Editing Iago ap Beli

{{Short description|King of Gwynedd from c. 599 to c. 616}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

'''Iago ap Beli''' (c. 540{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} – c. 616) was [[List of rulers of Gwynedd|King of Gwynedd]] (reigned c. 599 – c. 616). Little is known of him or his kingdom from this early era, with only a few anecdotal mentions of him in historical documents.

Iago ap Beli ([[Latin (language)|Latin]]: Iacobus Belii filius; {{langx|en| James son of Beli}}) was the son and successor of King [[Beli ap Rhun]], and is listed in the royal genealogies of the [[Harleian genealogies]] and in [[Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20|Jesus College MS. 20]].<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 ...'', and from there back to [[Cunedda]] and his ancestors.</ref><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 ...'', and from there back to Cunedda.</ref> The only other record of him is the note of his death, which occurred in the same year as the [[Battle of Chester]] ({{langx|cy|Gwaith Caer Lleon}}), with no connection between Iago's death and the famous battle,<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Phillimore|1888|pp=156}}, ''Annales Cambriae'', "Gueith cair legion. et ibi cecidit selim filii cinan. et iacob filii beli dormitatio". The year given is 613, but 616 is now considered to be correct.</ref> and with no evidence that Gwynedd had any part in the battle.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Lloyd|1911|pp=181}}, ''A History of Wales'', Vol. I.</ref> He would be succeeded as king by his son, [[Cadfan ap Iago]].

The 1766 publication of [[Henry Rowlands]]'s ''Mona Antiqua Restaurata'' says that the archives of the cathedral at [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]] mention Iago as having founded a deanery there ("Iago ap Beli Rex Decanatu Ecclesiam ditavit").<ref>{{Citation 
|last=Rowlands |first=Henry |author-link=Henry Rowlands |year=1723 |title=Mona Antiqua Restaurata |edition=Second |publisher=J. Knox |publication-date=1766 |publication-place=London |pages=163–164 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2gFNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA163}}</ref> However, the correctness of the archive's assertion is challenged in Haddan and [[William Stubbs]]' authoritative ''Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents Relating to Great Britain and Ireland'', where it is noted that "the earliest historical testimony to a Dean at Bangor is 1162".<ref>{{Citation |year=1868 |editor-last=Haddan |editor-first=Arthur West |editor1-link=Arthur West Haddan |editor2-last=Stubbs |editor2-first=William |editor2-link=William Stubbs |contribution=Church of Wales During the Saxon Period |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KngQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA295
|title=Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents Relating to Great Britain and Ireland |volume=I |publication-date=1869 |publication-place=Oxford |page=295}}</ref>

In the medieval ''[[Welsh Triads]]'', the death of King Iago ap Beli is described as the result of an axe-blow by one of his own men, a certain Cadafael Wyllt ({{langx|en|Cadafael the Wild}}).<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Stephens|1851|pp=269}}, article on ''The Poems of Taliesin''</ref> In his ''Celtic Britain'', [[John Rhŷs]] notes that the ''[[Annals of Tigernach]]'' mention Iago's death and use the word ''dormitat'' (or ''dormitato'', meaning ''sleep'' in the sense of a euphemism for death), contradicting the notion of a violent death. Further, as the word ''dormitato'' was generally used in reference to clerics, it is possible that Iago resigned his kingship and thereafter led a clerical life.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Rhys|1904|pp=126}}, ''The Kymry'', in footnote 2.</ref>

== Geoffrey of Monmouth ==
The largely fictional stories of ancient Britain written by [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] use the names of many historical personages as characters, and the use of these names is a literary convenience made in order to advance the plot of Geoffrey's stories. One of these stories uses the names of Iago's son Cadfan and other contemporary people, telling of how a certain Edwin spent his exiled youth in Gwynedd, growing up alongside Iago's grandson, the future King Cadwallon. There is no historical basis for this story, as is readily acknowledged in the preface of works on the subject.<ref>{{Citation |last=Menzies |first=Louisa L. J. |year=1864 |contribution=The Legend of Cadwallon |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S4svAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA167 |title=Legendary Tales of the Ancient Britons, Rehearsed from the early Chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth |publisher=John Russell Smith |publication-date=1864 |publication-place=London |pages=167–190}}</ref>

