Elisedd ap Gwylog (died c. 755?), also known as Elise, was king of

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

in eastern

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, son of Gwylog ap Beli. Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was a descendant of Brochwel Ysgithrog. He appears to have reclaimed the territory of Powys after it had been overrun by the English. His great-grandson,

Cyngen ap Cadell Cyngen ap Cadell (also spelled Concenn) was King of Powys from 808 until his death in 854 during a pilgrimage to Rome. Biography Cyngen was of the line of Brochwel Ysgithrog, and, after a long reign as king of Powys, he went on a pilgrimage t ...

, erected a column in his memory which stands not far from the later abbey of Valle Crucis. This is known as the Pillar of Eliseg, but the form ''Eliseg'' which appears on the column is thought to be a mistake by the carver of the inscription. The Latin inscription on the pillar is now very hard to read, but was apparently clearer in the time of Edward Lhuyd, who transcribed it. The translation of the part of the inscription referring to Elisedd is as follows: : + Concenn son of Catell, Catell son of Brochmail, Brochmail son of Eliseg, Eliseg son of Guoillauc. : + And that Concenn, great-grandson of Eliseg, erected this stone for his great-grandfather Eliseg. : + The same Eliseg, who joined together the inheritance of Powys . . . out of the power of the Angles with his sword and with fire. : + Whosoever repeats the writing, let him give a blessing on the soul of Eliseg. Some old poems refer to Elisedd and assert he had a "special crown, a chain of twisted gold links, and armlets and anklets of gold which were the badges of sovereignty of Powys". These artefacts have disappeared from history, but perhaps resurfaced briefly during the coronation of

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...

in 1400. Elisedd was succeeded by his son Brochfael ab Elisedd.

References

John Edward Lloyd Sir John Edward Lloyd (5 May 1861 – 20 June 1947) was a Welsh historian. Early life and eduction John Edward Lloyd was born in Liverpool on 5 May 1861. He was educated in the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (which later become ...

(1911) ''A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest'' (Longmans, Green & Co.) {{DEFAULTSORT:Elisedd Ap Gwylog Monarchs of Powys Elisedd 8th-century Welsh monarchs 750s deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain