Cadel ap Cadeyrn (abt. 380 - bef. 470)

Born about 0380 in Roman Britain

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 0470 before about age 90 in Kingdom of Powys

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jack Day [send private message]

Biography

This profile may contain information for two separate individuals.

Biography according to Wolcott

No contemporaneous sources testify to the existence of Cadel. Therefore his existence is marked uncertain. Nevertheless, connections to family members shown in the data field are supported by ancient pedigrees.

Research Notes

Wolcott presents Cadel Ddyrnllwg as the son of Cadeyrn (350) ap Pasgen (315) ap Brydw (285) ap Rhuddfedel Frych (250) ap Cadeyrn (220) ap Gwrtheyrn ap Rydeyrn (185) in a discussion of Rhuddfedel's descendant Cadel Ddyrnllwg. ^[1]

Cadel Ddrynlwg is the subject of an essay by Wolcott in which he seeks to distinguish Cadel Ddyrnllwg from Cadel the son of Vortimer. ^[1]

Wolcott notes that Cadel first appears as Catel durnluc in the "Life of Germanus", which may be dated to 820 and was copied by Nennius into his "Historia Brittonum." The pedigrees then appear about 980 in the Harleian Ms 3859, one of the earliest pedigrees -- but still five centuries after the dates of those pedigreed. ^[1]

Using Wolcott's standard estimation of 30 or 35 years per generation, Cadell would have been born in, say, 380.

Prior Biography

380 Dating Cadell's Birth and the Historia Brittonum

Cadel is first mentioned in the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) written about the year 828, four or five centuries after Cadel is said to have lived. ^[2] Attributed to Nennius, the Historia is said to include a "Life of St. Germanus" written two decades earlier, and copied into the Historia, Cadel appears in the St. Germanus tale.

Because of the gap before anything was written, and the worldview of the first writer, any conclusions about Cadell and actual events are bound to include signifcant inference and speculation.

The Germanus Tale

In the Life of St. Germanus, St. Germanus of Auxerre visited Britain, probably for the second time in AD 447, to combat Pelagian views (opposition to the new dogma of Original Sin). Travelling into the Midlands, St. Germanus heard of the pagan Irish stronghold and, with his many followers, laid siege to the Powysian capital. ^[3]

Germanus' entrance to the city which is denied by its king Benlii, but a servant of the king offers him hospitality in his rural hovel outside the city walls. Germanus baptizes one city resident who is immediately executed by the king. Germanus tells his hospitable host to evacuate all family members from the city, which is about to be destroyed. That night, the Royal palace was struck by lightning. The resulting fire spread quickly and all within the city were burnt alive. ^[3]

The following day, Germanus baptizes the host who has offered him hospitality, along with his sons -- "and all the inhabitants of that part of the country; and St Germanus blessed him, saying, "a king shall not be wanting of thy seed for ever." The name of this host is Catel Drunluc: "from henceforward thou shalt be a king all the days of thy life." Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of the Psalmist: 'He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill.' and agreeably to the prediction of St. Germanus, from a servant he became a king: all his sons were kings, and from their offspring the whole country of Powys has been governed to this day." ^[2]

While discounting magical elements of the narrative, i.e. Germanus' ability to invoke fire from heaven to destroy the city, several elements contributing to historicity can be extraced:

• This episode occurred during Germanus' visit to Britain. Wolcott reports that St. Germanus visited Britain in 429 to combat the heresy being taught by the Pelagius sect, aware that such internal strife was folly at a time when the "uncivilized" hordes of Picts and Scots of the far north were attacking the Romanized and citified inhabitants of Britain. ^[4]
• Germanus' account mentions nine unnamed sons. To have such a family in about 430, he must have married by 410 and been born no later than 390. Wolcott estimates his birth as 380. ^[1]

Catel Durnluc, a Prince of Powys

Catel is identified as "Catel durnluc", a Prince of Powys, and his sons are identified as rulers of Powys. ^[2]

Citations in the 12th century "Bonedd y Saint", as copied by various 16th century men, render Catell's nickname as deyrnlluc, deyrnllwydd, dyrnlluc and dyrnllwch. ^[1]

