Gruffudd ap Cynan Tywysogion


Gruffudd ap Cynan

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-A certain ambivalence

-surrounds medieval Wales's princes.

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-Some perceive them as leaders,

-who fought for the Welsh...

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-..others as men who wanted power,

-for themselves and their families.

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-We shall shed light

-on this paradox...

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-..and place the princes

-in the context of the Middle Ages.

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-A little over 100 years

-after the death of Hywel Dda...

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-..Wales was a collection

-of small kingdoms...

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-..when the Normans

-conquered England in 1066.

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-From England, they turned to Wales.

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-But in north Wales,

-they came across an obstacle...

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-..a pirate, of Irish,

-Welsh and Viking descent.

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-Gruffudd ap Cynan succeeded

-in stopping the Normans.

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-He became the most powerful

-Welsh leader of his age.

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-PRINCES

-Gruffudd ap Cynan

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-The kingdom of Wales was destroyed

-by the Normans during Easter 1093.

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-Or at least, that was the opinion

-of the Welsh Chroniclers...

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-..citing Rhys ap Tewdwr,

-king of Deheubarth's death...

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-..near Brecon.

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-It was an exaggeration.

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-But Rhys's death was an important

-turning point in Welsh history.

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-Significantly, he wasn't killed by

-one of his fellow Welsh leaders...

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-..but by the Normans.

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-One Welsh prince succeeded in

-reviving a Welsh royal dynasty...

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-..that lasted for 200 years -

-Gruffudd ap Cynan.

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-What kind of place was Wales

-during Gruffudd ap Cynan's reign?

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-After the Battle

-of Hastings in 1066...

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-..the Normans' attempts

-to conquer Wales...

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-..was clearly an extension

-of the conquest in England.

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-Unlike the Vikings, they conquered

-great tracts of the country...

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-..and became a permanent presence.

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-Wales was less

-centralized than England...

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-..and therefore more difficult

-for the Normans to conquer.

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-Gruffudd ap Cynan was

-a constant thorn in their side.

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-The Normans were of Viking descent.

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-They settled in Normandy...

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-..after the king of France allowed

-them to live in the Seine Valley...

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-..so he would be left

-in peace, in 911.

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-A century later,

-by the time of Duke William...

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-..the victor at Hastings...

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-..the duchy of Normandy had turned

-its back on its Viking roots...

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-..and was part of the political and

-cultural world of northern France.

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-The principal aim of the new

-King William after Hastings...

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-..was to consolidate

-the conquest of England.

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-That took a generation or so.

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-Regarding

-the English-Welsh border...

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-..the aim was to fortify it

-against attack from the Welsh.

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-He did this by giving Crown land...

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-..to certain noblemen,

-in three centres on the frontier.

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-Chester, Shrewsbury,

-and Hereford in the south.

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-The main duty of the chosen three

-was to fortify the frontier.

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-This was at the time

-the Marches were created.

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-They were used originally as a

-corridor between Wales and England.

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-Here, the Norman lords

-could do as they pleased...

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-..free from the constraints

-of the laws of England, and Wales.

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-Although they were subjects

-of the King of England...

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-..they could hold courts,

-build castles, and go to war.

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-In the Marches, people upon whom

-the Norman lords could depend...

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-..were 'planted',

-usually immigrants from England.

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-The idea that towns are alien

-to Wales originated from this time.

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-Sometimes people,

-perhaps without thinking...

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-..use the word 'Marches'...

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-..not in the historical sense,

-but to refer to the boundary...

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-..between Wales and England.

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-But the original Marches

-were lands...

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-..that the Normans

-conquered within Wales itself.

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-William fitz Osbern,

-Earl of Hereford...

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-..Roger of Montgomery,

-Earl of Shrewsbury...

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-..and Hugh of Avranches,

-or Hugh the Fat, Earl of Chester...

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-..were hard, merciless men...

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-..who'd seize every

-opportunity they could...

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-..to extend

-their authority and lands.

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-The key to all this

-was their castles.

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-The earliest castles

-were made of mud and wood...

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-..the motte and bailey.

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-In Wales we see hundreds

-of these motte and bailey castles...

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-..built when the Normans

-moved into an area.

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-A motte and bailey castle is,

-basically, a mound of earth.

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-They dug a ditch, and used the soil

-from it to build the mound.

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-On top of the mound,

-they built a defensive tower...

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-..usually of wood at first.

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-That was

-the castle's stronghold - the motte.

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-At its foot was the bailey,

-which was also defended.

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-Most of the castle's

-buildings were located here...

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-..because there wasn't

-much room on the motte.

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-Later, magnificent castles were

-built, like Chepstow, on the Wye.

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-Its strong, stone tower,

-and beautiful, ornate portal...

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-..may have been built especially...

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-..for a visit by William

-to Wales in 1081...

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-..although there's no evidence

-that he stayed here at that time.

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-The oldest wooden door

-in Europe is in this castle.

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-But it was here in Gwynedd that

-the Normans were most successful.

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-The campaigns were led

-by Hugh, Earl of Chester...

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-..and his cousin, Robert

-of Rhuddlan, captain of his army.

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-Hugh was a fat,

-cruel and violent man.

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-His personal retinue

-resembled a rapacious army.

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-He had illegitimate offspring

-all over north Wales.

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-He even devastated his own lands,

-demolishing and burning villages...

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-..in order to have

-more land for hunting.

