Welsh historical dramas ideas

Browsing through Amazon, Netflix, the BBC and more you will see hundreds, if not thousands, of documentaries and films about English, Irish and Scottish history but nothing covering Welsh history, nothing about a country built on a history to match any nation. People talk of Glyndŵr and Llywelyn movies but the times of Gruffudd ap Cynan were much more eventful, in my opinion. 

I did a lot of Research into this and the best script of all would be around the 11-12th centuries and also the life of Gruffudd ap Cynan, he lost and won back his crown 4 times, Each time he would run back to Ireland and return with another army, one time he was helped by a Norman lord but attacked his castle anyway, while he was attacking his castle ,THE Welsh and Irish in his army started fighting, his rival took advantage of this and attacked, off he runs to Ireland again, he returned again and joined with Rhys ap Tewdwr of Deheubarth who was in a similar situation with the ruthless Caradog of Gwent who occupied his kingdom, they all met at Mynydd cairn, all the kings of Wales at the time were present and a battle took place, Gruffudd and Tewdwr won, Caradog and Trahaearn of Gwynedd was killed along with a ruler from Powys, Gruffudd finally got his kingdom, the ruthless marcher lord of Chester known as Hugh the fat or Hugh the wolf  (hated Welsh people and was known for killing them for no reason other than being Welsh) sent Gruffudd lots of money and gold and invited him to his castle to celebrate Gruffudd victory and to talk of peace but Gruffudd and his army were ambushed by Hughs army, his men were killed and Gruffudd was taken , he was kept as prisoner for 12 years before being rescued by a Welshman called Cynwig the tall.

In the summer of 1098, Hugh the fat joined forces with Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, in an attempt to recover his losses in Gwynedd. Gruffudd ap Cynan had retreated to Anglesey, but then was forced to flee to Ireland when a fleet he had hired from the Danish settlement in Ireland changed sides. Things were altered by the arrival of a Norwegian fleet under the command of King Magnus III of Norway, also known as Magnus Barefoot, who attacked the Norman forces near the eastern end of the Menai Straits. Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury was killed by an arrow said to have been shot by Magnus himself. The Normans were obliged to evacuate Anglesey altogether, leaving Gruffudd, who had returned from Ireland, to take possession the following year. Hugh apparently made an agreement with him and did not again try to recover these lands.

The other baddy, Robert of Rhuddlan, was killed by Gruffudd during a raid, read below.

''Rhuddlan was enjoying a nap in his castle at Deganwy when the news was brought to him that Welsh raiders had landed in three ships underneath the Great Orme and pillaged his lands. Some sources say that these raiders were led by King Gruffudd ap Cynan, who had escaped from captivity in Chester. The raiders had beached their ships and were busy loading the plunder. Robert despatched messengers to gather his troops and hastened to the Great Orme, where he found that the rising tide was about to allow the Welsh to refloat their vessels and get away with the loot before Robert's troops could appear. In a fury, Robert rushed down the slopes to attack them, followed only by his armor-bearer. He was killed by a volley of javelins, and the raiders sailed off with his head attached to the mast of one of the vessels.''

Gruffudd had a number of famous kids. His daughter Gwenllian married the son of Rhys ap Tewder .  Gruffydd ap Rhys was sent to Ireland after Rhys his dad was killed in battle against the Normans, while his sister was taken to live in the court of the king of England (more about that later) . When Gruffudd returned from Ireland, he went to the Gruffudd of Gwynedd to ask for help to win back his kingdom; after all, his dad helped Gruffudd win back his. But what he didn't know was the king of England had asked Gruffudd to kill Gruffudd, as he saw him as a threat. Anyway, Gruffudd escaped but not alone; while at Gruffudd's court, he and Gwenllian fell in love so they escaped together. 

He eventually won back his dad's kingdom and married Gwenllian; they were soon on good terms with her dad. 

They spent many years at Gruffudd's court and in the wilds, ambushing and killing Normans and stealing baggage trains.

We then see the Welsh win a battle on the Gower, killing 500 Normans, and soon after we see Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, a powerful Norman lord killed by the men of Gwent

Richard had been away from his lordship in the early part of the year. He returned to the borders of Wales via Hereford in the company of Brian Fitz Count, but on their separating, Richard ignored warnings of the danger and pressed on toward Ceredigion with only a small force.  He had not gone far when, on 15 April, he was ambushed and killed by the men of Gwent under Iorwerth ab Owain and his brother Morgan, grandsons of Caradog ap Gruffydd, in a woody tract called "the ill-way of Coed Grano", near Llanthony Abbey, north of Abergavenny. Today the spot is marked by the 'garreg dial' (the stone of revenge). 

Gruffudd saw this opportunity and went north to ask Gwenllian's dad, Gruffudd, for help to kick the Normans out of Wales completely, but while away, the Normans invaded his lands. His wife, Gwenllian, along with 2 sons raised a army to face them; she was defeated and beheaded on the battlefield but not before she saw her sons killed. For years after, Welshmen cried out, 'Dial Achos Gwenllian' (Eng: Revenge for Gwenllian) when engaging in battle. 

We also have Nest, who was the daughter of Rhys ap tewdwr and sister of Gwenllian's husband. She got taken to the English kings court after her dad got killed by Normans, she then humped the future king and had up to 2 kids with him, (both were killed fighting for the Normans against the Welsh during another invasion.) she was married off to one of the English king's most trusted men Gerald of Windsor

While at an eisteddfod, her cousin Owain ap Cadwgan saw her for the first time and fell in love with her, he and some of his men attacked the castle they were staying in and kidnapped her, her great Norman knight escaped down the toilet hole thingy. Others said she was willing; she ended up having kids to this man but eventually went back to Gerald. 

In 1114 King Henry invaded Wales  again, Owain allied himself with Gruffudd, and retreated with him to Gwynedd. After peace terms had been agreed, Henry took Owain with him when he visited Normandy later that year and knighted him. Owain returned with the king in 1115 and in 1116 took to arms to assist King Henry in putting down the rebellion of Gruffudd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, (husband of Gwenllian and Brother of nest). Gerald of Windsor, husband of Nest, was fighting on the same side, and took the opportunity for vengeance, attacking Owain when he had only ninety men with him and killing him. Most of Powys now passed to his uncle, Maredudd.

The next part we see what revenge looks like when Gwenllians brothers join her husband to attack Norman castles and kill thousands of them at the battle of Crug Mawr.