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Gruffydd ap Cynan
Gruffydd ap Cynan (c.1055–1137), king of Gwynedd (1081–1137). He was the son of Cynan ab Iago, a descendant of Rhodri Mawr but an exile in Ireland, and Ragnhildr, daughter of the Scandinavian ruler of Dublin. With skill and persistence, he turned himself from an adventurer into a ruler of Gwynedd, contending with Viking-Irish, Anglo-Normans, and volatile Welsh along the way. With Viking and Norman aid, he returned to re-establish Rhodri's line in Gwynedd (1075), but then attacked Rhuddlan and failed to overcome rivals. In his second foray (1081), again with Viking aid, he allied with Rhys ap Tewdwr in Deheubarth, but he was betrayed to the Normans and imprisoned at Chester. He took part in the major uprising of 1094, but by 1098 was again in Ireland. Only with Norman agreement did he return permanently (1099) and rule in Anglesey, whence he extended his dominion to the east and south, consolidated his control of Gwynedd, and created a stable, prosperous kingdom. His court poet, Meilyr Brydydd, and the History of Gruffydd ap Cynan commissioned by his son Owain (in Latin, later translated into Welsh), suggest a cultural vitality, perhaps under Irish influence, that extolled his achievements.
Ralph Alan Griffiths |
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Gruffydd ap Cynan." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gruffydd ap Cynan." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-GruffyddapCynan.html JOHN CANNON. "Gruffydd ap Cynan." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-GruffyddapCynan.html |
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Gruffydd ap Cynan
Gruffydd ap Cynan (c.1055–1137), king of Gwynedd (1081–1137). He was the son of Cynan ab Iago, a descendant of Rhodri Mawr but an exile in Ireland. With Viking and Norman aid, he returned to re‐establish Rhodri's line in Gwynedd (1075), but failed to overcome rivals. In a second foray (1081), again with Viking aid, he allied with Rhys ap Tewdwr in Deheubarth, but was betrayed to the Normans and imprisoned. He took part in the major uprising of 1094, but by 1098 was again in Ireland. Only with Norman agreement did he return permanently (1099) and rule in Anglesey, whence he consolidated his control of Gwynedd, and created a stable, prosperous kingdom.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Gruffydd ap Cynan." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gruffydd ap Cynan." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-GruffyddapCynan.html JOHN CANNON. "Gruffydd ap Cynan." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-GruffyddapCynan.html |
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