Merfyn Frych was supposedly the son of Gwriad from the Isle of Man, and Esyllt the daughter of Cynan ap Rhodri, who was king of Gwynedd until 816.
But whatever his exact descent, after the death of the enigmatic Hywel in 825, he was able to establish himself in Gwynedd and found a new dynasty of kings.
Through his grandson Anarawd ap Rhodri his direct male descendents were still ruling Gwynedd four and a half centuries later.
His great-grandson Hywel Dda was to found a dynasty that similarly dominated the south western kingdom of Deheubarth.
Set out below is a genealogical chart identifying the descendants of Merfyn Frych, with the legend 'ruled' identifying the individuals who became rulers of Gwynedd.
The House of Merfyn Frych
Merfyn Frych
ruled 825-844
|
|
Rhodri Fawr1
ruled 844-878
|
|
|-------------------------|-----------------------------|
| | |
Anarawd ap Rhodri Cadell ap Rhodri2 Nest ferch Rhodri3
ruled 878-916 died 910
| |
| |
Idwal Foel Hywel Dda
Idwal ab Anarawd ruled 942-950
ruled 916-942
|
|-----------------------|-------------------|------------------|-------------------|
| | | | |
Idwal ab Idwal Meurig ab Idwal Iago ab Idwal Foel4 Rhodri ab Idwal Ieuaf ab Idwal4
died 980 blinded 974 ruled 950-974 died 968 ruled 950-969
| | |
| Custennin ab Iago |
| died 980 |
| |
| |---------------------|---------------|-------|
| | | |
Idwal ap Meurig Maig ab Ieuaf Cadwallon ab Ieuaf Hywel ab Ieuaf
died 996 died 986 ruled 985-986 ruled 974-985
| |
| |
Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig Cynan ap Hywel
ruled 1023-1039 ruled 999-1005
|
|
Cynan ab Iago
died ?
|
|
Gruffudd ap Cynan
ruled 1081 and 1099-1137
see the House of Gruffudd ap Cynan
NOTES
1 Rhodri Fawr is variously credited in the Welsh Genealogies and other sources with sons numbering between four and eight.
Of these only four Anarawd, Cadell, Merfyn and Gwriad can reasonably said to be historically attested and only Anarawd and Cadell were politically significant.
Gwriad died with his father fighting the English in 878; Merfyn died fighting the Vikings in 904.
2 Cadell ap Rhodri ruled the territory of Seisyllwg, although whether this was in his own right or as agent of his brother is unclear,
but he was described as king on his death in 910.
His son Hywel Dda, was to unite Seisyllwg with Dyfed to create Deheubarth and who later killed Idwal Foel in 942 and brought Gwynedd under his control.
3 Nest ferch Rhodri married Owain ap Hywel who was ruler of Glywysing on south Wales.
Their son Morgan Hen ab Owain was to become one of the most notable rulers of the south.
4 The sons of Idwal Foel were to initially co-operate in the business of recovering Gwynedd after the death of Hywel Dda in 950.
The Annales Cambriae refers to Gwynedd as "the kingdom of the sons of Idwal", where Iago and Ieuaf were the leading lights.
After the death of Rhodri, Iago imprisoned Ieuaf and established himself as sole ruler until his expulsion in 974.
SOURCES
Adapted from similar presentations and information contained in;
Ann Williams, Alfred P. Smyth and D. P. Kirby A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain (Seaby, 1991)
John Davies A History of Wales (Allen Lane, 1993)
Kari Mundi The Welsh Kings (Tempus, 2000)