Iago ab Idwal

Iago ab Idwal Foel
A fanciful illustration of Iago ab Idwal Foel from the Historie of Cambria (1584)^[1]
King of Gwynedd
Reign	c. 950-979
Predecessor	Hywel Dda

Died	c. 979
Father	Idwal Foel

Iago ab Idwal (fl. 942-979) was a King of Gwynedd (reigned 950–979) and possibly Powys.^[2]

Iago was the son of the previous King Idwal Foel who had inherited the throne of Gwynedd on the death of his father Anarawd ap Rhodri in 916. Iago's paternal great grandparents were Rhodri Mawr, King of Gwynedd and Angharad ferch Meurig of Ceredigion. He had at least two brothers, Ieuaf ab Idwal Foel^[3] and Meurig ab Idwal Foel.^[4]

Idwal had allied himself with King Æthelstan of England upon the latter's accession in 924. Æthelstan died in 939 and was succeeded by his half-brother Edmund. In 942 Idwal, apparently fearing that the Saxons would support Hywel Dda in usurping him, launched a fatal attack on the Saxons in Wales along with his brother Elisedd. The Annales Cambriæ record that "Idwal and his brother Elisedd are killed in battle against the Saxons". The throne of Gwynedd should have passed to Iago and Ieuaf, but Hywel Dda invaded and drove them from the kingdom. He reigned for eight years before the brothers were able to return and reclaim their patrimony following his death in 950. They drove their cousins out of Gwynedd at the Battle of Carno and reclaimed the kingdom. Fighting continued, with the brothers raiding as far south as Dyfed in 952 and their cousins raiding as far north as the Conwy Valley in 954. The southern princes were finally defeated at the Battle of Llanrwst and chased back to Ceredigion.^[5]

Having won, the brothers then began to quarrel among themselves. Iago took Ieuaf prisoner in 969 (some sources claim he had him hanged)^[2] and ruled another decade, with a brief hiatus in 974 when his nephew Hywel ab Ieuaf invaded and deposed him. Hywel fully usurped him in 979. There appears to be no surviving record of Iago's fate, but his son Custennin Ddu, raided the Llŷn peninsula and Anglesey in 980 in conjunction with Gofraid mac Arailt, king of Man.^[2]

Children

Iago had at least one child,^[6]^[7] and Cystennin ap Iago, also known as Custennin Ddu.^[8]^[2]

Sources

Powel, David (1584). The historie of Cambria, now called Wales: a part of the most famous Yland of Brytaine, written in the Brytish language aboue two hundreth yeares past. Translated by Llwyd, Humphrey. London: Rafe Newberrie and Henrie Denham. IA historieofcambri00cara.

