Owain Gwynedd Tywysogion

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-By the mid 12th century...

-..the Welsh Princes were still

-fighting the old enemy, the Normans.

-For 40 years, Gruffudd ap Cynan

-kept them out of the north.

-He also managed to maintain peace.

-By the end of Gruffudd's life,

-his son, Owain Gwynedd...

-..was ready to extend his kingdom

-at the expense of the Normans.

-A year before Gruffudd's death,

-in 1136...

-..the Norman Lord of Ceredigion,

-Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare...

-..was murdered in a forest

-near Abergavenny by Welsh soldiers.

-The death of the powerful Norman...

-..was a turning point

-in 12th century Welsh history...

-..and marked the beginning

-of Owain Gwynedd's career.

-PRINCES

-Owain Gwynedd

-Richard de Clare's murder

-encouraged Owain Gwynedd...

-..and his brother, Cadwaladr -

-the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan...

-..to attack and try to seize

-Ceredigion from the Normans.

-For the next twenty years...

-..Owain Gwynedd loosened

-the Normans' grip on Wales.

-As a direct result, the Welsh

-Princes' power grew substantially.

-The attack on Ceredigion was

-the brothers' first campaign.

-Killing Richard de Clare

-was a key event.

-His family were so powerful

-in south Wales.

-Owain Gwynedd was the greatest

-of the Gwynedd Princes.

-He was the main ruler in Gwynedd...

-..from 1130 to his death in 1170.

-During that 40-year period,

-Gwynedd's power base grew.

-It was undoubtedly the most powerful

-of the Welsh principalities.

-Owain Gwynedd was born in 1109.

-He fathered more than 20 children.

-According to popular legend,

-his son, Madog, discovered America.

-Owain's reign is remarkable

-for his battles with the Normans.

-They had established themselves

-in England since the 1066 conquest.

-Henry I was now the King.

-During Owain Gwynedd's initial

-campaigns against the Normans...

-..many of their castles were burnt.

-They included

-Aberystwyth and Caerwedros.

-The Normans were finally overcome

-by the Welsh...

-..in the fierce Crug Mawr battle

-in Cardigan.

-According to Brut Y Tywysogion...

-..Owain and Cadwaladr

-returned to Gwynedd...

-..'joyous,

-having secured a noble victory.'

-This laid the foundations

-of Owain Gwynedd's successful reign.

-The Normans were unaccustomed

-to being challenged.

-Owain Gwynedd's early battles...

-..dealt a heavy blow

-to their authority in Wales.

-It was possibly the greatest blow

-to them throughout Britain...

-..since they arrived

-in Hastings in 1066.

-This revived the power

-of the Welsh Princes.

-Owain Gwynedd was also motivated...

-..by the ascension to the English

-throne of a new King.

-When Henry I died, his nephew,

-Stephen was crowned King.

-Their policies differed greatly.

-Henry tried hard

-to maintain control over the Welsh.

-He employed

-his supporters and relatives.

-He penalized Welsh Princes

-and caused rifts amongst them.

-Henry I was determined...

-..that the Welsh Lords and Princes

-should acknowledge his superiority.

-This was his main aim.

-He made sure of this

-throughout his reign.

-This can be seen in numerous ways.

-He appointed

-his supporters and relatives...

-..to the status of Marcher Lords.

-He placed a Norman, Bishop Bernard,

-in St David's....

-..and founded the King's

-Administrative Centre in Carmarthen.

-This is how Carmarthen became...

-..the centre of Norman and English

-governance in south Wales.

-However many minor Welsh Lords...

-..were perfectly happy

-with Henry's regime.

-On the whole, they willingly

-accepted his superiority.

-Henry I,

-in return for the cooperation...

-..was prepared

-to leave them alone...

-..as long as there was

-no threat from Wales.

-When Henry I's nephew, Stephen,

-ascended to the throne...

-..he had a serious family problem -

-Matilda, the King's daughter.

-He had to defend his throne

-against Empress Matilda...

-..who believed she should have

-succeeded her father.

-Stephen was too preoccupied

-to worry about Wales.

-The English Crown

-loosened its grip on Wales.

-A new wave of Welsh Princes appeared

-by the end of Henry I's life...

-..notably Owain, Gruffudd ap Cynan's

-son, from Gwynedd.

-But although Owain

-was chosen to succeed his father...

