Y Gododin

Ida had to encounter a powerful opponent in the person of Urien, king of Rheged, a district in or near which Cattraeth lay, as we infer from two poems of Taliesin. Thus, one entitled "Gwaith Gwenystrad," commences with the words,

"Extol the men of Cattraeth, who, with the dawn,
Went with their victorious leader
Urien, a renowned elder." {3c}

In the other, called "Yspail Taliesin," Urien is styled "Glyw Cattraeth," the ruler of Cattraeth. {4a} At the same time he is generally spoken of under the title of Rheged's chief.

The leader of the hostile forces in the battle of Gwenystrad is not named, but in the battle of Argoed Llwyvein we find him to be Flamddwyn or the Torch bearer, a name by which the Britons delighted to designate the formidable Ida. Flamddwyn's army on this occasion consisted of four legions, which reached from Argoed to Arvynydd, and against them were arrayed the men of Godd