Owain Cyfeiliog

Last updated October 04, 2025

Owain Cyfeiliog
Lord of Cyfeiliog
The name eweın kẏueilẏ^aỽc, from the rubric of 'Mawl Owain Cyfeiliog' by Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr found in NLW MS 6680B, f. 64^v
Successor	Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog
Died	1197 (1198) Strata Marcella, Ystlyg, Powys
Buried	Strata Marcella
Noble family	Lleision
Spouses	Gwenllian ferch Owain Gwynedd Gwenllian ferch Ednywain
Issue	Gwenwynwyn Gwerful Gwenllian Annes Constance Dyddgu Moeleri Meddefus Hywel Goch Eliwys Cadwallon
Father	Gruffudd ap Maredudd
Mother	Gwerful ferch Gwrgeneu

Owain ap Gruffudd or Owain Cyfeiliog was a Welsh nobleman and poet who ruled over one of the successor lordships of the kingdom of Powys after the death of Madog ap Maredudd, last king of Powys, in 1160. He was called Owain Cyfeiliog to distinguish him from the other Owain ap Gruffudd of his generation, that is, Owain Gwynedd.

Owain was the son of Gruffudd ap Maredudd (and thus grandson of Maredudd ap Bleddyn) and nephew of Madog ap Maredudd. Madog gave his nephew the cantref of Cyfeiliog to rule in 1147. On Madog's death in 1160 Owain became the ruler of most of southern Powys (this became known as Powys Wenwynwyn after it was inherited by his son). He married Gwenllian, one of the daughters of Owain Gwynedd.^[1]

He is recorded as having been in alliance with the other Welsh princes to withstand the invasion of 1165 by King Henry II of England. Thereafter he usually followed a policy of supporting the English crown. In 1170, he gave land for the founding of the abbey of Strata Marcella. In 1188, however, he refused to meet or support Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury and Giraldus Cambrensis when they journeyed around Wales to raise men for a crusade, and was excommunicated as a result.

In 1195, Owain handed the rule of most of his realm to his son Gwenwynwyn and retired to the abbey of Strata Marcella, where he died and was buried two years later. His illegitimate son, Cadwallon, was given the commotes of Llannerch Hudol and Broniarth.^[1]

Owain has also long been considered a notable poet. Although only one poem ascribed to him has been preserved— Hirlas Owain —it is commonly rated as one of the finest Welsh poems of this period. In the poem, Owain's bodyguard are gathered at his court following a raid in 1155 to free his brother Meurig from prison in Maelor. The mission accomplished, Owain calls for the drinking horn to be passed to each member of his bodyguard in turn, with words of praise for each one. There is a more sombre note when he remembers two of his men who fell in the fighting and grieves for their loss. The poem's most recent editor, Gruffydd Aled Williams, has suggested that the poem was actually written by Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, the preeminent Welsh court poet of the century, perhaps in collaboration with Owain.^[2]

Owain also appears in the romance Fouke le Fitz Waryn as a knight who strikes Fulk with a spear.

Regnal titles
Preceded by Madog ap Maredudd as Prince of Powys	Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn 1160–1195	Succeeded by Gwenwynwyn ab Owain

References

1 2 Yorke, Philip (1887). The Royal Tribes of Wales. London: Isaac Foulkes. p. 58.
↑ Gruffydd, R. Geraint; et al. (1995). Gwaith Llywelyn Fardd I ac Eraill. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1214-8.

John Edward Lloyd (1911) A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest (Longmans, Green & Co.)

