Cadwallon ap Cadfan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cadwallon ap Cadfan
Cadwallon ap Cadfan, from Peniarth 23C
King of Gwynedd
Reign	c.625 – 634 AD
Predecessor	Cadfan ap Iago
Successor	Cadfael Cadomedd
Died	634 AD (Battle of Heavenfield)
Issue	Cadwaladr
House	House of Gwynedd
Father	Cadfan ap Iago

Cadwallon ap Cadfan (died 634 AD) was a powerful king of Gwynedd, a kingdom in what is now Wales. He ruled from about 625 AD until his death in battle. Cadwallon is famous for being a British king who fought against the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. He even defeated and killed their king, Edwin.

After Edwin's death, Cadwallon controlled Northumbria for a short time. This made him one of the last traditional Celtic Britons to rule a large area in eastern Britain. The Britons saw him as a hero. However, the Anglo-Saxons of Northumbria remembered him as a harsh ruler.

Who Was King Cadwallon?

We don't know much for sure about Cadwallon's early life or how his rule began. Most of what we know comes from the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. This book was written by an Anglo-Saxon monk named Bede about a century after Cadwallon lived. Bede was not a fan of Cadwallon, so his writings are often critical.

Cadwallon is usually listed in the family trees of the Kings of Gwynedd. These records show him as the son of Cadfan ap Iago. He was also a descendant of earlier kings like Maelgwn Gwynedd and Cunedda.

Fighting Against King Edwin

Cadwallon's rule was greatly affected by the ambitions of Edwin. Edwin was the king of Northumbria and the most powerful king in Britain at the time. Bede wrote that Edwin conquered the British kingdom of Elmet (which is now part of Yorkshire). This opened up a path to the Irish Sea. Edwin then took control of the Isle of Man and Anglesey.

The Annales Cambriae, an old Welsh record, says that Cadwallon was surrounded at Glannauc in 629 AD. This place is now Puffin Island, a small island near Anglesey.

Old Welsh poems and stories, like the Welsh Triads, show Cadwallon as a brave leader fighting against Edwin. They mention a battle at Digoll (now called Long Mountain). These stories also say that Cadwallon spent time in Ireland before coming back to Britain to defeat Edwin.

Allies and Battles

Some stories, like those by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae, say that Cadwallon went to Ireland and then to the island of Guernsey. Geoffrey's book is mostly legendary, meaning it's more like a story than a factual history. He even says Cadwallon married a half-sister of Penda, the king of Mercia. However, we should be careful with Geoffrey's accounts, as they are not always accurate.

What we do know is that Cadwallon and King Penda of Mercia joined forces. They fought together against the Northumbrians. The Battle of Hatfield Chase happened on October 12, 633 AD. In this battle, King Edwin of Northumbria was defeated and killed, along with his son Osfrith.

After Edwin's death, Northumbria was in chaos. It split into two smaller kingdoms: Deira and Bernicia. But the war continued. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that "Cadwallon and Penda went and did for the whole land of Northumbria."

Bede wrote that Cadwallon was later surrounded by the new king of Deira, Osric. But Cadwallon suddenly attacked with all his forces. He defeated Osric and his army.

Cadwallon's Rule in Northumbria

According to Bede, Cadwallon ruled over the Northumbrian areas for about a year. Bede described him as a "rapacious and bloody tyrant," not a victorious king. Bede also claimed that Cadwallon, even though he was a Christian, was very cruel. He supposedly harmed women and children and wanted to get rid of all the English people in Britain.

However, Bede's very negative description of Cadwallon might not be entirely true. Cadwallon was allied with the Anglo-Saxon king Penda. This makes it unlikely that he wanted to wipe out all English people. Also, a generation later, a king of Wessex named Cædwalla of Wessex had a name that came from "Cadwallon." This suggests that Cadwallon's reputation wasn't as bad among all Anglo-Saxons as Bede made it seem.

The new king of Bernicia, Eanfrith, also tried to make peace with Cadwallon. But Cadwallon killed him too.

The Final Battle

Cadwallon was eventually defeated by an army led by Eanfrith's brother, Oswald. This happened at the Battle of Heavenfield. Even though Cadwallon had a very large army, Oswald's forces won. Cadwallon was killed at a place called "Denis's-brook."

See also

• Kings of Wales family trees