Hywel Dda Tywysogion

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-The Welsh Princes.

-Who were they? What were they?

-Nationalists who wanted to unite

-Wales in the Middle Ages?

-Or leaders who craved power

-for personal gain, come what may?

-The history of many

-of the Princes...

-..Hywel Dda, Llywelyn the Great,

-Llywelyn the Last...

-..and Owain Glyndwr

-is shrouded in myth.

-This series offers a 21st century

-interpretation of medieval politics.

-We'll lift the mist off the past...

-..to place these leaders

-in the context of their time.

-New states were created throughout

-Europe in the Middle Ages.

-Wales was no exception.

-Not every Prince sought

-to create a Welsh state...

-..but several sought

-political unity in Wales.

-In the melting pot

-of medieval politics...

-..few Princes ruled

-the whole of Wales.

-PRINCES

-Hywel Dda

-HORSES NEIGH

-Over a thousand years ago,

-a Royal traveller arrived in Rome.

-Centuries earlier, this was

-the capital of Rome's vast empire.

-It was a symbol

-of worldwide Roman domination.

-Roman ruins could be seen

-then as now.

-But that wasn't the reason

-why the King came here.

-Rome was the centre of the Christian

-faith in the Middle Ages.

-The traveller was Hywel ap Cadell,

-a South West Wales King.

-He's known today as Hywel Dda,

-Hywel the Good. Why Good Hywel?

-His journey to Rome might have

-contributed to his virtuous image...

-..as a good, Christian King.

-He went to Rome on a pilgrimage

-to see Christian Roman relics...

-..like the 5th century

-Santa Pudenziana tapestry.

-But one thing is certain.

-His journey to Rome demonstrates

-that Wales in the Middle Ages...

-..was a mainstream European country,

-part of the broader Christian world.

-Wales had undergone change

-since the days of the Roman Empire.

-It was a rural country, sparsely

-populated, without any towns.

-The country was ruled over

-by royal warriors...

-..who depended on slave labour

-to farm the land.

-The country was split

-into several kingdoms.

-One of them was Hywel's kingdom.

-It included Ceredigion, Dyfed,

-present-day Pembrokeshire...

-..Ystrad Tywi, or Deheubarth

-as it came to be known.

-Despite the divisions,

-by Hywel Dda's day...

-..the Welsh believed they were one

-people, and Wales was one country.

-They were often called Britons.

-Their Celtic forefathers

-ruled Britain after the Romans left.

-It was widely believed Wales

-was destined to rule Britain...

-..in the Middle Ages.

-In Hywel Dda's period...

-..the Welsh saw themselves

-as the Britons' descendants.

-These were the native people

-of Britain - the Celts.

-They'd survived the Roman Conquest.

-The Welsh saw themselves

-as their successors.

-The true inheritors

-of the British Isles.

-The Welsh kingdoms were

-the principal areas of Britain...

-..that remained

-in the hands of the Britons...

-..or the Welsh

-as they were eventually called.

-People began to view

-Wales and the Welsh...

-..as a separate country and people.

-They spoke their own language -

-the Welsh language.

-But this was

-a geographical and cultural idea.

-Another step had to be taken

-to believe that one King...

-..should rule the country, and turn

-it into a cohesive political unit.

-For Hywel

-to venture as far as Rome...

-..suggests his rule and authority

-in South West Wales was secure.

-He reigned as King for a further

-20 years after his pilgrimage.

-His inheritance contributed

-to his success as King.

-Hywel's influential lineage...

-..had transformed the political map

-of Wales since the 9th century.

-Few facts are available today

-about Hywel's life.

-We don't even know where he lived.

-He was born circa 890,

-and married Elen ap Llywarch.

-We know he was an astute leader

-and politician.

-He ruled the vast majority of Wales

-until his death at the age of 60.

-Hywel came nearer

-than any previous Welsh King...

-..to stamp his authority

-on the whole of Wales.

-He created an empire of sorts

-over most of the Welsh regions.

-He removed, temporarily, at least...

-..the political divisions that were

-an integral part of Welsh history...

-..under the Welsh Kings and Princes.

-Hywel ruled over most of Wales.

-Gwynedd, Powys and the South West.