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-To reinforce his authority,

-he built a castle in Rhuddlan...

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-..near the river Clwyd.

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-There are two points to the location

-of motte and bailey castles.

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-They are located in strategic

-positions such as...

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-..the roads leading into Wales.

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-They had to be defended as people

-travelled through the mountains...

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-..for example, along the valley

-leading into Snowdonia.

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-They also located

-castles on the sites...

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-..of the old castles

-of the Welsh princes...

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-..to show the ascendancy

-of the Normans over the old order.

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-Compared with the stone castles,

-they could be built fairly quickly.

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-The smallest ones

-took about a month...

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-..the others, a little longer.

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-Much depended on local resources...

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-..of stone and wood.

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-It also depended on coercing

-local Welsh people...

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-..into building these castles.

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-At first, only the Normans

-built motte and bailey castles.

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-When they moved into an area...

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-..they were threatened

-with attack by the Welsh.

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-They had to build a castle quickly.

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-Evidence shows that they used

-the local captive population...

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-..to work on the castles.

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-They were adept at building castles

-with the minimum of effort.

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-They'd often locate them

-on an existing hillock.

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-So you could imagine them

-building a castle in months...

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-..in order to swiftly

-consolidate their position.

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-We must also remember that

-a castle wasn't a place to hide...

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-..but a secure base from which

-they could attack an area.

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-By the time William

-the Conqueror died...

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-..Robert of Rhuddlan was

-the master of the rest of Gwynedd.

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-By 1086, the king leased him

-'Nortwales' at a rent of 40 a year.

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-To reinforce his position,

-Robert built more castles...

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-..including Deganwy Castle.

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-It was built on the site

-of an old Welsh court...

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-..that had burnt down

-a few years previously.

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-Deganwy Castle was very important

-in the age of the princes.

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-Robert of Rhuddlan

-built a castle there...

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-..in the late 11th century.

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-It was a kind of springboard...

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-..into the stronghold of Gwynedd,

-over the Conwy River.

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-Obviously, if the princes of Gwynedd

-wanted to be strong princes...

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-..and oppose England, they had

-to recapture Deganwy Castle.

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-There's evidence that it

-changed hands many times.

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-Llywelyn the Great built

-a castle here, for example.

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-It has an interesting history from

-the English kings' standpoint too.

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-Henry III built a castle there...

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-..which was described at the time

-as one of Britain's strongest.

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-A small borough developed

-alongside the castle too...

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-..that became a trading centre

-for the area.

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-Then, Llywelyn the Last,

-Llywelyn ap Gruffudd...

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-..razed the castle to the ground...

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-..because of its strategic

-importance to the English...

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-..during the attacks on Gwynedd.

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-Although the Normans tried

-to ensure a presence in the north...

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-..with castles like Deganwy...

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-..unlike in south Wales, they only

-maintained their hold on Gwynedd...

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-..for a very short time,

-mainly because of Gruffudd ap Cynan.

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-Gruffudd was a king of Welsh,

-Irish and Viking descent...

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-..and is a unique figure

-in Welsh history.

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-Although he was a pirate for long

-stretches of his eventful life...

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-..he was also a successful

-politician and a statesman.

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-888

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-Gruffudd ap Cynan was

-a flexible and pragmatic leader.

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-For this reason, the kingdom of

-Gwynedd was ruled by his family...

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-..until Edward I

-put an end to the dynasty...

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-..almost 200 years later, in 1282.

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-Gruffudd was born in Ireland.

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-Through his mother, Rhagnell...

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-..he was related to the Irish

-and Scandinavian kings of Ireland.

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-The famous Irish king, Brian Boru,

-was his great-great-grandfather.

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-Gruffudd was brought up here, at the

-monastery of Swords, near Dublin.

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-His father died when

-he was very young, probably.

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-But his mother made sure that

-Gruffudd was aware of his claim...

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-..to the kingdom of Gwynedd.

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-You could say he was part

-of a Hiberno-Scandinavian world.

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-We think of him as king of Gwynedd

-and founder of the dynasty...

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-..that would lead to Owain Gwynedd,

-Llywelyn the Great...

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-..and Llywelyn the Last.

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-But the Irish and Viking

-influence in his life...

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-..make him a more

-interesting figure.

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-His biography was written...

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-..that emphasized his claim

-to Gwynedd through his ancestry...

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-..not by the grace

-of the King of England.

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-When Gruffudd was about 20 years

-old, he decided to attack Gwynedd...

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-..and claim his throne.

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-He was helped by the king

-of Dublin, who lent him a ship...

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-..to sail to Gwynedd.

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-His great ambition for the next

-25 years would be to win...

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-..the kingdom of Gwynedd.

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-Gruffudd's tenacious attempts

-to gain control of Gwynedd...

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-..are recorded in a unique work...

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-..the only medieval biography

-of a Welsh king or prince.

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-It was written in Latin in

-the age of his son, Owain Gwynedd.

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-It was translated into Welsh

-in the 13th century.

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-The biography gives quite

-a detailed description of Gruffudd.

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-It praises him, of course...

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-..because it would be unthinkable

-to criticize him at all.

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-It describes his fair hair

-and large eyes.

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-He was of moderate height,

-and had a lively mind.

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-It also says a little

-about his character...

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-..emphasizing one of the fundamental

-virtues of any prince...

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-..his ferocity in battle.

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-So Gruffudd ap Cynan

-wasn't a man to cross.