Wolcott finds the meaning of the nickname directly in the Germanus account. The "Cadell" in Ninnius, like the biblical verse found in Psalms 113, was "raised out of the dust and set among princes"....an analogy the author used to describe a servant-boy who was elevated to kingship. Thus "deyrn", meaning "king or monarch", coupled with "llwch" meaning "dust". (the Welsh word-ending "ch" is phonetically identical to the word-endings "c" and "g", all three pronounced as a hard "k") ^[1]

Peter Bartrum and other scholars have favored the nickname "Ddyrnllug" which he and others have interpreted as meaning "gleaming hilt" -- with the Welsh "dwrn" meaning "hilt" and "lluch" meaning "gleaming". ^[5] Wolcott objects that both that these translations are incorrect, and that these words reflect poor transcriptions from the originals.

Cadell's Parents

Selemiaun: his mother

Wolcott notes that the second earliest source ^[6] refers to Cadell as "Cadel map Selemiaun".

In the year 980, some 160 years after the Historia"', Cadell was included in the Harleian Ms 3859 pedigrees as "Catel dunlurc" and "Catel map Selemiaun". ^[1]

It is not known who Selemiaun was. Wolcott prefers the suggestion that 'Selemiaun' was Cadell's mother and that she was so well-known when the pedigree was drafted that it was thought unnecessary to further identify her. ^[7]

Wolcott speculates that Cadell's mother, Selemiaun, "born c. 365, might have been a daughter of Selyf of Llydaw, father of King Aldroen. Llydaw was then the territory which lay west and north of the Dee....the northeastern part of today's Wales. During the lifetime of Cadell and after the Roman legions departed, Irish squatters had moved into parts of Wales and we think Benlli led such a group. About the year 430, Cadell attacked and burnt his fort (not fire from heaven called down by St. Germanus). We suggest he may have been asked to do so, and assisted, by his mother's family into whose lands Benlli had settled." ^[1]

Cadeyrn: his father

Wolcott observes that the Germanus tale was invented for a purpose. The purpose of the tale incorporated in the saint's Life was no more than standard hyperbole to make him look all-powerful.

In fact, Wolcott observes, "the historical Cadell, however, was neither a humble servant of evil King Benlli nor did St. Germanus have any role in making him a king. If Cadell was not already the king of his tribe when St. Germanus visited Britain, it was only because his father was still alive. ^[1] His family ruled the lands between Chester and the Severn before Cadell expelled the Irish usurper from his Clwydian fort and annexed the lands west of the Dee and east of the Clwyd to his adjacent kingdom. It is not known by what name his kingdom was called in Cadell's lifetime; we think it was not called Powys until his tribe merged with another to his south about AD 470. ^[1]

Wikipedia notes that Cadell appears to have been driven out of his father Cadeyrn's kingdom by Irish pirates during the chaos of the Saxon insurrection in Southern Britain. Cadell hid himself amongst the peasants of Powys and became a servant of the Irish chieftain, Benlli, hoping, one day, to find an opportunity to retrieve his inheritance. ^[3]

400 Cousin and Contemporary of Vortigern

Lines of Descent

Wolcott states that some early sources ^[8]make Cadell the grandson of Vortigern by mistaking two same-named men. The "Cadeyrn ap Gwrtheyrn" often called the father of Cadell was actually a paternal ancestor born c. 220. That Gwrtheyrn was born c. 185 and was NOT the one called Vortigern. We suspect he was, however, the ancestor of Vortigern, as shown below.^[1] #185 Gwrtheyrn ap Rydeyrn

1. 220 Cadeyrn ap Gwrtheyrn
2. 250 Rhuddfedel Frych ap Cadeyrn
3. 280 Gloyw Gwaillt Hir ap Rhuddfedel No ancestor of Vortigern earlier than Gloyw Gwallt Hir of c. 280 is cited by any credible source. [9] We suspect Gloyw occurs in a cousin line of Cadell.^[1]
4. 315 Guidolyn
5. 350 Gwydol
6. 385 Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu Vortigern also named sons Brydw and Pasgen, names found in what we think was a cousin line of the extended family.^[1] Wolcott also adds that Cadeyrn ap Vortigern was father to Cassanauth Wledig, the earliest known patriarch of the part of Powys south of the Severn River. While chronologically and geographically possible, such a relationship is not cited by any ancient source. ^[1] Vortigern did name a son Cadeyrn...just not the one who fathered Cadell.

