Owain Gwynedd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Owain Gwynedd |
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Depiction by Hugh Williams, 1909
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| King of Wales, Prince of Wales | |
| Reign | 1137–1170 |
| Successor | Rhys ap Gruffydd |
| King of Gwynedd | |
| Reign | 1137–1170 |
| Predecessor | Gruffudd ap Cynan |
| Successor | Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd |
| Born | c. 1100 Gwynedd, Wales |
| Died | 23 or 28 November 1170 (aged 69–70) |
| Burial | Bangor Cathedral |
| Spouse | Gwladus ferch Llywarch, Cristin ferch Goronwy |
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| House | Aberffraw |
| Father | Gruffudd ap Cynan |
| Mother | Angharad ferch Owain |
Owain ap Gruffudd (around 1100 – 23 or 28 November 1170) was a powerful ruler in Wales. He was the King of Gwynedd, a kingdom in North Wales, from 1137 until he died in 1170. He took over from his father, Gruffudd ap Cynan.
People called him Owain the Great (Owain Fawr). He was also the first person known to use the title "Prince of Wales." Many historians believe he was the most successful Welsh prince before his grandson, Llywelyn the Great. To tell him apart from another ruler named Owain, he became known as Owain Gwynedd, meaning "Owain of Gwynedd."
Contents
Early Life of Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd was part of the House of Aberffraw. This was a very important family line in Wales. His father, Gruffudd ap Cynan, was a strong king. He ruled Gwynedd for 62 years. During his time, Gwynedd became the most important kingdom in Wales. His main power base was the island of Anglesey.
Owain's mother was Angharad ferch Owain. She was the daughter of Owain ab Edwin of Tegeingl. Owain Gwynedd was the second son of Gruffydd and Angharad. He was likely born on Anglesey around the year 1100.
Growing Up and Early Battles
By about 1120, Owain's father was getting older. Owain and his brothers, Cadwallon and Cadwaladr, started leading Gwynedd's armies. They fought against the Normans and other Welsh princes. They had many victories.
Sadly, his older brother Cadwallon died in a battle in 1132. This made Owain his father's heir. In 1136, Owain and Cadwaladr teamed up with Gruffydd ap Rhys from Deheubarth. They won a big battle against the Normans at Crug Mawr. After this win, they added Ceredigion to their father's kingdom.
Becoming King and Early Wins
When his father, Gruffydd ap Cynan, died in 1137, Owain became king. He shared the kingdom at first with his brother Cadwaladr. However, in 1143, Cadwaladr was linked to the murder of Anarawd ap Gruffydd. Owain sent his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd to take Cadwaladr's lands.
Later, Owain and Cadwaladr made peace. But from 1143, Owain ruled most of North Wales by himself. By 1155, Cadwaladr was forced to leave the country.
Expanding Gwynedd's Borders
England was going through a civil war at this time. It was called the Anarchy. Owain used this chance to make Gwynedd bigger. He pushed its borders further east than ever before.
In 1146, he captured Mold Castle. Around 1150, he took Rhuddlan. He also started moving into the lands of Powys. The prince of Powys, Madog ap Maredudd, fought back. He had help from Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester. They met in battle at Coleshill, but Owain won.
Wars with King Henry II
Things changed when Henry II of England became king in 1154. King Henry decided to invade Gwynedd in 1157. He had help from Madog ap Maredudd of Powys and Owain's brother Cadwaladr. The invasion had mixed results.
Henry's army caused a lot of damage in eastern Gwynedd. They even destroyed churches, which made the local people very angry. The two armies met at Ewloe. Owain's soldiers set up a surprise attack in a narrow, wooded valley. They completely defeated the royal army. King Henry himself barely escaped being captured.
A fleet of ships tried to land on Anglesey but was also defeated. In the end, Owain had to make a deal with Henry. He had to give back Rhuddlan and other lands he had taken in the east.
Regaining Lost Lands
Madog ap Maredudd died in 1160. This allowed Owain to get back some of the land he had lost in the east. In 1163, he made an alliance with Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth. They wanted to challenge English rule.
King Henry invaded Gwynedd again in 1165. This time, he took a different route over the Berwyn hills. All the Welsh princes joined together, with Owain as their leader. There was not much fighting, except for a small clash at the Battle of Crogen. Heavy rain helped Owain. The bad weather forced Henry to retreat in a messy way.
After this failed invasion, Owain wrote a letter to the King of France. He offered to become a loyal supporter of the French king. He also offered to help attack Henry if France went to war with England. In this letter, Owain called himself "Prince of Wales" (Waliarum princeps). This was the first time anyone is known to have used this title.
Henry never invaded Gwynedd again. Owain was able to get back his eastern lands. He recaptured Rhuddlan castle in 1167 after a three-month siege.
Disputes and Succession
In his later years, Owain had arguments with Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. They disagreed about who should be the new Bishop of Bangor. Owain chose his own person, Arthur of Bardsey. The archbishop did not agree. So, Owain had Arthur made a bishop in Ireland. The argument continued, and the position remained empty until after Owain died.
The Archbishop and the Pope also pressured Owain. They wanted him to leave his second wife, Cristin. She was his first cousin, which the church said made their marriage invalid. Owain refused to leave Cristin, even though he was excommunicated (banned from the church).
Owain died in 1170. Even though he had been excommunicated, he was buried in Bangor Cathedral. A writer at the time said he died "after countless victories, and unconquered from his youth."
Family and Heirs
Owain was married twice. His first wife was Gwladus ferch Llywarch ap Trahaearn. They had two sons, Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Iorwerth Drwyndwn. Iorwerth was the father of Llywelyn the Great. His second wife was Cristin. They had three sons, including Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd and Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd.
Owain also had many sons who were born outside of marriage. Under Welsh law, these sons had an equal right to inherit if their father recognized them.
Owain had planned for his son Rhun to be his successor. But Rhun died young in 1146. This made Owain very sad. He then chose Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd as his next successor. However, after Owain's death, Hywel was forced to flee to Ireland. He was later killed in battle when he returned.
Dafydd and Rhodri, Owain's sons from Cristin, divided Gwynedd between them. It took another generation for Gwynedd to become as strong as it was under Owain. This happened under his grandson, Llywelyn the Great.
The Legend of Prince Madoc
There is a popular legend about one of Owain's sons, Prince Madoc. The story says that Madoc sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered North America. He is said to have started a colony there.
Owain Gwynedd in Fiction
Owain is a character in the Brother Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters. He appears in Dead Man's Ransom and The Summer of the Danes. In these stories, he is shown as a clever ruler. He works to keep Wales safe and sometimes expand its borders. He often helps Brother Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beringar.
Owain also appears as a small character in novels by Sharon Kay Penman. These books are about King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. They show the changing and sometimes difficult relationship between England and Wales.
