New book sheds light on hidden supporters of Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion

Aberystwyth University historians have published a landmark new book about the main supporters of Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion on the national day to commemorate him.

The Welsh rebellion began on 16 September 1400 when fifteen leading men from the north-east gathered at Glyndŵr’s home in Glyndyfrdwy and, jointly, proclaimed him Prince of Wales. Over the next few years people from all walks of life flocked in their thousands to support the cause.

All of these thousands contributed to Glyndŵr’s campaign, and the new bilingual book, ‘Llys Glyndŵr’, sheds further light on a select few who had a significant influence on the vision and course of the rebellion.

With visual portrayals by the highly respected artist Dan Llywelyn Hall, whose work appears in numerous public collections, the publication includes completely new portraits of members of Llys Glyndŵr (‘Glyndŵr’s court’), including his daughter Catrin and his wife Marged.

Published together with poems by renowned poets such as Professor Mererid Hopwood, Myrddin ap Dafydd, Ifor ap Glyn and Menna Elfyn, and a foreword by Dafydd Iwan, the book is a new attempt to get under the skin of key individuals from the past and consider our responses to them today.

The book was co-edited by Dr Rhun Emlyn from Aberystwyth University’s Department of Welsh History and History and Professor Emeritus Gruffydd Aled Williams from the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies. Dr Rhun Emlyn said:

“We truly hope that this new book will give an insight into some of the important but overlooked individuals from the period. When we think about the Glyndŵr Rebellion we tend to focus on Owain Glyndŵr himself. After all, it was Glyndŵr who was proclaimed Prince of Wales, who attracted loyal followers and inspired many to rebel, and it was his forceful personality that directed the course of the rebellion and ensured that it lasted as long as it did.

“And yet, the rebellion was bigger than Owain Glyndŵr. This wasn’t a one-man-show, and neither was it a campaign to secure justice for one man, but an attempt to address the complaints of people throughout Wales. It was truly a national rebellion that grew from the frustrations of the nation as a whole and received widespread support across the country. This book, then, is an attempt to portray others who were integral to the rebellion, from the poet Iolo Goch to warriors such as Rhys Ddu and Henry Dwnn.”

Artist Dan Llywelyn Hall added:

“Owain must have had a huge array of supporters to create such a widespread uprising and in the numerous biographies I have read it is rarely noted who these figures were; at best we have sideway glances. What perplexed me was the complete absence of any visual record of Owain or indeed any peripheral figures that would have supported his campaign. I simply had to make my own conjured portraits of the inner circle of faces that would have made the uprising possible. I hope that the book then makes a valuable contribution in manifesting some of the supporters who haven’t received the attention they deserve.”