Nevertheless, a "traditional" story arose blending Geoffrey's fiction with known history, implying that the future King [[Edwin of Northumbria]] had actually spent his youth in Gwynedd, growing up alongside Iago's grandson, the future King Cadwallon. In point of fact, Cadwallon and Edwin were enemies with no known youthful connections: King Edwin invaded Gwynedd and drove King Cadwallon into exile, and it would be Cadwallon, in alliance with [[Penda of Mercia]], who would ultimately defeat and kill Edwin in 633 at the [[Battle of Hatfield Chase]] ({{langx|cy|Gwaith Meigen}}). The story that they had spent an idyllic youth together may have had a romantic appeal.

What is known from history is that in 588 King [[Ælla of Deira]] died, and [[Æthelfrith of Northumbria|Æthelfrith of Bernicia]] took the opportunity to invade and conquer [[Deira]], driving Ælla 's 3-year old infant son, the future Edwin of Northumbria, into exile. Edwin would eventually ally himself with [[Rædwald of East Anglia]] in 616, defeating and killing Æthelfrith and becoming one of [[Northumbria]]'s most successful kings. Edwin's life in exile is unknown, and there is no historical basis for placing him in Gwynedd.<ref>{{Citation |last=Hunt |first=William |author-link=William Hunt (clergyman) |year=1899 |editor-last=Stephens |editor-first=W. R. W. |editor2-last=Hunt |editor2-first=William |editor2-link=William Hunt (clergyman) |title=The English Church: From Its Foundation to the Norman Conquest (597–1066) |volume=I |publisher=Macmillan and Co. |publication-date=1901 |publication-place=London |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PZhhAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA59}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Family tree of Welsh monarchs]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Citation |last=Davies |first=John |author-link=John Davies (historian) |year=1990 |title=A History of Wales |edition=First |publisher=Penguin Group |publication-date=1993 |publication-place=London |isbn=0-7139-9098-8}}
* {{Citation |last=Lloyd |first=John Edward |author-link=John Edward Lloyd |year=1911 |title=A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest |volume=I |edition=2nd |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co. |publication-date=1912 |publication-place=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NYwNAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{Citation |year=1887 |last=Phillimore |first=Egerton |editor-last=Phillimore |editor-first=Egerton |contribution=Pedigrees from Jesus College MS. 20 |title=Y Cymmrodor |volume=VIII |publisher=Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |publication-date=1887 |pages=77–92 |url=https://archive.org/details/ycymmrodor08cymmuoft}}
* {{Citation |last=Phillimore |first=Egerton |year=1888 |editor-last=Phillimore |editor-first=Egerton |contribution=The Annales Cambriae and Old Welsh Genealogies, from Harleian MS. 3859 |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aFMrAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA141 |title=Y Cymmrodor |volume=IX |publisher=Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |publication-date=1888 |pages=141–183}}
* {{Citation |last=Rhys |first=John |author-link=John Rhys |year=1904 |title=Celtic Britain |edition=3rd |publisher=Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge |publication-date=1904 |publication-place=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DGsNAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{Citation |last=Stephens |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Stephens (historian) |date=8 August 1851 |contribution=The Poems of Taliesin, No. III |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aro1AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA261 |title=Archaeologia Cambrensis |volume=II |series=New Series, No. VIII |publisher=The Cambrian Archaeological Society |publication-date=October 1851 |publication-place=London |pages=261–274}}
* {{Citation |last=Williams |first=P. B. |year=1828 |editor-last=Rees |editor-first=William Jenkins |editor-link=William Jenkins Rees |contribution=Historical Account of the Monasteries and Abbeys in Wales |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4EYFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA203 |title=Transactions of the Cymmrodorion |volume=II |id=Part 4 |publisher=Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |publication-date=1828 |publication-place=London |pages=203–262}}
{{Refend}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{succession box
|before=[[Beli ap Rhun]]
|title=[[List of rulers of Gwynedd|King of Gwynedd]]|years=c. 599 – c. 616
|after=[[Cadfan ap Iago]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Wales topics}}
{{Geoffrey of Monmouth}}

[[Category:540s births]]
[[Category:610s deaths]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Gwynedd]]
[[Category:6th-century Welsh monarchs]]
[[Category:7th-century Welsh monarchs]]