Idwal Foel
Idwal Foel (Idwal the Bald; died c. 942) or Idwal ab Anarawd (Idwal son of Anarawd) was a 10th-century
King of Gwynedd in Wales. A member of the House of Aberffraw, he inherited the throne from his father, Anarawd ap Rhodri. William of Malmesbury credited him as "King of the Britons" in the manner of his father.[1]
Life
Idwal inherited the throne of
Æthelstan of England upon the latter's accession in 924. As Æthelstan was eager to establish his authority across Britain, Idwal honoured him by visiting the English court in 927, 928, and 937. On the first of these visits, he signed charters agreeing to campaign with Æthelstan against the Scots, and marched with Hywel Dda of Deheubarth and Morgan ab Owain of Gwent against Owain ap Dyfnwal, King of Strathclyde that year. Owain was forced to submit to the English king and appear at court by Christmas.[citation needed
]
Æthelstan died in 939 and was succeeded by his half-brother
Ieuaf
, but Hywel invaded and drove them from the kingdom. He reigned for eight years before they were able to return and reclaim their patrimony.
Children
- Meurig,[2] whose grandson was Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig
- Iefan[2]
- Iago
- Cynan[2]
- Idwal, also called "Ieuaf" ("the younger") or "Idwal Fychan" ("little Idwal")
- Rhodri
References
- John Edward Lloyd (1911). A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. Longmans, Green & Co.