Rhydderch Hael: a Brythonic Hero (Noble, the Generous)

Synonyms: Ryderc, Ryderch, Rodarcus, Roderc, Rederech, Ridiarcus
Cym: Noble, the Generous

Rhydderch Hael is counted amongst the numbers of the Gwŷr y Gogledd, (The Men of the North) and the Bonedd Gwyr y Gogledd gives his ancestry as: Rhydderch Hael mab Tudwal Tudclud mab Cedig mab Dyfnwal Hen. He was the ruler of Ystradclud (Strathclyde) residing in Alclut (modern Dumbarton) circa 540–612 CE.

The histroicity of Rhydderch is undeniable and he is mentioned in a nuber of sources. One of the earliest sources is the seventh century Life of Saint Columba by Adamán where king Roderc son of Tothail sends an emissary to St Columba to enquire as to whether or not he would be 'slaughtered by his enemies' to which the saint replies that Roderc 'will die at home on his pillow'. This Roderc was a king of the Strathclyde Brython and the missive came from Petra Cloithe. The name would seem to be a Latinization of the Brythonic Alt Clut (Clyde Rock/Hill) and taking this together with the name and patronymic there can be little doubt that Roderc son of Tothail is Rhydderch mab Tudwal. Though Rhydderch's name exists in both the Bonedd Gwyr y Gogledd and the Harleian genealogies Rhydderch/Roderc's name is not present in the Harleian genealogy of the kings of Ystradclud. If Rhydderch was a leader of this region of Britain, why is he missing from the genealogy covering the region, especially as he occurs in other genealogies and his historicity is well attested. The only sensible explanation is that though tracing his ancestor from Dyfnwal Hen, the ancesor of all the kings of Ystradclud, Rhydderch represents a descendant of an ancillary branch of the main lineage who briefly held the kingship during the late sixth century (possibly only during Rhydderch's own life).

In Cymric tradition Rhydderch is one of the Gwŷr y Gogledd (Men of the North) who fought against the (at that time embryonic) Saxon realm of Bernicia. Nennius' Historia Brittonum names him as the opponent of several Bernician kings though the sites of none of these battles are named explicitly. This document also names Rhydderch as Rhydderch Hen (the old) rather than using his usual epithet of Hael (the generous). This could be because Rhydderch was named as one of the kings of the 'Old North'. But equally it could be that Rhydderch truly was old when he died and from known dates (see below) it is certainly possible that he was well into his seventies before he died.

Rhydderch also emerges as one of the main figures in the twelfth century hagiography, the Life of St Kentigern (Cynderyn) by Joceline of Furness Abbey. In the text, Rhydderch appears as king Rederech and is portrayed as Kentigern's royal patron and benefactor, from whom the saint received land at Glasgow upon which to establish the principal bishopric of Strathclyde. In the Life both Kentigern and Rhydderch are described as being in contact with saint Columba of Iona, which fits-in with the episode in the Life of St Columba already discussed above. Joceline's Life also states that Rhydderch's estate was in Pertnech which may well be the original Brythonic for what is now Partick, near Glasgow. Joceline also names Rhydderch's wife as Languoreth which seems to be a Latinizaton of a Brythonic name. The Life of Kentigern also tells us that Rhydderch died in the same year as Kentigern himself which the Cymric annals place as 612 CE.

The remaining references about Rhydderch all come from the native Cymric sources; most notably the Trioedd Ynys Prydein and the Myrddin (Merlin) cycle of poems contained within the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin and the Llyfr Coch Hergest. Triad 2 describes Rhydderch Hael, son of Tudwal Tudglud as 'One of the Three Generous men of the Island of Britain'. The next triad, triad 43 names Rhudlwyd (Dun-grey) Rhydderch's horse as one of the 'Three Pack-horses of the Island of Britain'. The next triad, 54, is of particular interest. It describes the third 'Unrestrained Ravaging of the Island of Britain' as that which occurred when Aeddan Fradawg (The Wily) came to Rhydderch's court at Alclud where he left 'neither food nor dring nor beast alive'. This has a bearing on the tales contained in the Myrddin poems, where Myrddin's patron, Gwenddoleu is named as the sworn enemy of Rhydderch Hael. It seems that in an attempt to consolidate his kingdom Gwenddoleu formed a strategic alliance with Aedán mac Gabráin the king of the Dalriada. Previously, (as suggested by Nora Chadwick in her Early Scotland) Aedán mac Gabráin had been an ally of the kings of Ystradclud (Strathclyde) and this switching of allegiances probably resulted in Aedán's Middle Cymric epithet of bradawc (the wily/the traitor).

