Casnar Wledig (abt. 440)

Born about 0440 in Kingdom of Powys, Wales

Descendants

Died [date unknown] in Kingdom of Powys, Wales

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

Biography

Mabinogion

The earliest references to Casnar appear in three books of the Mabinogion in which his title is translated as "Prince Casnar" or "Casnar the Ruler". No information appears about him other than his name and his son:

• Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, named as father of Gloyw. Bartrum notes that Casnar " appears in the Mabinogi branch of ‘Pwyll’ as the father of Gloyw Wallt Lydan (WM 38, RM 25),^[1]
• Culhwch and Olwen, named as father of Llary. Bartrum notes that Casnar appears "in the tale of ‘Culhwch and Olwen’ as the father of Llary (WM 462, RM 107). ^[1]
• The Dream of Rhonabwy, named as father of Llara. In ‘Rhonabwy's Dream’ he appears as Kasnat Wledic, the father of Llara (RM 160). ^[1]

Casnar came to be used as a synonym for ‘famous warrior’, ‘proud warlike man’. It appears as if Casnar was proverbial for his delight in war. (Ifor Williams in Armes Prydein, 1955, p.11). ^[1]

Otherwise Casnar appears only in the genealogies as the father of Llary and ancestor of Tegonwy ap Teon, whose descendants were in Powys and Rhwng Gwy a Hafren (MG 3, ABT 1b, 8g, etc. in EWGT pp.39, 96, etc.); also as ancestor of St.Mechyll in Bonedd y Saint (§49 in EWGT p.62). ^[1]

In the capacity of ancestor he is mentioned occasionally by the poets, but they give no information about him, except that he was a famous hero.. ^[1]

Because no contempoary evidence for Casnar has been found, his existence must be considered legendary.

Issue

Casnar is named, in different spots of the Mabinogion as the father of two sons:

Llary

See Llary's own profile.

Otherwise, Bartram notes, Casnar appears only in the genealogies as the father of Llary and ancestor of Tegonwy ap Teon, whose descendants were in Powys and Rhwng Gwy a Hafren ["Between the Wye and the Severn"] (MG 3, ABT 1b, 8g, etc. in EWGT pp.39, 96, etc.); also as ancestor of St.Mechyll in Bonedd y Saint (§49 in EWGT p.62).

Gloyw Wallt.

"Prince Casnar, one of the nobles of this island," is named in the Mabinogion as the father of Gloyw Wallt Lydan, the father in turn of Gwynn Gohoyw, the father of Kicva, chosen as wife by Pryderi, the son of Pwyll the Chief of Annwyvn, and ruler of the seven Cantrevs of Dyved. ^[2]

Wolcott sources Pryderi to the Mabinogan tale "Pylll Lord of Dyfad" noting that the tales was never meant to be historical. ^[3]

In a footnote, Wolcott states that Pen. 128, 66 calls him "Gwynn gohoyw ap Gloyw gwlad lydan ap Llarf ap Kassnar wldeic"; our reconstruction of the timeline for this family suggests that the Mabinogion tale errs in omitting "Llara" as the father of Gloyw.

Research Notes

Birth Year Estimation

Bartrum assigns the year 500 to Casnar. ^[1]

Wolcott dates Casnar's birth as, say, 440, his possible father Cadeyrn's birth as 415, and his possible grandfather Vortigern's birth as 385. ^[4] Boyer estimates Casnar Wledig's birth as, say, 400. ^[5]

Wolcott notes that Pryderi married a daughter of Gwyn ap Gloyw ap Casnar, an historical man born c. 540. ^[3]

Were Casnar Wledig and Casanauth Wledig the same person?

Bartrum suggests that Casanauth is "perhaps the same as Casnar Wledig who is called Kasnat Wledic in the tale of ‘Rhonabwy's Dream’ (RM 160)." However, Bartrum in the same writing gives Casanauth a suggested yar of 430 while Casnar receives the year of 500. ^[1]

Bartrum notes that the name Casanauth "appears only in a genealogy in Jesus College MS.20 (JC 16 in EWGT p.46), at the head of a line of princes, probably of a part of Powys. His wife is given as Thewer ferch Bredoe ap Cadell Ddyrnllug (probably recte Brydw ap Gwrtheyrn). ^[1]

Wolcott states that extant sources refer to the family patriarch as both "Casnar Wledig" and "Cassanauth Wledig" ^[3]

Boyer also notes that Casnar Wledig was said to be perhaps the same as Casanauth Wledig. ^[6] Boyer joins in merging Casnar and Casanauth by making Thewer the mother of Casnar's children. ^[7]

Casanauth Wledig is further dicussed on the profile for his wife, Thewer ferch Brydw.

Was Casnar the son of Cadewryn ap Vortigern?

Darrell Wolcott notes that Casnar Wledig's parents are unknown. ^[4]

Wolcott conjectures "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." ^[4]

Was Casnar the son of Lludd?

In ABT 1b, 8g, etc. he is made son of Lludd ap Beli Mawr. This is in keeping with his legendary character, but if he is the same as Casanauth Wledig (above) he is probably based on an originally historical character whose parentage is unknown. ^[1]

MG 3 is clearly mistaken in making him the son of ‘Gloyw Gwlad Lydan’ ap Lludd ap Beli Mawr. ^[1]

Descendant Pedigree: Gwaithfoed of Powys

Casnar is identified by Boyer ^[6] in the pedigree of Gwaithfoed of Powys: Gwaithfoed ap Gwynnan ap Gwynnog Farefsych ap Lles Llawddeog ap Ceidio ap Corf ap Caenog ap Tegonwy ap Teon ap Gwineu Deufreuddwyd ap Brwyr Lew ap Bwydeg ap Rhun Baladr ap Llary ap Casnar Wledig as one of Gwaithfoed of Powy's ancestors. Boyer does not provide individual descriptions of each generation, as only the name is given and it is likely that some or many are legendary. Boyer notes that the first eight generations of this pediree are the same as for the line of Trahaearn ap Caradog, with one generation difference. Gwaithfoed's pedigree appears in ahnentafel form at Legendary Ancestors of Gwaithfoed of Powys.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Peter Clement Bartrum. A Welsh Classical Dictionary, people in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000, National Library of Wales, 1993. Page 122. Digitized as PDF, Section C1, Page 42 of 79 Accessed 27 October 2023 jhd
2. ↑ Lady Charlotte Guest, Translator. Pwyll Prince of Dyved The Mabinogion Transcribed from the 1849 edition text by David Price. Project Gutenberg Ebook. Accessed 23 October 2023 jhd
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. The Legendary Kingdom of Seisyllwg Accessed 23 October 2023 jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies Ancient Powys. Accessed 27 April 2020 jhd
5. ↑ Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Casnar Wledig is the ancestor of Tegonwy ap Teon, #1 on page 346.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Generally follows Bartrum. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Gwaithfoed of Powys is #15 on page 9.
7. ↑ 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.