Owain Glyndwr: Famous Medieval Welsh Warrior Prince And Symbol Of Independence

MessageToEagle | April 28, 2016 | Ancient World, Historical Figures, History | No Comments

MessageToEagle.com – In the beginning of the 15th century there was an uprising against the English that resulted in the first and only Welsh-speaking parliament.

One man was particularly unhappy with the chaos in his country. His name was Owain Glyndwr and he is today known as the famous medieval Welsh warrior prince who fought against England. Owain Glyndwr is also widely recognized as a symbol of Welsh independence and patriotism.

Who Was Owain Glyndwr?

Owain Glyndwr was born in 1359 into a powerful family of the Anglo-Welsh nobility, during a time of relative peace between the tribes of Wales and the English aristocracy.

His father, Gruffydd Fychan II, was a hereditary prince of Powys Fadog and Lord of Glyndyfrdwy, one of the lines of Welsh lords and princes who traced their royal lineage back to before the Norman conquest. His mother, Elen Ferch Tomas Ap Llywelyn of Deheubarth, was also of noble blood.

When Owain was 11 years-old, his father died and the young prince was fostered to the household of Sir David Hanmer, an Anglo-Welsh judge. Sir David Hanmer obviously wanted Owain to study Law at the Inns Of Court, but the young man never became a “man of law”.

Owain Glyndwr was educated in England. He trained as a soldier and served with distinction for the English King before returning to Wales as a wealthy man ready to marry.

However, he soon noticed people in his country were intimidated and there was no justice in the law. People of Wales were in desperate need of a leader who could change the situation in the country.

Owain Glyndwr’s Revolt Against England

On September 16, 1400, Glyndwr instigated the Welsh Revolt against the rule of Henry IV of England. The immediate spark for Owain’s revolt was his quarrel with his neighbor Reginald de Grey, Lord of Ruthin who had stolen some land. Grey was close to the king and the argument could not be resolved.

Glyndwr gathered loyal supporters around him, established an army at Ruthin, raised his battle flag and started to drive out the English.

Owain Glyndŵr led a revolt against King Henry IV of England and rapidly gained power.

Shortly after Ruthin was defated by Glyndwr ’s forces, the Welsh warrior followed up with attacks throughout north Wales. It did not take long before he could claim the title Prince of Wales.

However, although initially successful, Glyndwr’s uprising was eventually put down. The Englishmen were unhappy with the situation. In those days, the English army was the largest and most effective in Europe. The Englishmen sent a large number of soldiers across north Wales sacking and burning everything.

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Glyndwr was a wanted man. He and his supporters were forced to hide in the mountains. They stayed there the whole winter before emerging again the following year with a renewed campaign against the Englishmen.

For a brief time, the Prince of Wales and his army managed to seize some castles such as Harlech, Conwy and Aberystwyth, but the fortresses were soon retaken by the English army and Glyndwr was declared an outlaw. The English king Henry IV, was determined to catch the Welsh warrior, but he was surrounded by many loyal people.

Llywelyn – Old Welsh Man Who Was Loyal To The Welsh Prince Until The End

One of them was Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, a local landowner from the village of Caeo. For many weeks, the Englishmen tried to force him to reveal the hiding place of Owain Glyndwr, but the old man refuse to say anything.

Eventually king Henry IV lost his patience and gave to the order to torture Llywelyn. However, Llywelyn was a patriot and loyal supporter of Owain Glyndwr and he refused to say anything. So, King Henry IV decided to execute the old Welsh man. Llywelyn was dragged to the centre of Llandovery and publicly executed in the same manner as the Sir William Wallace, the brave Scottish knight and legendary hero.

What happened to Owain Glyndwr is not entirely known, but one thing is certain, he was never betrayed by his people and quietly disappeared into obscurity.