation |last=Hunt |first=William |author-link=William Hunt (clergyman) |year=1899 |editor-last=Stephens |editor-first=W. R. W. |editor2-last=Hunt |editor2-first=William |editor2-link=William Hunt (clergyman) |title=The English Church: From Its Foundation to the Norman Conquest (597–1066) |volume=I |publisher=Macmillan and Co. |publication-date=1901 |publication-place=London |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PZhhAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA59}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Family tree of Welsh monarchs]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Citation |last=Chadwick |first=Nora K. |author-link=Nora Kershaw Chadwick |year=1959 |contribution=The Conversion of Northumbria: A Comparison of Sources |title=Celt and Saxon: Studies in the Early British Border |publisher=Cambridge University Press |publication-date=1963 |publication-place=Cambridge |page=138–166 |isbn=0-521-04602-5}}
* {{Citation |last=Davies |first=John |author-link=John Davies (historian) |title-link=A History of Wales (book) |year=1990 |title=A History of Wales |edition=First |publisher=Penguin Group |publication-date=1993 |publication-place=London |isbn=0-7139-9098-8}}
* {{Citation |last=Lloyd |first=John Edward |author-link=John Edward Lloyd |year=1911 |title=A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest |volume=I |edition=2nd |publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co. |publication-date=1912 |publication-place=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NYwNAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{Citation |year=1887 |editor-last=Phillimore |editor-first=Egerton |contribution=Pedigrees from Jesus College MS. 20 
|title=Y Cymmrodor |volume=VIII |publisher=Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |publication-date=1887 |pages=77–92 |url=https://archive.org/details/ycymmrodor08cymmuoft}}
* {{Citation |last=Phillimore |first=Egerton |year=1888 |editor-last=Phillimore |editor-first=Egerton |contribution=The Annales Cambriae and Old Welsh Genealogies, from Harleian MS. 3859 |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aFMrAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA141 |title=Y Cymmrodor |volume=IX |publisher=Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |publication-date=1888 
|pages=141–183}}
* {{Citation |last=Rees |first=Rice |author-link=Rice Rees |year=1836 |title=An Essay on the Welsh Saints |publisher=Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, Rees |publication-date=1836 |publication-place=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h4gOAAAAQAAJ}}
* {{Citation |last=Rees |first=William Jenkins |author-link=William Jenkins Rees |year=1853 |title=Lives of the Cambro-British Saints |publisher=William Rees |publication-date=1853 |publication-place=Llandovery |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PUGGAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{Citation |last=Rhys |first=John |author-link=John Rhys |year=1904 |title=Celtic Britain |edition=3rd |publisher=Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge |publication-date=1904 |publication-place=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DGsNAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{Citation |last=Williams |first=P. B. |year=1828 |editor-last=Rees |editor-first=William Jenkins |contribution=Historical Account of the Monasteries and Abbeys in Wales |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4EYFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA203 |title=Transactions of the Cymmrodorion |volume=II |id=Part 4 |publisher=Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |publication-date=1828 |publication-place=London |pages=203–262}}
* {{Citation |last=Williams |first=John |year=1844 |title=The Ecclesiastical Antiquities of the Cymry |publisher=W. J. Cleaver 
|publication-date=1844 |publication-place=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4hoDAAAAcAAJ}}
{{Refend}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Iago ap Beli]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of rulers of Gwynedd|King of Gwynedd]] |years = c. 616 – c. 625}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Cadwallon ap Cadfan]] }}
{{s-reg | leg }}
{{s-break}}
{{s-vac | reason = Interregnum | last = [[Keredic]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of legendary kings of Britain|King of Britain]] }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Cadwallon ap Cadfan]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{Wales topics}}
{{Geoffrey of Monmouth}}
{{Rulers of medieval Wales}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadfan ap Iago}}

[[Category:560s births]]
[[Category:620s deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Gwynedd]]
[[Category:7th-century Welsh monarchs]]