-Only Glamorgan and Gwent

-in the south east...

-..remained outside his authority.

-He ruled over these regions

-throughout his reign...

-..until his death in 950.

-This statue of Hywel Dda

-is in Cardiff's City Hall.

-Penarth artist, Ifor Davies...

-..is familiar with

-the portrayal of Welsh history.

-He's creating images of eight

-medieval Welsh Princes.

-If you study a painting

-for long enough...

-..you begin to discover

-things about the person.

-It's interesting

-to try to imagine...

-..what he looked like.

-He appears to have been quite slim.

-He had a lawyer's long fingers.

-He had a long nose.

-The surviving image we have

-is a single sketch in a manuscript.

-But I've been considering

-what paint to use.

-I don't want flat, acrylic paint.

-I want the paint to come alive,

-and have a thick consistency.

-It has to be interesting.

-On his deathbed...

-..Hywel Dda was hailed 'King of

-the Britons' - the Welsh.

-It's a clear sign

-of his power and authority.

-But establishing a new, united

-kingdom wasn't his main goal.

-Hywel's priority

-was to promote his own lineage.

-He wanted to broaden

-his own power base.

-There's a danger to look back...

-..and view Hywel as

-the King of the whole of Wales...

-..and to celebrate his achievement.

-But perhaps

-this wasn't his intention.

-He wanted more land under his rule.

-His ambition was to ensure his

-family kept control of these lands.

-To understand how Hywel Dda gained

-such extraordinary power in Wales...

-..we have to look at

-his relationship with England.

-There were two elements

-to the relationship.

-Hywel allowed

-England's Anglo-Saxon Kings...

-..to maintain authority over him.

-In certain aspects,

-he wanted to imitate them too.

-The birth of the English kingdom

-in the 10th century...

-..had important repercussions

-for all the British Kings.

-Alfred, King of Wessex -

-Alfred the Great...

-..repelled the Viking conquest.

-They had conquered all

-the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

-One of the few surviving relics

-from Alfred and Hywel's age...

-..is Alfred's jewel.

-The remarkably intricate piece is

-made from gold, enamel and crystal.

-It was a part of a bookmark

-at one time.

-A wooden stick reached

-into the animal's mouth.

-An inscription informs us

-that it was commissioned by Alfred.

-Under Athelstan's leadership,

-Alfred's grandson...

-..the Anglo-Saxons succeeded

-in getting rid of the Vikings...

-..from most of the land

-beyond Offa's Dyke.

-Athelstan was crowned

-England's first King.

-Ruling over the Anglo-Saxons wasn't

-enough for Athelstan's followers.

-They also wanted the Celtic peoples

-of Britain under their authority.

-A measure

-of King Athelstan's ambition...

-..was the majestic titles

-he bestowed upon himself.

-'King of All Britain'.

-Hywel couldn't ignore

-King Athelstan.

-He bowed to Athelstan,

-and accepted his authority.

-He went to Athelstan's court

-a number of times.

-Hywel's name appears as a witness

-to charters that were published...

-..during court sessions.

-But it's significant that Hywel

-isn't referred to as a King.

-He's a 'Deputy King',

-or 'Lesser King'.

-It demonstrated the nature

-of their relationship.

-From the Anglo-Saxon

-point of view...

-..Hywel was a 'lesser King'.

-According to a medieval historian...

-..Hywel paid exorbitant

-homage to Athelstan annually.

-This included 20lbs of gold,

-300lbs of silver...

-..and 25,000 cattle.

-Hywel was fully aware...

-..that King Athelstan's

-new Anglo-Saxon empire...

-..held the upper hand

-over the whole of Britain.

-Hywel's attendance

-at the English King's court...

-..was arguably a sign of weakness.

-He was there at the command

-of the stronger Anglo-Saxon King.

-But perhaps Hywel's obedience

-was a key factor in his success.

-Peace was the great prize

-that Hywel won.

-If he'd annoyed King Athelstan,

-he would have been punished.

-He would have faced a bloody war.

-Bowing to Athelstan

-was a price worth paying.

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-There was a long tradition

-of Anglo-Saxon attacks on Wales...

-..especially from the

-Kingdom of Mercia, on the border.