The poems that concern us from the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin are: Yr Afallennau (The Apple-trees), Oiannau Myrddin (Myrddin's Exclamations), Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin (The Dialogue of Myrddin and Taliesin) and from Llyfr Coch Hergest: Kyuoessi myrdin a gwendyd ychwaer (Dialogue Between Myrddin and His Sister, Gwenddydd) and Gwasgargerd Myrddin yn ei fedd (Lament of Myrddin in his Grave). The reconstructed tale represents Myrddin as a warrior in the Old North whose patron was a certain Gwenddoleu of the region. Gwenddoleu mab Keidyw being a leader in the region of Longtown, Cumberland whose frotress may have been the old Roman fortress at Netherby (originally Castra Exploratorium). It would seem from the Afallennau that enmity existed between Gwenddoleu and Rhydderch Hael of Strathclyde whith Rhydderch representing the christianizing forces of the Old North and Gwenddoleu representing the older pagan beliefs. Along with Gwenddoleu's alliance with Aedán mac Gabráin brought matters between Gwenddoleu and Rhydderch to a head, which led to the conflict of Arfderydd (which the Annales Cambriae dates to c 573 CE). The entry for this year in the Annales Cambriae states: The battle of Arfderydd between the sons of Eliffer and Gwenddoleu son of Ceidio; in which battle Gwenddolau fell; Myrddin went mad. Given the date of the battle of Arfderydd and asssuming that Rhydderch was at least thirty at the battle then this gives us a date of his birth circa 540 CE. It should also be noted that none of the Cymric sources explicitly state that Rhydderch was at the battle himself, though Geofrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini notes a battle (profably that of Arfderydd) at which Rodarcus (Rhydderch) was a protagonist.

The Myrddin poems also state that before the battle of Arfderydd's close Myrddin went mad and he flees to Coed Celyddon (The Caledonian Woods) where he lived as a wild man (hence the 'Gwyllt' epithet ascribed to him), surviving in constant terror of pursuit by Rhydderch Hael (which would indicate that Rhydderch was the victor at Arfderydd).

We are left with only a few poems; the first of which is Triad 79, originating from the Peniarth 47 which names Angharad Ton Velen (which can be intrepreted as Angharad of the Yellow Wave ie long yellow hair), one of the 'Three Lively Maidens of the Island of Britain' as the daughter of Rhydderch Hael. Finally, we have Appendix III of the Triads that names Rhydderch's sword, Dyrnwyn (white-hilt) as the first of the 'Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain'. This was a fire sword and for a well-born man it would burst into flames from its hilt to its tip. Anyone who asked Rhydderch for the sword would recieve it, but because of its magical ability to burst into flames no one would do so.

Like a number of other heroes of the 'Old North' tales of Rhydderch seems to have been relocated to Gwynedd. In the Black Book of Chirk Rhydderch is accompanied by Nudd Hael and the otherwise unknown Mordaf Hael on a military expedition to Gwynedd, to avenge the murder of their kinsman Elidir at the hands of King Rhun of Gwynedd. The Englynion y Beddau (Stanzas of the Graves) poems in the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin gives Rhydderch's grave as: in abererch riderch hael (At Abererch, the grave of Rhydderch Hael). Abererch here is probably the estuary of the river Erch on the Llŷn Peninsula.

The name Rhydderch (Bryth Ridiarcus) may well be derived from the same root as the reconstructed proto-Celtic *rigjāko- (noble) which with his epithet of Hael (generous) gives us 'Noble, the Generous' as an interpretation of his name.

Navigation