General Notes

b? Caernarvonshire, Wales


ruled Gwynedd 1081-1137

Prince of Gwynedd

Ruled Gwynedd 1081-1137. From www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/gwyn.html
From www.castlewales.com/cynan.html:

The power of Gwynedd was shattered in 1063 when the Saxon earl Harold (later king Harold I), drove his army into north Wales and defeated Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the last high king of Wales, a defeat which resulted in Llywelyn's death. Gryffydd ap Cynan was still a boy living with his mother in Ireland, and it's likely his father Cynan was also a casmaclty of the 1063 war. In the chaos that followed the death of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the Normans made deep advances into north Wales from their base at Chester, building a impressive new motte-and-bailey castle on (or near) the traditional Welsh stronghold at Rhuddlan.

In the later 11th century Gruffydd ap Cynan returned from Ireland but had little initial success in asserting his claims to Gwynedd. He was, in fact, imprisoned for a short time. By the early 12th century, however, he had patiently regained much of the territory of ancient Gwynedd, claiming it for the house of Aberffraw, and he was later able to claim additional land below the Conwy. By the time of his death in 1137 he also controlled the western territory of Ceredigion.

He was the only Welsh ruler to have part of his reign recorded by a contemporary, yet there is debate about the true extent of his power, therefore his importance in Welsh history. Walker (1990) states that 'Gruffydd ap Cynan achieved much by patient and steady progress rather than by heroic measures and major advances, but he was a man of wide influence'. His deeds were certainly overshadowed by his more famous son, Owain Gwynedd, yet during Gruffydd's reign the Normans saw a drastic reversal of fortunes in north Wales, aided by a (rare) smooth transfer of power from Gruffydd to his son Owain.

The first two decades of Gruffydd's reign were a period of relative peace, during which the literary arts were allowed to flourish after decades of warfare between Norman and Welsh. A similar pattern emerged in south Wales under the leadership of Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth. Free from the constant warfare that had crippled Wales for so many years, the reigns of Gruffydd ap Cynan and his son Owain Gwynedd, were and are viewed by many as a kind of "Golden Age" for north Wales, lasting until the death of Owain Gwynwdd in 1170, and in south Wales until the death of Rhys ap Gruffydd (the Lord Rhys) in 1197.

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The Normans were not so considerate towards the rights of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Rhys ap Tewdwr's fellow victor in the battle of Mynydd Carn (1081]. Shortly after that victory, he was captured by the men of Hugh the Fat, earl of Chester, and the earl kept him imprisoned for at least twelve years. [A History of Wales, John Davies, Allen Lane - The Penguin Press, London, 1993]

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Gruffydd ab Cynan was born about 1055 at Dublin, and was nursed at a place called by the Welsh the "Cymmwd of Columeille," three miles from his parents' house. After Cynan's death, his mother inspired him with the desire to emulate his fatner's exploits and save Gwynedd from the usurpers. With the help of his firends and kinsfolk, he collected a fleet of Irish Danes and appeared off Abermenai.

Gruffydd's name now first appears in the chronicles. In 1075 (Brut y Tywysogion, s. a. 1073) he attacked Anglesey, and was welcomed by the men of Lleyn and Arvon. With the help of the Norman Marcher Robert of Rhuddlan, he defeated and slew Cynwric, and drove into flight Trahaiarn, son of Caradog. Trahaiarn, however, soon defeated his troops at the battle of Bron yr Erw and drove him back to Ireland. Another attempt was equally a failure, and Gruffydd remained several years longer in Ireland.

About 1081, Gruffydd ab Cynan again came to Wales with his Norse allies, and was joined by Rhys ab Tewdwr, who two or three years before had made himself king of Deheubarth. At the battle of Mynydd Carne, Gruffydd and Rhys defeated, and slew Trahaiarn. His deaht gave Gruffydd a foothold in Gwynedd, where he now ruled for some years in peace.

The older Welsh chronicles make no further mention of Gruffydd until 1099. ....In 1099, however, a new revolt followed close after King Magnus's invasion of Anglesey and the death of Hugh of Shrewsbury, which brought the two Welsh kings back again. At last terms wer arranged with the English and Gruffydd was left in possession of Mona, which he now governed quietly for several years. While his ally Cadwgan became vassal of Robert of Belleme for Ceredigion, Gruffydd seems to have held Anglesey as an independent prince. He had according to his biographer, visited the court of Henry I, and obtained from his the possession of LLeyn, Eivionydd, Ardudwy, and Arllachwedd. As he got these districts by the mediation of Hervey, the Breton bishop of Bangor, it must have been before 1109, the date of Hervey's translation to Ely.

In 1114 a new war between Gruffydd and the Earl of Chester led to an invastion of Gwynedd by Henry I in person. After Owain ab Cadwgan had been tricked into making peace, Gruffydd also sought peace and was pardoned in return for a large tribute. In 1115 Gruffydd ab Rhys of South Wales took refuge with Gruffydd ab Cynan. According to the Brut y Tywysogion, Henry I sent for the norther Gruffydd and persmacded him to give up his fugitive namesake. When Gruffydd ab Rhys took sanctmacry at Aberdaron, Gruffydd ab Cynan was only prevented by the remonstrances of theclergy from violating the santmacry. Gruffydd ab Cynan remained for several years at peace with Henry. In 1120 he ended the long vacancy of the see of Bangor by procuring the election of Bishop David and wrote a letter to Archbishop Ralph wich procured the consecration of his nominee. In 1121 he supported Henry when that king invaded Powys, and entirely deserted the sons and grandsons of Cadwgan. During his old age he put his sons over the remoter cantreds of his dominions, and they ravaged Powys and Ceredigion in many a bloody foray. Towards the end of his live Gruffydd became again on good terms with Gruffydd ab Rhys.


