Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd facts for kids

Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (born around 1145, died 1203) was a powerful Prince of Gwynedd in Wales. He ruled from 1170 to 1195. For some time, he shared power with his brothers, Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd.

Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd: Prince of Gwynedd

Early Life and Rise to Power

Dafydd was the son of Owain Gwynedd, a famous Welsh ruler. His mother was Cristin ferch Goronwy ab Owain. The church did not approve of his parents' marriage, which caused some issues for Dafydd.

Dafydd first became known in 1157. This was when King Henry II of England invaded Gwynedd. Dafydd was part of a fight near Basingwerk. King Henry almost lost his life in this battle. In 1165, Dafydd settled in the Vale of Clwyd. He attacked Tegeingl and took many valuable things.

Becoming Ruler of Gwynedd

When his father, Owain Gwynedd, died in 1170, his sons started fighting. They all wanted to rule Gwynedd. Dafydd and his brother Rhodri worked together. They attacked and killed their brother Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd in the same year.

Dafydd continued to fight for power. In 1173, he forced his brother Maelgwn to leave. Maelgwn fled to Ireland. Other brothers, Iorwerth Drwyndwn and Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd, died in 1174. This removed two more people who wanted the throne.

In the same year, Dafydd captured and imprisoned Maelgwn, who had returned from Ireland. He also imprisoned Rhodri. Now, Dafydd was the only ruler of Gwynedd.

Marriage and Later Rule

In the summer of 1174, Dafydd married Emma (or Emme) of Anjou. She was the half-sister of King Henry II of England. Emme was the daughter of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou. Dafydd and Emme had four children:

• Owain
• Einion
• Gwenllian
• Gwenhwyfar

In 1175, Rhodri escaped from prison. He attacked Dafydd and took control of the western part of Gwynedd. Dafydd was able to keep the eastern part. In 1177, King Henry gave Dafydd land in England. These lands included the manors of Ellesmere and Hales.

Dafydd had a castle at Rhuddlan. In 1188, a famous traveler named Gerald of Wales stayed there. He was traveling around Wales with Archbishop Baldwin. Gerald wrote about his visit:

"After crossing the river Conwy, we arrived at Ruthlan. It was a fine castle on the river Cloyd. It belonged to David, the eldest son of Owen. David himself kindly invited us, and we were well looked after that night."

Final Years and Defeat

In 1194, Dafydd faced a new challenge. His nephew, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, became a threat. Llywelyn defeated Dafydd at the battle of Aberconwy. Llywelyn had help from his cousins, the sons of Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd.

Llywelyn took most of Dafydd's lands. He also imprisoned Dafydd in 1197. Dafydd was set free a year later. This happened thanks to the efforts of Hubert Walter, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dafydd then moved to England. He died there in May 1203. His wife, Emme, was last mentioned in records around 1214.

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