#house of dinefwr

[gingersnaptaff]

Nest of Deheubarth and Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd ap Cynan

Lemme talk about two fabulous Welsh women who deserve to be yelled about more because they occupy fascinating roles in Welsh history and also they were SISTERS-IN-LAW. If they'd met I do think they would have a very Morgan Le Fay and Guinevere relationship (without the casual murder? Hmm.)

Anyways, Nest of Deheubarth (Also known as Nesta, or Annest, was the 'Helen of Wales,' which, seriously, we gotta stop appellating Helen of Troy to women whose beauty starts wars. It is a handy metric, but, like, neither were THEIR FAULT.) daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr - yes, as in the Tudors. They have links to them through Rhys' son, Gruffudd - and Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of Powys. (Said it before will say it again intermarriage between Gwynedd, Deheubarth, and Powys is super common.)

(This is Nest with Henry II. Note how they both have crowns on in bed. Like, I know it's to telegraph they're royal but like imagine them kissing. *clang* sorry, my crown keeps slipping off my head *clang* sŵs.)

Anyways, born in about 1085 (give or take) Nest was Princess of Deheubarth. Normally, this would entail being married to another Welsh royal family - and possibly your cousin, yeesh - but, sadly (or happily depending on your view) this was not to be the case for Nest.

Her father, Rhys, was King of Deheubarth until 1093. Deheubarth had largely been left untouched by the Normans thanks to a peacy treaty brokered by Rhys and thr King of England William Rufus but, sadly, Henry I soon put a stop to that after his brother, William Rufus' death. (For those wondering he got shot in an arrow in the New Forest. Some say Henry did it so he could assume the throne)

Rhys perished in battle at Breacon against Bernard de Neufmarche's forces, with him being beheaded at Penrhys in Rhondda Cynon Taf (Penrhys literally means Rhys' head.) Brut Y Tywysogion records: 'Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth, was slain by the Frenchmen who were inhabiting Brycheiniog, and with him fell the kingdom of the Britons' His death allowed the Normans to take Deheubarth unopposed and they wouldn't even begin to break their yoke until Gwenllian.

Anyways, Nest, her mother, her half-brothers, and her sisters were captured by the Normans once they'd murdered Rhys and were sent to either prison or the Anglo-Norman court to live as hostages to prevent any further rebellions. Meanwhile, Nest's younger brother, Gruffydd, was spirited away to Ireland (more about him later!).

But even there Nest wouldn't exactly be allowed to fly under the radar. She grew into a beauty - don't all captured foreign historical women, honestly? Like, grim - and caught the eye of Henry I, becoming his mistress, bearing him a son -- also called Henry* as it goes. See, having the same name as your dad is just a Welsh trait, ngl.

Soon after, in around about 1102 but possibly later, and once Henry I had dealt with some rebellions from his subjects (namely Robert de Bellême) he married Nest off to Gerald FitzWalter who was the constable of Pembroke Castle, purely cuz he sided with him. Nest's feelings are not recorded in history, but I'd imagine she was both delighted to be going home to Wales and distraught that she was married to a Norman lord who'd had a hand in subjugating her country.

Either way, with her marriage to Gerald she was both seen as a Norman - as were her sons, collectively known as the Geraldines, famous for subjugating Ireland, and nephew, Gerald of Wales - and as a figurehead for Welsh resistance.

And it's this that gives her the claim for being the Helen of Wales. Now, various reports of how shit went down are given but the facts are thus: in either 1106 or 1109 her cousin, Owain ap Cadwgan, Prince of Powys, kidnapped Nest and her sons. Gerald escaped either by escaping down the latrine (smelly toilet pit) or fighting his way out. Some say this was during an Eisteddfod given by Owain's dad, some say this was at Cilgerran Castle, a Norman castle that Gerald had built. Idk. Either way, she was once again, a hostage. Kari L. Maude says Owain was 'overcome by her [Nest's] charm,' but, equally, he could've been making a point of raiding the castle to spite a Norman and carrying off his cousin to try and force the Welsh to rebel. 'What is clear,' Maund further writes, 'Is that Owain was engaged on a consistent campaign against the Norman colonies in Wales.'

(OR, Nest had engineered the whole affair deliberately cuz she and Owain were lovers. There is talk that Owain was gonna be betrothed to Nest before everything that occurred but that is spurious speculation so idk. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.)