-..his younger brother, Cadwaladr,

-wasn't happy.

-His ambition

-was a very real threat to Owain.

-Cadwaladr's status was reflected

-in the many lands he owned.

-Half of Ceredigion,

-Merioneth and Anglesey.

-But in his quest for more land

-and his wish to oust his brother...

-..Cadwaladr was exiled

-from all of his lands...

-..by Owain Gwynedd's sons -

-Hywel and Cynan.

-Cadwaladr fled to England

-and was protected by the King.

-A Prince's family could be as much,

-if not more of a problem...

-..than an external enemy, another

-Prince, or the King of England.

-Keeping the peace within the family

-was very difficult.

-As a result of these

-family problems, Owain knew...

-..that the status of a medieval

-Welsh Prince was precarious.

-He was quite prepared

-to deal ruthlessly...

-..with relatives

-who might undermine his status.

-He blinded and castrated his nephew,

-Cunedda...

-..before he became

-too much of a threat.

-A would-be Prince, without eyes or

-testicles, was no threat to anyone.

-Anyone who reads

-medieval Welsh history...

-..particularly in Norman times,

-will realize how bloody it was.

-There's a reason why so many

-were castrated and blinded.

-A disabled person had no right

-to rule or inherit land.

-The Princes deliberately maimed

-their brothers.

-They blinded them.

-A blind brother

-couldn't inherit a kingdom.

-But according to Hywel's Law, the

-brother's children could inherit.

-So they took a further step.

-The Princes

-castrated their brothers...

-..as well as blinding them, ensuring

-that they'd never have children.

-Artist Ifor Davies portrays

-every Prince in the series.

-This is Owain Gwynedd.

-He fought against the Normans.

-I want to draw a line...

-..which represents the Prince's

-shadow as he stands there.

-The idea is to portray

-Owain Gwynedd as a distant memory.

-Someone who moves around...

-..waving a banner of the dragon

-in the air.

-There's one line there.

-Another line comes down,

-and the third comes across.

-It's Z-shaped.

-In the meantime, Owain wanted

-to extend his kingdom eastwards...

-..towards Chester and Powys.

-In Powys, he had to battle

-against his brother-in-law...

-..Madog ap Maredudd.

-Owain seized Cwmwd Ial, the land

-between Ruthin and Wrexham.

-He built Tomen y Rhodwydd castle

-in Llandegla...

-..to defend his new lands.

-The ruins are amongst the best motte

-and bailey castles in north Wales.

-It was built by Owain Gwynedd.

-Iorwerth Goch - Iorwerth the Red -

-set fire to it eight years later.

-But the earthwork

-was constructed so well...

-..that King John was still

-able to use it 50 years later.

-It's a great opportunity

-for archaeologists.

-We can dig to see

-whether the historical story...

-..matches the archaeological story

-we get from the earth.

-The castle looks across

-north-east Clwyd.

-Owain wanted to extend his kingdom

-to the outskirts of Chester.

-From his hilltop castle, he could

-observe people in the valley below.

-That's why he built it here.

-Unfortunately for him,

-the Powys Princes disapproved.

-They repelled him

-and burnt down his castle.

-There was a constant conflict

-between Gwynedd and Powys.

-Madog ap Maredudd,

-Owain's brother-in-law...

-..and the last Prince

-of a united Powys...

-..wanted the King of England's

-support to protect his kingdom...

-..from Owain's ambition.

-But Owain defeated

-his brother-in-law...

-..in the ferocious battle

-of Coleshill, Flint.

-Madog proved to be

-a difficult leader to beat.

-It was only

-when Madog was in his grave...

-..that Owain

-decided to attack Powys.

-He wanted to seize the remainder

-of that kingdom too.

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-Stephen's marred reign

-as King of England...

-..had paved the way

-for Owain to seize more land.

-It was a different story

-when Henry II ascended the throne.

-He was a far more powerful King

-than Stephen.

-He was determined to restore

-the supremacy of the English Crown.

-Henry wasn't just

-the King of England.

-Before he came to the throne, he

-owned many lands on the continent...

-..including Anjou and Aquitaine

-in France.

-When Henry II became King of England

-in 1154, his authority extended...

-..from the Cheviot Hills on the

-Scottish border, to the Pyrenees.

-He was Lord of half of France,

-as well as England.

-Compared with Henry's lands, Owain

-Gwynedd's kingdom seemed tiny...

