Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri
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Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri (English: Cynan of Dindaethwy, son of Rhodri) was King of
Gwynedd (reigned 798 – 816). His reign was marked by a destructive dynastic power struggle with his brother
Hywel, and is not otherwise notable.
The descriptive appellation '
Dindaethwy' refers to the cwmwd (English:
commote) of that name in the
cantref of
Rhosyr, and the location of Cynan's llys (English:
royal court) at
Llanfaes on the southeastern coast of
Anglesey.
Cynan was the son of
Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal and ascended to the throne of Gwynedd after the death of King
Caradog ap Meirion in 798. Cynan and Hywel are said to be brothers in historical works such as
Lloyd's History of Wales, which does not cite its source.
Sources such as the
Annales Cambriae mention them by name only.
The
genealogy of Jesus College MS. 20 gives Hywel as the son of
Caradog ap Meirion,
while it gives Cynan as the son of Rhodri Molwynog,
as does the
Harleian genealogies.
A general map of Gwynedd showing the
cantrefi.
There is no historical record of Cynan's early years as king, but his reign ended in a combination of natural disasters and military reverses. In 810 there was a bovine plague that killed many cattle throughout Wales. The next year
Deganwy, the ancient fortified llys of
Maelgwn Gwynedd and built of wood, was struck by lightning.
A destructive war between Cynan and Hywel raged on
Anglesey between 812 and 816, ultimately ending with Cynan's defeat and banishment. He would die in exile within a year, the
Annales Cambriae noting that King Cynan had died, as do the Irish Annals.
In 817, after Cynan's death, there was a notable battle at his llys at Llanfaes on Anglesey.
The combatants are not identified.