ANYWAYS. The earliest account of this shenaniganery we have is by Caradoc of Llancarfan which relates that: 'At the instigation of the Devil, he [Owain] was moved by passion and love for the woman, and with a small company with him...he made for the castle by night.' Once he'd done this he took Nest and her kids to a hunting lodge by the Eglwyseg Rocks north of Llangollen, presumably to live in what he thought was relative peace.

Hoo boi, he was WRONG. The abduction of Nest, done with her consent or not, aroused the wrath of both the Normans (for obvious reasons those HEIRS ARE NORMAN-BLOODED GIVE THE SONS BACK) and the Welsh (I guess because this was seen as a Welshman abducting a Princess of Deheubarth? Unsure.) Either way, the Normans bribed Owain's Welsh enemies to attack him which they did. (Pls remember that the Powysians hated Deheubarthians and Gwyddelians hated them both ect, etc.)

Owain's dad throughout all of this desperately tried to persuade his son to give Nest back ('Pls, pls, pls, Owain, your himbo arse has gotten us into SO MUCH SHIT!' I can imagine him saying. This does, however, ignore the fact that Cadwgan himself was sanctioning his son's raids.) With Owain just brushing him off. Nest, once again, saves a man's life and entreats Owain: 'If you would have me stay with you and be faithful to you, then send my children home to their father.'

Owain did so, but before long, both he and his dad were then obliged to seek safety in Ireland lest further attacks were made on them. Nest was also returned to her husband. Whether willingly or not idk but yeah.

Now, by this time (1112), her brother Gruffudd had returned from his sojourn in Ireland and was trying to drum up support to get Deheubarth back under his rule, particularly with the aid of the King of Gwynedd, Gruffudd ap Cynan, who would ultimately become Gruffydd's father-in-law when Gruffydd married his daughter, Gwenllian 🥳🥳🥳. It's interesting to imagine that Nest was giving her brother a hand in this but we have no textual support to say so. Tbf, perhaps she did and she was just so good at doing it that it's just remained undetected for hundreds of years. 🤷🏻‍♀️

War broke out between Gruffydd and the Normans. Gruffydd, expecting to have his inheritance given to him and no liking to hear the word 'NO' yelled at him Henry I with a fuckin megaphone, fuckin burned Carmarthen and then destroyed Arberth in 1115, alongside 'members of the younger nobility'. (As he should, in all honesty.)

Owain ap Cadwgan who had, by this time, tootled back from Ireland, been PARDONED BY THE KING (Henry I, that is.), and became prince of Powys after his dad was ASSASSINATED (Assassin's Creed: Powys edition when?) Obliged by Henry I to rendezvous with a Norman force to proceed against Gruffydd, Owain found himself meeting up with Nest's husband, Gerald.

( Sjdjxjxjddkxj Could not make that up. Sounds like a Hollyoaks episode.)

Gerald, wanting to fuckin Murk Owain for what he did to his kids and wife, proceeded to Murk Owain. I do honestly feel like Gerald also thought 'If he kills my bro-in-law my wife will fuckin KILL ME.' so I respect this for being In Fear of his wife.

Gerald himself died in 1135, yet Nest delightfully, was still going. She married Robert FitzStephen, having another kid to the five she'd already had with Gerald, including the mother of my arch-nemesis Gerald of Wales, Angharad.

It isn't known when she died but it's estimated that it was about 1135/1136, thus allowing her to see the start of her brother and sister-in-law's rebellion that would eventually put the land that the Normans had so cruelly taken from the back into the hands of their family.

A note:

*Henry would later be killed in Ynys Môn during a battle against Nest's brother-in-law Owain Gwynedd, coincidently led by Owain's son - and my fuckin pookie - Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd. Apparently, again according to the Brut, Henry died 'by a shower of lances.'

Up next: Gwenllian!!!!!!!

Sadly we have no drawings of Gwenllian, but that's okay cuz artists are more than up to the challenge. Also, idk why but the fact that she has red hair is generally accepted even though we don't know how she looked. I guess it's because bravery is telegraphed as red, or at least fieryness which, ngl, she defo was.

Born in about 1097, Gwenllian was the daughter of the King of Gwynedd, Gruffudd ap Cynan, and his wife, Angharad ferch Owain.