-..stretching

-from the Dee to the Dovey rivers.

-But England's new King

-didn't dismiss Owain...

-..as an insignificant Prince

-whom he could ignore.

-Henry was determined to restore

-the rights of the English Crown...

-..in Wales as well as England.

-He mounted major military campaigns

-against Wales to achieve his goal.

-As he assembled his army...

-..he turned to a number

-of Welsh Lords for support.

-They were Owain Gwynedd's enemies...

-..especially his exiled

-brother - Cadwaladr...

-..and brothers Madog ap Maredudd

-from Powys and Iorwerth Goch.

-There's a tendency to view

-the ruling family of Powys...

-..as traitors

-to the national cause.

-They often sided

-with the King of England...

-..against the rulers of Gwynedd.

-But such an interpretation

-is rather anachronistic.

-Of course, Powys's weakness

-was its geographical vulnerability.

-The King of England

-or a Baron of the Marches...

-..could easily lead an army

-into the Powys heartland.

-Gwynedd had the geographical

-defences that Powys lacked.

-That was the reason why Powys

-tended to side with England.

-Madog ap Maredudd was a powerful

-figure in Powys at this time.

-He was buried

-in the ancient church of Meifod.

-This gravestone dates back

-to the 11th century.

-The Scandinavian-Celtic engravings

-represent sin being vanquished.

-Madog ap Maredudd

-was highly respected.

-He appears in Mabinogi stories.

-Poets pay tribute

-to his generosity and bravery.

-To say that he, from time to time...

-..and even more so, his followers...

-..preferred to turn to England

-for support against Gwynedd...

-..doesn't mean they were traitors.

-They wanted

-to retain stability in Powys.

-If you come from Powys,

-that's a reasonable standpoint.

-Aided by Powys Princes...

-..Henry attacked Gwynedd

-from two directions.

-The King's army

-marched into Flintshire.

-The English were overcome...

-..in a battle against Owain's sons -

-Dafydd and Cynan...

-..in Coleshill forest, near Flint.

-They suffered great losses.

-Henry managed to escape

-and he moved on to Rhuddlan.

-There was another battle

-with Owain's army in that area.

-It was a brave strategy.

-Owain defended his new lands in

-north-east Wales...

-..instead of retreating

-to Snowdonia...

-..to seek solace in the mountains.

-But Henry attacked a second time.

-This time, in Anglesey.

-The naval campaign wasn't a success.

-Actually, it was a disaster.

-Many of the sailors were killed.

-Gerald of Wales later offered

-a reason for the disaster.

-Soldiers had desecrated

-churches in Anglesey.

-The Saints sought their revenge.

-Despite the failed naval attack...

-..and the King's failure

-to defeat Owain in battle...

-..Henry won the war.

-The Prince was forced to kneel

-before the King...

-..yield lands in north-east Wales...

-..and return parts of Gwynedd

-to his brother, Cadwaladr.

-The period of expansion was over,

-at least for the time being.

-But Owain didn't give up

-his ambition...

-..of strengthening his lineage, and

-becoming the Ruler of north Wales.

-He took advantage

-of Powys's weakness...

-..after Madog ap Maredudd's death.

-That's when the days

-of a united Powys ended.

-Madog's sons and nephews fought

-amongst each other over the lands.

-Owain took advantage

-of the situation.

-He seized some of Madog's land.

-But Owain couldn't ignore

-Henry II's strength.

-Owain, Rhys ap Gruffudd

-from Deheubarth - Lord Rhys...

-..and Malcolm IV,

-King of Scotland...

-..were summoned to the King's Palace

-in Woodstock, Oxford.

-They were forced

-to swear allegiance to Henry.

-But by October,

-Owain began to rebel again.

-He challenged Henry...

-..by opening discussions

-with Louis VII of France...

-..Henry II's arch enemy.

-Owain intended to form an alliance

-to oppose the King of England.

-Louis, like Owain,

-was Henry II's enemy.

-They shared a common interest.

-Owain wanted the King of France's

-support against Henry.

-It didn't amount to much

-on a practical level.

-But it demonstrates Owain's vision.

-He took advantage

-of a broader political conflict...

-..in the hope of safeguarding

-his status in Wales.

-Owain confirmed his status

-during a major rebellion in Wales.

