Llywelyn The Great - The Myth of Llywelyn Fawr
In the twelfth century Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (1172-1240), a grandson of
Owain Gwynedd (d.1170), was a most unimportant prince and no one could
have foreseen what a great future lay in store for him in the first
decade of the thirteenth century. It is therefore worth
propounding that he was never referred to by contemporaries as Llywelyn
Fawr - Llywelyn the Great. Indeed there appears to be no mention
of him under such a name during the Middle Ages. In consequence
it seems that this name is a relatively modern conceit that distorts
history.
Research into the subject suggests that Llywelyn's well known
epithet is based solely upon the singular evidence that a document of Edward I (1272-1307) is said to have once referred to him as Lewelini Magni - or Llywelyn the Great. However, it should immediately be noted that the common Latin word magnus
has a wide variety of meanings and so could have meant, large, great,
big, vast, huge, powerful, tall, long, broad, extensive, spacious,
mighty, distinguished, skilled, bold, confident, proud, complete, pure,
intense, loud, expensive, notably famous, old or simply, in its most
common and most likely form in this context, senior. Quite
obviously to understand the meaning of the words Lewelini Magni it is necessary to examine the surviving evidence concerning the commonly used name, Llywelyn Fawr.
The only place to begin and end looking for evidence is in original
sources, in whatever form they have come down to us. The
statement of an historian from the 20th century is not really worth
anything, unless it is backed by solid original facts. A quick
glance reveals that there are a myriad of letters from the kings of
England and their ministers to Llywelyn and even some from various
barons. None of these use the epithet Llywelyn Fawr and only one
allegedly calls him Lewelini Magni.
Leaving this one singular occurrence to examine later, it is first
necessary to scrutinise other contemporary sources in the form they
have come down to us. Relatively speaking a vast amount of
contemporary poetry was written to Prince Llywelyn and not one of these
poets, Cynddelw, Prydydd y Moch, Llywarch ab Llywelyn, Dafydd Benfras,
Einion ap Gwgon, Einion ap Gwalchmai, Einion Wan, Gwgon Brydydd, Elidyr
Sais or Llywelyn Vard, ever gave the prince the epitaph Fawr or indeed
anything similar. Similarly, when Llywelyn was mentioned in poems
to his sons or grandsons by Prydydd y Moch, Dafydd Benfras, Einion Wan,
Llygad Gwr, Bleddyn Uart or Prydydd Fychan of Deheubarth, he was never
more than Llywelyn ab Iorwerth Drwyndwn and usually just
Llywelyn. Again, in the Annales Cambriae
and the Welsh Bruts, Llywelyn was either Llywelyn, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
or Prince Llywelyn. In brief the original evidence shows
absolutely no indication that Llywelyn was ever known as Llywelyn the
Great during his own lifetime.
What then can be said of the idea that near-contemporaries dubbed him
Llywelyn Fawr due to what he had achieved while he was living?
Matthew Paris (d.1259) actually calls him magni,
but again the words indicate that he was not using it to mean great,
but senior. He actually states that there were three sons of the
senior Llywelyn and one of them was Dafydd who won a battle in 1258 - David junior trium fratrum scilicet, trium filiorum magni Leolini principis Northwalliae.
Even in this Matthew gets it wrong, as Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the
grandson of Llywelyn and in any case younger Dafydd was one of four
surviving brothers - Owain Goch, Llywelyn, Rhodri and Dafydd. The
term magni Leolini obviously
refers to Llywelyn the elder or the previous Llywelyn to the current
Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the brother of the Dafydd
mentioned fighting in 1258. If Matthew could confuse this Dafydd
with his uncle, Dafydd ap Llywelyn (d.1246), it again serves as a stark
warning about the validity of original sources without corroborating
evidence. Previously Matthew had referred to Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
as King Llywelyn of Wales before reverting to the normal Prince
Llywelyn of North Wales or even Prince Llywelyn of the Welsh.
What is clear is that he never referred to him as Llywelyn the
Great. Neither, apparently did any other chronicler.