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-At the same time, it says that

-he was merciful to his own people...

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-..and ready to defend them.

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-So it's a varied image,

-but rather stereotypical.

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-It's impossible to say

-if the description was based...

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-..on personal knowledge...

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-..rather than an idealized

-portrait of the prince.

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-Nevertheless, it's interesting

-to have a description of Gruffudd...

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-..unlike the other princes.

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-Ifor Davies, the Penarth artist...

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-..is familiar with portraying

-aspects of Welsh history.

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-This is Gruffudd ap Cynan.

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-I portray Gruffudd

-in the middle of the sea...

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-..between Ireland and Wales.

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-Ireland resembles

-the figure of his mother.

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-To some extent, Gruffudd

-looks back towards Ireland.

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-He moves towards Wales.

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-He stands on a ship, perhaps.

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-I'm not sure if I'll add

-details of the ship, perhaps I will.

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-When Gruffudd arrived,

-intent on conquering Gwynedd...

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-..he wasn't successful at first.

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-He was beaten

-by Trahaearn ap Caradog...

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-..in the Battle

-of Bron yr Erw, near Clynnog Fawr.

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-He had to flee to Wexford.

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-Mystery surrounds

-the next few years of his life.

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-But all changed in 1081.

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-Gruffudd sailed with a fleet

-from Waterford to Porth Clais...

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-..near St David's, Pembrokeshire,

-to attack Wales once more.

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-He came ashore

-in this beautiful spot...

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-..and was aided by the army of

-Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth.

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-Gruffudd and Rhys

-attacked Trahaearn's army...

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-..at the fateful battle

-of Mynydd Carn, Pembrokeshire...

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-..where Trahaearn was killed.

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-Gruffudd decided

-he had to attack at once.

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-Perhaps that's why they won...

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-..because they caught the enemy

-unawares, camping on the mountain.

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-There's a very detailed,

-graphic description...

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-..in 'Historia Gruffudd

-ap Cynan', of killing Trahaearn.

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-An Irishman stabbed him...

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-..and made bacon out of him,

-as if he were a pig.

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-What was the result of the battle?

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-The throne of Gwynedd

-and Deheubarth were now empty.

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-The path was clear

-for Gruffudd and Rhys...

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-..to claim the two lordships.

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-Gruffudd went north, celebrating

-his victory and seized Gwynedd.

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-He had finally

-accomplished his ambition.

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-But he wasn't to celebrate for long.

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-The old Norman enemies of the Welsh,

-Hugh, Earl of Chester...

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-..and his cousin,

-Robert of Rhuddlan...

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-..were determined

-to get rid of Gruffudd.

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-He was an obstacle to their hopes of

-further expansion in the north-west.

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-Very soon, Gruffudd was duped...

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-..into attending a meeting

-at Rhug in Edeirnion.

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-The remains of the original

-motte and bailey castle...

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-..can still be seen

-in the grounds of the mansion.

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-Gruffudd was captured

-by Robert of Rhuddlan...

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-..and was locked, according

-to the story, in Chester Gaol.

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-It seems he was imprisoned

-here for the next 12 years.

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-But in about 1093, Gruffudd escaped.

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-According to the legend, Hugh the

-Fat had bound Gruffudd in chains...

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-..and dragged him in front

-of a crowd in Chester market...

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-..so that they could humiliate

-the 'great king of Gwynedd'.

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-It seems that he was being moved

-from one prison to another...

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-..and a large crowd had gathered.

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-Somehow, he managed to escape.

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-Cynwrig Hir came to his aid

-and cut the fetters...

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-..so he was free to flee.

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-He went to Ireland,

-to his mother's family.

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-It's a very exciting story.

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-It also hints at the arrogance

-of the Normans...

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-..appropriating

-old Welsh kingdoms...

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-..and taking for granted

-they owned and ruled them.

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-Gruffudd ap Cynan said,

-"No, the land is mine. Get out!"

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-And he succeeded.

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-After travelling through Wales,

-Gruffudd escaped to Ireland.

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-Then, with the help of Godred,

-king of the Isle of Man...

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-..he captured the Normans' castle

-in Nefyn, on the Lleyn Peninsula.

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-But he failed to usurp them...

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-..from their castle in Aberlleiniog,

-near Penmon, Anglesey.

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-It seems that these events...

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-..were part of a great rebellion

-by the Welsh in 1094.

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-The Battle of Aberlleiniog is very

-important in the history of Wales.

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-For the first time, we see the

-Earls of Chester and Shrewsbury...

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-..collaborating to recapture

-north Wales and Anglesey.

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-Unfortunately for them,

-they faced Gruffudd ap Cynan...

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-..who has just escaped

-from Chester Gaol...

0:21:160:21:19

-..and Magnus Barefoot,

-a Norwegian prince.

0:21:200:21:23

-Magnus and Gruffudd knew each other.

0:21:230:21:25

-We're not sure how,

-maybe there was a family connection.

0:21:250:21:29

-Magnus hid his ships...

0:21:300:21:32

-..and, at the last moment,

-came to help Gruffudd...

0:21:330:21:38

-..although at the time Gruffudd

-was trying to escape from Anglesey.

0:21:380:21:42

-Aberlleiniog Castle

-is now looked after by Menter Mon.

0:21:520:21:55

-Recently,

-they have excavated the site...

0:21:550:21:58

-..and discovered that the castle

-was also of strategic importance...