Gwynedd, at this time, was perhaps the most stable of the Welsh kingdoms, although Gruffudd ap Cynan HAD had to battle like fuck to free Gwynedd from the Normans before he could even sit on the throne. (He got thrown in Chester for a time and had to be rescued by a very tall man called Cynwrig. Will do a post on him because he's FUN) so rebellion is very much in Gwenllian's blood. We don't know much about her childhood although we can assume it was happy and filled with the various activities of a Welsh Princess.

Still, that would soon shift.

Gwenllian, at around about thirteen /fourteen or so (remember girls became women when they reached 14 under Welsh law), soon became involved with Gruffydd ap Rhys after her father hosted him when Gruffydd was hoping to summon up aid for his Getting Rid of the Normans scheme.

Unfortunately for Gruffydd - who I will now call Griff so as not to confuse with Gruffudd ap Cynan - this place at the Gwyddelian court became tenuous. Gruffudd ap Cynan, unwilling to further inflame tensions with the Normans after he'd just recovered Ynys Môn (Anglesey) from them and now ruled kinda peacefully, elected to hand Griff over to them. Somehow - probably through Gruffudd ap Cynan's nobles - news of this rescued Griff and he once again left for Deheubarth.

Only he wouldn't travel alone.

Gwenllian, unwilling to let the man she loved slip away, eloped with him and became his wife. They soon became 'the Robin Hood's of Wales' as Philip Warner writes and set about killing the Normans. Griff, emboldened by his and his wife's success hastened to meet with his father-in-law, Gruffudd ap Cynan, in an effort to get troops.

So, Gwenllian was left to helm her husband's forces by herself. To be fair to her SHE DID. AND honestly, this is why she's compared to 'Buddug' or Bouddica. Normans led raids a just as she and Griff had done against them- and she was compelled to rise an army for Deheubarth's defense.

The Great Revolt of 1136, as it was known, was to be Gwenllian's last conflict for she and two of her sons, Maredudd and Maelwgyn were beheaded by the Normans after their forces were routed at Cydweli Castle. Yet Gwenllian would not be forgotten. Her youngest son, the Lord Rhys, would become Prince of Deheubarth and recover much of the territory that had once been their family's. And Nest? Well, Griff had sent time in her and Gerald's castles as he went about letting how to get Dejeubarth back. It's tempting to think that she and Gwenllian met.

Also, Dr Andrew Breeze HAS argued that Gwenllian is the author of the Mabinogi because much of the action takes place in Gwynedd and Deheubarth where Gwenllian was based. Might it have been a tract to inspire people to rebellion? Or for women to know their worth? It's tempting but we'll never know. We can only guess. All we can say is 'Dial Achos Gwenllian!'

(That's Revenge for Gwenllian btw. Long may she reign, as it were.)

[mothmiso]

Llandeilo (2) (3) by hurlham

Via Flickr:

(1) A steeply raked street in Llandeilo, a town situated at the crossing of the River Towy by a 19th-century stone bridge. (2) Newton House is in the grounds of Dinefwr Castle, close to Llandeilo in West Wales. It was formerly the main residence of the Rice (Rhys) family, elevated to the peerage as the Lords Dynevor. The residence had been restored to an estate house of the later Victorian era into the early Edwardian period. It is surrounded by a deer park which was landscaped by Capability Brown. (3) St Teilo's Church stands on a site where there’s been Christian worship for nearly fifteen centuries dating back to the mission of St Teilo in the sixth century.     

[fmpfinnm]

Most Haunted places to visit UK

National Trust

Our most haunted places | National Trust

Blickling, Norfolk

Anne Boleyn, the headless wife of King Henry VIII, is one of the ghosts believed to reside at Blickling Hall. It's said she reappears every year, on the anniversary of her execution.

Buckland Abbey, Devon

Some say that the doomed spirit of Sir Francis Drake haunts Buckland Abbey. His ghost supposedly took up residence after signing a pact with the Devil and leads a supernatural pack of snarling dogs.

Corfe Castle, Dorset

The headless ghost of a woman in white reportedly stalks the battlements at Corfe Castle. She's believed to have committed an act of treason during the Civil War.

Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire

There've been plenty of spooky reports from Newton House at Dinefwr. Lady Elinor Cavendish's ghost allegedly roams the halls, having been killed by a rejected lover.

Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk

There's said to be a phantom book-lover at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk. They tragically died trying to save their beloved books after a fire broke out in the library.

Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate | Norfolk | National Trust

[moonmausoleum]

The Mysterious Ghosts Newton House by Dinefwr Castle 

Delve deep into the mysteries of the castle of Dinefwr and discover its haunted ghosts. The castle grounds are said to be haunted by both a loyal butler as well as a murdered lady in white that tried to escape a loveless marriage.

