General Notes

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But he was succeeded by Cadwallader (Kydwaladr vendigaid) whose reign was divided into two periods from  California AD 633-643 and 654-664. Twelve years after he inherited the crown, Cadwallader was struck down with an unspecified illness, and during his incapacity the Britons fell to warring amongst themselves. Due to the civil war and due no doubt to the consequent neglect and destruction of the crops, the country was ravaged by a long-remembered famine that was followed by the plague. For safety's sake, Cadwallader sought refuge on the continent, entering Brittany where he was received with much kindness by king Alan II. Eleven years later, Alan persuaded Cadwallader to return to Britain and resume his reign. His stay in Brittany would thus have fallen between the years AD 643-654.

http://www.ldolphin.org/cooper/ch5.html


Cadwallon ap Cadfan inherited the kingdom of Gwynedd, then only Mona and Arfon, from his father, whose tombstone has been found (the stone is now serving as the lintel of the south door in the church at Llangadwaladr in Anglesey, and reads "Catamanus rex sapientisimus opinatisimus omnium regum" "Catamanus (the Latinization of Cadfan) the most wise and renowned king of all kings"). Cadwallon gathered forces and made a determined attack upon Northumbria, then under the rule of Edwin. Why did he make this attack? Probably in revenge for the Saxon invasion which occured in the yaers following the Battle of Chester, in which Aethelfrith marched along the north coast of Wales all the way to Mona, burning and looting along the way.

In a nutshell, Cadwallon crossed over into Northumbria, gained the support of Penda, the last pagan king of Mercia, and ravaged through the land. Edwin met Cadwallon at on the 12 October 633 at a place called
Haethfelth (Hatfield Chase). Cadwallon was victorious and took Edwin's head. Bede record the following:

"At this time there was a great slaughter both of the church and of the people of northumbria, one of the perpetrators being a heathen (Penda) and the other a barbarian (Cadwallon) who was even more cruel than the heathen. Now Penda and the whole Mercian race were idolators and ignorant of the name of Christ; but Caedwalla, although a Christian by name and profession, was nevertheless a barbarian at heart and disposition and spared neither women nor children. With bestial cruelty he put all to death by torture and for a long time raged through all their land, meaning to wipe out the whole of the English nation from the land of Britain."

Whether or not Cadwallon meant to actually slay the whole of the English race is up for question. He may have actually been exacting the death price of those slain during Aethelfrith's earlier campaign, and likewise may have intended simply to destroy the power of Northumbria, which was growing very strong. At any rate, Cadwallon defeated both Eanfrith and Osric, Edwin's successors in separate battles, before himself being killed in battle with Oswald, son of Aethelfrith (who later was made St. Oswald) at Denisesburn. Henceforth, every bold defender of Wales was hailed by the poets as a new Cadwallon, to include Owain Glyn Dwr
.
http://home.worldonline.dk/kmariboe/fgspwelsh.html

He succeeded to the throne of Gwynedd and his career was a stormy one. His first encounter with the English forces was disastrous and he fled to Ireland. He returned to Wales, formed an alliance with a Mercian king and, in A.D. 633, conquered and killed the English king. In the summer of 634 he again defeated the English, but before the end of that year the English defeated and killed him. The Welsh people hail him as one of their greatest defenders against the encroachments of the English.