Wolcott proposes a second line from the early Gwrtheyrn which leads to Cadel as Vortigern's third cousin:

1. 185 Gwrtheyrn ap Rydeyrn
2. 220 Cadeyrn ap Gwrtheyrn
3. 250 Rhuddfedel Frych ap Cadeyrn
4. 285 Brydw ap Rhuddfedel
5. 315 Pasgen
6. 350 Cadeyrn
7. 380 Cadell Ddyrnllwg

Wolcott notes that with such a construction, we now have Vortigern and Cadell as contemporaries. The dating of Vortigern is consistent with his being named "overking" of Britain in 425 and dying as an old man around the year 450. And our dating of Cadell allows the Cadell of Nunnius to have been the father of 9 children in 429 when he met St. Germanus. ^[1]

410 Departure of the Legions

If born, say, 380, Cadell would have been a young man of 30 in the year 410.

"When the Romans left the island shortly after the year 400, the "cities" of the eastern flatlands are said to have sought a man from Llydaw to head their central government." Wolcott thinks this Llydaw was located in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd and that the Brittany lands called Llydaw were named after it in the 4th century by men who had come from the Welsh territory. ^[4]

"We are told the king of that territory sent his younger brother Constantine to fill the role. Geoffrey of Monmouth claims that man died or was killed, leaving a son named Constans who was training for priesthood. " ^[9] We have previously suggested that cleric was actually Blessed Custinnen, son of Maxen Wledig. ^[10]

"The leading men from the cities elected this former "man of the cloth" as its new "emperor" or high-king but selected a council of experienced men to advise him. The early historians say one of these advisors was Gwrtheyrn, the man later called Vortigern."^[4]

Wolcott invites us to "suppose for a moment that another of these advisors was Cadell Ddrynllwg. The high-king either died or was killed about 425 and Vortigern succeeded him." ^[4]

"About 3 years later, Vortigern invited a small contingent of Saxons to settle on Thanet, a small island off the coast of Kent. Cadell may have been among those who opposed this. It was known that the tribes located across the English Channel were being hard-pressed by barbarian hordes coming from the east; once those people got a foot in the door in Britain, thousands more might follow. Once securely in control, Vortigern may have invaded Cadell's lands to topple him and end his opposition." ^[4]

429 Arrival of St. Germanus

"The feud may have been still occurring in 429 when St Germanus visited Britain to combat the heresy being taught by the Pelagius sect. Aware that such internal strife was folly at a time when the "uncivilized" hordes of Picts and Scots of the far north were attacking the Romanized and citified inhabitants of Britain, Germanus probably sought to broker a truce between Vortigern and Cadell. No doubt invoking the fires of hell on Vortigern (just as many contemporary Christian clerics do to keep their flocks obedient), the latter backed off and left Cadell to rule his own lands in peace. Of course, Ninnius related the incident as though Germanus was a kingmaker and Cadell a man never before even qualified to be a tribal leader. ^[4]

Marriage

Wikipedia reports that Cadell married Gwelfyl, one of the many daughters of King Brychan Brycheiniog. If this report has merit, it would reflect the assumption that Cadell was born about 430.. ^[3] No other sources report the name of a wife.

447 Reign in Powys

Lloyd reports that "after the death of Benlli Gawr, King of Teyrnllwg, St. Germanus anointed Cadell, the young man who had entertained him so hospitably, and made him King of Teyrnllwg, from which circumstance he received the name of Cadell Deyrnllwg, and from him Nennius states the Kings of Powys descend. This must have occurred either in 447 or 448, for in that later year, Germanus left Britain with the Roman legions and went to Ravenna, where he died July 25, 448. ^[11]

Wikipedia notes that it is unclear, where the kingdom's capital was at the time; tradition suggests the Clwydian hillfort Foel Fenlli, the 'Hill of Benlli', while archaeological evidence points to Caer Guricon (Wroxeter, Shropshire). The latter was occupied well into the 6th century, and an ancient memorial stone bearing the Irish name, Cunorix, has been discovered here. ^[3]

Wikipedia observes that as King of Powys from 447-460, Cadell was preceded by his father, Cadeyern Fendigaid and succeeded by Rhyddfedd Frych ^[3]

Death

Wolcott does not suggest a death date for this Cadell. Having estimated his birth about 380, however, Wolcott assumes Cadell was dead before 470.