0:21:590:22:03

-..during Cromwell's Civil War.

0:22:030:22:05

-Aberlleiniog Castle is in

-a prime location on the Menai.

0:22:060:22:10

-During the Civil War...

0:22:100:22:12

-..people realized that it was a

-good location to defend Beaumaris.

0:22:120:22:15

-So they came here

-and restored the Norman castle.

0:22:160:22:20

-They built towers and new floors,

-and then used it as a small fort...

0:22:200:22:26

-..in case Beaumaris was attacked.

0:22:260:22:29

-Here, we see work

-dating from the Civil War.

0:22:320:22:35

-It lies over

-the medieval archaeology.

0:22:350:22:38

-We have to study

-the Civil War archaeology...

0:22:390:22:43

-..before digging deeper, to see what

-happened in Gruffudd ap Cynan's era.

0:22:430:22:48

-The military link extended

-into the 20th century.

0:22:520:22:56

-During World War II, this tower

-was adapted as a defence...

0:22:560:23:00

-..from enemy attack.

0:23:010:23:02

-Although Gruffudd ap Cynan

-escaped to Ireland...

0:23:030:23:05

-..after

-the Battle of Aberlleiniog...

0:23:060:23:09

-..he gained most advantage from the

-death of Hugh, Earl of Shrewsbury.

0:23:090:23:12

-When Gruffudd returned

-from Ireland the following year...

0:23:120:23:15

-..it was

-from his Anglesey stronghold...

0:23:150:23:17

-..that he extended his authority

-throughout Gwynedd.

0:23:170:23:21

-Things got easier after

-the death of Hugh the Fat in 1101.

0:23:210:23:25

-He was so fat at the end of his

-life, according to once source...

0:23:250:23:28

-..that he could hardly walk.

0:23:280:23:30

-Henry I was now ready to recognize

-Gruffudd's authority in Gwynedd...

0:23:310:23:34

-..on condition that Gruffudd

-recognized Henry's authority.

0:23:350:23:38

-The relationship between Henry I and

-Gruffudd ap Cynan was very fragile.

0:23:390:23:43

-They were both wary of each other.

0:23:430:23:46

-We see that Henry I gave the right

-to lands in Eifionydd, Lleyn...

0:23:470:23:52

-..Ardudwy and Arllechwedd

-to Gruffudd ap Cynan in 1101.

0:23:520:23:57

-Gwynedd flourished.

0:23:570:23:59

-People flocked back to the kingdom.

0:23:590:24:01

-Henry I began to worry, as Gruffudd

-ap Cynan added to his lands.

0:24:020:24:06

-He decided to attack Gruffudd with

-the aim of conquering the Welsh...

0:24:060:24:10

-..according to 'Brut y Tywysogion'.

0:24:110:24:13

-How determined was Gruffudd

-to extend his kingdom after 1114?

0:24:130:24:17

-Gruffudd ap Cynan

-was obviously very determined...

0:24:180:24:21

-..to extend his kingdom after 1114.

0:24:220:24:24

-This is evident in the way

-he encouraged his sons...

0:24:240:24:28

-..to actively campaign

-in neighbouring areas...

0:24:280:24:31

-..to try to recapture them

-and bring them under Gwynedd's rule.

0:24:310:24:35

-Killing members of even their

-own family was not an obstacle...

0:24:360:24:40

-..to the ambitions of his sons.

0:24:400:24:42

-The oldest son, Cadwallon, killed

-three of his mother's brothers.

0:24:420:24:46

-But seven years later,

-in an act of revenge...

0:24:470:24:50

-..Cadwallon was killed

-by the son of one of the brothers.

0:24:500:24:54

-This was a perfect example

-of the eternal strife...

0:24:550:24:58

-..that was an integral part of

-the political and social history...

0:24:580:25:02

-..of medieval Wales.

0:25:020:25:03

-Maybe one reason for this was

-that a substantial percentage...

0:25:040:25:07

-..of the population

-consisted of young people.

0:25:070:25:10

-We must remember,

-when we refer to these times...

0:25:110:25:14

-..and even as late

-as the 18th century...

0:25:140:25:17

-..how young the population

-was on average.

0:25:170:25:21

-Very few people lived

-beyond the age of 40 years.

0:25:210:25:24

-So the leaders of society

-were in their teens and twenties.

0:25:250:25:30

-Perhaps the problems

-of the society reflected this.

0:25:320:25:36

-We might consider their games

-and interests to be childish.

0:25:360:25:41

-But they are youthful traits.

0:25:420:25:46

-The leaders of society

-were young people.

0:25:470:25:50

-A girl would be ready to marry

-and be a wife at twelve.

0:25:500:25:54

-A boy would be a man

-at fourteen, ready to marry...

0:25:540:25:57

-..and to fight in armies.

0:25:570:25:59

-As a warrior, one of Gruffudd

-ap Cynan's chief successes...

0:26:040:26:08

-..was ensuring the continuation of

-the tradition of monarchy in Wales.

0:26:080:26:12

-He made sure that princes,

-descended from him...

0:26:120:26:16

-..would rule Wales through

-the 12th and 13th centuries.

0:26:160:26:21

-But one crucial difference between

-Wales and England at this time...

0:26:230:26:27

-..influenced the history of Wales

-for the next two centuries.

0:26:270:26:31

-Here, unlike in England...

0:26:310:26:33

-..the Normans failed to get

-rid of Wales's royal families.

