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Gwynedd
Gwynedd, Gwyneth (ang.), Venedotia (L), North Wales. Before Wales's subdivision into shires in the 16th century, Gwynedd might refer to much of the northern third of the principality north and west of the Dyfi/Dovey River. Ancient and medieval Gwynedd is not identical in area with the 1,488-square-mile modern county of Gwynedd reconstituted in 1974 from the former shires of Anglesey, Caernarvon, Merioneth, and parts of Denbigh. Although little is known of its beginnings, the first kingdom of Gwynedd was established after the departure of the Romans. According to Historia Brittonum (c.830) Cunedda founded the royal line which later included Maelgwn Gwynedd (6th cent.) and Rhodri Mawr (d. 877), who extended his authority over Ceredigion, Powys, and Ystrad Tywi. Rhodri's hegemony did not survive, but for much of medieval history Gwynedd, with a royal seat at Aberffraw, dominated its neighbouring petty kingdoms. Welsh native political power reached an apogee under Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd (1173–1240), and consequently the main thrust of the English conquest of Wales under Edward I, (1277–82) was towards Gwynedd. The fabled Mount Snowdon lies in Gwynedd, and much of the terrain is mountainous, making access by foot challenging. This relative remoteness has not prevented Gwynedd from participating in Welsh literary heritage. The wizard children of Dôn reside here. The Hanes Taliesin [Tale of Taliesin] moves the adventures of that 6th-century poet from the Old North (former Welsh-speaking areas in Lowland Scotland) to Gwynedd. While much of the action of the Mabinogi takes place in Dyfed, Math son of Mathonwy, so dominant in the third branch, is a Gwynedd man; Lleu Llaw Gyffes becomes Lord of Gwynedd in the fourth branch.
Bibliography See Wendy Davies , Wales in the Early Middle Ages (Leicester, 1982). |
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JAMES MacKILLOP. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES MacKILLOP. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Gwynedd.html JAMES MacKILLOP. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd, kingdom of
Gwynedd, kingdom of. The name was derived from the district called in Latin, Venedotia, and the kingdom was based upon Snowdonia and Anglesey, extending at its height to include territory to the east of the Conwy. It was one of the immediate post-Roman kingdoms of the 6th cent., ruled by Maelgwn (Maelgwn Gwynedd), said to be a descendant of Cunedda, who, about ad 440, moved, or was moved, with the Votadini from Strathclyde to meet a threat from the Irish. From the outset Gwynedd was one of the most significant of the Welsh kingdoms, with claims to overlordship, and pursuing an expansionary policy. Under rulers such as Rhodri Mawr (d. 878), Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (d. 1063), Owain Gwynedd (d. 1170), Llywelyn the Great (d. 1240), and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (d. 1282), much of Wales was brought under its hegemony, and titles such as ‘king of the Britons’ and ‘prince of Wales’ were employed. Under Gwynedd there was certainly a move towards statehood in Wales. Its downfall came from overambition on limited resources. Gwynedd took advantage of English divisions during the reign of Henry III to reassert itself and the treaty of Montgomery in 1267 gave it substantial territorial gains. But after the campaigns of Edward I in 1277 and 1282–3 it became part of the principality under the control of the English crown and was eliminated as a political entity, being divided by the statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, and Merionethshire.
Harold Carter |
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JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd, kingdom of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd, kingdom of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-Gwyneddkingdomof.html JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd, kingdom of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-Gwyneddkingdomof.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd. A county of north-west Wales created by the Local Government Act of 1972 and extant in its initial form from 1974 to 1996, when it was modified by the removal of Anglesey (Ynys Môn), which became a separate unitary authority. It was based upon the post-Roman and medieval kingdom of Gwynedd which, after conquest by Edward I, had been divided by the statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, and Merionethshire. The name was revived in 1972 when new counties were created. Initially the proposal was to include all the counties of north Wales in a county to be called Gwynedd, a name acceptable because of its ‘historical associations as well as … shortness and pronounceability’. But a Consultative Document in 1971 accepted a twofold division, defining Gwynedd as Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, and Merioneth, though there were minor changes by which the Conwy valley was included in Gwynedd and the Edeirnion rural district moved to Clwyd.