In the royal records, up to the end of the principality of Wales in
1283, there is only one singular source that may suggest that Llywelyn
used the epithet Fawr and this comes in a royal confirmation of a
charter that had been lost by 25 March 1286. Around that time, 46
years after the death of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and four years after the
death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Bishop Einion of Bangor (1267-1307)
stated that he had seen and examined a charter by Lewelini Magni
before its recent destruction when the interior of Beddgelert priory
was burned by mischance. A few weeks later King Edward I
(1272-1307) confirmed this document and other recently lost charters at
the request of the prior of Beddgelert and with the aid of Bishop
Einion's confirmation:
by the praiseworthy testimony of the aforesaid
bishop through his inspection of the preceding charters faithfully
consulted in full.
The result was two charters made in the spring of 1286 soon after the
fire had swept through the interior of the priory church and destroyed
its outbuildings. Einion's charter was made at Maesyllan in the
week of the feast of the Annunciation which occurred on 25 March 1286
and reads:
To all those faithful in
Christ, these letters whether seen or heard, Einion by divine sanction
the humble servant bishop of Bangor, [sends] everlasting salvation in
the lord. Know that we have seen various charters by divers
princes [made] to the prior and convent of St Mary of the valley by
Snowdon.
Namely a charter of Llywelyn Senior (Lewelini Magni) concerning all the land of Cynddelw (Cynderick) of Pennant (Rennaut).
Also a charter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd concerning all the lands of the sons of Ithel of Pennant (Penard).
Also a charter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd concerning all the
land of the men of Traian (Trehan) at Kenybeind and Llecheidior
(Lecheitaur).
Also a charter of the Lord Owain concerning all the vill called Tre'r beirdd in commote Menai.
Also a charter of the Lord Llywelyn ap Gruffydd concerning all that land at the place of Beddgelert (Beckellers).
Also the charter of the Lord David concerning all the land which Iorwerth ab Yerfynt held, also Feraul in Pennant.
And in addition to the said lands we have seen papal letters
of confirmation, bulls, neither cancelled nor rescinded, nor in any
part damaged. This may be known to all, that the said house of St
Mary is the senior religious house in all Wales except for the island
of the saints at Bardsey, and the best hospice for the common needy and
those English and Welsh travelling from England and West Wales to North
Wales and from Ireland and North Wales going into England. But,
in immoderate damage and the common frailty of all things, the said
house, by chance had the interior destroyed by fire, although it
suffered destruction at the time of greatest hospitality, however
through the blessed king, the catholic, the liberal, by the will of
God, the Lord Edward has restored it to the full; and because it is
blessed to come to the help of the afflicted and oppressed. We,
through the compassion of God, and through the intercession of his same
mother, and trusting in the judgement of all his saints, to all of the
benefactors to the said house, whencesoever they come to help, who by
goods, by God collected, pious alms or favours, they might have
collected, we relax for 40 days any repented misdeeds brought against
them; as long as they are truly found guilty and confessed.
Some six weeks later King Edward himself had a charter made which
confirmed what had happened. However, it is noticeable that the
charters and associated lands confirmed to Beddgelert were not quite
the same. It would seem that the prior and his canon who met the
king had remembered slightly more than the bishop. This would
account for the discrepancies, but probably the full truth of the
matter will never be known. Leastways on 10 May 1286 at
Canterbury the king set out his charter.
It happened that our father,
Prior Madog of the house in the Vale of St Mary and Brother Hugh his
co-canon of the same house, came to us humbly with devoted prayers,
that with all its buildings the priory itself, and also its charters
and other instruments of divers lands and tenements acquired by the
same priory, with the same buildings by misfortune were recently
burned, the safety of any lands and tenements aforesaid to themselves
and their successors, the servants of God in the same place, we might
undertake to do for charity. And because the venerable father,
Bishop Einion of Bangor, sent to us his letters patent, through which
he has testified to have seen himself charters of various princes made
to the priory and convent in the aforesaid place;
that is the charter of Llywelyn Senior (Lewelini magni) of all the land of Cynddelw (Kindeluluyt) of Pennant (Fennant);
the charter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd of all the lands of the sons of Ithel of Pennant (Pennard);
the charter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd of all the land of the men of Traian (Treban) at Kenybemd and Llecheidior (Letheyeaur);
the charter of the Lord Owain of all the vill which is called Tre'r beirdd in Commote Menai;
the charter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd of all their land and the place of Beddgelert;
the charter of the Lord Dafydd of all the land of Oerddwr at Pennant (Adver apud Epennant);
the charter of the Lord Dafydd of all the land of Legwaret, Llanfair is Gaer of Pennardd (Vayre Gneyr de Penaut)
And the charter of the Lord Dafydd of the land which was held
by Iorwerth ab Yrefeyrat and Steyral at Llanfihangel y Pennant
(Epennant).
