Editing Maelgwn Gwynedd (section)

== Reign ==
After the [[sub-Roman Britain|collapse of Roman authority in Britain]], north Wales was invaded and colonized by [[Gaels|Gaelic tribes]] from [[Gaelic Ireland|Ireland]].{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} The kingdom of Gwynedd began with the reconquest of the coast by northern [[Celtic Britons|Britons]] under the command of Maelgwn's great-grandfather [[Cunedda]]. Three generations later, Maelgwn's father [[Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion]] completed the process by destroying the last Irish settlements on [[Anglesey]]. Maelgwn was the first king to enjoy the fruits of his family's conquest and he is considered the founder of the medieval kingdom's royal family. He is thus most commonly referenced by appending the name of the kingdom to his own: Maelgwn Gwynedd.

By tradition, his ''[[Royal court|llys]]'' ({{langx|en|[[royal court]]}}, literally [[hall]]) was located at [[Deganwy]], in the [[Creuddyn Peninsula]] of [[Rhos (North Wales)|Rhos]]. Tradition also holds that he died at nearby [[Llanrhos]], and was buried there.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=129}}, ''A History of Wales'', Vol. I.</ref> Other traditions say that he was buried at ''[[Puffin Island (Anglesey)|Ynys Seiriol]]'' ({{langx|en|Island of St. Seiriol, Puffin Island}}), off easternmost [[Anglesey]]. There are no historical records to confirm or deny these traditions.

Historical records of this early era are scant. Maelgwn appears in the royal genealogies of the [[Harleian genealogies]],<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1888|pp=169–170}} – the pedigree is given as: ''... map Rotri map mermin map etthil merch cinnan map rotri map Intguaul map Catgualart map Catgollaun map Catman map Iacob map Beli map Run map Mailcun map Catgolaun Iauhir map Eniaun girt map Cuneda map AEtern ...''.</ref> [[Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20|Jesus College MS. 20]],<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1887|pp=87}} – the pedigree is given as ''... Cynan tintaeth6y. M. Rodri mol6yna6c. M. Idwal I6rch. M. Kadwaladyr vendigeit. M. Katwalla6n. M. Kad6ga6n. M. Iago. M. Beli. M. Run hir. M. Maelg6n g6yned M. Kadwalla6n lla6hir. M. Einya6n yrth. M. Kuneda wledic.''</ref> and ''Hengwrt MS. 202''.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1886|pp=133}} – katwaladyr vendigeit ap katwalla6n ap katwan ap iago ap beli ap run ap maelg6n g6yned ap einion wwr ap pabo post prydein.</ref> His death in a "great mortality" of 547 is noted in the ''[[Annales Cambriae]]''.<ref name="Phillimore 1888 155"/> Tradition holds that he died of the "[[Yellow fever|Yellow Plague]]" ({{lang|cy|dylyt melen}}<ref name="wade-evans"/>) of [[Rhos (North Wales)|Rhos]], but this is based on one of the ''[[Welsh Triads|Triads]]'' that was written much later. The record says only that it was a "great mortality", which followed the outbreak of the great [[Plague of Justinian]] in [[Constantinople]] by a few years.

Maelgwn was a generous contributor to the cause of [[Christianity]] throughout [[Wales]]. He made donations to support saints [[Brynach]] in [[Kingdom of Dyfed|Dyfed]], [[Cadoc]] in [[Gwynllwg]], [[Cybi]] in [[Isle of Anglesey|Anglesey]], [[Padarn]] in [[Ceredigion]], and Tydecho in [[Kingdom of Powys|Powys]].<ref name=bangor>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=130}}, ''A History of Wales'', Vol. I.</ref> He is also associated with the foundation of [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]], but hard evidence of this is lacking.<ref name=bangor/> In his 1723 ''Mona Antiqua Restaurata'', [[Henry Rowlands]] asserts that Bangor was raised to an [[episcopal see]] by Maelgwn in 550, but he provides no source for the assertion.<ref>{{Citation |last=Rowlands |first=Henry
|authorlink=Henry Rowlands |year=1723 |title=Mona Antiqua Restaurata |edition=Second |publisher=J. Knox |publication-date=1766
|location=London |page=147 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2gFNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA147}}</ref>

The only contemporary information about the person is provided by [[Gildas]], who includes Maelgwn among the five British kings whom he condemns in allegorical terms in his ''[[De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae]]''. He says Maelgwn held a regional pre-eminence among the other four kings, going on to say that he overthrew his maternal uncle ({{langx|la|avunculus}}) to gain the throne; that he had taken up life as a monk but then returned to the secular world; that he had been married and divorced, then remarried to the widow of his nephew after being responsible for his nephew's death; and that he was tall.<ref name="Giles 1841 29–32">{{Harvcolnb|Giles|1841|pp=29–32}}, ''On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain'', sections 33–35</ref><ref name="Giles 1847 248–250">{{Harvcolnb|Giles|1847|pp=248–250}}, ''De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae'', sections 33 – 35</ref> Some historians<ref>Graham Phillips and Martin Keatman; ''King Arthur: The True Story'', Century, 1992.</ref> identify [[Owain Danwyn]] as the overthrown uncle, but Gildas was fluent in Latin and would be more likely to have used a different word ({{langx|la|patruus}}) if describing Maelgwn's father's brother Owain.