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97-421: According to the 9th-century Historia Brittonum , Gwrtheyrnion, here Latinised Guorthegirnaim , was named after Vortigern ( Welsh : Gwrtheyrn ), a legendary 5th-century King of Britain . John Edward Lloyd considers this derivation accurate. Generally, its boundaries were the cantrefi of Arwystli to the north, Maelienydd (in its restricted sense) to the east, Elfael to the southeast, and Buellt to

194-516: A different approach in his dealings with the Welsh was influenced by the events in Ireland, although Warren suggests that "it seems likely that Henry began rethinking his attitude to the Welsh soon after the débâcle of 1165". Henry now wished to make peace with Rhys, who came to Newnham to meet him. Rhys was to pay a tribute of 300 horses and 4,000 head of cattle, but was confirmed in possession of all

291-596: A dog in it. When Cabal, who was the dog of Arthur the soldier, was hunting the boar Troynt, he impressed his print in the stone, and afterwards Arthur assembled a stone mound under the stone with the print of his dog, and it is called the Carn Cabal. And men come and remove the stone in their hands for the length of a day and a night; and on the next day it is found on top of its mound. The second concerns Arthur's son Anir or Amr ( Amhar in Welsh) and his sepulchre: There

388-542: A few marvels of Anglesey ( Menand insulae or Mona) and of Ireland. The Mirabilia section is thought to not be part of the original work, but to have been composed shortly after (early 9th cent.). Two of the marvels are Arthurian lore (Chapter 73 of the Historia ). Old editions give "Troynt" as the name of the great boar and "Anir" as the name of Arthur's tragic son in the Harleian manuscript, but Fletcher suggested

485-541: A fragment of a story about the battle preserved in manuscript Peniarth 98B states that the battle had an alternate name, Cad Achren , which suggests a connection with the Caer Ochren raided by Arthur in the earlier poem Preiddeu Annwfn . Various writers have asserted that this chapter supports a historical basis for King Arthur and have tried to identify the twelve battles with historical feuds or locales (see Sites and places associated with Arthurian legend ). On

582-430: A great deal of assistance when they visited Wales to raise troops for the crusade in 1188, and Gerald several times refers to his "kindness" and says that Rhys accompanied them all the way from Cardigan to the northern border of Ceredigion "with a liberality peculiarly praiseworthy in so illustrious a prince". Another contemporary writer also wrote of Rhys if Roger Turvey is correct in stating that Walter Map 's piece Of

679-597: A great scourge of the Saxons immediately prior. Of the other battles, only the Battle of Tribruit is generally agreed to be associated with Arthur in another early Welsh source. Tribruit appears as Tryfrwyd in the Old Welsh poem Pa Gur? , dating to perhaps the mid-ninth century. This poem follows the story of a battle against cinbin , or dogheads , whom Arthur's men fought in the mountains of Eidyn (Edinburgh); in

776-458: A king in his own right, and also includes other characters such as Vortimer and Bishop Germanus of Auxerre . Chapter 56 discusses twelve battles fought and won by Arthur , here called dux bellorum (war leader) rather than king: At that time, the Saxons grew strong by virtue of their large number and increased in power in Britain. Hengist having died, however, his son Octha crossed from

873-609: A late forgery, and believes that the work underwent several anonymous revisions before reaching the forms that now survive in the various families of manuscripts. Dumville's view is largely accepted by current scholarship, though not without dissent. Peter Field in particular has argued for the authenticity of the preface, suggesting that it was left out of many recensions because it was seen as derogatory to British scholarship. However, Field believes Liebermann's earlier argument for Nennius's authorship still bears consideration. Various introductory notes to this work invoke Nennius's (or

970-548: A paragraph about the beginnings of Welsh literature At that time, Talhaiarn Cataguen was famed for poetry, and Neirin , and Taliesin and Bluchbard, and Cian, who is called Guenith Guaut, were all famous at the same time in British poetry. A number of works that are frequently associated with the Historia Brittonum , in part because some of them first appear with the Harleian manuscript, and partly because when

1067-468: A second time you will not find it to have the same length—and I myself have put this to the test. Chapters relating events in the life of Saint Germanus of Auxerre claim to be excerpts from a (now lost) biography of the saint. The document includes a collection of traditions about Saint Patrick , as well as a section describing events in the North of England in the sixth and seventh centuries, starting with

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1164-476: A story of the king Vortigern , who allowed the Saxons to settle in the island of Britain in return for the hand of Hengist 's daughter. One legend about Vortigern says he tried to build a stronghold near Snowdon called Dinas Emrys , only to have his building materials disappear every time he tried. His advisers told him to sprinkle the blood of a fatherless boy on the site to lift the curse. Vortigern found such

1261-468: A youth in Ambrosius , who rebuked the wise men and revealed that the disturbance was caused by two dragons buried underground. The tower story is repeated and embellished by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , though he attributes it to Merlin , saying "Ambrosius" is the sage's alternative name. Geoffrey includes Aurelius Ambrosius, another figure mentioned in the Historia , as