We by the immense damage, which the aforesaid prior and
convent sustained from the burning of the aforesaid pious
companionates, and also by the praiseworthy testimony of the aforesaid
bishop of his inspection of the preceding charters faithfully consulted
in full, the preceding gifts on account of the safety of our soul and
of the souls of our ancestors and heirs accept the preceding donations
of lands to the aforesaid priory made previously, and the same for us
and our heirs, as far as it is in us, the aforesaid priory and convent,
exactly as the gifts have reasonably been used by them and the
successors of them to this time, we concede and confirm forever.
This is witnessed by the venerable Bishop Robert of Bath and Wells our
chancellor, Earl Gilbert Clare of Gloucester, Earl Edmund of Cornwall
our cousin, Edmund Mortimer, William Braose, Robert Fitz John, William
Leybourne and others.
It is quite clear from this that Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (d.1282) was the
main charter giver to Beddgelert priory, although his two brothers,
particularly Dafydd (d.1283), also played a substantial part.
However many of the lands ‘granted' seem to be more like repeat
confirmations as internecine struggles changed the political landscape
of North Wales. Regardless of this, these lost charters lead to
another question. Did Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth found the
Augustinian house of Beddgelert as has been suggested? The entire
evidence for this comes from these two records of one charter and rests
upon the doubtful identification of Lewelini Magni
with Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. Even if this is the case, then the
translation would not be Llywelyn the Great, but the senior Llywelyn to
contrast him with the second Llywelyn who is described as Lewelini filii Griffini.
Although this suggestion is logical it is not proof. Proof is
very difficult to obtain, and can only come by examining what lands the
senior Llywelyn granted. Thankfully this is largely possible, not
least due to the survival of later surveys, namely those of 1291 and
1535. These allow many of the lands of Beddgelert priory to be
reasonably identified. These are listed below in the
appendix. From this we can see that Llywelyn Senior granted the
Pennant valley to Beddgelert. As this, like Beddgelert, was in
Eifionydd and not Arfon, it would seem possible that this was granted
by Llywelyn Fawr ap Maredudd, the cousin and enemy of Prince Llywelyn
ab Iorwerth and his sons. If Beddgelert priory, the major
religious institution of Eifionydd was refounded by the family of Cynan
ab Owain Gwynedd (d.1174), it would make much more sense of Llywelyn ab
Iorwerth trying to quash the priory, if indeed Llywelyn is the prince
mentioned in a contemporary text as trying to do so. According to
Giraldus Cambrensis (1146-1223), Aberconwy abbey intended to annex
Beddgelert priory and to this end:
[Aberconwy Abbey]
pursued the whole [priory of Beddgelert] itself by pressuring the work
of every sort and employing worry, and the strength of the prince of
the province himself [they gained] by bribes and great gifts for his
bias, to induce him into agreement, to the point where the said poor
house might be wholly demolished, or those clerks transformed into
being their ordinary monks, and that the house and church should be
destroyed and converted into a grange of theirs, they would not delay
violently ruining it; [so] the said clerks sent a letter to the Roman
court and they obtained letters of protection from the lord pope by
great labours and costs..., finally with difficulty from the said
persecutions and tyrannical oppressions they were able to defend
themselves.
This story was probably written in the 1210s after Giraldus retired
from Wales to Lincoln, but as he is the only source for this affair it
should be remembered that Giraldus was not above twisting reality to
suit his own prejudices and he seems not to have liked Cistercians in
general. Whatever the truth of the matter - for no papal letters
have yet been found about the affair - Giraldus was sure that Aberconwy
was a rich and powerful Cistercian house and that it was desirous of
new lands at the expense of the old order.