-Hywel's grandfather - Rhodri the

-Great, was killed by the Mercians.

-During Hywel's reign, Queen

-Aethelflaed, Athelstan's aunt...

-..attacked

-the small kingdom of Brecon.

-She kidnapped the King's wife...

-..from a court that was located

-on that artificial island...

-..on Llangorse Lake.

-The attack took place in 916,

-when Hywel Dda was in his twenties.

-The Royal crannog on Syfaddan Lake

-was an administrative centre.

-It's possible that

-a similar site on the mainland...

-..was the court

-of Hywel Dda himself.

-Recently, the owners of the holiday

-camp where the crannog stands...

-..have built an information centre

-on the lake.

-It reflects the architecture

-of the original court.

-What exactly is a crannog?

-It's a word

-for an artificial island.

-It was created

-out of stone, sand and branches.

-Usually, it was a special site.

-Somewhere to build

-a sumptuous abode.

-Here, on Syfaddan Lake,

-Breconshire...

-..was the location

-of a Royal Family residence.

-It's the only one in Wales.

-It proves the importance

-of the site today.

-The crannog wasn't re-built

-after it was burnt down...

-..during an Anglo-Saxon attack.

-Archaeologists unearthed

-important relics in the early 1990s.

-Remains of the oak palisade

-that surrounded the island...

-..are visible

-just below the surface.

-It's the only archaeological proof

-we have of royal rule in Wales...

-..during this period.

-It provides invaluable evidence

-of the lives they led.

-Some of the objects tell us a story.

-There's domestic litter,

-and the remains of feasts.

-There are also special objects.

-Bronze brooches -

-and even parts of religious relics.

-What does it tell us about

-the way they lived in this court?

-There are certain clues.

-A very special object survived

-after falling into the water.

-It's a piece

-of a noblewoman's dress.

-It was made

-from intricate embroidery.

-It consists of silk, linen and wool.

-Patterns on the cloth...

-..reminds us

-of the Mediterranean connection.

-It was a fashionable status symbol.

-Hywel probably decided

-it was wiser to avoid attacks...

-..that would

-undermine his authority...

-..or even lead to his death.

-There's no evidence that English

-Kings attacked him during his reign.

-They were content

-to let him rule Wales...

-..as long as he

-didn't attack England.

-His attendances at court

-signified their authority over him.

-When he attended

-Athelstan's court...

-..Hywel witnessed

-a perfect example of royal power.

-It could have influenced

-his concept...

-..of a King's role

-and his authority.

-That royal symbol was minting money.

-Hywel Dda is the only Welsh King

-or Prince from the Middle Ages...

-..who appears on a coin.

-The penny inscribed with the words

-'King Hywel' was minted in Chester.

-The houses where the penny

-was minted still stand...

-..in Lower Bridge St.

-It's something unique and special.

-We only have one example

-of Hywel Dda's currency.

-The silver penny is inscribed

-with 'Hywel Rex' - King Hywel.

-Some experts believe

-it was a gift from a King...

-..minted especially

-as a mark of respect for Hywel...

-..for all he had accomplished

-in Wales.

-Other experts are fairly certain...

-..that it is an example

-of currency...

-..that circulated in Wales

-during Hywel Dda's reign.

-Unfortunately,

-we have only the one example.

-The use of money

-was a brand new phenomenon in Wales.

-Athelstan believed...

-..that royal authority was

-strengthened through legislation.

-He's named on six legal documents.

-Creating laws was a traditional

-element in royal legislation.

-Hywel Dda is remembered...

-..as a King who created

-a broad spectrum of laws for Wales.

-Was it Athelstan's example that

-inspired him to create his own laws?

-Influenced by the Wessex courts...

-..Hywel Dda attempted to unite Wales

-administratively and politically...

-..emulating what Athelstan

-achieved in England.

-There is no surviving evidence

-from Hywel Dda's day...

-..of his personal involvement

-in Welsh law making.

-But this isn't to say

-he wasn't interested in the Law.

-It was the norm for rules of law

-to be written by several persons.

-The Laws evolved.

-In one paragraph of Law...

-..it's possible to have clauses

-dating from different periods.

-The preface

-to the 13th century Law Books...

