This month of December, we will be discussing the royals of Wales who made History in their country. Some will be more known to public eyes then others, but their importance in Welsh's History is unquestionable. For a start, it was decided to write about Owain Glyndwr, Richard II of England's supporter and said to have been the last Prince of Wales, a noble Welshman who rebelled against Henry IV and gave this English king much headache. As it happens to most historical characters, popular views often turn them into either villains or heroes, forgetting they were human beings and ignoring their flaws, most of the times.
What kind of man was Owain Glyndwr? Was he a product of his time, a man of resistance or... was he the last man standing against English's dominions? On this article, we intend to explore the Prince of Wales's deeds as well as trying to explain the causes of his popularity and how was this latter cemented and remained untouched for the next centuries.
Owain Glyndwr (English: Owen of the Glen of Dee Water) was born in the year of 1354, the heir of Gruffydd Fychan ap Madog ap Gruffydd Fychan. Almost nothing could be found about his earlier years and the name of his mother or even if he had siblings were not clear. What can be said before the main events that would turn Owain a remarkable character is that, due to his good ascendance as he claimed to descend from the princes of Wales from both sides of his family, he went to London where he spent some time studying. Afterwards, he went to the court of King Richard II, where he acted as courtier. As said here:
"At the age of 21 he had probably served at the Inns of Court in London where he would have acquired a necessary background in law. He also began a military career with service at Berwick-on-Tweed in 1384, and he joined Richard II's expedition to Scotland in 1385. In 1387 he became a retainer of the earl of Arundel and took part in the major naval victory at Cadzand, off Flanders."
In matters of war, especially against Scotland, he is said to have gone "(...) on to serve the English Crown as a soldier against the Scots, and wearing a scarlet flamingo feather as his crest he is said to have bore down on the Scotsmen before him with only the butt of his broken lance", which is already enough to contest his military skills he acquired, being knighted by Richard II soon afterwards.
Two years before he joined Richard II's battle against Scotland, he was married to the daughter of Sir David Hamner, said to have been a very important man who acted on behalf of the king's justice as lawyer and who was said to have worked as well for Edward III previously. With Lady Margaret, he had six children and lived a peacefully life for a while.
Around 1390, Richard II was usurped by his cousin, Henry Bolinbroke and the policies towards Wales changed. For a start, extremely heavy taxes from Henry IV started raising an anti English's feeling, which was not seen so strongly defended since Edward I's troubles with Wales. The sparks with the rebellion came when:
"The situation ignited when an influential member of King Henry's Council- Reginald Grey, Lord of Ruthin- seized a disputed tract of land bordering on Glyndwr's estates. Glyndwr sought legal redress, but Parliament rebuffed him, calling him a 'a bare footed Welshman'.
At the same time, the King entrusted Grey to deliver a summons for Glyndwr to join Henry in preparing a military campaign into Scotland. Grey either did not deliver the message or withheld it until it was too late to respond. When Glyndwr failed to answer the King, Henry labelled him a traitor. On 16th September, 1400, Glyndwr met with a small group of supporters at his home in Glyndyfrdwy, between Corwen and Llangollen. (...)"
In this excerpt below, here is how this rebellion can be summarized to:
"The immediate spark for revolt seems to have been the King's unwillingness to mediate fairly in a dispute between Owain and his neighbour, Reginald Grey of Ruthin, a lordship of the Marches. But the following years saw battles and sieges at Conwy, Harlech and Aberystwyth with Glyndwr raising a parliament and crowning himself King of a free Wales at Machynlleth in 1404"
From a mere nobleman to the last Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr soon became a figure created by his counterparts and much of his contemporaries that represented independence and freedom before the tyranny of the English since Edward I subdued them to his command. When Prince Henry, commonly nicknamed as Prince Hal, became King Henry V upon his father's death, suggested Owain to give amnesty in turn of surrender, twice he refused and still managed to die in obscure. September 16th then, even nowadays, is the day where Owain Glyndwr is celebrated in Wales.
Sociologically speaking, what Owain represented in those medieval days, and still represents even in 21st century, was the common cause he fought for. A cause that managed to unite North and South Wales to one. Freedom and independence from tyrannic rulers, concepts that may seem modern, indeed, but fit to understand what has leaded one man, from upper classes, to be so popular, becoming a Welsh icon that, unfortunately, by now most are unaware, although even in recent days his figure is still studied and contemplated by historians and medievalists in general. In other sources, you will find Owain Glyndwr is known as "the Welsh William Wallace". Enjoying significance power he achieved with this great rebellion, Owain managed to build churches and chose representatives of Christian churches, wrote letters to Charles VI of France in seek of support as well as an attempt to reach support from Rome. Although he was, indeed, a man of his time, it cannot be argued he was as well a product of his society, by finally doing what others lacked courage in doing so, sticking to his ideals and fighting until he could for what he believed, even if he did not succeed it,
Nevertheless, if his cause failed within the years, as the man and ruler he was, he did not. Dead in 1415 in obscurity, Owain Glyndwr may have died without seeing Wales independent and free from the English hands, but would never be forgotten by its people. Here is a small poetry written to honour the person he was:
"His grave is beside no church, neither under the shadow of any ancient yew. It is in a spot safer and more sacred still. Rain does not fall on it, hail nor sleet chill nor sere sod above it. It is forever green with the green of eternal spring. Sunny the light on it; close and warm and dear it lies, sheltered from all storms, from all cold or grey oblivion. Time shall not touch it; decay shall not dishonour it; for that grave is in the heart of every true Cymro. There, for ever, from generation unto generation, grey Owen's heart lies dreaming on, dreaming on, safe for ever and for ever."
Sources: http://www.britishheritage.com/owain-glyndwrs-fight-for-wales/
http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/a-sense-of-place/history-of-snowdonia/the-princes-of-snowdonia/owain-glyndwr-c.1354-1416
http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/waleshistorymap/owainglyndwr/?lang=en
http://www.corwen.org/owain_glyndwr.html
http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s-OWAI-GLY-1354.html
http://www.thebellatcaerleon.co.uk/info/glyndwr.htm
http://history.powys.org.uk/history/mach/owain3.html
http://bdaugherty.tripod.com/cymru/owain.html
http://www.boydellandbrewer.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=14583
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/Owen-Glendower-Owain-Glyndwr/
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/nov/14/on-the-owain-glyndwr-trail-wales-uk
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