1358-487: Is another wonder in the region which is called Ercing . A tomb is located there next to a spring which is called Licat Amr; and the name of the man who is buried in the tomb was called thus: Amr (←Anir). He was the son of Arthur the soldier, and Arthur himself killed and buried him in that very place. And men come to measure the grave and find it sometimes six feet in length, sometimes nine, sometimes twelve, sometimes fifteen. At whatever length you might measure it at one time,

1455-400: Is in the region of Linnuis . The sixth battle was above the river which is called Bassas. The seventh battle was in the forest of Celidon, that is Cat Coit Celidon. The eighth battle was at the fortress of Guinnion, in which Arthur carried the image of Holy Mary ever virgin on his shoulders; and the pagans were put to flight on that day. And through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and through

1552-585: Is recorded as an independent commander for the first time, leading an army to capture the Norman castle of St Clears . Maredudd and Rhys also destroyed the castles at Tenby and Aberafan that year. Maredudd died in 1155 at the age of twenty-five and left Rhys as ruler of Deheubarth. Around this time he married Gwenllian ferch Madog, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd , prince of Powys . Shortly after becoming ruler of Deheubarth, Rhys heard rumours that Owain Gwynedd

1649-537: The Annales Cambriae ; here, Arthur is described as carrying "the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ on his shoulders for three days and three nights…", though here the battle is said to be Badon rather than Guinnion. T. M. Charles-Edwards argues that these accounts both refer to a single source. Other scholars, however, such as Thomas Jones and N. J. Higham , argue that the Annales account is based directly on

1746-518: The Bishop of St Davids , Peter de Leia , over the theft of some of the bishop's horses some years previously. Before he could be buried in the cathedral, the bishop had his corpse scourged in posthumous penance. Rhys had nominated his eldest legitimate son, Gruffydd ap Rhys, as his successor, and soon after his father's death Gruffydd met the Justiciar, Archbishop Hubert Walter , on the border and

1843-516: The Historia , suggesting the name of the battle was switched from the unknown Guinnion to the famous Badon, and that the icon Arthur carries was replaced with a more common one. The Battle of Mount Badon is associated with Arthur in several later texts, but not in any that predate the Historia . It was clearly a historical battle described by Gildas , who does not mention the name of the Britons' leader. He does however mention Aurelius Ambrosius as

1940-578: The Historia Britonum is studied, these sources are eventually mentioned. Rhys ap Gruffydd Rhys ap Gruffydd or ap Gruffudd (often anglicised to "Griffith"; c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197. Today, he is commonly known as The Lord Rhys , in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys , although this title may have not been used in his lifetime. He usually used

2037-559: The Historia Brittonum to Arthur carrying the image of St. Mary on his shoulders in a battle has been interpreted by later commentators as a mistranslation of Arthur bearing the image of Mary on his shield ; the words in Welsh are very similar. The 19th-century classicist Theodor Mommsen divided the work into seven parts: Preface ( Prefatio Nennii Britonum ); I. The Six Ages of the World ( de sex aetatibus mundi ) (§1-6); II. History of

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2134-552: The Third Crusade . Some Welsh clerics were not happy about this visit, but Rhys was enthusiastic and gave the Archbishop a great deal of assistance. Giraldus says that Rhys decided to go on crusade himself and spent several weeks making preparations, but was eventually persuaded to change his mind by his wife Gwenllian, "by female artifices". Henry II died in 1189 and was succeeded by Richard I . Rhys considered that he

2231-474: The Treaty of Montgomery . However, when Llywelyn ap Gruffudd married Eleanor de Montfort (the daughter of Henry's greatest enemy), Henry's son, Edward I (now King), declared Llywelyn a rebel, and attacked his lands. In 1277 Llywelyn was forced to agree the Treaty of Aberconwy , which made Llywelyn a vassal of Edward, and limited his authority to Gwynedd alone; Elfael was given to Ralph Tosny's grandson. In

2328-561: The 15th century, the Tosny lands were inherited by Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso , and hence by her great-grandson, King Henry VIII . Following the latter's Laws in Wales Acts , Gwrtheyrnion and the rest of Ferlix became Radnorshire . In 1996, Radnorshire and the adjacent counties on either side - Montgomeryshire and Brecknockshire - became the main constituents of the modern county of Powys . Historia Brittonum The History of

2425-518: The Britons ( Latin : Historia Brittonum ) is a purported history of early Britain written around 828 that survives in numerous recensions from after the 11th century. The Historia Brittonum is commonly attributed to Nennius , as some recensions have a preface written in that name. Some experts have dismissed the Nennian preface as a late forgery and argued that the work was actually an anonymous compilation. The Historia Brittonum describes