Rulers of medieval Wales

Territories/dates^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]	Powys		Dogfeiling	Gwynedd	Dunoding	Ceredigion	Ystrad Tywi	Dyfed	Brycheiniog	Glywysing	Gwent	Ergyng
400–600	Sub-Roman Britain
	Kingdom of Powys Gwrtheyrn Catigern Cadell Ddyrnllwg Rhuddfedel Frych Cyngen Glodrydd Brochwel Ysgithrog Cynan Garwyn Selyf ap Cynan Manwgan ap Selyf		Kingdom of Gwynedd				Kingdom of Dyfed Triffyn Farfog Aergol Lawhir Vortiporius		Brycheiniog Anlach mac Cormac Brychan	Glywysing Mor Solor Glywys Gwynllŵg Gwynllyw Cadoc	Kingdom of Gwent Ynyr Gwent Caradoc Vreichvras	Ergyng Peibio Clafrog Cynfyn Gwrfoddw Gwrgan Fawr
			Dogfeiling Dogfael ap Cunedda Wledig Elno ap Dogfael Glas ap Elno Elgud ap Glas ap Elno Elaeth ab Elgud Meurig ap Elaeth	House of Gwynedd Cunedda Wledig Einion Yrth ap Cunedda Cadwallon Lawhir Maelgwn Gwynedd Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn Beli ap Rhun Iago ap Beli Cadfan ap Iago Cadwallon ap Cadfan ( Canu Cadwallon ) Cadafael Cadwaladr	Dunoding Dunod ap Cunedda Eifion ap Dunod Dingad ab Eifion Meurig ad Dingad Eifion ap Meurig Issac ap Eifion ap Meurig Pobien Hen ap Isaac Pobddelw ap Pobien Hen Eifion ap Pobddelw Brochwel ap Eifion Eigion ap Brochwel ab Eifion Ieuanawl ab Eigion Caradog ap Ieuanawl Bleiddud ap Caradog Cuhelyn ap Bleiddud	Kingdom of Ceredigion Ceredig ap Cunedda Usai ap Ceredig Serwyl ab Usai Boddw ap Serwyl Arthfoddw ap Boddw Athrwys ab Arthfoddw Clydog ab Athrwys			Brycheiniog Anlach mac Cormac Brychan		Kingdom of Gwent Ynyr Gwent Caradoc Vreichvras
600–613							Cloten Cathen ap Gwlyddein Cadwgan ap Caten Rhain ap Cadwgan			Tewdrig Meurig ap Tewdrig
613–642	Eluadd ap Glast (Eiludd Powys)
642–645	Manwgan ap Selyf Beli ab Eiludd Gwylog ap Beli Elisedd ap Gwylog Brochfael ab Elisedd Cadell ap Brochfael Cyngen ap Cadell
645–682										Athrwys ap Meurig Morgan ab Athrwys Ithel ap Morgan Meurig ab Ithel
682–740			Idwal Iwrch Rhodri Molwynog Caradog ap Meirion Cynan Dindaethwy Hywel ap Caradog
730–745						Seisyllwg Seisyll ap Clydog Arthen ap Seisyll Dyfnwallon ab Arthen Meurig ap Dyfnwallon Gwgon ap Meurig		Dyfed Tewdos (Tewdwr) Maredudd ap Tewdws Rhain ap Maredudd Owain ap Maredudd Triffyn ap Rhain Bleddri (Bledrig) Hyfaidd ap Bleddri Llywarch ap Hyfaidd Rhodri ap Hyfaidd Hywel Dda	Brycheiniog
745–825										Glywysing Rhys ab Ithel Rhodri ab Ithel Meurig ab Ithel Rhys ap Arthfael Hywel ap Rhys Owain ap Hywel	Gwent Brochfael ap Meurig Ffernfael ap Meurig Brochwel ap Meurig Arthfael ap Hywel Ithel ab Athrwys ap Ffernfael	Mercia
825–854			House of Aberffraw Merfyn Frych Rhodri Mawr
854–872	Rhodri Mawr
871–878	Rhodri Mawr					Rhodri Mawr
878–909	Powys Merfyn ap Rhodri Llywelyn ap Merfyn		Gwynedd Anarawd ap Rhodri			House of Dinefwr Cadell ap Rhodri
909–913						Deheubarth Hywel Dda
913–925												Kingdom of England Archenfield
916–930	Idwal Foel									Owain ap Hywel
930–942	Idwal Foel									Glywysing Gruffydd ab Owain Cadwgan ab Owain	Gwent Morgan Hen ab Owain
942–950	Hywel Dda									Glywysing Gruffydd ab Owain Cadwgan ab Owain	Gwent Morgan Hen ab Owain
950–986	Powys Owain ap Hywel Dda		Gwynedd Ieuaf Iago ab Idwal Hywel ap Ieuaf Cadwallon ab Ieuaf			Deheubarth Owain ap Hywel Dda				Morgannwg Morgan Hen ab Owain Hywel ab Owain ap Morgan Hen Rhydderch ab Iestyn Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
988–999	Maredudd ab Owain
999–1022	Powys Llywelyn ap Seisyll		Gwynedd Cynan ap Hywel Aeddan ap Blegywryd			Deheubarth Rhain the Irishman Cadell ab Einion
1018–1023	Llywelyn ap Seisyll
1023–1033	Powys Rhydderch ab Iestyn		Gwynedd Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig			Deheubarth Rhydderch ab Iestyn Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
1033–1039	Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig Gruffudd ap Llywelyn					Deheubarth Rhydderch ab Iestyn Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
1045–1055	Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig Gruffudd ap Llywelyn					Gruffudd ap Rhydderch
1055–1063	Gruffudd ap Llywelyn
1063–1075	House of Mathrafal Bleddyn ap Cynfyn					Deheubarth Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin Rhys ab Owain Rhys ap Tewdwr				Glywysing Caradog ap Gruffudd	Gwent Cadwgan ap Meurig
1075–1081	Powys Iorwerth ap Bleddyn Cadwgan ap Bleddyn Owain ap Cadwgan Maredudd ap Bleddyn Madog ap Maredudd		Gwynedd Trahaearn ap Caradog							Morgannwg Caradog ap Gruffudd Iestyn ap Gwrgant
1081–1093			Gruffudd ap Cynan Owain Gwynedd Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
1088–1116						Norman occupation
1095–1160						Deheubarth Gruffydd ap Rhys Anarawd ap Gruffydd Cadell ap Gruffydd Maredudd ap Gruffydd Rhys ap Gruffydd Gruffydd ap Rhys II Maelgwn ap Rhys Rhys Gryg			Lordship of Brecknock	Lordship of Glamorgan
1160–1216	Powys Fadog Gruffydd Maelor I Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor Gruffydd II ap Madog Madog II ap Gruffydd Gruffudd Fychan I	Powys Wenwynwyn Owain Cyfeiliog Gwenwynwyn
1216–1241		Principality of Wales Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
1241–1283		Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn	Dafydd ap Llywelyn Owain Goch ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Dafydd ap Gruffudd
1283–1287	(English conquest of Wales)
1535–1542	Laws in Wales Acts
↑ Rulers with names in italics are considered fictional ↑ Bartrum, Peter Clement (1993). A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend Up to about A.D. 1000. National Library of Wales. ISBN 0907158730. ↑ biography.wales (Dictionary of Welsh Biography) ↑ Davies, John (1994). A History of Wales. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140145816. ↑ Encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6. ↑ Lloyd, John Edward (1912). A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest. Longmans, Green, and Co. ↑ Turvey, Roger (2010). Twenty-One Welsh Princes. Conwy: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 9781845272692.

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