-Owain's nephew, Rhys ap Gruffudd

-or Lord Rhys, led the rebellion.

-But it's obvious that Owain too

-challenged the King's authority.

-Henry reacted with the greatest

-campaign ever against Wales.

-Henry began preparing

-for war in November, 1164.

-By the following summer,

-he'd raised thousands of pounds...

-..to pay for hundreds of foot

-soldiers - many from the continent.

-He secured a fleet of ships

-from Ireland...

-..although they arrived

-too late for the campaign.

-He had weapons,

-tonnes of corn and other foods.

-The King intended to destroy

-the whole of Wales.

-Owain was waiting for him

-here in Corwen.

-His brother Cadwaladr was at his

-side. They were friends by now.

-The Princes of Powys and Deheubarth

-were here to support Owain.

-This broad support is significant.

-It proves Owain was more

-than the Prince of Gwynedd.

-He was a national leader.

-On one level, the history

-of the Welsh Princes at this time...

-..was a series of inner conflicts.

-An attempt of one

-to stamp his authority on another.

-But on more than one occasion...

-..Welsh leaders were prepared

-to unite behind one leader...

-..if they thought that he could

-win lands and privileges...

-..from the Crown

-and the Marcher Lords.

-The two armies converged

-on the Berwyn mountains...

-..from Oswestry and Corwen.

-The forest route

-taken by Henry II's army...

-..is known to this day

-as 'English Road.'

-Before Henry's army moved north...

-..he'd managed to seize

-a number of hostages...

-..including two of Owain Gwynedd's

-sons - Rhys and Cadwaladr.

-But coming

-to the harsh Berwyn highlands...

-..almost 2,000 feet above sea level

-proved disastrous, even in August.

-Wales' geography favoured the Welsh.

-Much of the land

-was covered in forests.

-It was mountainous.

-Leading an army into Wales

-took some doing.

-Henry II faced a crisis

-in the Berwyn range.

-He was almost defeated here.

-Caught in a raging storm,

-the army's food rations ran out.

-They had no choice but to retreat

-and head for the English plains.

-To Owain and the Welsh,

-this was a miraculous deliverance.

-God had answered their prayers.

-But the King was furious.

-He blinded and castrated

-Rhys and Cadwaladr, Owain's sons...

-..and many other hostages.

-This was done, it's claimed,

-by Henry himself.

-A few months after his Berwyn

-defeat, Henry sailed to France...

-..where he remained for four years.

-Despite the preparations

-and the expense...

-..he failed to conquer Owain.

-As a result, Henry didn't stage

-another campaign against the Welsh.

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-It's easy to view medieval society

-as uncivilized and cruel.

-But culture was also important -

-as it is today.

-The Court Poets

-flourished during this time.

-But it's important to remember that

-literature was a political weapon.

-One of the era's most popular and

-influential pieces of literature...

-..was a Latin book,

-'Historia Regum Britanniae'.

-The History of the British Kings.

-The author, Geoffrey of Monmouth...

-..recounted the heroic feats of the

-Brythonic forefathers of the Welsh.

-The book's hero was King Arthur.

-Perhaps it's no coincidence...

-..that Geoffrey

-located Arthur's court in Caerleon.

-The Welsh had recently seized

-the Roman town.

-The Britons' descendants.

-Through Arthur,

-we can summarize the book's theme.

-On the one hand, Arthur displays

-all of the qualities of the Britons.

-On the other hand,

-he must concede...

-..that in Arthur's day, the fateful

-battle against the English was lost.

-Arthur was killed. But Arthur,

-too, symbolizes our rebirth.

-Geoffrey of Monmouth portrayed him

-as Arthur of the Britons.

-That's why it's such

-an important book to the Welsh.

-Geoffrey turned Arthur

-into a international hero.

-His book shows how the Norman

-conquerors in Owain Gwynedd's day...

-..stole Welsh traditions, and

-adapted them to their own purposes.

-He wrote

-for an Anglo-Norman audience.

-To a lesser degree,

-they can be called Cambro-Norman.

-Possibly...

-..he wrote to gain the attention

-of these influential people.

-That was probably his intention.

-The idea of the Welsh

-being descendants of the Britons...

-..was a crucial element

-of their culture.

-The Britons once reigned

-over most of Britain.

-In Owain Gwynedd's day,

-people still believed Arthur...

-..King of the Britons,

-would rise again...

