Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd | |
---|---|
King of Gwynedd | |
Reign | 1170 |
Predecessor | Owain Gwynedd |
Successor | Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd |
Born | c. 1120 |
Died | 1170 Pentraeth, Ynys Mon, Wales |
Issue | Gruffudd ap Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd Caswallon ap Hywel[1] |
House | Aberffraw |
Father | Owain Gwynedd |
Mother | Ffynod Wyddeles |
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd (circa 1120 – 1170),[2] Prince of Gwynedd in 1170, was a Welsh poet and military leader. Hywel was the son of Owain Gwynedd, prince of Gwynedd, and an Irishwoman named Pyfog.[3] In recognition of this, he was also known as Hywel ap Gwyddeles (Hywel son of the Irishwoman). Hywel is also known as the Poet Prince for his bardic skills.
Biography
Military campaigns
Hywel's father Owain and uncle Cadwaladr came to blows in 1143 when Cadwaladr was implicated in the murder of Prince Anarawd ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth, Owain's ally and future son-in-law, on the eve of Anarawd's wedding to Owain's daughter.[4][hyw 1][5][hyw 2] Owain followed a diplomatic policy of binding other Welsh rulers to Gwynedd through dynastic marriages, and Cadwaladr's border dispute and murder of Anarawd threatened Owain's efforts and credibility.[5][hyw 3]
As ruler of Gwynedd, Owain stripped Cadwaladr of his lands assigning them to Hywel in 1139, and dispatched Hywel to Ceredigion where he burned Cadwaladr's castle at Aberystwyth, Hywel drove his uncle out in 1143.
Heir of Gwynedd
In 1146, news reached Prince Owain ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd that his favoured eldest son and heir, the edling, Rhun, died. Owain was overcome with grief, falling into a deep melancholy from which none could console him, until news reached him that Mold castle in Tegeingl (Flintshire) had fallen to Gwynedd, "[reminding Owain] that he had still a country for which to live," wrote historian Sir John Edward Lloyd.[4][hyw 4]
As the eldest surviving son and Edling, Hywel succeeded his father in 1170 as Prince of Gwynedd in accordance with Welsh law and custom.[4][hyw 5][6][hyw 6] However, the new prince was immediately confronted by a coup instigated by his step-mother Cristin, Dowager Princess of Gwynedd.[hyw 7] The dowager princess plotted to have her eldest son Dafydd usurp the Throne of Gwynedd from Hywel, and with Gwynedd divided between Dafydd and her other son Rhodri.[4] The speed with which Cristin and her sons acted suggest that the conspiracy may have had roots before Owain's death. Additionally, the complete surprise of the elder sons of Owain suggests that the scheme had been a well kept secret.
Within months of his succession, Hywel was forced to flee to Ireland, returning later that year with a Hiberno-Norse army and landing on Môn, where he may have had
Poetry
The seven sons of Hywel's foster-father, Cadifor, were killed while defending him in this battle, and were commemorated in verse:
- The sons of Cadifor, a noble band of brothers
- In the hollow above Pentraeth
- Were full of daring and of high purpose
- They were cut down beside their foster-brother.
Hywel was an accomplished poet and eight of his poems have been preserved, and are printed in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales.[3] The best known is probably Gorhoffedd Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd in which he praises his father's kingdom of Gwynedd, both its natural beauties and its beautiful women. Other poems include the earliest known love poetry in the Welsh language, and may show a French influence.
Family
Hywel is known to have sired the following sons:
- Gruffudd ap Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
- Caswallawn ap Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
In fiction
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/HywelabOwain.jpg/220px-HywelabOwain.jpg)
Hywel appears in the historical mystery novel
References
- ISBN 9780708305614.
- ISBN 9780631201557. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Hywel Ab Owain Gwynedd, soldier, poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u (Lloyd 2004)
- ^ a b c d e f g (Warner 1997)
- ^ a b (Davies 1994)
- ^ a b (Davies 2000)
- ^ "Hywel Ab Owain Gwynedd". geni.com.
- ISBN 9780446400183.
Notes
- ^ Lloyd's History of Waless novel, Cadwaladr's betrayal, page 95.[4]
- ^ Warner, Philip "Famous Welsh Battles", Cadwaladr and Anarawd page 80.[5]
- ^ Warner, Philip "Famous Welsh Battles", Gwenllian, pages 69, 79.[5]
- ^ Lloyd, J.E. A History of Wales, Rhun's death, page 96.[4]
- ^ Lloyd, J.E. A History of Wales, Hywel's succession and overthrow by Cristen and Dafydd, pg 134 Dafydd takes Gwynedd by 1074, page 135. Gwynedd between 1175–1188, page 145.[4]
- ^ Davies, John, A History of Wales, Davies argues that following the death of Hywel ab Owain, Iorwerth, as the eldest son, was the legitimate heir of Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd (page 126), as the next senior surviving son of Owain Gwynedd. After Iorwerth's death, his eldest son Llywelyn ab Iorwerth was the legitimate heir to the Crown and Throne of Gwynedd. With the rule of Gwynedd returning to the senior legitimate line of Aberffraw when Llywelyn defeated Dafydd ab Owain in 1194 (page 135).[6]
- ^ Cristin was the daughter of Goronwy ab Owain, and was Owain ap Gruffydd's first cousin. The Archbishop of Canterbury excommunicated Owain ap Gruffydd for not putting her away, as well as for disputing the appointed bishop of Bangor.[4]
- ^ Lloyd suggests that despite some traditions,[4] Iorwerth was in control of Arfon and Nant Conwy at least in 1170, given that he was buried at Penmachno. He may later have been expelled after the partition, as had Cynan, only to be buried at Penmachno.
- Conwy local authority area. Noted in Lloyd's History of Wales pages 235-236.[4]
- ^ Llywelyn ab Iorwerth was too young to press for his claim, though under Welsh law would have been prince of Gwynedd on the death of his father Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd.[4]
Books cited
- Bramley, Kathleen Anne; Owen, Morfydd E. (1994). Gwaith Llywelyn Fardd I ac eraill o Feirdd y Ddeuddegfed Ganrif [The work of 12th century poets, including Llywelyn]. 2. ISBN 9780708312148.
- Davies, John (1994). A History of Wales. ISBN 0140284753.
- Warner, Philip (6 June 1997). Famous Welsh Battles. ISBN 9780760704660.
- Davies, R R, ed. (2000). The Age of Conquest: Wales 1063–1415 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 436.
- ISBN 0760752419.
See also
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