Issue

Cadell had nine sons when he became King of Teyrnllwg. ^[11][2] The account of this tale found in Ninnius does not name any of the sons of Cadell. ^[1]

Different sources show overlapping series of named children

Wikipedia reports that Cadell and Gwelfyl had a number of children including his heir,

1. Cyngen Glodrydd, his heir. Named by Wikipedia. ^[3] Cyngen, King of Powys or Teyrnllwg. One of three children named by Lloyd based on the Harl. Ms. 4185 ^[11]
2. Tegid, the father of Gwynllyw; Named by Wikipedia. ^[3]
3. Gwynfyr Frych (possibly), Named by Wikipedia. ^[3] Gwynfyn Frych, Prince of Drewen or Whittington and Maelor. One of three children named by Lloyd based on the Harl. Ms. 4185 ^[11]
4. Ystradwel Named by Wikipedia. ^[3]
5. Ddewer. Named by Wikipedia. ^[3]
6. Iddig, the ancestor of Cywryd ab Cadvan, who bore argent three boards' heads couped sable, armed or and langued gules. One of three children named by Lloyd based on the Harl. Ms. 4185 ^[11]
7. Brydw, father of Thewer. Named by Boyer. "Thewer was Thewer ferch Brgdw ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (also known as Vortigern) who married Severa ferch Macsen Wledig, later maximum, Emperor of Rome, who died in 388, ap Gwidol ap Gwidolin ap Gloyw Wallt Hir. " ^[12]

Wolcott addss that Thewer ferch Brydw ap Cadell Ddyrnllwg, born c. 450 married Cassanauth (or Casnar) Wledig (c. 440) of Powys about the year 465 in a double wedding which united Ddyrnllwg with Powys. ^[13] Wolcott dates Cadell Ddyrnllwg's birth as 380, his son Brydw's birth as 415, and Brydw's daughter Thewer's (wife of Casnar Wledig) as, say, 450. ^[4]

470 After Cadell's Death, Kingdom of Powys

Wolcott speculates that after both Vortigern and Cadell were dead, the rising threat of the Saxons pushing westward seeking fertile land induced the two kingdoms to merge and present a united defensive front. Wolcott observes that the year 470 appears a likely date for the consolidation of two Powys families into one. Wolcott speculates that this occurred with two marriages in the third generation:^[4] Both Vortigern and Cadell have a son Brydw, and the two are often confused.

(Suggested birth year follows each name)

• Annan (455) ap Brydw (419) ap Vortigern (375) marries Maun (440) ferch Pasgen (410) ap Cadell Ddyrnllwg (380).^[4]
• Casnar (440) ap Cadeyrn (405) ap Vortigern (375), marries Thewer (455) ferch Brydw (420) ap Cadell Ddyrnllwg (380).^[4]

Research Notes

Was Cadell born in 430, the Grandson of Vortigern?

Welsh Genealogies MS 20 gives a descent of Casnar/Casanauth Wledic which presumes Cadell as the grandson of Vortigern/Gwrtheryn. ^[8]

This relationship is followed by the writings of Peter Bartrum, picked up by Jacob Lloyd, Carl Boyer III, and reflec ted in Wikipedia. The later Cadell is shown as a grandson of Vortigern.

Following Bartrum, Boyer refers to Cadell as a possible son of Cateryn ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (or Vortigern), who married Severa ferch Macsen Wledig, who was Maximus, Emperor of Rome, who died 388.^[14] Making Cadell a grandson of Vortigern would push his birth forward to, say, 420 or 430.

