Idwal ap Meurig (died 997), was
king of Gwynedd.
He was the son of
Meurig ab Idwal Foel Meurig is a Welsh name of Brittonic origin and may refer to:
*Meurig ap Tewdrig (, the son of Tewdrig (St. Tewdrig), and a king of the early Welsh kingdoms of Gwent and Glywysing
*Meurig ap Idnerth, king of Buellt, a Welsh kingdom from c. 510 to 54 ...
, who, though the rightful heir to the throne, was killed in 986, in the course of one of the many struggles for the kingship which characterised the period from the death of
Hywel Dda in 950 until the time of
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Idwal, on the death of his father, fled for safety to the collegiate establishment at
Llancarfan.
Maredudd ab Owain
Maredudd ab Owain (died ) was a 10th-century king in Wales of the High Middle Ages. A member of the House of Dinefwr, his patrimony was the kingdom of Deheubarth comprising the southern realms of Dyfed, Ceredigion, and Brycheiniog. Upon the d ...
then succeeded in usurping the
sovereignty of Gwynedd, and a few years after he marched on
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
with an army of Danish mercenaries and laid waste the country; his object was to seize the fugitive Idwal, but in this he was unsuccessful.
By the year 995 the sons of Meurig gathered a sufficient following to return to North Wales, and, by defeating Maredudd at the battle of
Llangwm, Idwal at last succeeded to the sovereignty. But the Danes had overrun the country during Maredudd's reign: the churches had been spoiled, the people were demoralised, and there was a great scarcity of food. Idwal is eulogised in the ''
Gwentian Chronicle'' for his bravery and statesmanship in attempting to repair these disasters. But he was killed in 997 in attempting to expel the Danes, who, under
Sweyn, the son of
Harald, were once more devastating
Anglesey. He left an infant son,
Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Idwal ap Meurig
Year of birth unknown
997 deaths
Monarchs of Gwynedd
10th-century Welsh monarchs