0:26:340:26:38

-888

0:26:490:26:51

-Looking back

-on Gruffudd ap Cynan's life...

0:26:560:26:59

-..his biographer

-emphasized three points.

0:26:590:27:02

-His royal lineage,

-his courage in battle...

0:27:020:27:06

-..and the peace and prosperity

-he established in Gwynedd.

0:27:060:27:10

-The emphasis on his ancestry...

0:27:130:27:16

-..was probably an attempt to justify

-Gruffudd's regal authority...

0:27:160:27:19

-..obtained

-through the military power...

0:27:200:27:22

-..of a partly Irish exile

-with rather a dubious background.

0:27:220:27:26

-But from what we know of him...

0:27:270:27:29

-..Gruffudd was much more

-than a mere warrior.

0:27:290:27:33

-Gruffudd ap Cynan was certainly

-more than just a warrior.

0:27:410:27:44

-He was clearly an amazing diplomat,

-and very charismatic...

0:27:450:27:49

-..or he would never have been

-able to persuade Vikings...

0:27:490:27:52

-..Normans, Welsh and Irish

-to fight on his behalf.

0:27:530:27:56

-He was very proud to be a Christian.

0:27:570:27:59

-He began building churches

-in Gwynedd and planted forests.

0:27:590:28:03

-The area had economic growth.

0:28:040:28:06

-He tried to draw people back to

-Gwynedd and create a strong kingdom.

0:28:060:28:10

-So he was much more than a warrior,

-or he wouldn't have lasted...

0:28:100:28:13

-..as long as he did.

0:28:140:28:15

-And warfare wasn't the only way

-of increasing influence and power.

0:28:260:28:30

-In this age, women could

-confer power through marriage.

0:28:300:28:34

-Some women, like princess Gwenllian,

-fought on behalf of her husband.

0:28:340:28:40

-Owain ab Edwin ruled Tegeingl...

0:28:410:28:43

-..the area between

-the rivers Dee and Clwyd.

0:28:430:28:47

-Gruffudd married Owain's daughter,

-Angharad.

0:28:470:28:49

-By so doing, he extended

-his power beyond Gwynedd.

0:28:500:28:54

-Angharad is described

-in Gruffudd's biography as...

0:28:540:28:57

-..'a woman of glorious countenance.'

0:28:570:28:59

-They had five children,

-Cadwallon, Owain, Cadwaladr...

0:29:000:29:04

-..Gwenllian and Susanna.

0:29:040:29:06

-An interesting feature

-of Gruffudd's biography...

0:29:070:29:11

-..is the way it tries to elevate

-Gruffudd's wife, Angharad.

0:29:110:29:15

-Indeed, there's one reference

-to Angharad as his queen.

0:29:160:29:20

-It was a deliberate attempt...

0:29:220:29:24

-..to state that Angharad

-was a person of importance.

0:29:240:29:28

-She is praised for the good counsel

-she gave her husband...

0:29:280:29:32

-..suggesting she had a political

-and public role at the time.

0:29:320:29:37

-There's an excellent description of

-her in Gruffudd ap Cynan's history.

0:29:380:29:42

-It gives us a picture

-of an idealized medieval woman.

0:29:420:29:46

-She has long, slim fingers.

0:29:480:29:50

-Obviously she didn't

-wash many dishes.

0:29:500:29:53

-There's a reference, as I recall...

0:29:530:29:56

-..to her black hair

-and dainty feet.

0:29:560:29:59

-But the most important fact

-was that she gave him children.

0:29:590:30:03

-It was fairly common

-for the wives of kings or princes...

0:30:080:30:11

-..to have quite

-a lot of power and influence.

0:30:110:30:15

-It depends how you define these,

-of course.

0:30:150:30:18

-The fact that they were so close

-to the king was important.

0:30:180:30:22

-They controlled

-who could approach the king.

0:30:230:30:27

-They could speak on behalf of people

-who were hoping for favour...

0:30:270:30:32

-..or patronage from a prince.

0:30:330:30:35

-That gave them a certain influence.

0:30:360:30:38

-Angharad was probably no exception.

0:30:380:30:40

-But it's unusual for sources

-to record so much...

0:30:410:30:45

-..about a prince's wife

-as we hear about Angharad.

0:30:450:30:49

-Two of Gruffudd's daughters,

-Gwenllian and Susanna...

0:30:560:30:59

-..married members of other

-leading families in Wales.

0:31:000:31:03

-Marriages of this kind tied

-the main royal families together...

0:31:030:31:07

-..and increased

-the royal status of the husband.

0:31:070:31:11

-Although land was only

-inherited through the father...

0:31:120:31:16

-..royal status could be inherited

-through the mother as well.

0:31:160:31:20

-When the Normans arrived...

0:31:220:31:24

-..women were very important

-for them as well as the Welsh.

0:31:240:31:28

-They were used

-in political marriages.

0:31:290:31:33

-Very often, land would come with the

-women, so they were very important.

0:31:330:31:37

-One often gets the impression...

0:31:370:31:39

-..it didn't matter if the men

-liked the women or not.

0:31:400:31:43

-They were often very young,

-of course.

0:31:440:31:47

-Clearly, some of the Norman invaders

-in Gruffudd ap Cynan's time...

0:31:540:31:58

-..believed that marriage with

-women from Welsh royal families...

0:31:580:32:02

-..would confer legal status

-to their hold on their new lands.