Delve deep into the mysteries of the castle of Dinefwr and discover its haunted ghosts. The castle grounds are said to be haunted by both a loyal butler as well as a murdered lady in white that tried to escape a loveless marriage. Tucked away in the rolling Welsh countryside, Dinefwr Castle holds a dark secret—it is haunted by ghosts that have roamed its halls for centuries. The castle, also…

[themidnightbell]

Newton House

[eisteddfodwales]

n Welsh culture, an eisteddfod[a] is a festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music.[2]: xvi  The term eisteddfod, which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: eistedd, meaning 'sit', and fod, meaning 'be',[3] means, according to Hywel Teifi Edwards, "sitting-together." Edwards further defines the earliest form of the eisteddfod as a competitive meeting between bards and minstrels, in which the winner was chosen by a noble or royal patron.[4]

The first documented instance of such a literary festival and competition took place under the patronage of Prince Rhys ap Gruffudd of the House of Dinefwr at Cardigan Castle in 1176. However, with the loss of Welsh independence at the hands of King Edward I, the closing of the bardic schools, and the Anglicization of the Welsh nobility, it fell into abeyance. The current format owes much to an 18th-century revival, first patronized and overseen by the London-based Gwyneddigion Society. It was later co-opted by the Gorsedd Cymru, a secret society of poets, writers, and musicians founded by Iolo Morganwg, whose beliefs were "a compound of Christianity and Druidism, Philosophy and Mysticism."[5]: 191 

Despite the Druidic influences and the demonstrably fictitious nature of Iolo Morganwg's doctrines, rituals, and ceremonies, both the Gorsedd and the eisteddfod revival were embraced and spread widely by Anglican and nonconformist clergy. The revival therefore proved enormously successful and is credited as one of the primary reasons for the continued survival of the Welsh language, Welsh literature, and Welsh culture after more than eight centuries of colonialism.

During his two 20th-century terms as Archdruid of the Gorsedd Cymru, Albert Evans-Jones, whose bardic name was Cynan and who was a war poet and minister of the Presbyterian Church of Wales, created new rituals for both the Gorsedd and the eisteddfod which are based upon the Christian beliefs of the Welsh people rather than upon Modern Druidry. After watching an initiation into the Gorsedd at the 2002 National Eisteddfod, Marcus Tanner wrote that the rituals "seemed culled from the pages of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings."[5]: 189 

Since its 18th-century revival, the eisteddfod tradition has been carried all over the world by the Welsh diaspora. Today's eisteddfodau (plural form) and the National Eisteddfod of Wales in particular, are in equal parts a Renaissance fair, a Celtic festival, a musical festival, a literary festival, and "the supreme exhibition of the Welsh culture."[6]: 52 

In some other countries, the term eisteddfod is used for performing arts competitions that have nothing to do with Welsh culture or the Welsh language. In other cases, however, the eisteddfod tradition has been adapted into other cultures as part of the ongoing fight to preserve endangered languages such as Irish, Cornish, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Canadian Gaelic, Guernésiais, and Jèrriais.

[beardofkamenev]

Pages from the Proffwydoliaeth y Wennol (Prophecy of the Swallow) pertaining to Henry VII (Wales, late 16th cent.) — National Library of Wales, Peniarth MS 58

Peniarth 58 is a collection of Welsh language prose and verse prophecies (daroganau) compiled by a single scribe. The manuscript was likely compiled in the late 16th century, but incorporates a number of prophetic materials pertaining to the accession of Henry VII a century earlier. The most important of these is the medieval Proffwydoliaeth y Wennol (Prophecy of the Swallow), which anticipates Henry’s return from exile and the deposition of Richard III.

The original Proffwydoliaeth was likely written between Henry’s first attempt to take the throne in October 1483 and his success at Bosworth in August 1485. It incorporates symbols common to 15th century Welsh political prophecy: the swallow, a conventional Tudor cipher (first applied to Henry’s grandfather, Owen Tudor); and the raven, taken from the crest of the Welsh house of Dinefwr, the arms of Henry’s ally Rhys ap Thomas. As on the march to Bosworth, the prophecy describes the swallow (Henry) being aided by the raven (Rhys ap Thomas):

“And [the swallow] shall receive a warning in secret from the raven … and then the swallow flies over the sea, and [his] birds retreat, some to the height of the wild mountains, others to secret hiding places in the valley, only the smallest part of his birds go with him.”

