Rhodri Molwynog ("Rhodri the Bald and Grey"; reigned c. 720 – c. 754, died circa 754), also known as Rhodri ap Idwal ("Rhodri son of Idwal") was an 8th century

king of Gwynedd This is a list of the rulers of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Many of them were also acclaimed "King of the Britons" or "Prince of Wales". List of kings or princes of Gwynedd House of Cunedda * Cunedda (Cunedda the Imperator) (c. 450 – c. 46 ...

. He was listed as a

King of the Britons The title King of the Britons (, ) was used (often retrospectively) to refer to a ruler, especially one who might be regarded as the most powerful, among the Celtic Britons, both before and after the period of Roman Britain up until the Norman ...

by the ''Annals of Wales''. This era in the history of Gwynedd is very obscure and, given the lack of reliable information available, several serious histories of

medieval Wales Wales in the Middle Ages covers the history of the country that is now called Wales, from the departure of the Romans in the early fifth century to the annexation of Wales into the Kingdom of England in the early sixteenth century. This period ...

– including John Davies's – do not mention Rhodri at all, while others – including John Lloyd's – mention him only in passing, quoting the undated entry of the ''Annals of Wales'' recording his death., ''Annales Cambriæ'', . Phillimore's reconstruction places the entry in the year 754. The ''Annals'' do not mention the death of an earlier king within a reasonable time frame, so the date that he became king is not known, nor is the name of his predecessor. Rhodri's name also appears in genealogies such as those in Jesus College MS. 20 (where he is described as the son of Idwal Iwrch son of Cadwaladr Fendigiad) and the

Harleian genealogies __NOTOC__ The Harleian genealogies are a collection of Old Welsh genealogies preserved in British Library, Harley MS 3859. Part of the Harleian Library, the manuscript, which also contains the '' Annales Cambriae'' (Recension A) and a version of ...

(where he is described as the son of Tutgual son of Cadwaladr). It remains, however, unclear to what extent the genealogies at that point were recording the lineage of the Cuneddion dynasty regardless of their rule or recording the rulers regardless of their connection to the main branch of the dynasty. The ''Annals of Wales'' mention a war in

kingdom of Cornwall The history of Cornwall goes back to the Paleolithic, but in this period Cornwall only had sporadic visits by groups of humans. Continuous occupation started around 10,000 years ago after the end of the last ice age. When recorded histor ...

around 722 without giving the names of the individuals involved. The '' Brut y Saeson Chronicle'' says that in 721 there was "an extensive war between Rhodri Molwynawg and the Saxons in Cornwall". The ''Brut Aberpergwm'' also recorded this event but, while it was accepted for a time by the editors of ''

The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales ''The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales'' is a printed collection of medieval Welsh literature, published in three volumes by the Gwyneddigion Society between 1801 and 1807. Until John Gwenogvryn Evans produced diplomatic editions of the important ...

'', Thomas Stephens has since shown that it was one of

Iolo Morganwg Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (; 10March 174718December 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector.Jones, Mary (2004)"Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg/Iolo Morgannwg" From ''Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia''. R ...

's many forgeries., ''The Book of Aberpergwm''. The ''Rotri'' appearing in the ''Annals'' has sometimes been misidentified as a ruler of

Alt Clut Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...

(modern

Dumbarton Rock Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,99 ...

), the Brythonic kingdom later known as

Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Welsh language, Welsh; in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic, meaning 'strath

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

of the River Clyde') was one of nine former Local government in Scotland, local government Regions and districts of Scotland, regions of Scotland cre ...

.MacQuarrie, p. 11. He was succeeded by

Caradog ap Meirion Caradog ap Meirion reigned c. 754 – c. 798, died c. 798, was a king of Gwynedd in North West Wales. This Welsh name means Caradog son of Meirion. This era in the history of Kingdom of Gwynedd was not notable and, given the lack of reliable ...

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* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodri Molwynog Year of birth unknown 750s deaths Year of death uncertain Monarchs of Gwynedd 8th-century Welsh monarchs

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