-..and oust the conquerors

-from the land.

-The poets perpetuated

-this powerful ideology.

-Many wrote verses

-about Owain Gwynedd.

-He was portrayed

-as Arthur's rightful successor...

-..and the old Brythonic

-and Welsh Kings.

-Owain Gwynedd is the first

-of the Gwynedd Princes...

-..commemorated

-in poetry and epic poems.

-Gwalchmai ap Meilir wrote about him.

-Gwalchmai's father, Meilir...

-..paid homage to Owain's father,

-Gruffudd ap Cynan.

-The greatest Poet of the Princes

-wrote a poem about him.

-Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr.

-"I praise a generous man,

-who leads glorious campaigns

-"An adventurer

-who leads his warriors

-"A wolf, who rises to the challenge"

-From reading these poems,

-comparing and contrasting them...

-..it's obvious that Owain's prowess

-and ability as a soldier...

-..impressed his contemporaries.

-That's the principal element

-in the poems.

-To a degree,

-Owain Gwynedd is seen as a hero...

-..just like the leaders

-of the Old North settlements.

-The heroic element

-matches the sixth century eulogies.

-It runs through

-the poems to Owain Gwynedd too.

-This period is considered the

-Golden Age of our early literature.

-The Gogynfeirdd, the court poets,

-reflect a growing confidence...

-..as the Welsh Princes

-succeeded against the Normans.

-The poets were important members

-of the Princes' courts.

-They praised the Princes.

-They confirmed their status

-as leaders of Wales.

-We can see how important they were

-by the gifts the Princes gave them.

-Cynddelw boasts about receiving

-a purple and red costume...

-..royal colours at that time...

-..which set the wearer apart

-from the rest.

-It's misleading,

-as we look back on these poets...

-..to assume

-because they received payment...

-..that the praise poems

-were a form of false flattery.

-We tend to see them

-as medieval arse lickers...

-..spouting what the Prince

-expected them to say.

-But it's important to remember that

-poets had a certain authority...

-..that allowed them to go as far

-as to criticize the Prince.

-They were important men...

-..who were aware of their influence

-and constantly emphasized this.

-Cynddelw often said to Owain

-Gwynedd or Madog ap Maredudd...

-"..You're no-one without me,

-and I'm no-one without you."

-It was a mutually dependent

-relationship.

-"Let my world be enhanced through

-you, defender of your soldiers

-"I hope that I enhance your world"

-This is when the legends,

-known today as The Mabinogi...

-..were first recorded.

-They were recorded

-in the 14th century...

-..in The White Book of Rhydderch

-and The Red Book of Hergest.

-When we consider

-Owain Gwynedd's era...

-..we must remember

-it was a very productive period...

-..for the composition

-of poetry and prose.

-Our medieval prose was preserved

-in later manuscripts.

-They include The Mabinogion...

-..the best known

-of our medieval legends.

-There were also translations

-and poetry.

-But even though

-the tales of The Mabinogion...

-..appear in manuscript form

-in 1350-1400...

-..it's obvious they belong

-to a much earlier period.

-The original scripts were written

-in the late 11th century.

-There are historical figures -

-for instance Caswallon.

-But Rhiannon and Bendigeidfran

-derive from Celtic mythology.

-The eleven legends are a strange

-mixture of history, mythology...

-..and traditional legends.

-Elements of legends

-found all over Europe.

-Another development

-in Europe at this time...

-..was the growth of towns

-as social units.

-Today, Trelleck, not far

-from Monmouth, is a quiet village.

-But this was one of Wales's

-largest towns in the Middle Ages.

-The development began during

-Owain Gwynedd's reign.

-Newport University archaeologists

-have been digging here.

-Archaeological work has been

-carried out here for years.

-They've concluded that an ironworks

-was founded here.

-That's why the town

-became one of the largest in Wales.

-This is the key to it all.

-The ironworks was founded when

-Trelleck fell into the hands...

-..of the de Clare family.

-This was an important family.

-They had land in Glamorgan,

-in England and Ireland.

-They were the Lords of Glamorgan.

-It was very important.

-I think the ironworks in Trelleck

-supplied iron...

-..to support the war in Glamorgan.

-That's how it worked.

-We're looking for a road

-that led in and out of Trelleck.

-We want to discover

-how often the road was rebuilt...

-..and what the road surface

-was made of.

-Nearby, there are ironworks.