A’r rybydd a gaiff yn ddirgel gan y deryn bran … ac yna ir heta y wenol dros vor ai hadar a ant ar engkil r(hai) i vchelder y mynyddoedd dyrys eraill i ddirgel llechvae yn y dyffrynt nit a gida ac ef nam y rhan leia(f) or adar.

The prophecy also features the mole or “mab ddall” (blind son): a prophetical figure representing the final king of the Saxons, after whose age British (Welsh) restoration is promised. Here, the mole can only be Richard III, described as carrying out “poisonous deeds”. The prophecy foretells the swallow’s return to Britain to battle the mole, presented as a board game (a common motif in Welsh literature):

“[The swallow] lands back in the island of Britain to avenge the old deeds. Then he begins of his game afresh and arranges his countrymen on the table and he throws the dice on the board and the old others he plucks out irreverently.”

Y tiria dracheffyn i ynys brydain i ddiail i hen weithyredo(e)dd. Yna i dechreu oi chwarev o newydd ac i gossot i wyr genedyl i hvn yn y dabyler ac i bwrw y dissie(u) am y klawr ac i tyn i hen eraill allan yn amharchvs.

The Proffwydoliaeth concludes with the swallow’s triumphant return and the restoration of the Britons. It is uncertain whether the Welsh understood the prophecy to have been fulfilled upon Henry’s accession in 1485, but the existence of Peniarth 58 and the labour required to compile it suggests the particular longevity of the Tudor legend in Wales.

Sources: National Library of Wales (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru); Victoria Flood, ‘Henry Tudor and Lancastrian Prophecy in Wales’, Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium Vol. 34 (2014); Ibid, ‘Political Prophecy and the Trial of Rhys ap Gruffydd, 1530-31’, Studia Celtica Vol. 50, No. 1 (2016)

[jeff-rees-jones]

Newton house in the grounds of Dinefwr Castle, Llandeilo, Wales.

[gingersnaptaff]

Hoping to get the history post out tomorrow. Sorry it's been so slow going!

[historywithlaura]

RHYS AP GRUFFUDD

Prince of Deheubarth

"THE LORD RHYS"

(born circa 1132 - died 1197)

pictured above is an imagined portrait of the Prince of Deheubarth, painted by Jean Pierre Victor Dartiguenave circa 1870

-------------------- ~ -------------------- ~ --------------------

RHYS was born around 1132, on an unrecorded location, probably in Deheubarth, today in south Wales.

As one of the sons of Gruffudd ap Rhys and his wife Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd, he was a member of the HOUSE OF DINEFWR. He was named RHYS AP GRUFFUDD, meaning Rhys son of Gruffudd, following Welsh tradition.

Before he was born, his family had lost the Kingdom of Deheubarth to the English. And, at the time of his birth, even though his father had control over a small portion of Deheubarth known as Cantref Mawr, the territories were under Norman rule.

By 1135, his father took advantage of the death of Henri I, King of England, to take control as the rightful King of Deheubarth.

Though sources and historians diverge on the definition of Deheubarth since the Norman invasion, some consider it as a Principality and others as a Kingdom.

pictured above is the coat of arms of the Kingdom/Principality of Deheubarth

Both of his parents died around this time, as the Welsh continued to fight the Norman Lords. His mother died while leading an army during the Great Revolt of 1136, and his father was killed in 1137.

What was left of Deheubarth was inherited by his eldest brother, the illegitimate Anarawd ap Gruffudd as Prince/King of Deheubarth.

And, in 1143, after his eldest brother was killed, another illegitimate brother, Cadell ap Gruffudd, became the new Prince/King of Deheubarth.

Nothing is known of his childhood. The first time he was recorded was in 1146, aged around 14 years old, fighting over Llansteffan Castle, alongside his brothers.

In 1153, his brother Prince/King Cadell decided to abdicate and leave the country after being attacked and barely surviving.

Deheubarth was left to him and another of his older brothers, Maredudd, the only legitimate surviving sons of his father. From the age of about 21, he ruled as joint Prince/King of Deheubarth until the death of his brother around 1155-57, becoming the only PRINCE/KING OF DEHEUBARTH.

At some point around these events, he married GWENLLIAN FERCH MADOG, a daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys, and Siwsana ferch Gruffudd. With his wife, he had at least eleven children. But he also had illegitimate children.

