Gwynedd 1204 "4th Crusade"
See also:
Poet-Prince and Gwynedd interregnum; 1170–1200,
Rise of Llywelyn,
Llywelyn, John, and the Magna Carta
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth of the
House of Aberffraw, Prince of Gwynedd, Count of Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, and the Perfeddwlad. Born 1173. His stats really should be comparable to William the Conqueror in order to achieve the exploits that he did. He should be “friends” with King John of England in 1204 because of his marriage to John’s illigitimate daughter Joan that year.
Llywelyn’s father was
Iorwerth ab Owain (Gwynedd) (1145-1174), who was the eldest surviving son of Owain Gwynedd following the events of the
Gwynedd interregnum. He married Marared ferch Madog (Margaret, daughter Madog), the Mathrafal ruler of Powys. Madog was the son of the same
Maredudd ap Bleddyn Mathrafal, elder son of Bleddyn that we see ruling in Gwynedd following the
Mathrafal ascendency; 1063–1081 in the 1066 scenario. So that lineage is important. Madog’s eldest son and intended heir was named
Llywelyn, and it seems likely that his youngest daughter Marared named her own son by Iorwerth
Llywelyn after her brother. Once Gwynedd was usurped by Llywelyn the Great’s uncle Dafydd ab Owain, Llywelyn was raised by his mother in Powys-Fadog.... his uncle's court. Powys had been divided by the next rightful heir Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog Mathrafal and his younger brother, and Gruffydd was Llywelyn's primary father figure who assisted Llywelyn in his attempt to reclaim Gwynedd. By 1174 Wales map mode (start of the 3rd Crusade) we would place Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog as ruler of "Powys" (representing Powys Fadog) and in a position to assist Llywelyn reclaim his inheritance from Dafydd, while Maelynedd would represent Powys Wynwynwyn with Owain Gwynedd posted there. In the standard map mode for 1174 we would place Owain Gwynwynwyn as ruler of Powys in 1174 but more of Powys to follow. In either case Powys would not be a vassel of Gwynedd in either start 1174 or 1204.
Llywelyn married
Joan (b.c. 1191) sometime between December 1203 and October 1204 in a diplomatic marriage. She should have high diplomacy skills as she was the primary ambassador between her husband and her father, King John. She was not spoilt or selfish as she was an illigitimate child.
Llywelyn has an elder son named
Gruffydd Goch (the Red)
ap Llywelyn (b.c. 1196) (characterized as rash and bold, prehaps "misguided warrior"?) and a daughter
Marared ferch Llywelyn (b. 1198) by a long time companion named
Tangwystl Goch (the Red)
ferch Lywerch Goch (use the surname
Goch if you add her). Their children would not have been considered bastards under Welsh law and in 1204 Gruffydd Goch was expected to be his father’s heir. I would list them as bastards because part of Llywelyn’s diplomatic marriage to Joan was an effort to produce legitimate children connected to the English royal house that would be acceptable in Catholic law for marriage with other reigning royal houses. Gruffydd and his sister should have the dynasty name Aberffraw.
I would make Gruffydd and Marared as advisories of Joan. Would I list Tangwystl Goch ferch Llywerch? Possibly if we wish to also make them lovers as they were for years to come. If so, she would be an enemy of Joan.
Other courtiers in Llywelyn’s court:
Robert of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bangor (Gwynedd) from 1197-1213. He represented the on-going attempt by the Archbishop of Canterbury to force an Anglo-Norman or English bishop in Gywnedd to usurp the traditional influence of the Welsh Church. Also, to encourage an ecclesiastical
fifth column within Gwynedd against her native priests. See also:
Norman invasion of Gwynedd; 1081–1100 for their first attempt to force a foreign bishop to suppliant native traditions.
Cadwgan of Llandyfai , also known as Martin (prehaps list his name as
Cadwgan Martin Llandyfai?) was the next Bishop of Bangor (Gwynedd) from 1215-1241. It may be wise to place him in the court of Llywelyn. Llywelyn had a direct influence on his election, returing it to Welsh control.
Hywel ap Cynan Aberffraw, Baron of Meirionydd (since 1200). Hywel was Llywelyn’s dynastically junior cousin and vassel of Merionydd. Hywel. son of
Cynan, son of Owain Gwynedd. Cynan was the younger half-brother of Llywlyn’s father Iorwerth by Owain Gwynedd’s widor by Cristen, Dowager Princess of Deheubarth. I would have no idea of his stats though.
Ednyfed Fychan (Fychan would translate to “Little”, or the “Younger”, and eventually evolved into the name
Vaughn), Seneshal of Gwynedd under Llywelyn. He is very important for several reasons. He was an accomplished warrior and leader, and eventually chief advisor. He is Llywelyn’s
William Cecil or prehaps
Otto von Bismark. But also because he is the direct ancestor of the Tudor (Tewdwr) dynasty which would rule in England in the 16th century, and his decendent would include Queen Elizabeth I!!!!! he would have high diplomacy and martial stats, as he was influencial in the 1216 Council of Aberdyfi in which he helped orchastrate the other Welsh lords to recognized Llywelyn as their prince of Wales. Ednyfed's other titles would include Lord of Bryn Ffanigl and Lord of Criccieth.
Gwyn ab Ednywain: (b.c 1170) He was the Distain or Prime Minister before Ednyfed Fachan, so he too would need to have warrior states and chancellor stats.
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