Gruffudd ap Cynan

Gruffydd ap Cynan ( 1055 in Dublin, † 1137 ) was a king of the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd. After his grandfather had lost his kingdom in 1039, he won it back for his family and for his descendants created as the basis for its supremacy amongst the Welsh princes until the final conquest by the British Gwynedds 1283rd

Origin

Life

After he had come free again, Gruffydd was together with the princes of Powys, Cadwgan ap Bleddyn the leader of the Welsh uprising of 1094, in which he unsuccessfully Aberlleiniog Castle attacked and conquered Castle Nefyn on the Lleyn. 1098 was of Chester and Shrewsbury from a targeted Norman attack on Gwynedd. Gruffydd had to retreat to the island of Anglesey, from where he fled once more to Ireland together with Cadwgan ap Bleddyn. However, after one of the Norman leader, Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury in the fight against the Norwegian king Magnus III. had fallen, Gruffydd returned yet again to Anglesey in 1098 and remained with the consent of the Norman rulers of the island. Over the next few years he was able to extend his rule over the territories of Gwynedd west of the Conwys. The English king Henry I appeared in 1114 with a powerful army in Gwynedd, followed by Gruffydd had to submit to the king and pay him tribute. Gruffydd was allowed to keep his territories, but the pressure of the English king was so strong that Gruffydd in 1115 wanted to deliver the young Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, who had sought refuge in Gwynedd, to the king. Also Maredudd ap Bleddyn of Powys, he delivered in 1121 to the King of England from. However, Gruffydd was the undisputed ruler of North Wales and was in 1120 with its candidate David occupy the diocese of Bangor the Scots. After 1120 his sons began with further conquests. Cadwallon and Owain captured from 1124 Meirionydd. The following year, occupied Dyffryn Clwyd Cadwallon, where he had three of his uncles, his mother's brothers, killed, making the house Gwynedd became the most powerful family in the North East of Wales. Cadwallon fell in 1132 at Llangollen during a raid on Powys. 1136 began Owain and Cadwaladr with the conquest of the under Anglo-Norman rule Ceredigion. Gruffydd died in 1137 at the age of over 80 years as an old man and blinded and was buried in the cathedral of Bangor.

According to tradition, he promoted the Welsh bards and down uniform rules for their poetry firmly. He is the only medieval Welsh prince, on the one contemporary biography, Historia Gruffud from Kenan was written. The eulogy was probably written by a cleric at the end of the 12th century.

Family and descendants

He married around 1095 Angharad († 1162 ), daughter of Owain from Dyffryn Clwyd by Edwin. The couple had eight children, including

  • Cadwallon († 1132 )
  • Owain Gwynedd
  • Cadwaladr
  • Gwenllian Rhys ap Gruffydd ∞, Prince of Deheubarth
  • Marared
  • Rainillt
  • Annest
  • Susanna ∞ Madog ap Maredudd († 1160 ).

He also said to have had five sons and three daughters of at least three beloved.

House of Gwynedd Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Trahaearn ap Caradog Rhuddlan Castle Dyfed Rhys ap Tewdwr Caernarfon Henry I of England Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd Integrated Authority File
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