In 1996 further changes occurred with the establishment of unitary authorities. Ynys Môn was separated and reconstituted as the county of Anglesey and a new authority, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, proposed, again with some minor additions from the former Glyndŵr district. That new authority, however, opted to retain the name of Gwynedd. Harold Carter |
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JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-Gwynedd.html JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd, kingdom of
Gwynedd, kingdom of The kingdom was based upon Snowdonia and Anglesey, extending at its height to include territory to the east of the Conwy. It was one of the immediate post‐Roman kingdoms of the 6th cent., ruled by Maelgwn ( Maelgwn Gwynedd), said to be a descendant of Cunedda. From the outset Gwynedd was one of the most significant of the Welsh kingdoms, with claims to overlordship, and pursuing an expansionary policy. Its downfall came from over ambition on limited resources. Gwynedd took advantage of English divisions during the reign of Henry III to reassert itself and the treaty of Montgomery in 1267 gave it substantial territorial gains. But after the campaigns of Edward I in 1277 and 1282–3 it became part of the principality under the control of the English crown and was eliminated as a political entity.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd, kingdom of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd, kingdom of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-Gwyneddkingdomof.html JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd, kingdom of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-Gwyneddkingdomof.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd , county, 984 sq mi (2,548 sq km), NW Wales. Established as a county in 1974 through the union of Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, and parts of Denbighshire and Merionethshire, Gwynedd was reduced in 1996 by the separation of Anglesey and the loss of its northeastern section to Conwy. Caernarvon, the administrative center, is where the Prince of Wales is invested; Bangor is an educational center with a university. Much of the county, excepting the Lleyn Peninsula, lies within Snowdonia National Park. |
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"Gwynedd." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Gwynedd." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Gwynedd.html "Gwynedd." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd A county of north‐west Wales created by the Local Government Act of 1972 and extant in its initial form from 1974 to 1996, when it was modified by the removal of Anglesey (Ynys Moˆn), which became a separate unitary authority. It was based upon the post‐Roman and medieval kingdom of Gwynedd which, after conquest by Edward I, had been divided by the statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, and Merionethshire.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-Gwynedd.html JOHN CANNON. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd County in nw Wales, on the Irish Sea coast; the administrative centre is Caernarvon. It is the site of a medieval principality. Gwynedd is rugged and mountainous, and includes most of the Snowdonia National Park. To the n of the mountains lie the Lleyn Peninsula and the island of Anglesey. Industries: slate quarrying, hydroelectric power, tourism. Area: 3866sq km (1493sq mi). Pop. (2000) 116,800.
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"Gwynedd." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Gwynedd." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Gwynedd.html "Gwynedd." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd a former principality of North Wales. Powerful in the mid 13th century under Llewelyn, it was finally subjugated by the English forces of Edward I in 1282, following Llewelyn's death.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Gwynedd." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Gwynedd." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Gwynedd.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Gwynedd." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd (the unitary authority). ‘Territory of the Venedoti’. The ancient kingdom derives its name from the Venedoti tribe.
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A. D. MILLS. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Gwynedd.html A. D. MILLS. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd ♂ (Welsh) Taken from a region of medieval North Wales (now resurrected as the name of a composite county in Wales).
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Gwynedd.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Gwynedd." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd, Wales/UK A unitary district named after a Welsh principality, ‘Territory of (the) Venedoti’.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Gwynedd." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Gwynedd." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Gwynedd.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Gwynedd." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Gwynedd.html |
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Gwynedd
Gwynedd
•Gwynedd
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"Gwynedd." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Gwynedd." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Gwynedd.html "Gwynedd." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Gwynedd.html |
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