csawlogo.jpg

Home
Guest-written Papers
Reference Abbreviations
Guidance Articles for Researchers
Single Family Analysis
Families of Mixed Origin
Family Pedigrees
Mis-identified Same-Named People in Wales
Battles and Historical Events
Ancient Welsh Territories
Welshmen in Llydaw, Brittany
The Men of the North
Legendary History Prior to 1st Century BC
Beli Mawr and Llyr Llediath in Welsh Pedigrees
Papers Related to Maxen Wledig
Bartrum's "Pedigrees of the Welsh Tribal Patriarchs"
Britain's Royal Roman Family
The Royal Family of Powys
2nd Powys Royal Dynasty
The Royal Family of Gwynedd
Men Descended from Tudwal Gloff
Royal Family of Gwent/ Glamorgan
Royal Family of Brycheiniog
15 Noble Tribes of Gwynedd
The 5 Plebian Tribes of Wales
Glast and the Glastening
Papers about Rhiryd Flaidd and Penllyn
The Men of Collwyn ap Tangno of Lleyn
Edwin of Tegeingl and his Family
Ednowain Bendew in Welsh pedigrees
Ithel of Bryn in Powys
Idnerth Benfras of Maesbrook
Tudor Trefor and his Family
Trahaearn ap Caradog of Arwystli
The Family of Trahaearn ap Caradog
Cadafael Ynfyd of Cydewain
Maredudd ap Owain, King of Deheubarth
Sandde Hardd of Mortyn
The Floruit of Einion ap Seisyllt
The 5 Dafydd Llwyds of Llanwrin Parish
Cowryd ap Cadfan of Dyffryn Clwyd
Osbwrn Wyddel of Cors Gedol
Bradwen of Llys Bradwen in Meirionydd
Who Was Sir Robert Pounderling?
Sir Aaron ap Rhys
Eidio Wyllt - What Was His Birthname?
Ifor Bach, Lord of Senghenydd
Ancestors and Children of the Lord Rhys

#9 - GWYDDNO GARANHIR
 
        While Bartrum makes it clear that he thinks none of the pedigrees which include this man were more than legendary, he does cite six examples:
 
       (1)  [the pedigree cited for #8 - Einudd Bach]
 
       (2)  Gwyddno garanir arglwydd Kantref y Gwaelod ap Cadwaladr ap Meirion Meirionydd
 
       (3)  Gwyddno garanir arglwydd Keredigion ap Geraint ap Garanawc lawddigar ap Kyhylynn glodrydd ap Kadell dyrnllyc
 
       (4)  Gwyddno garanir (ap Garannog lewddigar) ap Drudwas ap Dryffin
  
      (5)  Gwyddno garanyr ab Drydwas vab Karamawg vab Dryffynn brenin Glogledd vab Klefyddgar vab Kynan glodrydd vab Cadell vab Deirullig o Gefeiliog.  Dwnn ii, 49
 
      (6)  Drudw[a]s ap Dryffin farfawc ap Orannoc glewddigar
 
         In his notes on this group of pedigrees, he says:
 
        "the legendary ruler of Maes Gwyddno or Cantre'r Gwaelod.  The variety of versions recorded here suggest he had no really traditional pedigree.  It is surprising that the pedigree given in BGG 10 of Elffin ap Gwyddno has no echo in the present connection.  [pedigree (2)] is a corrupt form of [the pedigree given for Eunydd Bach].  [pedigree (3)] should be compared with HL 11 and note, and with [the pedigree of Braint Hir, #12 in this series].  If [pedigree (6)] has any traditional basis it may be the reason for the insertion of the names Drudwas ap Dryffin into [pedigrees (4) and (5), regarded as variants of [pedigree (3)]"
 
           Obviously a wholly legendary character has no authentic pedigree at all.  But a majority of those pedigrees which contain his name concern real men and clearly have tacked the nickname "garanhir" (with long crane-like legs) onto an ancestor who just happened to be named Gwyddno.
 
           Two such men occur in the pedigree of the Meirionydd family, a Gwyddno ap Clydno born c. 545 and a Gwyddno ap Cadwaladr born c. 830.  Neither man should be confused with the Gwyddno Garanhir of legend; his inundation myth concerned lands in Ceredigion.  And neither man had a son named Elffin as did the legendary Gwyddno. The pedigrees of the Meirionydd men called Gwyddno are shown under the heading of "#8 - Einudd Bach" in this Patriarch series.
 
           The mythical Gwyddno Garanhir, whose entire cantref was supposedly flooded by Cardigan Bay, occurs in tales usually set in the 6th century.  His story is of more interest to those who study Welsh poetry and literature than to historians.  This is not to say the basis for the tales was wholly an exercise in fiction; there might have been a real man to whom the storytellers assigned the deeds of the fictional Gwyddno Garanhir.
 
         For those who might be interested in reading more about the legendary man, Bartrum gives many references where he can be found in literature in his 1993 work A Welsh Classical Dictionary.