-..reveals how Hywel Dda organized

-a great assembly in Whitland, Dyfed.

-The purpose of the meeting

-was to review, reform...

-..and regulate Welsh Law.

-It would carry the King's authority,

-and be applied throughout Wales.

-Peter Lord designed this garden

-to commemorate that important event.

-Representatives from every Welsh

-settlement attended the meeting.

-It was a national forum.

-Books, and other sources

-from the 13th century...

-..refer to the laws as Hywel's Law.

-It's the most important symbol

-of Welsh unity in the Middle Ages.

-Hywel Dda's Laws were different

-from the laws of England and Rome.

-They were unique laws -

-created for the Welsh.

-They were possibly created

-to unite the country and the people.

-Hywel's Law belonged to the nation.

-It was congenital, with an emphasis

-on honour, family and so on.

-England's Law

-was based on the state.

-There was a greater emphasis

-on order, procedure and so on.

-In the early days of our Assembly,

-the Welsh Government Act 2006...

-..has inspired

-a new interest in our laws.

-Hywel's Law

-applied to society as a whole.

-The Royal Court, law and order.

-Welsh laws were considered fairer

-than their English counterparts.

-If a thief was caught and hanged...

-..in England his money would

-end up in the King's coffers.

-Under Hywel's Law, the money

-would be used to pay off his debts.

-What remained was distributed

-between his children and the Church.

-Also, under Hywel's Law,

-if you harmed your fellow man...

-..you had to pay compensation.

-If a man murdered another man...

-..the murderer's family

-paid compensation...

-..to the victim's family.

-Its purpose was to prevent

-the wronged from seeking revenge.

-Hywel Dda's Laws contained

-a whole section on women's rights.

-But this didn't necessarily

-enhance the status of women.

-That was wholly dependent on her

-father's status before she married.

-The status of women is an issue

-dating back centuries.

-The Church portrayed women...

-..as sinful creatures...

-..who led men into temptation.

-Adam,

-in the Old Testament, blamed Eve.

-There was a belief that women

-led innocent men to sin.

-Women, by their very nature,

-were evil.

-The idea of women as dirty...

-..was very strong

-in the Middle Ages, and later on.

-Hywel's Laws concentrate

-on a woman's property...

-..the property

-she owned when she married.

-In the event of a divorce...

-..the woman

-could reclaim her property.

-The emphasis is on property,

-rather than women's rights.

-These reports were written more

-than 200 years after Hywel's death.

-They are therefore the

-interpretation of legal experts...

-..from a later period.

-No-one believes they accurately

-reflect the Laws of Hywel.

-But yet again, the law books could

-contain elements from Hywel's reign.

-In the Middle Ages...

-..people believed in the legend

-that these were truly 'Hywel's Law'.

-It helped form the Welsh identity.

-In Wales, perhaps more than one

-Prince ruled at a given time...

-..but everyone adhered

-to Hywel's Law.

-Wales was united by the Welsh

-language and by Hywel's Law.

-There's no doubt that the Kings

-of England influenced Hywel Dda.

-Perhaps he tried

-to emulate those Kings...

-..by ensuring that the laws

-of his own country carried his name.

-But it's a mistake to assume...

-..that Hywel was the author and

-creator of medieval Welsh laws.

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-Hywel Dda was willing to cooperate

-with the Anglo-Saxons.

-That wasn't the attitude

-of the anonymous poet...

-..who wrote Armes Prydain,

-in the middle of the 10th century.

-This particular protest song

-was composed 1000 years...

-..before the protest songs

-of the 20th century.

-'Armes Prydain' prophesised

-the fall of the English.

-The Welsh should drive them

-from the island of Britain...

-..under St David's banner.

-It foresaw the Britons regaining

-their hold on Britain...

-..after centuries

-of Anglo-Saxon oppression.

-It's a poem complaining

-about the English.

-The poet wants Wales to realize

-that they...

-..and other nations that he names...

-..the Norwegians,

-and the Irish of Dublin...

-..'the Irish of the North' -

-the Scots...

-..the Welsh in the Old North,

-and the Cornish...

-..were the native people of Britain,

-before the English arrived.

-The poet wanted them to unite,

-to drive the English to the sea.