0:32:030:32:07

-Gerald of Wales, himself

-three-quarters Norman, said...

0:32:110:32:15

-..that his grandfather,

-Gerald of Windsor...

0:32:150:32:18

-..married Nest,

-daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr...

0:32:180:32:21

-..so that he and his family would

-have deeper roots in those areas.

0:32:220:32:25

-Gerald of Windsor wasn't the only

-one to be enchanted by Nest.

0:32:270:32:31

-She also bore children to Stephen,

-the Norman constable of Cardigan.

0:32:310:32:35

-And she had a child with none other

-than the king - Henry I...

0:32:360:32:40

-..who fathered about twenty

-illegitimate offspring in all.

0:32:400:32:44

-After marrying Gerald of Windsor...

0:32:460:32:49

-..Nest had at least three sons

-with him and two daughters.

0:32:490:32:54

-In 1109, she and her husband...

0:32:540:32:57

-..were in a castle

-known as Cenarth Bychan.

0:32:570:33:01

-No-one is sure

-where Cenarth Bychan was located.

0:33:010:33:05

-The people of Cilgerran say it was

-in Cilgerran but we're not sure.

0:33:050:33:09

-In any case, Nest's cousin,

-Owain ap Cadwgan...

0:33:090:33:13

-..had seen her at a Christmas feast,

-according to the story.

0:33:130:33:18

-He'd fallen in love at first sight.

0:33:180:33:20

-He came to the castle

-with his men and captured Nest.

0:33:210:33:24

-She went with him

-quite willingly, apparently.

0:33:250:33:29

-Her husband, Gerald of Windsor...

0:33:290:33:31

-..had been shown a way of escaping

-from the castle by Nest...

0:33:310:33:35

-..down a hole in the privy,

-on the wall of the castle.

0:33:360:33:40

-As you know,

-they were called 'garde-robes'...

0:33:400:33:44

-..the toilets inside the towers.

0:33:440:33:46

-That's how Gerald of Windsor

-escaped unhurt...

0:33:510:33:55

-..but perhaps not very fragrantly...

0:33:560:33:59

-..from this difficult situation.

0:34:000:34:02

-Nest and Owain lived

-as fugitives for a time.

0:34:070:34:10

-But Nest returned

-to her husband eventually.

0:34:100:34:13

-This wasn't the end

-of her story.

0:34:130:34:17

-Nest had children by a number

-of other Norman lords...

0:34:170:34:21

-..in south-west Wales.

0:34:220:34:25

-They all fell in love with her,

-according to the legend.

0:34:250:34:29

-But perhaps they too,

-like Gerald of Windsor...

0:34:290:34:33

-..wanted to have the children

-of a princess of Deheubarth...

0:34:330:34:36

-..and to see their children

-having a royal lineage.

0:34:360:34:40

-Others argue

-that Nest took advantage...

0:34:430:34:46

-..of her ancestry and beauty...

0:34:470:34:49

-..to extend her family's influence

-amongst the Norman invaders...

0:34:490:34:53

-..in Gruffudd ap Cynan's day.

0:34:530:34:55

-We really should

-re-evaluate Nest's situation.

0:34:560:34:59

-History was generally written

-by men until the 20th century.

0:34:590:35:03

-Men believed that women

-were the husband's property...

0:35:040:35:08

-..after marriage, and the father's

-property before marriage.

0:35:090:35:13

-Now, we're re-assessing

-the history of women.

0:35:130:35:18

-We don't believe

-the romantic stories any more...

0:35:180:35:22

-..or the spin put on them by men.

0:35:230:35:25

-Women had little independent status.

0:35:300:35:32

-This can be seen in historical

-documents of the time...

0:35:320:35:36

-..and also, of course, in poetry,

-and myths like the 'Mabinogion'.

0:35:370:35:42

-Gwenllian was an exception.

0:35:420:35:44

-She led her husband's army...

0:35:450:35:47

-..but paid the ultimate price.

0:35:480:35:50

-Gwenllian was the daughter

-of Gruffudd ap Cynan.

0:35:500:35:53

-According to Gerald of Wales, she

-was a second queen of the Amazons.

0:35:540:35:58

-When Gwenllian's husband went to

-the North in 1135 to ask for help...

0:36:030:36:06

-..from his wife's family,

-in fighting the king of England...

0:36:060:36:10

-..Gwenllian decided,

-probably of her own accord...

0:36:110:36:14

-..to attack Kidwelly Castle.

0:36:140:36:16

-She died on the battlefield...

0:36:160:36:18

-..which is called

-Maes Gwenllian to this day.

0:36:190:36:23

-A princess from Gwynedd,

-who fought in Deheubarth...

0:36:290:36:32

-..is our only example

-of a medieval warrior princess.

0:36:320:36:36

-But I wonder how many

-of them led armies...

0:36:370:36:41

-..and held high status

-amongst their people...

0:36:410:36:45

-..because they belonged

-to a royal family?

0:36:460:36:49

-The status of women was low in

-the eyes of the church and the law.

0:36:520:36:56

-For this reason...

0:36:560:36:57

-..we only have a few glimpses of

-women's lives in medieval sources.

0:36:580:37:02

-Nevertheless,

-Nest and Gwenllian's examples...

0:37:020:37:06

-..show that this aspect

-of Welsh royalty was very important.

0:37:060:37:10

-888

0:37:210:37:23

-People didn't live to a great age

-in the Middle Ages.