If the above story is true, Giraldus must have referred to events some
years after 1186 when Aberconwy was founded. His reluctance to
name the prince involved in the attempt to subvert Beddgelert may
suggest that Llywelyn ab Iorwerth was the prince meant - Llywelyn had
been one of Giraldus' greatest supporters in his fight against the
archbishop of Canterbury and King John.
If this is the case, the story must date to after March 1200 when
Llywelyn acquired Gwynedd. If before that date then either
Gruffydd ap Cynan (d.1200) or Rhodri ab Owain (d.1195) must be the
prince referred to. If it was Llywelyn ab Iorwerth moving against
the priory it makes the grant of Llanfihangel y Pennant by him rather
odd, unless this was granted after 1202 in recompense for his hostility
to the religious house. However, if Maredudd ap Cynan (d.1212),
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth's enemy who he had vanquished in 1201-02, was the
main grantor or even the refounder of Beddgelert the story would make
sense of Llywelyn attempting to quash an enemy founded house and a
possible centre of opposition to his rule in the district. It
would also make sense for Maredudd ap Cynan's son, Llywelyn Fawr ap
Maredudd, to make a confirmatory grant of Llanfihangel y Pennant after
his reinstatement in Meirionydd and Eifionydd in 1241. Presumably
the original charters of his founding ancestors had never existed or
had been destroyed during the annexation of Eifionydd by Llywelyn ab
Iorwerth in 1201.
The conclusion of this brief summary of the grants to Beddgelert priory is therefore that the likelihood is that the Lewelini Magni
of the Beddgelert charters is in fact Llywelyn Fawr ap Maredudd, the
lord of Eifionydd, and that Beddgelert priory had little to do with
Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth after he assumed rule of the district in
1201. Hence it is the grandchildren of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth,
Owain, Llywelyn and Dafydd, after the all but destruction of the
princes of Eifionydd/Meirionydd, who donated the bulk of the surviving
(until 1286) charters to Beddgelert priory.
The evidence quoted above therefore shows not a single shred of
evidence that Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth was ever known as Llywelyn
Fawr either during his lifetime or for a century afterwards.
Instead there is evidence that his first cousin once removed may have
been known as Llywelyn Fawr, but never as the term is used today, viz.
Llywelyn the Great. This prince appears in various genealogies as
Llywelyn Fawr ap Maredudd. Quite obviously Fawr is used to
differentiate him from his younger brother, Llywelyn Fychan ap
Maredudd. In 1215 this Llywelyn, as Llywelyn ap Maredudd ap
Cynan, accompanied Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in his attack upon
Deheubarth. In 1241 the king stated that he would return to
‘the sons of Maredudd ap Cynan all their rights in
Meirionydd'. Presumably these sons were Llywelyn Fawr and
Llywelyn Vychan. Certainly, on 10 January 1245, King Henry III
complained that amongst the barons of North Wales who had sworn fealty
to him and were now in rebellion under Prince Dafydd ap Llywelyn were Lewelino filio Mereduc and Lewelino fratri ejus. It was probably a year later when Llywelyn had made his peace with King Henry that he wrote to him as Lewelin senior filius Mored filii Kanani de mennoyth.
This could easily be translated as Llywelyn Fawr ap Maredudd ap Cynan
of Meirionydd. It is not difficult to see from this that there
was apparently only one prince of Wales ever known as Llywelyn Fawr and
that was the elder Llywelyn ap Maredudd of Meirionydd.
It therefore seems quite clear that the charter of Lewelini Magni
to Beddgelert priory seen by the bishop of Bangor before 1286 was made
by the prince of Meirionydd and not by Prince Llywelyn ab
Iorwerth. From this it can consequently be seen that Llywelyn the
Great of Wales is yet another anachronism that distorts true
history. Perhaps one day an historian will search out the
evidence of when this anachronistic name was applied to one of modern
day Wales' greatest heros.
The full article with footnotes is available here.
Copyright©2017
Paul Martin Remfry