-This was written at a time...

-..when Hywel Dda was getting along

-well with the English Kings.

-It's a protest against that policy.

-There was a powerful King in Wessex

-at this time, Athelstan.

-He is mentioned in the poem.

-The protest is aimed against him.

-He levied heavy taxes on the Welsh.

-The poem is meant to stir up

-anger against past oppression...

-..and against the harshness

-of the current taxes.

-This is the poet's protest.

-"Rise against this man

-who is taxing us.

-"Sweep him and his people

-into the sea."

-In the poem, 'Dublin Foreigners'...

-..that is - the Vikings, are

-named as supporters of the Welsh.

-The Vikings had settled in

-Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland...

-..by the 10th century.

-200 years earlier,

-the first Viking campaigns...

-..against Britain

-and Ireland happened.

-In the beginning...

-..these adventurers wanted

-to capture treasure and slaves.

-They attacked without warning,

-and escaped quickly...

-..thanks to their swift boats.

-This boat is in the Viking

-Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark.

-The Dublin-built boat was probably

-used to attack Wales at the time.

-The boats sailing

-the Irish Sea were 60-70 feet long.

-There were oars on each side -

-perhaps 20 oars each side.

-There was one mast and one sail.

-They weren't very wide.

-A wide boat wasn't required

-if there were oars.

-For the same reason,

-they weren't very deep, either.

-They were rowed, and moved swiftly.

-If the wind was behind them,

-they could sail rapidly.

-If the wind was against them,

-they rowed.

-In a battle, rowing was a way

-of manoeuvring quickly.

-By the mid-9th century...

-..there was an important change

-in the nature of the attacks.

-From pillaging - to conquering.

-Rather than launching

-summertime campaigns...

-..some Vikings decided to settle

-in Britain and Ireland.

-From here, they set sail to Wales.

-When they arrived in Anglesey in the

-latter part of the 9th century...

-..it's possible

-they tried to settle here...

-..and conquer.

-But it's not that simple.

-Try to imagine

-the local population's reaction...

-..and the relationship between

-the Vikings and the native people.

-Were the Vikings

-attacking the local people...

-..or did the local people become

-a part of the Viking society?

-The Vikings

-failed to establish in Wales...

-..anything like

-the Danelaw communities in England.

-Those kingdoms

-were ruled by the Danes.

-But if there wasn't

-a Scandinavian conquest in Wales...

-..it's obvious the Vikings laid down

-roots all over the country.

-Scandinavian place names

-dot the Welsh coastline.

-Many names refer to places

-their ships should avoid.

-It was crucial information

-for any ship captain.

-For instance, Anglesey -

-from Onguls-ey. 'Ey' means island.

-Priestholm features

-the word 'holm', or small island.

-The Skerries includes

-the word 'sker' - solitary rock.

-Fishguard, from fiskigard,

-a place to store fish.

-Archaeology and Art offer

-the most important evidence...

-..that the Vikings settled in Wales

-in Hywel Dda's day.

-Mostly,

-in the north-east and on Anglesey.

-Experts have studied

-the patterns on Dyserth Cross...

-..and the Achwyfan Stone

-in Flintshire.

-They conclude

-that Vikings once lived there.

-There are non-Christian,

-Pagan figures on the cross.

-When the Vikings arrived in Britain,

-they were Pagans.

-But at the same time...

-..the Achwyfan Stone

-suggests they became Christians.

-They built crosses -

-a symbol of Christianity.

-But they included Pagan figures.

-The Bangor silver treasure

-in the National Museum...

-..includes typical

-Scandinavian bracelets.

-The Vikings hoped to return

-to collect their buried treasure.

-But the best evidence

-is found on Anglesey.

-In addition to treasure troves and

-a Viking burial site in Benllech...

-..there are

-two 10th century crosses in Penmon.

-These display

-Scandinavian influences.

-Above all, archaeological digging

-since 1992 in Llanbedrgoch...

-..has uncovered a fort-like camp.

-It was a Viking trading centre...

-..during the first half

-of the 10th century.

-It was a new centre, the like

-of which had never been seen before.

-A fort that was used for several

-purposes, built on low ground.