0:37:280:37:32

-Gruffudd ap Cynan was an exception.

-He lived to the age of 82.

0:37:320:37:36

-Like other European kings

-and leaders, he believed that war...

0:37:370:37:41

-..and godliness were two sides

-of the same Christian coin.

0:37:410:37:46

-So, in order to prepare for death,

-Gruffudd made bequests of money...

0:37:500:37:54

-..to churches

-in Ireland and Wales...

0:37:540:37:57

-..and to the Norman monasteries

-of Chester and Shrewsbury.

0:37:570:38:01

-His body was anointed with holy

-oil by clerics at his deathbed.

0:38:010:38:06

-Amongst them was Dafydd,

-Bishop of Bangor.

0:38:060:38:10

-He also blessed his sons...

0:38:100:38:12

-..and commanded them to be brave and

-resist their enemy with ferocity...

0:38:120:38:16

-..as he did, in his youth.

0:38:160:38:18

-In his elegy to Gruffudd, Meilyr

-Brydydd praised the brilliance...

0:38:190:38:23

-..of the king's military career...

0:38:230:38:25

-..and also promised that Gruffudd

-would be welcomed in heaven...

0:38:260:38:30

-..by angels and saints.

0:38:300:38:32

-"When the leader of brave men

-hath the light of confidence

0:38:360:38:40

-"And the courtesy of angels,

-I shall not be in want."

0:38:400:38:44

-In Meilyr Brydydd's elegy

-to Gruffudd ap Cynan...

0:38:460:38:49

-..the principal element

-is the heroic one, obviously.

0:38:500:38:53

-Gruffudd ap Cynan, the warrior.

0:38:530:38:55

-Maybe the poem is remarkable too...

0:38:550:38:57

-..because of its many

-religious references.

0:38:580:39:02

-I'd suggest that the poem

-was perhaps recited...

0:39:030:39:07

-..before an ecclesiastic audience.

0:39:070:39:09

-There are very definite references

-towards the end...

0:39:110:39:15

-..to the hope that Gruffudd ap Cynan

-would have eternal life in heaven.

0:39:150:39:20

-There's a hint in the poem too...

0:39:210:39:23

-..that there are more important

-concerns than worldly politics...

0:39:240:39:28

-..and that the eternal soul

-is of more everlasting importance...

0:39:290:39:34

-..than subjects like

-the politics of Gwynedd.

0:39:340:39:38

-Gruffudd was buried

-in Bangor Cathedral.

0:39:420:39:45

-Dafydd, Bishop of Bangor...

0:39:450:39:47

-..had been consecrated

-by the Archbishop of Canterbury...

0:39:470:39:50

-..at Gruffudd's request in 1120.

0:39:510:39:53

-The appointment was a sign...

0:39:530:39:55

-..of broader changes in the church

-in Wales, in Gruffudd's day.

0:39:550:39:58

-In Gruffudd ap Cynan's day,

-the see of Canterbury...

0:40:000:40:03

-..was trying to extend

-its influence in Wales...

0:40:030:40:07

-..by getting new bishops

-in Wales to swear obedience...

0:40:070:40:12

-..to the Archbishop.

0:40:130:40:15

-That happened quite soon after

-the Norman conquest in the south.

0:40:150:40:19

-Bishop Urban in Llandaff...

0:40:200:40:22

-..followed by Bernard, former

-chaplain to the queen...

0:40:220:40:27

-..of king Henry I, in St David's.

0:40:270:40:29

-Not all Wales's clerics were happy

-with the fact that the dioceses...

0:40:320:40:36

-..were subject

-to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

0:40:370:40:41

-Ironically perhaps, a Norman,

-Bishop Bernard of St David's...

0:40:420:40:46

-..was the first to try

-and obtain some independence...

0:40:460:40:50

-..from Canterbury,

-for the Church in Wales.

0:40:500:40:53

-But he failed.

0:40:530:40:55

-Ultimately, we have

-to wait until the 20th century...

0:40:560:41:00

-..until 1920,

-to see the Church in Wales...

0:41:000:41:04

-..separated from

-the Church of England.

0:41:040:41:08

-The process of creating

-formal dioceses also began...

0:41:160:41:19

-..in Gruffudd ap Cynan's time.

0:41:200:41:22

-The boundaries were fairly

-undefined before this.

0:41:220:41:25

-It was an attempt

-to establish a church system...

0:41:250:41:29

-..like the ones

-in England and Europe.

0:41:290:41:32

-Each diocese was divided...

0:41:360:41:39

-..into archdeaconries

-and rural deaneries.

0:41:390:41:42

-Wales's parishes were also defined.

0:41:420:41:44

-These were all new units

-which have lasted to this day.

0:41:450:41:49

-Gruffudd's bequests to Chester

-and Shrewsbury's monasteries...

0:42:160:42:19

-..show that the king endorsed

-a new kind of religious life...

0:42:200:42:24

-..introduced to Wales

-by the Normans.

0:42:240:42:27

-By the time the Normans arrived...

0:42:310:42:33

-..there had been major developments

-in western Europe.

0:42:330:42:36

-The Benedictine Order had

-introduced very strict rules...

0:42:370:42:41

-..about the monks' activities...

0:42:410:42:43

-..and how monasteries

-should be governed.

0:42:440:42:46

-Maybe most significantly...

0:42:470:42:48

-..they began to build

-beautiful churches of stone...