Rulers of medieval Wales

Territories/dates^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]	Powys		Dogfeiling	Gwynedd	Dunoding	Ceredigion	Ystrad Tywi	Dyfed	Brycheiniog	Glywysing	Gwent	Ergyng
400–600	Sub-Roman Britain
	Kingdom of Powys Gwrtheyrn Catigern Cadell Ddyrnllwg Rhuddfedel Frych Cyngen Glodrydd Brochwel Ysgithrog Cynan Garwyn Selyf ap Cynan Manwgan ap Selyf		Kingdom of Gwynedd				Kingdom of Dyfed Triffyn Farfog Aergol Lawhir Vortiporius		Brycheiniog Anlach mac Cormac Brychan	Glywysing Mor Solor Glywys Gwynllŵg Gwynllyw Cadoc	Kingdom of Gwent Ynyr Gwent Caradoc Vreichvras	Ergyng Peibio Clafrog Cynfyn Gwrfoddw Gwrgan Fawr
			Dogfeiling Dogfael ap Cunedda Wledig Elno ap Dogfael Glas ap Elno Elgud ap Glas ap Elno Elaeth ab Elgud Meurig ap Elaeth	House of Gwynedd Cunedda Wledig Einion Yrth ap Cunedda Cadwallon Lawhir Maelgwn Gwynedd Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn Beli ap Rhun Iago ap Beli Cadfan ap Iago Cadwallon ap Cadfan Cadafael Cadwaladr	Dunoding Dunod ap Cunedda Eifion ap Dunod Dingad ab Eifion Meurig ad Dingad Eifion ap Meurig Issac ap Eifion ap Meurig Pobien Hen ap Isaac Pobddelw ap Pobien Hen Eifion ap Pobddelw Brochwel ap Eifion Eigion ap Brochwel ab Eifion Ieuanawl ab Eigion Caradog ap Ieuanawl Bleiddud ap Caradog Cuhelyn ap Bleiddud	Kingdom of Ceredigion Ceredig ap Cunedda Usai ap Ceredig Serwyl ab Usai Boddw ap Serwyl Arthfoddw ap Boddw Athrwys ab Arthfoddw Clydog ab Athrwys			Brycheiniog Anlach mac Cormac Brychan		Kingdom of Gwent Ynyr Gwent Caradoc Vreichvras
600–613							Cloten Cathen ap Gwlyddein Cadwgan ap Caten Rhain ap Cadwgan			Tewdrig Meurig ap Tewdrig
613–642	Eluadd ap Glast (Eiludd Powys)
642–645	Manwgan ap Selyf Beli ab Eiludd Gwylog ap Beli Elisedd ap Gwylog Brochfael ab Elisedd Cadell ap Brochfael Cyngen ap Cadell
645–682										Athrwys ap Meurig Morgan ab Athrwys Ithel ap Morgan Meurig ab Ithel
682–740			Idwal Iwrch Rhodri Molwynog Caradog ap Meirion Cynan Dindaethwy Hywel ap Caradog
730–745						Seisyllwg Seisyll ap Clydog Arthen ap Seisyll Dyfnwallon ab Arthen Meurig ap Dyfnwallon Gwgon ap Meurig		Dyfed Tewdos (Tewdwr) Maredudd ap Tewdws Rhain ap Maredudd Owain ap Maredudd Triffyn ap Rhain Bleddri (Bledrig) Hyfaidd ap Bleddri Llywarch ap Hyfaidd Rhodri ap Hyfaidd Hywel Dda	Brycheiniog
745–825										Glywysing Rhys ab Ithel Rhodri ab Ithel Meurig ab Ithel Rhys ap Arthfael Hywel ap Rhys Owain ap Hywel	Gwent Brochfael ap Meurig Ffernfael ap Meurig Brochwel ap Meurig Arthfael ap Hywel Ithel ab Athrwys ap Ffernfael	Mercia
825–854			House of Aberffraw Merfyn Frych Rhodri Mawr
854–872	Rhodri Mawr
871–878	Rhodri Mawr					Rhodri Mawr
878–909	Powys Merfyn ap Rhodri Llywelyn ap Merfyn		Gwynedd Anarawd ap Rhodri			House of Dinefwr Cadell ap Rhodri
909–913						Deheubarth Hywel Dda
913–925												Kingdom of England Archenfield
916–930	Idwal Foel									Owain ap Hywel
930–942	Idwal Foel									Glywysing Gruffydd ab Owain Cadwgan ab Owain	Gwent Morgan Hen ab Owain
942–950	Hywel Dda									Glywysing Gruffydd ab Owain Cadwgan ab Owain	Gwent Morgan Hen ab Owain
950–986	Powys Owain ap Hywel Dda		Gwynedd Ieuaf Hywel ap Ieuaf Cadwallon ab Ieuaf			Deheubarth Owain ap Hywel Dda				Morgannwg Morgan Hen ab Owain Hywel ab Owain ap Morgan Hen Rhydderch ab Iestyn Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
988–999	Maredudd ab Owain
999–1022	Powys Llywelyn ap Seisyll		Gwynedd Cynan ap Hywel Aeddan ap Blegywryd			Deheubarth Rhain the Irishman Cadell ab Einion
1018–1023	Llywelyn ap Seisyll
1023–1033	Powys Rhydderch ab Iestyn		Gwynedd Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig			Deheubarth Rhydderch ab Iestyn Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
1033–1039	Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig Gruffudd ap Llywelyn					Deheubarth Rhydderch ab Iestyn Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
1045–1055	Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig Gruffudd ap Llywelyn					Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
1055–1063	Gruffudd ap Llywelyn
1063–1075	House of Mathrafal Bleddyn ap Cynfyn					Deheubarth Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin Rhys ab Owain Rhys ap Tewdwr				Glywysing Caradog ap Gruffudd	Gwent Cadwgan ap Meurig
1075–1081	Powys Iorwerth ap Bleddyn Cadwgan ap Bleddyn Owain ap Cadwgan Maredudd ap Bleddyn Madog ap Maredudd		Gwynedd Trahaearn ap Caradog							Morgannwg Caradog ap Gruffudd Iestyn ap Gwrgant
1081–1093			Gruffudd ap Cynan Owain Gwynedd Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
1088–1116						Norman occupation
1095–1160						Deheubarth Gruffydd ap Rhys Anarawd ap Gruffydd Cadell ap Gruffydd Maredudd ap Gruffydd Rhys ap Gruffydd Gruffydd ap Rhys II Maelgwn ap Rhys Rhys Gryg			Lordship of Brecknock	Lordship of Glamorgan
1160–1216	Powys Fadog Gruffydd Maelor I Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor Gruffydd II ap Madog Madog II ap Gruffydd Gruffudd Fychan I	Powys Wenwynwyn Owain Cyfeiliog Gwenwynwyn
1216–1241		Principality of Wales Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
1241–1283		Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn	Dafydd ap Llywelyn Owain Goch ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Dafydd ap Gruffudd
1283–1287	(English conquest of Wales)
1535–1542	Laws in Wales Acts
^ Powell 1584, p. 59. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Thornton, David E. (23 September 2004). Iago ab Idwal Foel (d. c. 979), king of Gwynedd. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. ^ "IEUAF (or IDWAL) ab IDWAL FOEL (died 985), joint king of Gwynedd \| Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 29 April 2025. ^ "MEURIG ab IDWAL FOEL (died 986), nobleman of Gwynedd \| Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 29 April 2025. ^ John Edward Lloyd (1911). A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. Longmans, Green & Co. ^ Thornton, David E. (23 September 2004). Hywel ab Ieuaf (d. 985), king of Gwynedd. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. ^ "HYWEL ap IEUAF (died 985), king of Gwynedd \| Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 29 April 2025. ^ "IAGO ab IDWAL FOEL (fl. 942-979), king of Gwynedd \| Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 29 April 2025. ^ Rulers with names in italics are considered fictional ^ Bartrum, Peter Clement (1993). A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend Up to about A.D. 1000. National Library of Wales. ISBN 0907158730. ^ biography.wales (Dictionary of Welsh Biography) ^ Davies, John (1994). A History of Wales. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140145816. ^ Encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6. ^ Lloyd, John Edward (1912). A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest. Longmans, Green, and Co. ^ Turvey, Roger (2010). Twenty-One Welsh Princes. Conwy: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 9781845272692.

Children

Sources

References