-These are the remains of the walls

-that surrounded the site.

-The Llanbedrgoch site is unique.

-It's the first to be discovered.

-A trading centre

-where goods were sold.

-Business was good because

-they cooperated with the locals.

-There's plenty of evidence.

-There are numerous relics...

-..brooches,

-pieces of bronze and silver...

-..even the discs to weigh produce.

-But from an archaeological

-point of view...

-..there's an interesting,

-but quite alarming, story.

-As the archaeologists dug

-in the ditch...

-..they found human remains - bones.

-They found many skeletons.

-Manchester University has

-skilfully recreated in bronze...

-..the faces of the bodies that

-were buried over 1000 years ago.

-These sculptures

-are a direct link...

-..with the residents of Anglesey

-during Hywel Dda's reign.

-According to forensic research...

-..into the positions

-of the buried bodies...

-..it's apparent that

-this was not a formal burial ground.

-Looking closely

-at the location of the bodies...

-..we realize their hands were bound.

-The bodies were thrown

-into the ditch.

-These poor unfortunates

-weren't given a Christian burial.

-Recently, however,

-hundreds of skeletons...

-..were found in Tywyn y Capel,

-Trearddur Bay, Anglesey.

-Mystery surrounds these too.

-Were they Welsh, or Viking?

-They certainly walked on

-Trearddur Bay in Hywel Dda's day.

-The skeletons are being examined

-in Preston University.

-The evidence that's unfolding

-shows us how these people lived.

-They certainly

-didn't clean their teeth.

-This is medieval plaque.

-The tiny holes in the skull suggests

-a lack of iron in their diet.

-The people buried in Trearddur Bay

-could have been Welsh or Viking.

-But Vikings lived on Anglesey

-long after Hywel Dda's day.

-His success in securing

-so much authority over Wales...

-..was a great personal achievement.

-After Hywel's death,

-Wales wasn't ruled by one King...

-..for almost another century.

-Hywel Dda died circa 950.

-He's the only Welsh Prince

-to be called 'Da' - good.

-On his death, minor Welsh Princes

-fought each other again.

-Wales suffered further attacks by

-the Mercians, Saxons and Vikings.

-But a bloodthirsty King went

-a step further than Hywel Dda.

-He had the whole of Wales

-under his rule.

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-A century after Hywel Dda's death...

-..Gruffudd ap Llywelyn became

-the most powerful leader in Wales.

-His remarkable career proves

-how much a determined...

-..and merciless leader

-can accomplish.

-By the end of his life,

-Gruffudd ruled the whole of Wales.

-Glamorgan and Gwent even -

-regions Hywel failed to conquer.

-Gruffudd even pushed

-the boundary beyond Offa's Dyke...

-..at the expense of the English.

-He carried out

-a series of violent attacks.

-I don't think there are images

-of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn.

-He was one of the earlier Princes,

-after Hywel Dda.

-He was obviously a reckless man.

-These are some of the flames...

-..which appear inverted

-behind the figure of the Prince.

-He was Hywel Dda's

-great-great-grandson.

-He was Rhodri the Great's

-great-great-great-grandson.

-He seized power

-in Gwynedd and Powys in 1039.

-He moved to the South-West in 1055.

-He seized Glamorgan in 1057.

-By 1057, he was the King of Wales.

-Furthermore, he was powerful enough

-to involve himself over the border.

-Gruffudd ap Llywelyn,

-more than anyone...

-..is responsible for a large part

-of Wales, east of Offa's Dyke...

-..now considered a part of Wales.

-Places like Wrexham Maelor, east

-Flintshire, east Radnorshire...

-..are lands that he seized back.

-Gruffudd was

-a determined and brutal soldier.

-During his battles

-to conquer the whole of Wales...

-..he killed two Kings,

-and kidnapped one of their wives.

-After tiring of that,

-he looked towards England.

-But to attack England,

-he needed help.

-Gruffudd became friendly

-with Aelfgar.

-The Earl was

-King Edward the Confessor's enemy.

-He'd been exiled.

-They attacked and burnt Hereford.

-Archaeological digs

-have uncovered evidence...

-..that most of the town was burnt.

-In the 21st century, Hereford

-is a prosperous market town.

