Anarawd ap Gruffydd (died 1143) was a
Prince of Deheubarth in
Southwest Wales
West Wales ( cy, Gorllewin Cymru) is not clearly defined as a particular region of Wales. Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheub ...
.
Lineage
Anarawd was the eldest son of
Gruffydd ap Rhys. On the death of his father in 1137, Anarawd took over the rule of
Deheubarth
Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House o ...
.
Resistance
In 1136 he and his brother
Cadell ap Gruffydd joined with the Prince of
Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the North West Wales, north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County B ...
,
Owain Gwynedd
Owain ap Gruffudd ( 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great ( cy, Owain Fawr) and the first to be ...
and the latter's brother
Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd in an assault on
Cardigan Castle
Cardigan Castle ( cy, Castell Aberteifi) is a castle overlooking the River Teifi in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales. It is a Grade I listed building. The castle dates from the late 11th-century, though was rebuilt in 1244. Castle Green House was b ...
which was in Norman hands. The assault was aided by a fleet of
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and s ...
ships, but an agreement was reached and the siege lifted.
Dispute with Canterbury
In 1140 Anarawd again supported Owain Gwynedd, this time in the dispute with the
Archbishop of Canterbury about the appointment of a
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor. The see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Cathedral Church of Saint Deiniol
Bangor Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Ban ...
.
Death by treachery
However, in 1143 Anarawd was treacherously killed by the men of Owain's brother Cadwaladr. Cadwaladr himself was strongly suspected of having ordered the killing. This greatly angered Owain, for Anarawd had been a key ally and was about to marry Owain's daughter. Owain sent his son
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd (circa 11201170), Prince of Gwynedd in 1170, was a Welsh poet and military leader. Hywel was the son of Owain Gwynedd, prince of Gwynedd, and an Irishwoman named Pyfog. In recognition of this, he was also known as ''Hyw ...
to strip Cadwaladr of his lands in
Ceredigion
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. C ...
in punishment.
Succession
Anarawd was followed on the throne of Deheubarth by his brother Cadell.
His son,
Einion ab Anarawd Einion ab Anarawd (1130–1163) was the son of Anarawd ap Gruffydd.
Early life
Einion was born around 1130 AD in Carmarthenshire, Wales. He was Christened of the tribe ''Rhys ap Tewdwr''. His mother is Margred ferch Cadwaladr. Adulthood
Rhy ...
, was killed by his own servant in 1163, apparently on the orders of
Roger de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford.
References
*
John Edward Lloyd
Sir John Edward Lloyd (5 May 1861 – 20 June 1947) was a Welsh historian, He was the author of the first serious history of the country's formative years, ''A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest'' (1911).
Ano ...
(1911) ''A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest'' (Longmans, Green & Co.)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gruffyd, Anarawd ap
1143 deaths
Anarawd
Monarchs of Deheubarth
12th-century Welsh monarchs
Year of birth unknown
Welsh princes