Cyngen ap Cadell (
English: Cyngen son of Cadell) or also (Concenn
), was King of
Powys
Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
from 808 until his death in 854 during a pilgrimage to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
Biography
Cyngen was of the line of
Brochwel Ysgithrog, and, after a long reign as king of Powys, he went on a pilgrimage to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and died there in 854. He is thought to be the first Welsh ruler to visit Rome after the healing of the breach between the Welsh branch of the
Celtic Church and Rome over the date of
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
.
Cyngen raised a pillar, originally a round-shafted cross,
in memory of his great-grandfather
Elisedd ap Gwylog
Elisedd ap Gwylog (died c. 755), also known as Elise, was king of Powys in eastern Wales, son of Gwylog ap Beli.
Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was an ancestor of Brochwel Ysgithrog. He appears to have re ...
which stands near the later abbey of
Valle Crucis. This memorial had a lengthy inscription
and is known as the
Pillar of Eliseg owing to a typographical mistake by the original carver.
Cyngen was the last of the original line of kings of Powys. He had three sons, but on his death Powys was annexed by
Rhodri Mawr, ruler of
Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the North West Wales, north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County B ...
. Certain later manuscript pedigrees (like Jesus College 20) claim that Rhodri was the son of Cyngen's sister,
Nest ferch Cadell, although others (like Mostyn 117) claim he was the son of Essyllt ferch Cynan (thought to be the daughter of
Cynan Dindaethwy __NOTOC__
Cynan Dindaethwy ( en, "Cynan of Dindaethwy") or Cynan ap Rhodri ("Cynan son of Rhodri") was a king of Gwynedd (reigned c. 798 – c. 816) in Wales in the Early Middle Ages. Cynan was the son of Rhodri Molwynog ...
, of Gwynedd). In any case, traditional Welsh law does not seem to allow female inheritance, so Rhodri is presumed to have taken Powys by conquest.
Cyngen had the following children:
*
Elisedd ap Cyngen
* Ieuaf ap Cyngen
* Aeddan ap Cyngen
*
Gruffydd ap Cyngen
Gruffydd ap Cyngen (died ) was a prince of Powys in Wales of the Early Middle Ages. His father Cyngen ap Cadell was the last king of Powys from the old Cadelling dynasty descended from Vortigern.
Gruffydd died before the realm was lost to th ...
See also
*
Kings of Wales family trees
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyngen ap Cadell
790 births
854 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Monarchs of Powys
House of Gwertherion
9th-century Welsh monarchs