2522-560: The Britons ( historia Brittonum ) (§7-49); III. Life of Patrick ( vita Patricii ) (§50-55); IV. Arthuriana (§ 56); V. Genealogies ( regum genealogiae cum computo ) (§c. 57–66); VI. Cities of Britain ( civitates Britanniae ) (§66 ); VII. Wonders of Britain ( de mirabilibus Britanniae ) (§67—76). The Historia Brittonum can be dated to about 829. The work was written no earlier than the "fourth year of [the reign of] king Mermenus" (who has been identified as Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad , king of Gwynedd ). Historians have conservatively assigned 828 to

2619-652: The King Appollonides deals with Rhys under a pseudonym. Map was less favourably disposed toward Rhys, describing him as "This king I have seen and know, and hate", but goes on to say "I would not have my hatred blacken his worth; it is not my wish ever to suppress any man's excellence through envy". He tells the following story about Apollonides/Rhys: This same man gave provisions to his enemies when besieged and driven by risk of famine to capitulate; he wished them to be overcome by his own strength and not by want of bread; and though he deferred victory, he increased

2716-504: The Norman lordships of Cydweli and Carnwyllion in 1190. In 1192 Rhys secured Maelgwn's release, but by now Maelgwn and Gruffydd were bitter enemies. In 1194 Rhys was defeated in battle by Maelgwn and Hywel, who imprisoned him in Nevern castle, though Hywel later released his father without Maelgwn's consent. Giraldus suggests that Rhys's incarceration in Nevern castle was divine vengeance for

2813-576: The Normans at Builth , destroying its castle. Rhys benefited from the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169 and 1170, which was largely led by the Cambro-Norman lords of south Wales. In 1167 the King of Leinster , Diarmait Mac Murchada , who had been driven out of his kingdom, had asked Rhys to release Robert Fitz-Stephen from captivity to take part in an expedition to Ireland. Rhys did not oblige at

2910-468: The Normans in 1137, but died later that year. The leadership of the family now passed to Rhys' half-brother Anarawd ap Gruffydd. In 1143, when Rhys was eleven, Anarawd was murdered, a death arranged for by Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, brother of Owain Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd . Owain punished Cadwaladr by depriving him of his lands in Ceredigion. Anarawd's brother, Cadell ap Gruffydd , took over as head of

3007-478: The Normans in a battle near Loughor , killing over five hundred. After driving Walter de Clifford out of Cantref Bychan , Gruffydd set off to Gwynedd to enlist the help of his father-in-law, Gruffudd ap Cynan. In the absence of her husband, Gwenllian led an army against the Norman lordship of Cydweli ( Kidwelly ), taking along her two oldest sons, Morgan and Maelgwn. She was defeated and killed by an army commanded by Maurice de Londres of Oystermouth Castle . Morgan

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3104-680: The Tryfrwyd battle they spar with a character named Garwlwyd (Rough-Gray), who is likely the Gwrgi Garwlwyd (Man-Dog Rough-Grey) who appears in one of the Welsh Triads . Arthur's main protagonist in the fight is Bedwyr , later known as Sir Bedivere, and the poem also mentions the euhemerized god Manawydan . "The City of the Legion" may be a reference to Caerleon , whose name translates as such, but it might also refer to Chester ,

3201-524: The Welsh leaders". The departure of the Norman lords enabled Rhys to strengthen his position, and the death of Owain Gwynedd in late 1170 left him as the acknowledged leader of the Welsh princes. In 1171 King Henry II arrived in England from France, on his way to Ireland. Henry wished to ensure that Richard de Clare, who had married Diarmait's daughter and become heir to Leinster, did not establish an independent Norman kingdom in Ireland. His decision to try

3298-454: The Welsh princes united in an uprising. Warren suggests that when Rhys and Owain were obliged to do homage to Henry in 1163 they were forced to accept a status of dependent vassalage instead of their previous client status, and that this led to the revolt. Rhys had other reasons for rebellion, for he had returned to Deheubarth from England to find that the neighbouring Norman lords were threatening Cantref Mawr. His nephew, Einion ab Anarawd , who

3395-568: The Wye and Severn - Ferlix (known also by various other spellings, such as Fferllys, Fferleg, and Fferregs) and incorporated it into his own realm. Elystan was succeeded by his son, Cadwgan, who was succeeded by his eldest son, Idnerth; a younger son gave rise to the Cadogan family, who were raised to the nobility many centuries later. Due to their allegiances to the Saxon Kings (Elystan had been

3492-641: The anonymous compiler's) words from the Prefatio that "I heaped together ( coacervavi ) all I could find" from various sources, not only concrete works in writing but "our ancient traditions" (i.e. oral sources) as well. This is quoted from the Apologia version of the preface. Giles's translation rendered this as "I put together", obscuring the fact that this is indeed a quote from the work and not from some commentator (See Morris's more recent translation as given in wikiquote: Historia Brittonum ) . Leslie Alcock

3589-592: The author incorporated the list from a now-lost Old Welsh poem, based on the fact that some of the names appear to rhyme, The odd description of Arthur bearing the image of the Virgin Mary on his shoulders at Guinnion might stem from a conflation of the Welsh word iscuit (shield) with iscuid (shoulders). Others reject this as untenable, arguing that the author included battles not previously associated with Arthur, perhaps even made them up entirely. A similar story to that attached to Guinnion also appears in

