Maelgwn Gwynedd

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Maelgwn Gwynedd, more formally Maelgwn ap Cadwallon (c. 480 – c. 547, reigned from 520s?) (Latinized: Maglocunus, derived from Brittonic nominative *Maglocuu, genitive *Maglocunos), also known as Maelgwn Hir ('the Tall'), was an early king of Gwynedd and a character from Welsh mythology.

The historical Maelgwn king of Gwynedd was one of the most prominent rulers of 6th century Britain. He became one of the most famous (or infamous) leaders in Welsh history. He is one of five Celtic British kings castigated for their sins by the contemporary Christian writer Gildas (who referred to him as Maglocunus, meaning 'Prince-Hound' in Brittonic) in De Excidio Britanniae. Maelgwn, described as "the island dragon", possibly a reference to his power base on Anglesey, is the most powerful of the five kings "... you the last I write of but the first and greatest in evil, more than many in ability but also in malice, more generous in giving but also more liberal in sin, strong in war but stronger to destroy your soul ...".

Gildas accuses Maelgwn of having driven his uncle from power by force "while still a youth". He then, says Gildas, repented of his sins and vowed to become a monk, but his repentance did not last and he returned to his previous ways. He is accused of having murdered his wife and his nephew in order to be able to marry his nephew's widow.

He was also said to be a great patron of the arts and a skilled lawgiver, although some attribute this reputation to Maelgwn's own propaganda. He established court at Deganwy Castle, and surrounded himself with an entourage of bards and artisans who wrote glowingly of his achievements. Gildas takes a dim view of this, accusing him of listening to his own praise instead of praising God. According to the Historia Brittonum, he "reigned among the Britons" as high king. His son Rhun was also a famous king of Gwynedd, and some (e.g. Morris) say that another son, Brude, became King of the Picts. He is recorded in the Annales Cambriae as dying in the "yellow plague" of 547.

[edit] Maelgwn in legend

Elis Gruffydd preserved the following mythological tradition in a manuscript he wrote in the mid-16th century, although some critics believe this story is much older.

King Maelgwn demanded that a distant son of one of his lords, Elphin, praise him and his court. Elphin refused, claiming his bard, Taliesin was a better bard and his wife a prettier woman than anyone the King had in his court. Taliesin knew what was happening, because he was a seer, and told Elphin's wife. Maelgwn's son Rhun went to Elphin's house to seduce his wife and prove Elphin's claims weren't true. Rhun got her drunk. When she passed out, Rhun tried to take her wedding ring off to prove her unfaithfulness; since the ring wouldn't come off, he cut off her finger. When King Maelgwn attempted to show the finger to Elphin, he pointed out that his wife cut her fingernails more often than the owner of the finger, had servants to kneed dough and never had any under her nails, and her ring was loose on her finger, and that one was tight.

Maelgwn demanded Taliesin come to his court to prove the other claim wrong. Taliesin gave twenty minutes for both himself and the King's bards to come up with an epic. The royal bards couldn't do it. When it came Taliesin's time, he caused a massive wind to rattle the castle. Frightened, Maelgwn sent for Elphin. Taliesin's next song caused Elphin's chains to detach. Maelgwn challenged the pair to a horse race. Taleisin arrived the next day with an old, weak horse. As each of the king's horses passed him at the very start of the race, Taliesin touched its rump with a twig of holly. When they had all passed, he dropped his hat to the ground. When the king's horses came back, right before the finish line, they stopped at the holly twigs Taliesin had laid there, and began to dance. Taliesin's old horse strolled back in quite a bit later and won the race.

Another story goes as follows:

There is an old story about one of Maelgwn's many partners, that reminds us of his incessant jealousy, though a similar version is also told of King Rhydderch Hael (the Generous) of Strathclyde's queen. Upon his first marriage, Maelgwn had presented the beautiful Princess Nesta of the Southern Pennines with the traditional gold ring worn by all Queens of Gwynedd. Soon afterwards, however, the new queen lost the ring while bathing in a pool on the River Elwy. Afraid of what her husband would say, she visited the Bishop of Llanelwy (St. Asaphs), St. Asaph, to ask for his help. The saint invited the Royal couple to dinner that evening, where he explained to Maelgwn what had become of the Queen's ring. Maelgwn was furious and immediately accused Nesta of giving the ring away to an impoverished lover. St. Asaph managed to calm the situation enough for them to sit down to eat, and they all prayed to God that the ring might be found. Fresh fish, caught in the River Elwy, was served first and when the sceptical King cut into his dish, there was the ring inside! ^[1]

Another old tradition (noted in the 1911 Britannica and elsewhere) has this to tell of him:

The first Eisteddfod of which any account seems to have descended to us was one held on the banks of the Conwy in the 6th century, under the auspices of Maelgwn Gwynedd, prince of North Wales. Maelgwn on this occasion, in order to prove the superiority of vocal song over instrumental music, is recorded to have offered a reward to such bards and minstrels as should swim over the Conwy. There were several competitors, but on their arrival on the opposite shore the harpers found themselves unable to play owing to the injury their harps had sustained from the water, while the bards were in as good tune as ever.

Another legend concerning Maelgwn is that he challenged the other kings of Wales to a contest to decide who would be overall ruler. He suggested that all the kings should sit on their thrones on the shore as the tide came in. The king who could stay on his throne the longest would be the winner. The other kings were forced from their thrones by the rising tide, but Maelgwn had ordered the construction of a throne which would float and therefore won the contest by a trick.

The early Welsh poem-cycle in the persona of Llywarch Hen (Llywarch the Old) mentions one of Llywarch's sons (Maen Wyn) as steward to Maelgwn.

[edit] Fiction

Maelgwn "the Dragon of the Isle" was a main character in the two trilogies (The Ancient Future trilogy and The Celestial Triad) written by Australian author Traci Harding. In the books, Maelgwn is portrayed as a fair, kind and loving man, whose childhood tutor was Taliesin. His father Caswallon was imprisoned by his uncle Cadfer, who then raped his mother Sorcha Lawhir (she killed herself rather than live with the consequences of the rape). Maelgwn killed his uncle eventually, and gave the throne back to his father.

Maelgwn is also the main character in two historical novels by Mary Gillgannon, Dragon of the Island (1994) and Dragon's Dream (1996) and also in Count Tolstoy's The Coming of the King( ).