Aedd Mawr
"Aedd the Great"

Father of Prydein, legendary founder of Britain (Prydein) in myths that likely date to before the introduction of Brutus. Nothing else is known of him from Welsh sources, and he only appears in a few genealogies. The name may be Irish, where aed means "fire", and is a byname of An Dagda.

Alternately, he may be a folk memory of Addedomarus (or Aθθedomarus), king of the Trinobantes ca. 20-15 BCE, known from numistatic sources. If Aedd Mawr is Addedomarus, this would not be the only medieval Welsh figure whose origin can be traced to tribal Britain.

In Lebor Gabala Erenn, the father of Prydain (there called "Prince Britain") is Fergus Red-Side.

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Mary Jones © 2009