-They used slack from the ironworks

-to surface the road...

-..so that carts

-could travel along it.

-People have been digging here

-for 18 years.

-They've found houses

-and the lay-out of the town.

-This year, they've worked on

-specific research questions.

-The road in and out of the village.

-There's a building at the far end

-that is similar to a brewery.

-It has a well nearby.

-We're looking for anything

-that was close to the water.

-We've found glass,

-medieval pottery and lots of stone.

-We think the rocks will form

-a semi-circle here.

-People tell us a stone staircase

-will lead up there.

-We haven't had a chance to look yet.

-OK, one piece coming out.

-Oh, it's marked, too. That's really

-nice. That's very nice indeed.

-As Trelleck grew...

-..Wales came under the influence

-of new European cultures...

-..especially in architecture.

-We know Gruffudd ap Cynan

-built churches in Gwynedd.

-There are more than twenty

-12th century churches on Anglesey...

-..in the Romanesque style.

-St Seiriol Church, Penmon, was built

-in Gruffudd ap Cynan's era.

-But it was completed

-during Owain Gwynedd's reign.

-They added the tower and transepts.

-Owain Gwynedd was prepared

-to broaden his horizons...

-..and emulate

-continental Romanesque architecture.

-He created a new visual culture

-in Wales.

-Romanesque is the word we use

-to describe a Roman-style building.

-It's as simple as that.

-We don't use the word

-to describe classical work.

-They recreated the Roman style

-in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries.

-The main feature

-is the semi-circular arches.

-There's one on the south side

-here in Penmon.

-Usually, the arches rest on heavy,

-round, solid columns.

-It's a dignified style.

-But what I find rather strange,

-as you can see here...

-..there's a decorative element

-on the arches and columns.

-They're very lively -

-almost disorderly sometimes.

-It's like a combination of elements.

-The decorative arch in Aberffraw

-is also in the Romanesque style.

-It was built around the same time.

-It's important to remember...

-..that Aberffraw was part of the

-main court of the Gwynedd Princes.

-Owain Gwynedd's brother, Idwal,

-was an abbot in Penmon.

-It shows a connection between

-royalty and the Church in Penmon...

-..in the 12th century.

-There are smaller, less important

-churches on Anglesey...

-..that are influenced

-by the Romanesque style.

-The tiny Llanbabo Church

-is an example.

-It's quite possible that English

-or French stonemasons...

-..worked in Gwynedd in Owain's day.

-Either that, or new churches

-were built and decorated...

-..by Welsh people who had learnt

-their trade beyond Offa's Dyke.

-The continental connection proves...

-..that conflict

-wasn't the only element...

-..in the Welsh-Anglo-Norman

-relationship.

-In addition to fiercely

-opposing the conquerors...

-..Owain Gwynedd willingly borrowed

-from them culturally.

-888

-Following the disastrous failure

-of Henry II's campaigns...

-..on Anglesey and Berwyn...

-..Owain Gwynedd was undoubtedly

-the most powerful Welsh leader...

-..in the 12th century.

-His status was a foretaste

-of his descendants' power.

-Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn

-the Last a century later.

-Owain was fully aware

-of his special status in later life.

-He's the first known leader

-to use the title, Prince of Wales...

-..or Prince of the Welsh.

-He used the title in correspondence

-with the King of France...

-..the Archbishop of Canterbury

-and the Pope.

-This may seem a backward step.

-Why relinquish the title King - Rex?

-The title 'King'

-had been devalued in Wales.

-Leaders of minor territories

-called themselves Kings.

-The title 'King'

-disappears from Wales.

-Chroniclers, charter writers

-chose an alternative title...

-..Princeps - Prince.

-The main leader.

-But curiously, although there were

-four or five kingdoms in Wales...

-..it's only in two

-that the title 'Princeps' was used.

-Mainly in Gwynedd, where Owain

-Gwynedd occasionally used it...

-..Princeps Nord Walia...

-..or even Princeps Walarium,

-Prince of the Welsh...

-..rather than the territorial,

-and more defiant, 'Prince of Wales'.

-But the term means

-he is the leader of the Welsh.

-The fact Gwynedd kept for itself

-the title, 'Prince'...

-..sets out Gwynedd as the exception

-by Llywelyn the Great's day...

-..in the early 13th century.

-That's part of the process

-of turning the Prince of Gwynedd...