-Remains of Gruffudd's destruction

-are barely visible today.

-But it wasn't only Princes and Kings

-that Gruffudd murdered.

-He even killed Leofgar,

-Hereford's new bishop...

-..to avenge an attack on Wales

-by the bishop's soldiers.

-The bloodshed led to Edward

-the Confessor's representatives...

-..agreeing peace terms

-with Gruffudd.

-They allowed him to keep the land

-that he'd seized along the border.

-A section east of Offa's Dyke was

-called a wasteland by the English.

-The Crown

-yielded that land to Gruffudd.

-It was of no use to the English.

-It didn't provide income

-from land tax.

-Towards the middle

-of the 11th century...

-..Gruffudd was described as

-'The King of the whole of Wales.'

-But he was betrayed and killed

-by his own men.

-The basic reason for this

-was that he made too many enemies.

-He seized power through violence.

-He killed everyone

-who was a threat to him.

-He was the Amin or Saddam

-of his period.

-Gwallter Map wrote

-that he didn't kill people...

-"..he broke the sons' horns

-so they didn't injure their mother."

-But in actual fact -

-he was an assassin.

-Gruffudd's enemies seized the chance

-to get rid of him, in 1063.

-Edward the Confessor, who was buried

-in Westminster Abbey...

-..was furious at Gruffudd's

-many violent campaigns in England.

-He ordered Harold Godwineson...

-..who was killed in

-the Battle of Hastings in 1066...

-..to attack Gruffudd.

-The result

-was a lightning attack on Rhuddlan.

-A fleet of Gruffudd's ships

-was destroyed.

-The ships were an important part

-of his military strategy.

-Harold sent the figurehead, which

-adorned one of Gruffudd's ships...

-..to the King as a gift.

-Gruffudd managed to escape.

-But his followers decided...

-..the constant warfare

-was too high a price to pay.

-In 1063,

-he was chased from place to place.

-According to 'Brut y Tywysogion'

-he was killed in Snowdonia...

-..by one of his own men.

-JE Lloyd claims he was betrayed

-and killed.

-But in the Ulster Chronicle, it is

-claimed Cynan ap Iago killed him.

-We know Gruffudd ap Llywelyn

-killed Cynan ap Iago's father.

-It's possible that Cynan ap Iago...

-..who was related

-to Gruffudd ap Llywelyn...

-..had been waiting

-for his chance to strike.

-It's happened throughout the ages.

-Consider the attempts made on

-Hitler's life by people he trusted.

-1000 years ago, Hywel Dda

-and Gruffudd ap Llywelyn...

-..were the two Kings who came

-closest to ruling all of Wales.

-But they also promoted

-their own interests...

-..and their families' interests

-as their power advanced.

-In Gruffudd's case, violence

-was a key factor in his success.

-It's obvious Gruffudd ap Llywelyn

-was a talented soldier.

-He had an element of strategy.

-There's no doubt that the Welsh

-wanted to unite under one King.

-This wasn't nationalism, in

-the contemporary sense of the word.

-But they were aware of Wales as

-a nation. This certainly existed.

-The idea of loyalty to one

-ruler wasn't such a ridiculous idea.

-Gruffudd ap Llywelyn,

-like the later Princes of Gwynedd...

-..could benefit from

-this feeling of national unity...

-..to create some kind of state.

-Gruffudd ap Llywelyn used violence

-to create a Welsh state of sorts.

-It can be argued that Hywel Dda

-was more than willing...

-..to use power when it was required.

-We shouldn't be fooled by the name

-Hywel Dda - Hywel the Good...

-..into imagining

-he never used violence.

-There must have been

-a violent side to his rule.

-He used force to seize new lands.

-Here was a combination

-of soldier and leader.

-He had vision.

-Instead of seeking

-outright independence...

-..he confirmed his authority,

-and that of his family, in Wales.

-But who made the wiser choice?

-Hywel Dda, who was prepared

-to bow to the English crown...

-..avoiding a destructive campaign

-by the English...

-..or Gruffudd ap Llywelyn -

-an unusually ambitious man...

-..who not only killed

-his Welsh enemies...

-..but also

-conquered parts of England.

-S4C Subtitles by GWEAD