3686-401: The best poem and the other for the best musical performance. J. E. Caerwyn Williams suggests that this event may be an adaptation of the similar French puys . R.R. Davies suggests that the texts of Welsh law , traditionally codified by Hywel Dda at Whitland, were first assembled in book form under the aegis of Rhys. Rhys founded two religious houses during this period. Talley Abbey was

3783-675: The dead. This was Rhys' last battle. William de Braose offered terms, and Painscastle was returned to him. Rhys died on 28 April 1197, unexpectedly, and was buried in St Davids Cathedral . The chronicler of Brut y Tywysogion records for 1197: ... there was a great pestilence throughout the island of Britain...   and that tempest killed innumerable people and many of the nobility and many princes, and spared none. That year, four days before May Day, died Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth and unconquered head of all Wales. Rhys died excommunicate, having quarreled with

3880-524: The delegation to him of any authority which the king might have claimed over his fellow Welsh rulers; it might also have involved some authority over the king's Anglo-Norman subjects...   Rhys was more than a native Welsh ruler; he was one of the great feudatories of the Angevin empire. The agreement between Henry and Rhys was to last until Henry's death in 1189. When Henry's sons rebelled against him in 1173 Rhys sent his son Hywel Sais to Normandy to aid

3977-425: The dispossession of William FitzMartin . In 1195 two other sons, Rhys Gryg and Maredudd, seized Llanymddyfri and Dinefwr, and Rhys responded by imprisoning them. Rhys launched his last campaign against the Normans in 1196. He captured a number of castles, including Carmarthen , Colwyn , Radnor and Painscastle , and defeated an army led by Roger de Mortimer and Hugh de Say near Radnor , with forty knights among

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4074-470: The earliest date for the work, which is consistent with the statement in chapter 4 that "from the Passion of Christ 796 years have passed. But from his Incarnation are 831 years". The text makes use of two narrative techniques that are generally considered not reliable by modern academic standards: synthesizing and synchronizing history. Synthetic history combines legendary elements with fact, which makes

4171-442: The family. Gilbert de Clare , Earl of Pembroke, rebuilt Carmarthen Castle in 1145, then began a campaign to reclaim Ceredigion. He built a castle in the commote of Mabudryd, but Cadell, aided by Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd who held Ceredigion for Gwynedd, destroyed it in 1146. Rhys appears in the annals for the first time in 1146, fighting alongside his brothers Cadell and Maredudd in the capture by assault of Llansteffan Castle . This

4268-497: The first Premonstratensian abbey in Wales, while Llanllyr was a Cistercian nunnery , only the second nunnery to be founded in Wales and the first to prosper. He became the patron of the abbeys of Whitland and Strata Florida and made large grants to both houses. Giraldus Cambrensis , who was related to Rhys, gives an account of his meetings with Rhys in 1188 when Giraldus accompanied Archbishop Baldwin around Wales to raise men for

4365-576: The god-son, and namesake, of King Athelstan ), once the Normans invaded England, many Welsh princes had assisted anti-Norman revolts like that of Eadric the Wild . Hence, in 1080, when a revolt broke out in Northern England, the Normans pre-emptively occupied Wales , to prevent any further Welsh assistance to the Saxons. In turn, this led to a Welsh revolt in 1094, but by the end of the century it

4462-478: The king in 1175, and was Rhys ap Gruffydd's son-in-law; unless this Einion ap Rhys is really a bodged reference to Einion o'r' Porth, then he, his father, and the consequently distinct line of rulers in Gwrtheyrnion, are otherwise entirely unknown. In 1177, Rhayader Castle was built in Gwrtheyrnion by Rhys ap Gruffydd. Einion was murdered by his own brother, Gwalter. Einion's other brother, Iorwerth Clud ,

4559-474: The king produced no response, and Rhys resorted to arms, first capturing Clifford's castle at Llandovery then seizing Ceredigion. King Henry responded by preparing another invasion, and Rhys submitted without resistance. He was obliged to give hostages, probably including his son Hywel. The king was absent in France in 1159, and Rhys took the opportunity to attack Dyfed and then to lay siege to Carmarthen, which

4656-483: The king to discuss peace terms. The terms were much harsher than those offered to Owain: Rhys was stripped of all his possessions apart from Cantref Mawr , though he was promised one other cantref. The other territories were returned to their Norman lords. Among the Normans who returned to their holdings was Walter de Clifford , who reclaimed Cantref Bychan, then invaded Rhys's lands in Cantref Mawr. An appeal to

4753-430: The king to discuss terms and was obliged to give more hostages, including another son, Maredudd. He was then seized and taken to England as a prisoner. Henry appears to have been uncertain what to do with Rhys, but after a few weeks decided to free him and allow him to rule Cantref Mawr. Rhys was summoned to appear before Henry at Woodstock to do homage together with Owain Gwynedd and Malcolm IV of Scotland . In 1164 all