This version of Cadell's life is followed by Wikipedia. ^[3]

Carl Boyer takes this line of descent and adds suggested dates:^[14]

1. Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (or Vortigern), who married Severa ferch Macsen Wledig, who was Maximus, Emperor of Rome, who died 388. Severa's birth has been estimated as about 370.
2. Cateryn ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (or Vortigern), Estimate Cateryn's birth as 395.
3. Cadell Ddyrnllug, possible son of Cateryn ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (or Vortigern). Estimate Cadell's birth as 420
4. Cyngen Glodrydd, King of Powys, ap Cadell Ddyrnllug, possible son of Cateryn ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (or Vortigern), Estimate Cyngen's birth as 445.
5. Brochwel Ysgithrog ap Cyngen Glodrydd, King of Powys, ap Cadell Ddyrnllug, possible son of Cateryn ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (or Vortigern), Estimate Brochwel's birth as 470. Brochwel married Arddun, daughter of Pabo Post Prydyn ap Ceneu, whose birth Boyer estimates as 430.

Brydw. While Wolcott shows Brydw's ancestry as above, Boyer shows Brydw as the son of Gwrthjeyrn Gwrtheneu, also known as Vortigern. ^[12]

Thewer. Thewer was Thewer ferch Brgdw ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (also known as Vortigern) who married Severa ferch Macsen Wledig, later maximum, Emperor of Rome, who died in 388, ap Gwidol ap Gwidolin ap Gloyw Wallt Hir. ^[15]

Wolcott notes that "With this chart, we conjecture that Casnar (or Cassanauth) Wledig may have been a son of Caderyn ap Vortigern; his pedigree claims descent from Beli Mawr but contains no link from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. The marriage with Thewer ferch Brydw ap Cadell Ddyrnllwg is cited in Jesus College Ms 20, 16 while that of Annan ferch Brydw ap Vortigern with Maun ap Pasgen ap Cadell is merely inferred from the Pillar of Eliseg." ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15} Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies Catel Durnluc aka Cadell Ddyrnllwg Accessed 28 April 2020 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Nennius (attributed). Historia Britonum written about 828. Translation based on Rev. W. Gunn & J. A. Giles, Nennius's History of the Britons in Six Old English Chronicles (1848), pp.381. Catel Drunluc Accessed 28 April 2020 jhd
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11} Wikipedia: Cadell_Ddyrnllwg Accessed 4/14/2019 jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Ancient Powys. Accessed 4/12/2019 jhd
5. ↑ P.C. Bartrum, "A Welsh Classical Dictionary", 1993, page 74, Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Catel Durnluc aka Cadell Ddyrnllwg Accessed 4/14/2019 jhd
6. ↑ Harl Ms 3859, 27. Cited by Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies.Catel Durnluc aka Cadell Ddyrnllwg Accessed 4/14/2019 jhd
7. ↑ If Cadell's mother had been named Selyfiawn but spelled Selemiaun, she would have borne a female name wholly unique to the ancient pedigree sources. Cited by Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Catel Durnluc aka Cadell Ddyrnllwg Accessed 4/14/2019 jhd
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Jesus College Ms 20, 16 and 18. Cited by Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Catel Durnluc aka Cadell Ddyrnllwg Accessed 4/14/2019 jhd
9. ↑ The Constans of Geoffrey's story was a son of Constantine III who was killed with him in 411 Cited by Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Ancient Powys. Accessed 4/12/2019 jhd
10. ↑ Refer to the paper "Constans I and His 343 AD Visit to Britain" elsewhere on this site. Cited by Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Ancient Powys. Accessed 4/12/2019 jhd
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4} Jacob Lloyd. The History of Powys Fadog (T. Richards, London, 1881) Vol. 1, Page 8 Accessed 2/12/2019 jhd
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Thewer is the daughter of Brydw ap Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu, #3 on page 242.
13. ↑ Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Pedigree of the Royal Family of Powys (unpublished) JC Ms 20, 16 cites "the wife of Cassanauth Wledig was Thewer ferch Brydw ap Cadell Ddyrnllwg ap Cadeyrn" Accessed 3/25/2019 jhd
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Santa Clarita, California: Generally follows Bartrum. By the author, 2004. Pabo post Brydyn ap Ceneu ap Coel Hen, father in law of Brochwel Ysgithrog, is #3 on page 63.
15. ↑ Carl Boyer. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Generally follows Bartrum. By the author: Santa Clarita California, 2004. Page 161.