Maredudd ab Owain

Maredudd ab Owain (died c. 999) was a 10th-century

Maredudd was the younger son of King Owain of Deheubarth and the grandson of King Hywel the Good. Owain had inherited the kingdom through the early death of his brothers and Maredudd, too, came to the throne through the death of his elder brother Einion around 984. Around 986, Maredudd captured Gwynedd from its king Cadwallon ab Ieuaf. He may have controlled all Wales apart from Gwent and Morgannwg.

Maredudd is recorded as raiding

Danish raids. Viking raids were a constant problem during Maredudd's reign. In 987, Godfrey Haroldson raided Anglesey

, supposedly killing one thousand and carrying away another two thousand as captives; Maredudd was said to have then paid a huge ransom for the freedom of the hostages.

Following Maredudd's death around AD 999, the throne of Gwynedd was recovered for the line of Idwal Foel by Cynan ap Hywel. The throne of Deheubarth went to a man named Rhain who was accepted as Maredudd's son by its people but who—after the kingdom's conquest by Llywelyn ap Seisyll—was recorded by most Welsh histories as an Irish pretender and usurper. The kingdom was later restored to Maredudd's family, but through Hywel, the grandson of his brother Einion.

References

Sources

John Edward Lloyd (1911). A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. Longmans, Green & Co.

Maredudd ab Owain Dinefwr Dynasty Born: Unknown Died: c. 999
Preceded by Cadwallon ab Ieuaf	King of Gwynedd 986–999	Succeeded by Cynan ap Hywel
Preceded by Owain ap Hywel	King of Deheubarth 988–999	Succeeded by Rhain