Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd
Encyclopedia
Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd was the eldest child of Owain Gwynedd
(the king of Gwynedd
between 1137-1170). His mother was an Irish
woman Pyfog (sometimes called Ffynnod Wyddeles) who was one of his father's many mistresses. Despite being illegitimate he was his father's favourite child and chosen successor. However, his premature death in 1146 is said to have cast his father into a deep depression which was only cured when he heard his forces had captured Mold Castle
from the English
.
describes Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd as: "fair of form and aspect, kind of conversation, and affable to all... tall of stature and fair of complexion, with curly yellow hair, long of countenance, with eyes somewhat blue... he had a long and thick neck, broad chest, long waist, large thighs, long legs which were slender above his feet; his feet were long and his toes were straight."
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
(the king of Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
between 1137-1170). His mother was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
woman Pyfog (sometimes called Ffynnod Wyddeles) who was one of his father's many mistresses. Despite being illegitimate he was his father's favourite child and chosen successor. However, his premature death in 1146 is said to have cast his father into a deep depression which was only cured when he heard his forces had captured Mold Castle
Mold Castle
Mold Castle, on Bailey Hill in the town of Mold, Flintshire, Northeast Wales, was an earthwork motte and bailey fortress probably founded by Robert de Montalt around the year 1140. In 1147 it was captured by Owain Gwynedd. It switched hands on several occasions before a long period under Welsh...
from the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Physical Appearance
The Brut y TywysogionBrut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
describes Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd as: "fair of form and aspect, kind of conversation, and affable to all... tall of stature and fair of complexion, with curly yellow hair, long of countenance, with eyes somewhat blue... he had a long and thick neck, broad chest, long waist, large thighs, long legs which were slender above his feet; his feet were long and his toes were straight."