Wales and the Kings of Britain: Conflict, Power and Identities in the British Isles 1039-1417

Wedi cwblhau'r modiwl dylai'r myfyrwyr fedru:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of key developments in Welsh politics and identity in the Middle Ages.
2. Develop the ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical arguments regarding the history of the British Isles from 1039 to 1417.
3. Show an awareness of different types of primary and secondary sources.
4. Use appropriate historical evidence to construct arguments orally (unassessed) and in writing, including in concise fashion.

The centuries between the reigns of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and Owain Glyndŵr witnessed dramatic changes in Wales, and these happened within a rapidly developing context across the British Isles. This module will explore how Welsh power and identity developed during these centuries, but also tells the wider story of the British Isles. As Welsh kings and princes sought to consolidate and expand their power they did so in the context of their relationship with their allies and enemies in Ireland, England and Scotland. Parallel developments in Scotland and Ireland will be investigated and how they all operated under the shadow of the increasing dominance of the ‘First English Empire’. We will assess how the Welsh negotiated and renegotiated their relationship with their neighbours in the inter-connected lands around the Irish Sea. The concept of what ‘Britain’ meant will also be discussed as we consider competing perceptions and aspirations about what it was and what it should be. This was a period that shaped the relationship between the four nations for centuries to come; through its exploration we will develop a greater understanding of today’s political and relational landscape between Wales, England, Ireland and Scotland.

Lectures (indicative)
1. Introduction: kings of Britain and kings of the Britons
2. People, geography and power
3. Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, Mercia and the Scandinavians
4. The coming of the Normans
5. Gruffudd ap Cynan: Welsh king and Scandinavian pirate
6. Owain Gwynedd, David I and ‘national revivals’
7. Henry II and the (Cambro-)Norman invasion of Ireland
8. Bishops, saints and scholars
9. The Lord Rhys and Welsh identity
10. Llywelyn the Great and Alexander II
11. Llywelyn the Last: the formation of a principality
12. Edward I and the First English Empire
13. Migration and colonization
14. Trade and the economy
15. Rebellions and Celtic alliances
16. The ebb and flow of empire
17. The Glyndŵr Rebellion, Scotland and France
18. Conclusion: towards four nations?

Seminars
There will be six seminars, each focussed on a particular primary source:
1. Chronicle of the Princes
2. Law of Hywel Dda
3. Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan
4. Gerald of Wales
5. Acts of Welsh Rulers
6. Poetry

Mae'r modiwl hwn yn cydymffurfio a FfCChC Lefel 5