Wales and its History

  This small vignette from the St. Alban’s Chronicle (MS 6, f. 167v) purports to show the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, last native Prince of Wales, on 11 December 1282.  Although the image shows a formal execution scene with a priest in attendance, the text of the Chronicle relates that Llywelyn was killed in an ambush or scuffle:  And when  Ƿ e prince Lewellin his bro Ƿ er  Ƿ at wist he was sore abashed for he had no power to may[n]teyn werre  And  Ƿ en he fled & wend wele to haue scapid but Thomas mortymer in a morning w t  v. knightes met hym alone & hym clipped round about & toke hym and smote of his hed and it presented to  Ƿ e king. And  Ƿ us was Lewellyn hedid & he & his heires disherit for eu[er]more be rightfull Jugement. (f.169).

Upon the death of Llywelyn,  longshanks   did all he could to get rid of any sign of  A Welsh nation. Firstly, he dismantled most of llywelyn's halls and took over his castles.  He then tried to kill off the lineage by ensuring Llywelyn's only child  Gwenllian along with the daughters of her uncle Dafydd ap Gruffudd, were all confined for life in remote priories in  Lincolnshire  and never allowed freedom.  Dafydd ap Gruffudd   was dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury by a horse, hanged, revived and then disembowelled, He was the first recoded noble to be hung drawn and quartered.  Edward also took from the Welsh Llywelyn’s coronet, the matrix of his seal, the crown of Arthur and a sacred  cross that contained a  piece of the t rue Cross  known   as Y Groes Naid.   It is recorded that  ''Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales and Lord of Aberffraw had deposited this crown (W...

To many in Wales at the time, the death of Prince Llywelyn was the end of the world, the death of the idea of a Welsh nation. His death also confirmed great Welsh princely dynasties were now fully extinguished.  Names like Owian Gwynedd, Llywelyn the great, Gruffudd ap Cynan , Caradog ap Gruffydd, Rhodri the Great, Hywel Dda , Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, Rhys ap Gruffydd , Cadwallon ap Cadfan will never be seen again.  The most valuable symbols of Welsh independence like Llywelyn’s coronet, the matrix of his seal, the jewel or crown of Arthur, and, above all, the most cherished relic in Wales, the piece of the True Cross known as Y Groes Naid was stolen. Some words from the time " Is it the end of the world?’ (Oes derfyn byd?),''  ''Ah God, that the sea would drown the land!’ (Och hyd atat-ti, Dduw, na ddaw mor dros dir!) '' ''And then all Wales was cast to the ground’ (Ac yna y bwriwyd boll Gymru i’r llawr)'' ''Perfect the lad killed by h...

Upon the death of Llywelyn,  longshanks did all he could to get rid of any sign of Welsh independence. Firstly he dismantled most of llywelyns halls and castles.  He then tried to kill off the lineage of Llywelyn by executing his brother Dafydd ap Gruffudd and ensuring Llywelyn's only child   Gwenllian along with the daughters of her uncle Dafydd ap Gruffudd, were all confined for life in remote priories in  Lincolnshire  and never allowed freedom.  Edward also took from the welsh  Llywelyn’s coronet, the matrix of his seal, the crown  of Arthur and the most sacred of all,  the most cherished relic in the whole history of Wales, the piece of the t rue Cross known as Y Groes Naid.   It is recorded that  ''Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales and Lord of Aberffraw had deposited this crown (Welsh: Talaith) and other items (such as the Cross of Neith) with the monks at Cymer Abbey for safekeeping at the start ...

Gruffudd ap yr Ynad Coch The heart of oak is cold behind the gates of Aberffraw.  The hand that gave gold  is still now – I cannot wear it,  the apparel he put about me.  This grief for my lord is a cloud on my soul  This grief for the fate that his wounds brought us  confounds the red spear of Cadwalader’s keeping.  For us now the darkness,  the hatred of Saxons  A time of lamenting  in the life left to us  A time now to praise him  to think of his glory  to reproach even God  who has left us without him;  For him life eternal.  What now for us left  with a full load of weeping?  The dark hand that felled him  haunts his kingdom; his hall now the grave.  A long vista of fear stretches before us.  Lord Christ deliver him  for the sake of our sorrow,  Heavy the sword blows that struck him to earth  Heir of brave princes, his flame  bu...

Extracts from Llywelyn, Prince of Wales letter to John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury in Autumn, 1282:​​ October 1282 From Llywelyn The realm of England may well be the special object of the Roman curia’s affection, but the aforesaid curia has yet to learn, and must learn, and the lord pope likewise, what evils have been wrought upon us by the English, how the peace formerly made has been violated in all the clauses of the treaty, how churches have been fired and devastated, and ecclesiastical persons, priests, monks and nuns slaughtered, women slain with children at their breast, hospitals and other houses of religion burned, Welsh people murdered in cemeteries, churches, yes at the very altar, with other sacrilegious offences horrible to hear.  We fight because we are forced to fight, for we, and all Wales, are oppressed, subjugated, despoiled, reduced to servitude by the royal officers and bailiffs, in defiance of the form of the peace and of all justice, more maliciously ...