-..into the Prince of Wales.

-It was the main theme of Welsh

-politics in the 13th century.

-In calling himself 'Prince'...

-..it's possible Owain

-wanted to defy the principle...

-..that every Welsh ruler should

-be loyal to the King of England.

-Owain, not Henry II,

-was now the ruler of the Welsh.

-Owain's decision to use a new title

-displays his willingness...

-..to use creative devices

-to strengthen his status.

-The same defiance was shown when

-he sought an alliance with France.

-Owain was the first Welsh Prince to

-turn to the continent for support.

-In his letters to Louis VII...

-..Owain said that divine

-intervention delivered Wales...

-..from Henry's oppression after

-his failures in Anglesey and Berwyn.

-Owain feared that Henry planned to

-lead another campaign against him.

-He pleaded with Louis

-to attack Henry.

-During this time,

-Owain had problems with the Pope...

-..and Thomas Beckett -

-the Archbishop of Canterbury.

-He ends one letter asking Louis to

-plead his case with the Churchmen.

-Owain had annoyed Beckett

-and the Pope for two reasons.

-Firstly, Owain refused to accept

-the Archbishop should decide...

-..who would be

-the new Bishop in Bangor.

-Bishop Meurig died in 1162.

-Owain was determined to appoint

-someone he found acceptable.

-But Beckett didn't accept that.

-As Archbishop of Canterbury,

-he felt he had authority over Wales.

-He believed he should have

-the last word.

-Beckett and the Pope were

-displeased by Owain's marriage...

-..to his cousin, Cristin,

-his mother's niece.

-The relationship was far too close,

-according to the Law of the Church.

-But Beckett raised the matter again.

-He insisted Owain

-had to separate from Cristin...

-..because the marriage

-was contrary to Church rule.

-The Pope supported Beckett.

-It's remarkable that Owain refused.

-Although Owain had fathered children

-by several wives...

-..his marriage was important to him.

-Unlike Beckett, the Pope,

-and Bishop Meurig earlier...

-..it's unlikely Owain considered

-marrying his cousin to be illegal.

-The Normans were harshly critical

-of Welsh marriage rules...

-..based on the Wives' Law,

-in Hywel Dda's Laws.

-Gerald of Wales criticized the Welsh

-for marrying their cousins.

-He based his argument on Norman Law,

-ecclesiastical law...

-..which stated people

-couldn't marry close relatives.

-They couldn't even marry

-a distant relative.

-The fact the Welsh married

-their cousins was an outrage.

-The Welsh were accused of incest.

-Owain refused to divorce Cristin...

-..contrary to the Pope and

-Archbishop of Canterbury's wishes.

-He was excommunicated shortly

-before his death, in November, 1170.

-However, Owain

-was given an honourable burial...

-..near the altar

-at Bangor Cathedral.

-The Bangor clerics were loyal

-to their Prince to the very end.

-Although Owain

-introduced some innovations...

-..primarily he was a warrior seeking

-to protect his family and lineage.

-In one sense, he failed.

-He couldn't ensure that only one

-successor would be acknowledged...

-..as a Prince who could secure

-the unity of Gwynedd.

-Owain chose his son Hywel ab Owain

-as his successor.

-He was a famous poet too.

-He was the son of an Irish woman,

-not Cristin, Owain's wife.

-But Cristin's sons, nor Cristin

-herself, weren't happy with this.

-Hywel was killed in a battle

-in Pentraeth, Anglesey...

-..soon after his father died

-at the end of 1170.

-There was a problem.

-There was no acknowledged

-method of choosing a successor.

-Many sons of Princes felt they had

-the right to succeed the father.

-A 30-year civil war

-or internal conflict...

-..broke out between Owain's sons

-and then the grandsons.

-They fought to be

-his successor in Gwynedd.

-It's only through the ascension

-of his grandson...

-..Llywelyn ap Iorwerth that

-this turbulent time came to an end.

-Owain laid down the firm foundation

-of Gwynedd as a principality.

-It led to the supremacy of Llywelyn

-the Great and Llywelyn the Last.

-But in the short-term...

-..the unity he and his father,

-Gruffudd ap Cynan, established...

-..was shattered.

-In the meantime...

-..there was only one united

-and powerful principality in Wales.

-Lord Rhys's Deheubarth.

-S4/C Subtitles by GWEAD

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