Mab Darogan facts for kids

Y Mab Darogan (pronounced "uh mahb dah-roh-GAN") is a special figure in Welsh legends. His name means "The Prophesied Son" or "Son of Destiny." People believed he was a hero who would one day lead the Welsh people to take back their land from invaders like the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.

Over time, many different leaders and heroes were called Y Mab Darogan. This idea of a destined hero is found in many old Welsh poems, especially starting with a poem called Armes Prydain from around the 10th century.

Welsh Heroes Called The Prophesied Son

Many important people in Welsh history were seen as Y Mab Darogan. People hoped these leaders would bring freedom and a better future for Wales.

King Arthur: A Legendary Protector

Some old poems linked Y Mab Darogan to the famous King Arthur. Arthur was known as a great protector of the Britons. He fought against many threats, including the Saxons, as mentioned in old texts like the Historia Brittonum from the 9th century. However, Arthur doesn't appear in the very first poems about Y Mab Darogan.

Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn the Last

Two powerful Welsh princes named Llywelyn were also seen as the prophesied hero.

An old poem by Dafydd Benfras called 'Llywelyn' y daroganwr (the son of the prophecy). It's not clear if this poem was for Llywelyn the Great (Llywelyn ab Iorwerth) or his grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last). Both were important leaders. The poem praises Llywelyn as the "king of the Welsh" and says he will fulfill all prophecies.

Another poet, Llywarch ap Llywelyn (also known as Prydydd y Moch), wrote a poem about Llywelyn the Great. He said that Llywelyn was the prince who would "fulfill the ancient prophecies."

Owain Lawgoch: The Red Handed Hero

In the mid-1300s, the idea of Y Mab Darogan became linked to Owain Lawgoch (Owain ap Tomas ap Rhodri). He was a descendant of Welsh princes who lived in France. Many popular poems about Y Mab Darogan started to spread around this time, often calling the hero "Owain."

It's sometimes hard to know if these poems meant Owain Lawgoch or Owain Glyndŵr, another famous Welsh hero. One poem, possibly by Rhys Fardd, mentions 'Owain' fighting in Calais. Another poem, by Y Bergam, seems to speak of Owain Lawgoch. It says there is "a man in France eager for battle / who will avenge his father with a whole army."

A poet named Gruffudd ap Maredudd ap Dafydd wrote a poem urging Owain Lawgoch to come back from France. He wanted Owain to free Wales and conquer England. Many Welsh people were waiting for him. They even prepared horses and weapons for his return. Sadly, Owain was killed in France by an English agent. A poem written after his death shows how much people had hoped for him. It says, "We lamented when he came not: / He was slain, killed by a dastard."

The name llawgoch means 'red hand'. This might describe a brave warrior. But in old Ireland, a red mark on the hand was sometimes a sign of a special, prophesied leader. For example, there was a king named Cathal Crobderg, meaning 'Red Hand'.

Owain Glyndŵr: The Last Welsh Prince

Owain Glyndŵr was a prince who led a big revolt against English rule in Wales. This happened between 1400 and 1415. His army even pushed into England. He came very close to making Wales an independent country again. People at the time called him Y Mab Darogan. However, he was eventually defeated and disappeared.

Henry VII: A New Hope for Wales

Before Henry Tudor became King of England in 1485, many Welsh people and poets believed he was Y Mab Darogan. Henry Tudor was Welsh, and this belief helped him gain many supporters in Wales. He landed in southwest Wales and raised the flag of Cadwaladr, an old Welsh king. Cadwaladr was often mentioned in prophecies as returning to free the Welsh people. Henry then marched through Wales, gathering more fighters on his way to the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Henry Tudor won the battle and became King Henry VII. Many people thought his rule was the fulfillment of the prophecy. Henry himself encouraged this idea. He even named his first son Arthur Tudor, after the legendary King Arthur.

Prince Arthur grew up to be the Prince of Wales in 1501. He governed Wales from Ludlow and changed some of the harsh laws that were put in place after Owain Glyndŵr's defeat. Sadly, Arthur died only one year later. His younger brother, Henry, became King Henry VIII. Like his father, Henry VIII used the red dragon as a symbol for his royal family.

Henry VIII later passed laws in 1536 and 1543 that united the legal system of Wales with England. Wales also gained representatives in the English Parliament and equal rights under the law. Henry also ended the old feudal system of marcher lordships that had ruled much of southern and western Wales.