4850-549: The king, then in 1174 personally led an army to Tutbury in Staffordshire to assist at the siege of the stronghold of the rebel Earl William de Ferrers . When Rhys returned to Wales after the fall of Tutbury, he left a thousand men with the king for service in Normandy. King Henry held a council at Gloucester in 1175 which was attended by a large gathering of Welsh princes, led by Rhys. It appears to have concluded with

4947-589: The kingdom of Deheubarth and made it the premier Welsh kingdom. For once, the poet's compliment was well-deserved: Rhys had restored "the majesty of the South". Davies also notes two flaws in Rhys's achievement. One was the personal nature of his accord with Henry II, which meant that it did not survive Henry's death. The other was his inability to control his sons or to force them to accept Gruffydd as his successor. Rhys had at least nine sons and eight daughters. Three of

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5044-717: The lands he had taken from Norman lords, including the Clares. They met again in October that year at Pembroke as Henry waited to cross to Ireland. Rhys had collected 86 of the 300 horses, but Henry agreed to take only 36 of them and remitted the remainder of the tribute until after his return from Ireland. Rhys's son, Hywel, who had been held as a hostage for many years, was returned to him. Henry and Rhys met once more at Laugharne as Henry returned from Ireland in 1172, and shortly afterwards Henry appointed Rhys "justice on his behalf in all Deheubarth". According to A. D. Carr: This meant

5141-461: The last Prince of all Powys. His grandfather, Rhys ap Tewdwr , had been king of all Deheubarth until his death in 1093. Rhys ap Tewdwr was killed in Brycheiniog , and most of his kingdom was taken over by Norman lords. Gruffydd ap Rhys was forced to flee to Ireland . He later returned to Deheubarth and ruled a portion of the kingdom, but was forced to flee to Ireland again in 1127. When Rhys

5238-458: The latter's death in 1189. Following Henry's death Rhys revolted against Richard I and attacked the Norman lordships surrounding his territory, capturing a number of castles. In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons, particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd , who maintained a feud with each other. Rhys launched his last campaign against the Normans in 1196 and captured a number of castles. The following year he died unexpectedly and

5335-509: The long-running history of the land, such as the Middle English Brut of England , also known as The Chronicles of England . The work was the first source to portray King Arthur , who is described as a dux bellorum ('military leader') or miles ('warrior, soldier') and not as a king . It names the twelve battles that Arthur fought, but, unlike the Annales Cambriae , does not give any actual dates. The reference in

5432-436: The lordship of Cemais and its chief castle of Nevern , held by William FitzMartin , in 1191. This action was criticised by Giraldus Cambrensis , who describes Gruffydd as "a cunning and artful man". William FitzMartin was married to Rhys's daughter Angharad, and, according to Giraldus, Rhys "had solemnly sworn, by the most precious relics, that his indemnity and security should be faithfully maintained". Rhys had also annexed

5529-406: The northern half, which became Maelienydd , while the remainder - Elfael - went to his brother, Einion Clud . Einion Clud was succeeded by his son, Einion o'r Porth. Einion o'r Porth married Susanna, a daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd , the ruling prince of Deheubarth . The only named ruler of Gwrtheyrnion in historic manuscripts (other than the legendary Pascent) is an Einion ap Rhys who visited

5626-410: The northern part of Britain to the kingdom of Kent and from him are descended the kings of Kent. Then Arthur along with the kings of Britain fought against them in those days, but Arthur himself was the military commander ["dux bellorum"]. His first battle was at the mouth of the river which is called Glein . His second, third, fourth, and fifth battles were above another river which is called Dubglas and

5723-493: The other hand, Caitlin Green argues that the only identifiable battles linked explicitly with Arthur in Old Welsh sources are mythological, undermining any claims that the battles had a basis in history. Attached to the Historia is a section called De mirabilibus Britanniae (or simply Mirabilia for short, a Latin word meaning 'marvels, miracles'). It gives a list of 13 topographical marvels, or wonders of Britain, followed by

5820-557: The power of the blessed Virgin Mary his mother there was great slaughter among them. The ninth battle was waged in the City of the Legion . The tenth battle was waged on the banks of a river which is called Tribruit. The eleventh battle was fought on the mountain which is called Agnet. The twelfth battle was on Mount Badon in which there fell in one day 960 men from one charge by Arthur; and no one struck them down except Arthur himself, and in all

5917-427: The realm no longer a problem, the new king of England, Henry II , soon turned his attention to Wales. He began with an invasion of Gwynedd in 1157. This invasion was not entirely successful, but Owain Gwynedd was induced to seek terms and to give up some territory in the north-east of Wales. The following year, Henry prepared an invasion of Deheubarth. Rhys made plans to resist, but was persuaded by his council to meet

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6014-422: The renown of it. Davies provides the following assessment of Rhys: Rhys's career was indeed a remarkable one. Its very length was a tribute to his stamina and skill: he had occupied the stage of Welsh politics for over fifty years, from his first appearance in his early 'teens, at the capture of Llansteffan castle in 1146, to his death in 1197. But it was his achievement which was astounding: he had reconstituted