In his old age Gruffydd is said to have become blind. He died in 1137 having assumed the monastic habit and having received extreme unction from Bishop David of Bangor. He was eighty-two years old. He was buried in a splendid tomb at Bangor on the left of the high altar.

Gruffydd is described by his biographer as of low stature, with yellow hair, a round face, fine colour, large eyes and very beautiful eyebrows. He had a fine beard, a fair skin, and strong limbs. He was able to speak several langmacges. His wife was Angharad, daughter of Owain, son of Edwin. Her beauties are minutely described by the biographer. By her Gruffydd had three sons: Cadwallon (who in 1124 slew his mother's three brothers and in 1132 was slain by his cousin), Cadwaladr, and Owain, afterwards famous a Owain Gwynedd. He also had by her many daughters, one of whom, Gwenllian, was the wife, first of Cadwgan ab Bledyn and then of Gruffydd ab Rhys. Gruffydd was also the father of several ilegitimated children.
[The Dictionary of National Biography; George Smith, Fd., Sir Leslie Stephen & Sir Sidney Lee, Ed., 1953; Vol VIII, pp 744-747, Gruffydd ab Cynan]

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Gruffudd ap Cynan (c 1055-1137), king of Gwynedd, son of Cynan ap Iago, who was an exile in Ireland, and Rhagnell (Ragnhildr), a daughter of the royal house of the Scandinavians of Dublin. After 1039, when Iago was treacherously slain by his own men, Gwynedd was ruled by usurpers who were not of the royal line. One of these was Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was killed in 1075 and succeeded by his cousin, Trahaearn ap Caradog, king of Arwystli. In that same year Gruffudd crossed over from Ireland intent on regaining his patrimony, and landed at Abermenai. With the help of Robert of Rhuddlan he overcame and killed Cynwrig, who held Llyn under Trahaearn. Trahaearn himself was conquered in a battle fought somewhere in Meirionnydd and compelled to retreat to his own lands of Arwystli. As king of Gwynedd Gruffudd's first act was to attack the Norman castle at Rhuddlan in spite of the former help given him by Robert, carrying off booty but failing to take the castle itself. As a result of the resentment felt towards the Norsemen in Gruffudd's army the men of Llyn rebelled, giving Trahaearn an opportunity to attack Gruffudd and overcome him in a battle which took place at Bron-yr-erw near Clynnog. Gruffudd fled to Ireland. In 1081 he returned and landed at Porth Clais in Dyfed, where he was joined by Rhys ap Tewdwr, another exile, who was laying claim to his patrimony in Deheubarth. They met Trahaearn at Mynydd Carn, where he was slain, Gruffudd thus becoming again king of Gwynedd. Soon after, however, through the treachery of Meirion Goch, one of his own men, he was captured by the Normans at Rug near Corwen and taken prisoner to Chester. During his imprisonment the Normans gained much land in Gwynedd, and built castles at Bangor, Caernarvon and Aberlleingiog (near the later Beaumaris). It cannot now be stated with certainty how long Gruffudd remained a prisoner (the History at one point says twelve years and at another sixteen years), but he was free by 1094 (and perhaps some years earlier) because he was prominent in the general insurrection against the Norman power which took place that year. But in 1098 the Normans made a concerted attack upon Gwynedd from Chester and Shrewsbury. Gruffudd was shut up in Anglesey and compelled once more to seek refuge in Ireland. He returned however the following year and was allowed to rule over Anglesey with the consent of the Normans. Sometime in the couse of the succeeding years he made himself lord of Gwynedd uwch Conwy, and for the rest of his life he was left undisturbed to consolidate his kingdom. It is true that Henry I led a formidable army into Gwynedd in 1114, but Gruffudd lost no land, and after this he himself did not fight a single battle. The authority of Gwynedd was however greatly extended by his sons, Owain and Cadwaladr, and before Gruffudd's death Ceredigion, Meirionnydd, Rhos, Rhufoniog and Dyffryn Clwyd were under the rule of Gwynedd. He d blind and decrepit, in 1137, and was buried in the cathedral church of Bangor. An elegy upon him was sung by Meilyr, hie pencerdd. His wife, Angharad, daughter of Owain ab Edwin, survived him by twenty-five years.

It was part of the traditional lore of the Welsh bards that Gruffudd ap Cynan had made certain regulations to govern their craft, and his name was used to give authority to the 'statute' drawn up in connection with the Caerwys eisteddfod of 1523. There is nothing to substantiate this tradition, but it is not unreasonable to suggest that Gruffudd may nave brought bards and musicians with him from Ireland and that these may have had some influence on the craft of poetry and music in Wales. He may also have made some formal changes in the bardic organization. It is clear that a genuine and persistant tradition to this effect existed in the 16th cent. It is perhaps worth noting that the 'History' mentions the death in battle of Gellan, Gruffudd's harpist, in 1094.

Gruffudd ap Cynan is the only mediaeval Welsh prince whose biography, in the form of pure eulogy, has survived. Linguistic characteristics prove it to have been a translation of a Latin original now lost. It was probably written by a cleric towards the end of the 12th cent. [Dictionary of Welsh Biography pp310-311]