Biography.guide
Home › People › Sovereign › Rhein
Portrait of Rhein

Rhein

690 – 740

King of Dyfed

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Rhein

Lived 690 – 740 (aged 49–50). Rhein was a sovereign.

Rhain ap Cadwgan (; died ) was an 8th-century king of Dyfed and Brycheiniog in Wales of the Early Middle Ages. He succeeded his father Cadwgan, who succeeded his father Caten ap Cloten.

Biography Rhain's great-grandfather, Cloten, had married the heiress of Brycheiniog, Queen Ceindrych of Brycheiniog briefly uniting the two kingdoms. During Rhain's rule, however, King Seisyll of Ceredigion invaded Dyfed and annexed its Cantref Ystrad Tywi (c. 710), cleaving apart Rhain's realm; Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi were merged by Seisyll to form Seisyllwg.

Three brothers: Tewdos, Gruffudd and Caten

The various manuscripts identifying Rhain's wife and immediate descendants are particularly inconsistent, and muddled. There are a number of possible conclusions: that Rhain's son Tewdos (also known as Tewdwr) had two sons - Maredudd and Nowy Hen, between whom the land was divided; Maredudd received Dyfedd and Nowy Hen received Brycheiniog. In syzygy with this, that Tewdos' mother (Rhain's wife) was the daughter of Elisedd ap Gwylog (the king of Powys) and Sanan(t) ferch Nowy, Cloten's younger sister; that her grandson - Nowy Hen - was the father of Grufydd. alternatively, that (as in Jesus College Manuscript 20), Sanan(t) was the daughter of Elisse, the son of Nowy Hen; Sanan(t) and an unnamed king of Powys were the parents of Grufydd alternatively, that Rhain had three or four sons - Tewdos, Naufedd Hen, Tewdwr, and possibly also Elisse - between whom the land was divided; Dyfed going to Tewdos (whose son Maredudd inherited it from him), Naufedd Hen receiving Cantref Selyf of Brycheiniog, Tewdwr receiving Cantref Mawr, and Elisse (or Naufedd Hen, if Elisse didn't exist) receiving the remainder of Brycheiniog. In close-union with this alternative, that Tewdwr's son and heir was also named Elisse, and his daughter Sanan(t) married Nowy, an unidentified king, whose son was Gruffydd; Naufedd Hen, meanwhile, was the great-great-grandfather of a man named Elisse ap Gwylog (eg. as in Peniarth Manuscript 131).

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
690
Birth century
Died
740
Occupation
Nationality
Kingdom of Dyfed, Kingdom of Brycheiniog
Positions held
Kingdom of Dyfed
Also known as
Rhain of Dyfed and Brycheiniog

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Rhein's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Rhein?

King of Dyfed

When was Rhein born?

Rhein was born in 690.

When did Rhein die?

Rhein died in 740.

What was Rhein's occupation?

Rhein was a sovereign.

What nationality was Rhein?

Rhein's recorded nationality: Kingdom of Dyfed, Kingdom of Brycheiniog.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Rhein

· Wikidata: Q3934070

· DBpedia: Rhain ap Cadwgan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rhein. https://biography.guide/rhein/

MLA: "Rhein." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rhein/.

Chicago: "Rhein." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rhein/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC