Ffernfael ap Tewdwr facts for kids

Ffernfael ap Tewdwr was a king who lived in medieval Wales around the year 830 AD. He ruled over two small kingdoms called Buellt and Gwrtheyrnion. We don't know much about him. Most of what we know comes from an old book called Historia Brittonum. This book includes his family tree, showing he was a descendant of a famous ruler named Vortigern.

Life of Ffernfael

Ffernfael is mentioned in a very old book from the 800s called Historia Brittonum. This book tells us that he was the lord of Buellt and Gwrtheyrnion. It also traces his family back to important figures like Vortigern.

His name, Ffernfael, seems to mean "strong-ankles." The book includes his family tree, which lists many of his ancestors. This family tree connects him all the way back to a person named "Glou." Glou is said to be the legendary founder of the city of Gloucester.

Family Connections

Ffernfael is also mentioned in other old family records. These records are found in a collection called "Jesus College MS 20." They say that his cousin, Brawstudd, married a man named Arthfael Hen ap Rhys. Arthfael was a ruler from Morgannwg.

Arthfael was active around the year 800 AD. This suggests that Ffernfael was also active around that same time. A historian named Thomas Charles-Edwards believes Ffernfael was most active around 830 AD.

Why Ffernfael is Important

Even though we don't know much about Ffernfael, his family tree in the Historia Brittonum is very important. It gives us clues about who wrote the book and when it was written. The author of the Historia focused a lot on Ffernfael's family. They also mentioned many places in southwestern Wales.

This suggests that the person who wrote the book might have been from that area. However, they were writing the book in Gwynedd during the 800s.