Wikipedia
Cadwaladr, Cadwallader, or Cadwalader was king of Gwynedd from around 655 to 682. Two devastating plagues happened during his reign, one in 664 and the other in 682, with himself a victim of the second one. Little else is known of his reign.
Though little is known about the historical Cadwaladr, he became a mythical redeemer figure in Welsh culture. He is a prominent character in the romantic stories of Geoffrey of Monmouth, where he is portrayed as the last in an ancient line to hold the title King of Britain. In Geoffrey's account, he does not die of plague. He renounces his throne in 688 to become a pilgrim, in response to a prophecy that his sacrifice of personal power will bring about a future victory of the Britons over the Anglo-Saxons. Geoffrey's story of Cadwaladr's prophecy and trip to Rome is believed to be an embellishment of the events in the life of Cædwalla of Wessex, whom Geoffrey wrongly conflated with Cadwaladr. Cædwalla renounced his throne and travelled to Rome in 688.
For later Welsh commentators, the myth "provided a messianic hope for the future deliverance of Britain from the dominion of the Saxons". It was also used by both the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions during the Wars of the Roses to claim that their candidate would fulfil the prophecy by restoring the authentic lineage stemming from Cadwaladr.
Y Ddraig Goch has long been known as a Welsh symbol, appearing in the Mabinogion, the Historia Brittonum, and the stories of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Since the accession of Henry VII to the English throne, it has often been referred to as "The Red Dragon of Cadwaladr". The association with Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon is a traditional one, without a firm historical provenance.
Cadwaladr, Cadwalader, Cadwallader or Cadwallador is a given name and surname of Welsh origin. It was most notably held by Cadwaladr, a seventh-century king of Gwynedd, who was the last Welsh king to claim lordship over all of Britain.
Cadwaladr may refer to:
- Cadwaladr (name), a surname and given name, spelled Cadwaladr, Cadwalader or Cadwallader, includes lists of people with this name
- Cadwallader Range, a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada
- Cadwallader Creek, British Columbia, Canada