6111-430: The ruler of Morgannwg , implying a floruit for Ffernfael around the early 9th century. Following Ffernfael's death, Buellt (and hence Gwrtheyrnion) came into the possession of neighbouring Arwystli , for unclear reasons, after having temporarily been in the possession of Seisyllwg , for an unclear amount of time. At around this time, Arwystli's ruler was Iorwerth Hirflawdd ; when Iorworth's son Idnerth died, his realm

6208-653: The site of a large Roman base. Cat Coit Celidon is probably a reference to the Caledonian Forest ( Coed Celyddon ) which once covered the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Scholar Marged Haycock has suggested that this battle can be identified with the Cad Goddeu , the "Battle of the Trees", best known from the tenth-century poem Cad Goddeu . Arthur is mentioned towards the end of this poem, and

6305-451: The sons of Gruffydd with all the host of Gwynedd, and Rhys ap Gruffydd with all the host of Deheubarth and Iorwerth the Red son of Maredudd and the sons of Madog ap Maredudd with all the host of Powys. Torrential rain forced Henry's army to retreat in disorder without fighting a major battle, and Henry vented his spleen on the hostages, having Rhys's son Maredudd blinded. Rhys's other son, Hywel,

6402-532: The southwest. It also controlled the commote of Deuddwr (i.e. Cwmwd Deuddwr , also known as Elenydd ) on the west of the Wye ; together they formed a cantref. The Historia Brittonum provides the earliest mention of Gwrtheyrnion. According to the text, Vortigern fled to Gwrtheyrnion after Saint Germanus of Auxerre had castigated him for his various sins. He eventually died, and his son Pascent received Gwrtheyrnion and Buellt from Ambrosius Aurelianus . One of

6499-454: The story of a banquet at Hereford in 1186 where Rhys sat between two members of the Clare family. What could have been a tense affair, since Rhys had seized lands in Ceredigion previously held by the Clare family, passed off with an exchange of courteous compliments, followed by some good-natured banter between Rhys and Gerald about their family connections. Rhys gave Gerald and Archbishop Baldwin

6596-495: The supposed settlement of Britain by Trojan settlers and says that Britain was named for Brutus , a descendant of Aeneas . The "single most important source used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae " and through the enormous popularity of the latter work, this version of the early history of Britain, including the Trojan origin tradition, was incorporated into subsequent chronicles of

6693-453: The swearing of a mutual assistance pact for the preservation of peace and order in Wales. In 1177 Rhys, Dafydd ab Owain , who had emerged as the main power in Gwynedd, and Cadwallon ap Madog from Rhwng Gwy a Hafren swore fealty and liege homage to Henry at a council held at Oxford. At this council the king gave Meirionnydd, part of the kingdom of Gwynedd, to Rhys. Rhys built a number of stone castles, starting with Cardigan castle, which

6790-516: The text as anonymously written would be the best approach as theories attributing authorship to Nennius have since been disputed by subsequent scholars. Repudiating the so-called vindication of Nennius in 1890 by the Celtic scholar Heinrich Zimmer , Mommsen returned to the earlier view of a ninth-century Nennius merely building on a seventh-century original, which he dated to around 680. The historian Ferdinand Lot swiftly challenged Mommsen; but it

6887-567: The text's copyists, from whose copy most other surviving manuscripts are derived, took particular interest in this combined kingdom, tracing its medieval rulers back to Vortigern through Pascent. The dynasty, so these manuscripts report, ended in a certain Ffernfael ap Tewdwr , who is also known from the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 . These Jesus College genealogies indicate that Ffernfael's cousin Brawstudd married Arthfael Hen ap Rhys ,

6984-489: The time, but released him the following year and in 1169 Fitz-Stephen led the vanguard of a Norman army which landed in Wexford . The leader of the Norman forces, Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , known as "Strongbow", followed in 1170. According to Warren, "they were prompted to go by a growing suspicion that King Henry did not intend to renew his offensive against the Welsh, but was instead seeking an accommodation with

7081-410: The title "Proprietary Prince of Deheubarth" or "Prince of South Wales", but two documents have been discovered in which he uses the title " Prince of Wales " or "Prince of the Welsh". Rhys was one of the most successful and powerful Welsh princes, and, after the death of Owain Gwynedd of Gwynedd in 1170, the dominant power in Wales. Rhys's grandfather, Rhys ap Tewdwr , was king of Deheubarth, and

7178-489: The usual invasion route along the north coast he attacked from the south, following a route over the Berwyn hills . He was met by the united forces of the Welsh princes, led by Owain Gwynedd and including Rhys. According to Brut y Tywysogion : ... [King Henry] gathered an innumerable host of the selected warriors of England and Normandy and Flanders and Gascony and Anjou...   and against him came Owain and Cadwaladr

