Editing Caradog ap Meirion (section)

{{Short description|King of Gwynedd from c. 754 to c. 798}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

[[File:Gwynedd General Map.png|thumb|right|220px|A general map of Gwynedd showing the ''[[cantref]]i'']]

'''Caradog ap Meirion''' reigned c. 754 – c. 798, died c. 798, was a [[List of rulers of Gwynedd|king of Gwynedd]] in [[North West Wales]]. This Welsh name means Caradog son of Meirion.<ref name="ap">{{cite web |title=Welsh naming |website=BBC Wales 
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/society/family_03_welshnaming.shtml |access-date=5 July 2024 |quote="ap" is a contraction of the Welsh word "mab", which means son}}</ref>

This era in the history of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd]] was not notable and, given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories such that as by [[John Davies (historian)|John Davies]] do not mention Caradog,<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Davies|1990}} ''A History of Wales''</ref> or (like that of [[John Edward Lloyd]]) mention his name only in a footnote quoting the year of his death in the ''[[Annales Cambriae]]''.<ref name="Lloyd">{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=201}}, ''A History of Wales, Vol. I''</ref>

It is assumed Caradog rose to the throne upon the death of King [[Rhodri Molwynog]], which Phillimore's reconstruction of the ''[[Annals of Wales]]'' dates to 754.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1888|pp=161}}, ''Annales Cambriae'', year 754, "Rotri rex brittonum moritur"</ref> However, there is no other basis for the date and, as the records are quite sparse in this era, intervening kings cannot be precluded. The sole references to Caradog in the historical record are the appearance of his name in genealogies such as [[Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20|those in Jesus College MS. 20]],<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1887|pp=89}} – his son's pedigree is given as: ''Howel. M. Crada6c. M. meircha6n. M. Howel. M. Runya6n. M. Einya6n. M. Idwm. M. Cadwall. M. meic. M. Ewein. M. Cenlas. M. Ewein danwyn. M. Einya6n yrth. M. Cuneda Wledic.''</ref> and the entry of his death in the ''Annales Cambriae'' (Phillimore's year 798),<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1888|pp=163}}, ''Annales Cambriae'', year 798, "Caratauc rex guenedote apud saxones iugulatur"</ref>) noting he was killed (<small>lit.</small> "throat-slit") by the [[Anglo-Saxons]] (probably the [[Mercia]]ns).

It was during Caradog's reign that the [[Celtic Christianity|Welsh church]] adopted the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] method of calculating [[Easter]] through the efforts of Bishop [[Elfodd]] in 768,<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1888|pp=162}}, ''Annales Cambriae'', year 768, "Pasca commutatur apud brittones emendante elbodugo homine dei"</ref> thus removing a [[Easter controversy|longstanding point]] of ecclesiastical contention. In 796, a battle occurred at [[Rhuddlan|Rhuddlan Marsh]] ({{langx|cy|Morfa Rhuddlan}}) but neither the combatants nor the outcome is given.<ref name="Lloyd" /><ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1888|pp=163}}, ''Annales Cambriae'', year 796, "... et bellum rud glann"</ref> According to ''Brut Aberpergwm'', a purported medieval Welsh text which was accepted as such by the editors of the ''[[Myvyrian Archaiology]]'' (but which is now known to be a forgery of [[Iolo Morganwg]]'s), Caradog was slain in the 796 battle. [[Thomas Stephens (historian)|Thomas Stephens]] was the first to doubt the text's authenticity.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Stephens|1857|pp=86}}, ''The Book of Aberpergwm''</ref>

The pedigree in [[Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20|Jesus College MS. 20]] states that the later King [[Hywel ap Caradog|Hywel]] (reigned c. 816 – c. 825) was Caradog's son, while historical works such as that by Lloyd say that Hywel was the son of Caradog's predecessor and the brother of his successor, King [[Cynan Dindaethwy|Cynan]] (reigned c. 798 – c. 816).<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=231}}, ''A History of Wales, Vol. I''</ref> Lloyd does not cite his sources for this assertion.