0:42:490:42:53

-..with arches and windows.

0:42:530:42:55

-Architecture of this kind is costly,

-of course.

0:42:580:43:01

-But although Gruffudd

-endorsed the Normans' religion...

0:43:010:43:04

-..he gave many more bequests

-to old, important establishments...

0:43:040:43:08

-..like Penmon and Meifod,

-cornerstones of the Welsh church...

0:43:090:43:13

-..before the Normans arrived.

0:43:130:43:15

-It was a different story...

0:43:160:43:18

-..in the lands conquered

-by the Normans in the south.

0:43:180:43:22

-Although the Normans were fierce...

0:43:220:43:24

-..they were religious

-in their own way...

0:43:240:43:27

-..and believed it was essential for

-them to control the Welsh church.

0:43:270:43:31

-When the Normans came to Wales,

-they found these huts and 'clasau'.

0:43:350:43:39

-'Clas' means an enclosed area...

0:43:400:43:42

-..where a church made of earth

-or wood was built.

0:43:420:43:46

-There weren't any

-majestic stone buildings.

0:43:460:43:49

-The Normans couldn't see

-any establishments...

0:43:500:43:53

-..corresponding to monasteries...

0:43:530:43:55

-..or what they understood

-by this term.

0:43:560:43:59

-They felt that the religious

-communities of Wales...

0:43:590:44:03

-..were old-fashioned,

-maybe corrupt...

0:44:040:44:07

-..and not proper churches.

0:44:070:44:09

-Very often, the abbot

-was the son of the previous abbot.

0:44:090:44:14

-Very often, one family would

-practically 'own' the monastery.

0:44:140:44:18

-They regarded it as a deficiency,

-that there were no communities...

0:44:190:44:23

-..obeying any version

-of St Benedict's 6th century Rule...

0:44:230:44:28

-..which had become the basis of

-European monastic life by this time.

0:44:280:44:33

-They saw nothing like this in Wales.

0:44:330:44:36

-They viewed these enclosures,

-with mud and wood huts...

0:44:370:44:41

-..hereditary abbots

-who were married, and so forth...

0:44:420:44:46

-.. with scorn

-and felt they should be swept away.

0:44:460:44:50

-After a time, the Welsh

-themselves began to support...

0:44:510:44:55

-..the Benedictine monasteries.

0:44:550:44:57

-Indeed, Gruffudd ap Cynan

-was the first prince we hear of...

0:44:570:45:01

-..who gave patronage

-to houses of this kind...

0:45:010:45:04

-..by giving gifts to the abbeys

-of Chester and Shrewsbury...

0:45:050:45:09

-..at the end of his life.

0:45:090:45:12

-So the Church in Wales

-was opened to new influences...

0:45:170:45:20

-..in Gruffudd ap Cynan's day.

0:45:200:45:22

-In reality, it was a compromise

-and combination of old and new.

0:45:220:45:26

-Nevertheless,

-Gruffudd ap Cynan showed...

0:45:260:45:29

-..that the Welsh were ready

-to look towards the future.

0:45:290:45:32

-European ecclesiastic patterns

-and fashions were adopted...

0:45:320:45:36

-..that had been originally

-introduced to the country...

0:45:370:45:40

-..by the Norman conquerors.

0:45:400:45:42

-He succeeded in retaining his hold

-on Gwynedd from the 1090s...

0:45:530:45:58

-..until his death in 1137...

0:45:590:46:02

-..nearly 40 years of unbroken rule

-by Gruffudd ap Cynan.

0:46:030:46:08

-The Chronicle - Buchedd,

-describes...

0:46:080:46:12

-..how he planted small, lime-washed

-churches all over Anglesey...

0:46:120:46:16

-..like stars in the firmament.

0:46:160:46:19

-People would feel secure

-when they planted crops...

0:46:190:46:23

-..that those crops

-would be harvested.

0:46:240:46:27

-He created the stability

-that's essential for culture...

0:46:270:46:31

-..civilization,

-and political growth.

0:46:310:46:35

-As he established himself

-as king in Gwynedd...

0:46:370:46:41

-..Gruffudd was drawn ever more

-into the Anglo-Norman world.

0:46:420:46:47

-In a way,

-he bridges these two worlds...

0:46:480:46:52

-..the Irish world, based around the

-Irish Sea's coasts, on one hand...

0:46:520:46:56

-..and the Anglo-Norman world, with

-its centre in England, on the other.

0:46:570:47:01

-Because of Gruffudd ap Cynan's

-successes...

0:47:050:47:09

-..he was able defend

-the concept of a Welsh monarchy.

0:47:090:47:13

-Were it not for him, the whole

-concept of Welsh sovereignty...

0:47:130:47:17

-..would have disappeared.

0:47:170:47:19

-Gruffudd ap Cynan has a unique

-place in Welsh history.

0:47:250:47:29

-From being a pirate

-of Irish descent...

0:47:290:47:32

-..pillaging the coasts

-of the Irish Sea...

0:47:320:47:35

-..he became an astute

-and successful politician.

0:47:350:47:38

-Gruffudd bridged

-the old and the new...

0:47:380:47:41

-..and gave his country peace

-and prosperity for thirty years.

0:47:420:47:46

-By restoring the kingdom

-of Gwynedd, Gruffudd succeeded...

0:47:460:47:50

-..where more traditional

-Welsh leaders failed.

0:47:500:47:54

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