7275-406: The variant readings "Troit" and "Amr" be preferred since they are closer to the Welsh forms of those names. The first concerns Arthur's dog, Cabal ( Cavall in Welsh) and the footprint it left while chasing the boar Troynt (→Troit) Twrch Trwyth : There is another marvel in the region which is called Buelt . There is a mound of stones there and one stone placed above the pile with the pawprint of

7372-405: The veracity of the text challenging to evaluate. Various specious causal connections and attempts to synchronize material from different sources and traditions also contribute to undermining the reliability of the chronicle. The question of the nature of the text of the Historia Brittonum is one that has caused intense debate over the centuries. Some scholars have taken the position that treating

7469-740: The wars he emerged as victor. And while they were being defeated in all the battles, they were seeking assistance from Germany and their numbers were being augmented many times over without interruption. And they brought over kings from Germany that they might reign over them in Britain, right down to the time in which Ida reigned, who was son of Eobba . He was the first king in Bernicia , i.e., in Berneich. Many of these battle sites are obscure and cannot be identified with any certitude. Some appear in other Welsh literature, though not necessarily explicitly connected to Arthur. Some scholars have proposed that

7566-467: Was able to depose Gwalter with the aid of Reginald de Braose (who had, by now, inherited Buellt), in alliance with Llywelyn Fawr (the most powerful Welsh prince). Unfortunately, Llywelyn's son (and successor), Dafydd , chose to repudiate the Treaty of Gwerneigron , which lead to Ralph Tosny seizing Elfael, although Tosny was later expelled from Elfael by Dafydd's nephew, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd . King Henry acknowledged Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's victory, by

7663-502: Was also killed and Maelgwn captured. Gruffydd formed an alliance with Gwynedd, and later in 1136 the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd , led an army to Ceredigion. Their combined forces won a decisive victory over the Normans at the Battle of Crug Mawr . Ceredigion was reclaimed from the Normans, but was annexed by Gwynedd as the senior partner in the alliance. Gruffydd ap Rhys continued his campaign against

7760-529: Was born in 1132, his father held only the commote of Caeo in Cantref Mawr . The death of King Henry I of England , and the ensuing Anarchy arising from the rival claims of Stephen and Matilda to the English throne, gave the Welsh the opportunity to rise against the Normans. A revolt spread through south Wales in 1136, and Gruffydd ap Rhys, aided by his two eldest sons, Anarawd and Cadell, defeated

7857-531: Was buried in St Davids Cathedral . Rhys was the fourth son of Gruffydd ap Rhys , ruler of part of Deheubarth , by his wife Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd , daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan , king of Gwynedd . His next older brother was Maredudd ap Gruffydd , and there were older brothers, Morgan and Maelgwn, who were killed in battle with their mother in 1136. He also had two older half-brothers, Anarawd and Cadell , from his father's first marriage. Rhys married Gwenllian ferch Madog , daughter of Madog ap Maredudd ,

7954-510: Was confirmed as heir. Maelgwn, the eldest son but illegitimate, refused to accept this and was given military assistance by Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys. Maelgwn took the town and castle of Aberystwyth and captured Gruffydd, whom he handed over to the custody of Gwenwynwyn. Gwenwynwyn later handed him over to the king, who imprisoned him at Corfe Castle . Giraldus Cambrensis frequently mentions Rhys in his writings and describes him as "a man of excellent wit and quick in repartee". Gerald tells

8051-588: Was followed by the capture of Wiston in 1147, Carmarthen in 1150 and Loughor in 1151. In 1151 Cadell was attacked while out hunting by a group of Norman and Flemish knights from Tenby , and left for dead. He survived, but suffered injuries which left him unable to play an active role, and in 1153 he left on a pilgrimage to Rome . Maredudd became ruler of Deheubarth and continued a campaign, begun in 1150, aimed at recovering Ceredigion , which had been held by Gwynedd since 1136. Maredudd and Rhys drove Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd from Ceredigion by 1153. The same year Rhys

8148-516: Was killed at Brecon in 1093 by Bernard de Neufmarché . Following his death, most of Deheubarth was taken over by the Normans . Rhys's father, Gruffydd ap Rhys , eventually was able to become ruler of a small portion, and more territory was won back by Rhys's older brothers after Gruffydd's death. Rhys became ruler of Deheubarth in 1155. He was forced to submit to King Henry II of England in 1158. Henry invaded Deheubarth in 1163, stripped Rhys of all his lands and took him prisoner. A few weeks later he

8245-547: Was no longer bound by the agreement with King Henry and attacked the Norman lordships surrounding his territory. He ravaged Pembroke , Haverfordwest and Gower , and captured the castles of St. Clear's, Laugharne and Llansteffan . Richard's brother, Prince John (later King John ), came to Wales in September and tried to make peace. He persuaded Rhys to raise the siege of Carmarthen and accompany him to Oxford to meet Richard. Rhys arrived at Oxford to discover that Richard