Check a list of his legitimate and illegitimate children at the end of this post!

Henri II, King of England, invaded Wales in 1157, starting with the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Before the English invaded Deheubarth, he tried to negotiate an agreement but was forced to give up almost all of Deheubarth.

Over the next years, he fought the English but was not successful. At some point, he had to give his sons as hostages and was also taken hostage himself, only to being freed and having to pay homage to the King of England.

Between 1164-70, he united with other Welsh Princes, from Gwynedd and Powys, in an uprising against the English. At that time, one of his sons was blinded by order of King Henri II.

Following the death of his maternal uncle, Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Gwynedd, in 1069, he became the leader of the Welsh Princes against the English.

He made peace with King Henri II in the early 1170s, even sending help to stop a rebellion of the sons of the King around 1173/74.

During a council in Oxford, in 1177, he and other Welsh Princes held homage to the English King. And, he received the territory of Meirionnydd, part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd.

Amidst the peace years, he rebuilt Cardigan Castle in Ceredigion, in stone, and founded Talley Abbey in Carmarthenshire.

However, when King Henri II died in 1189, he considered that the truce with the English had ended and began to attack the Norman Lords again. Even though the successor, King Richard I and his brother Jehan (Lackland) tried to make peace again.

Meanwhile, his own sons started to rebel, as some supported Norman Lords that were related to them by marriage. So, he ended up imprisoning some of them along the 1190s.

The Prince of Deheubarth died excommunicated in 1197. Though the place of his death was not recorded, it was likely within Deheubarth territories in modern-day Wales. He was about 65 years old when he died.

-------------------- ~ -------------------- ~ --------------------

To succeed him as ruler of Deheubarth, he chose his eldest son Gruffudd ap Rhys II. But Maelgwn, another of his sons, refused to accept, and the brothers fought over the inheritance until the death of Gruffudd in 1201.

Llywelyn (the Great), Prince of Gwynedd, divided the remainder of Deheubarth in 1216. And, following the English conquest over Wales, Deheubarth was completely dismantled by 1284.

Through his daughter Gwenllian, he is an ancestor of the House of Tudor, and therefore is an ancestor of Charles III, the current Monarch of the United Kingdom.

-------------------- ~ -------------------- ~ --------------------

RHYS and his wife GWENLLIAN may have had eleven children.

Gruffudd ap Rhys II, Prince of Deheubarth - husband of Maud de Braose;

Maredudd ap Rhys - married;

Cynwrig ap Rhys - probably unmarried;

Rhys (Gryg) ap Rhys - married first to an unknown woman, and possibly second to Maud de Clare;

Maredudd ap Rhys, Lord of Cantref Bychan - probably unmarried;

Maelgwn ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth - married;

Hywel (Sais) ap Rhys - possibly married;

Maredudd ap Rhys, Archdeacon of Cardigan - unmarried;

Gwenllian ferch Rhys - wife of Ednyfed (Fychan) ap Cynwrig;

Morgan ap Rhys - nothing is known about him; and

Nest ferch Rhys - possible wife of Rhodri ap Owain Gwynedd, Lord of Anglesey.

And, he also had illegitimate children.

With an unknown woman:

a daughter - wife of Einon (Clud) of Elvael; and

another daughter - wife of Einon ap Rhys of Gwerthrynion.

With one of his nieces:

Meurug ap Rhys - nothing is known about him.

-------------------- ~ -------------------- ~ --------------------

COLLECTION: Descendants of the Kings of the Britons - #DotKotB

In a span of four generations, Rhys ap Gruffudd, Prince of Deheubarth, was related to the Kings of the Britons through the paternal family of his wife.

Her great-grandfather was Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys - a King of the Britons in the 11th century.

Her grandfather was Maredudd ap Bleddyn, Prince of Powys.

Her father was Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys.

His wife was Gwenllian ferch Madog.

But he was himself a more distant descendant of the Kings of the Britons through the maternal family of his father.

His 3x-great-grandfather was Maredudd ap Owain, King of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, and Powys - a King of the Britons in the 10th century.

His 2x-great-grandmother was Angharad ferch Maredudd.

His great-grandfather was Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn, King of Powys.

His grandmother was Gwladus ferch Rhiwallon.

His father was Gruffudd ap Rhys, King of Deheubarth.

[futurewriter2000]

HP FANDOM LISTEN!

LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN!