8342-495: Was not among the victims. Rhys returned to Deheubarth where he captured and burned Cardigan Castle . He allowed the garrison to depart, but held the castellan, Robert Fitz-Stephen , as a prisoner. Shortly afterwards Rhys captured Cilgerran castle. In 1167 he joined Owain Gwynedd in an attack on Owain Cyfeiliog of southern Powys , and spent three weeks helping Owain besiege the Norman castle of Rhuddlan . In 1168 he attacked

8439-413: Was not prepared to travel there to meet him, and hostilities continued. In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons, particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd . In 1189 Gruffydd persuaded Rhys to imprison Maelgwn, and he was given into Gruffydd's keeping at Dinefwr. Gruffydd handed him over to his father-in-law, William de Braose . Gruffydd is also said to have persuaded his father to annex

8536-424: Was not the first to draw attention to the phrase though he may have started the recent spate of interest. The Historia Brittonum has drawn attention because of its role in influencing the legends and myths surrounding King Arthur . It is the earliest source that presents Arthur as a historical figure, and is the source of several stories which were repeated and amplified by later authors. The Historia contains

8633-605: Was not until 1925 that the Anglo-Saxon scholar Felix Liebermann offered a major reconstruction of the Mommsen view, arguing that Nennius in fact first put the whole work into shape in the ninth century. Re-analysing the eleven manuscript variants of Mommsen, he produced a two-stemma analysis of their hypothetical descent, noting however that “Only one branch, viz. C2d2 of the second stem, preserves Nennius's name”. His overall conclusion (based on uniform particularities of style)

8730-599: Was planning to invade Ceredigion in order to reclaim it for Gwynedd. Rhys responded by building a castle at Aberdyfi in 1156. The threatened invasion did not take place, and Turvey claims that Owain's intention may have been to test the resolve of the new ruler. King Stephen had died in October 1154, bringing to an end the long dispute with the Empress Matilda which had helped Anarawd, Cadell and Maredudd to extend their rule in Deheubarth. With disunity within

8827-415: Was re-divided, with Buellt (including Gwrtheyrnion) going to Cadwr Gwenwyn (the rest of the realm - Arwystli - went to a different son). Cadwr's grandson, and heir, married a granddaughter of Merfyn ap Rhodri , the king of Powys (this did not mean that Powys gained any authority over Buellt/Gwrtheyrnion); their grandson, and heir, was Elystan Glodrydd . Elystan Glodrydd conquered the adjacent land between

8924-408: Was released and given back a small part of his holdings. Rhys made an alliance with Owain Gwynedd and, after the failure of another invasion of Wales by Henry in 1165, was able to win back most of his lands. In 1171 Rhys made peace with King Henry and was confirmed in possession of his recent conquests as well as being named Justiciar of South Wales . He maintained good relations with King Henry until

9021-675: Was saved by a relief force led by Earl Reginald of Cornwall . Rhys retreated to Cantref Mawr, where an army led by five earls, the Earls of Cornwall, Gloucester , Hertford , Pembroke and Salisbury, marched against him. The earls were assisted by Cadwaladr, brother of Owain Gwynedd, and Owain's sons, Hywel and Cynan. However they were forced to withdraw and a truce was arranged. In 1162, Rhys again attempted to recover some of his lost lands, and captured Llandovery castle. The following year Henry II returned to England after an absence of four years and prepared for another invasion of Deheubarth. Rhys met

9118-488: Was successfully suppressed by a number of Norman magnates. The southern parts of Ferlix were conquered by Philip de Braose . Eventually, like other Welsh princes, Idnerth came to a personal agreement with the local Norman magnate; Idnerth was restored to Gwrtheyrnion, and most of Ferlix, but Braose kept the rest of Buellt for himself. Following Idnerth's death, and that of his son, Madog, the retained parts of Ferlix were divided between Madog's sons: Cadwallon received most of

9215-476: Was that “The whole work...belongs to Nennius alone”, but this did not prevent him from recognising that “we must lower Nennius's rank as a historian...[but] praise his patriotic heart. The Nennius question was re-opened in the 1970s by Professor David Dumville . Dumville revisited the stemmatics of the various recensions and published the Vatican version. Dumville called the Nennian preface ( Prefatio Nennii )

9312-465: Was the captain of his bodyguard, had been murdered at the instigation of Roger de Clare, Earl of Hertford . The murderer had been given the protection of the Clares in Ceredigion. Rhys first appealed to the king to intercede; when this failed, he invaded Ceredigion and recaptured all of it apart from the town and castle of Cardigan. The Welsh revolt led to another invasion of Wales by King Henry in 1165. Henry attacked Gwynedd first, but instead of following

9409-545: Was the earliest recorded native-built stone castle in Wales. He also built Carreg Cennen castle near Llandeilo, a castle set in a spectacular position on a mountain top. He held a festival of poetry and song at his court at Cardigan over Christmas 1176 . This is generally regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod . The festival was announced a year in advance throughout Wales and in England , Scotland , Ireland and possibly France . Two chairs were awarded as prizes, one for

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