I don’t know if you know this already and that maybe I am not the first one to find out about this but have you ever thought about why Remus Lupin is named Remus exactly?

No you didn’t. Or you did, I don’t know but I know that J.K. Rowling loved playing with names and leaving small clues in her books which I totally love about her writing but here I was, doing some name searching- don’t ask why, I love names. 

And well- listen to this. 

Back in roman mythology, Remus had a twin brother Romulus, who were both the founders of the city Rome. And if you know the history of Rome is that Romulus and Remus were raised as babies by a she-wolf. WOLF! 

And you’re saying now probably “What are you trying to say? This could be a coincidance.”

Actually I don’t know what I want to say with this but let me explain further. 

As babies they were raised by the she-wolf, as I mentioned before, in a cave called Lupercal, originating from the latin word lupa meaning “female wolf”.  The maskuline form of this word is lupo (meaning male wolf) and in plural is lupi (meaning wolves) and guess who has this word in their surname. Remus Lupin.

Basically, Remus Wolf, if it’s translated a bit. 

BUT WAIT! THIS IS NOT OVER!

Listen to this. 

Remus’ father’s name is Lyall Lupin. And since we know what the surname already means, we shall focus on his first name, Lyall, which is usually used as a surname than a name. 

Now Lyall is  was derived from the Old Norse given name "Liulfr" meaning Wolf. When Vikings came to Scotland the pronounciation of the name kept changing until it ended up in the word Lylall. (also if I pronounce this name in my own language it come lajal- kind of meaning “he barks” ) so if I take this information all-togehter his name, Lyall Lupin, meanws Wolf Wolf. It’s just one is nordic and the other is latin.

Now I couldn’t really find for Remus mother Hope Lupin but I did find something that has just a little to do with this. Her maiden name was Howell. Howell derives from the Welsh name Hywel and if you know Welsh history is that there was a king of Wales, named  Hywel Dda, sometimes anglicized as Howel the Good, or Hywel ap Cadell.From the House of Dinefwr, he ruled the kingdom Deheubarth after his father’s death. Want to know what’s on the banner of House of Dinefwr? - A wolf, yeah. There are probably more connection about this but there isn’t a lot informations I can find on the internet.

But when I did find this out, I felt the need to write it down and research it. 

I think that with J.K. Rowling and her choice in names and family trees isn’t coincidance and random names. This woman knew what she was doing and I think I puzzled something together. 

I’m satisfied. I can sleep peacfully now. 

[books0977]

Mary, Queen of Scots Bidding Farewell to France, 1561 (1851). William Powell Frith (English, 1819-1909). Oil on canvas. Newton House, Dinefwr Park and Castle.

The 20-year old Mary Queen of Scots is seen standing on the stern of a ship, holding a white handkerchief in her hand and mournfully resting her head on her other hand. She is saying goodbye to France, which she would have done in 1561 having been widowed in 1560 on the death of Francis II of France.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Rhys ap Tewdwr (c. 1040 – 1093)

From Encyclopedia of Heraldry by John Burke and John Bernard Burke (1844)

Blazon: Gules a lion rampant within a bordure indented or

This week, we’re going from the almost-historically-grounded arms attributed to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd to the absolutely spurious arms attributed to Rhys ap Tewdwr and the House of Dinefwr. It is a pretty common attribution, but given that the power of Dinefwr and their realms of Deheubarth had faded considerably by the time heraldry started to gain traction in Wales, I’m somewhat skeptical that these arms have any basis in historical fact.

Anyway. Given that Rhys ap Tewdwr died in literally the eleventh century, we don’t have a whole lot of information about him. He was descended from Rhodri the Great via Cadell ap Rhodri and Hywel Dda. His last wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon of Powys, had a daughter named Nest, whose descendants include the families of FitzGerald and de Barry. Unfortunately, Rhys’ death led to the breakup of his lands, with his heir Gruffydd ending up with some, and the Normans ending up with a whole lot more.

[crockettmarcel]

Dinefwr Castle, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire

Laugharne Castle, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire

Oystermouth Castle, Mumbles, Swansea

Pennard Castle, Southgate, Swansea

St Fagans Castle, Cardiff, Glamorgan

Tredegar House, Duffryn, Newport

Castell Coch, Fforest Fawr, Glamorgan

[gipsytrips]

Wales, UK. 06-2016.

Swansea - Gower Peninsula - Brecon Beacons - Cardiff.