Gruffudd ap Cynan by Kl Maund

Gruffudd ap Cynan by Kl Maund

The reign of the North Welsh king Gruffudd ap Cynan (1075-1135) marked the culmination of a century of rapid social and political change. A product of three cultures (Welsh, Irish and Scandinavian), Gruffudd faced a Wales divided by Norman incursion and dynastic rivalry; his re-creation of his kingdom saw him acting on the wider (and often deadly) stage of Anglo-Norman politics, and surviving where more traditional' Welsh rulers failed. His reign encouraged a new growth in Welsh literature and creativity, and is often looked upon as a literary golden age'. This collaborative biography analyses key aspects of the career and context of this remarkable king. Dr K.L. MAUND teaches in the School of History and Archaeology, University of Wales, Cardiff. Other contributors: DAVID MORE, C.P. LEWIS, DAVID E. THORNTON, K.L. MAUND, JUDITH JESCH, NERYS AN JONES, CERI DAVIES, J.E. CAERWYN WILIAMS This inter-disciplinary volume analyses various aspects of the career and context of this remarkable king. Themes discussed include the role of Gruffudd and of Gwynedd in twelfth-century politics; the importance of the genealogical material associated with him, and of his mediaeval biography, 'Historia Grufud vab Kenan', the first extant biography of any Welsh king; his relations with the Normans and the Irish; and the wider question of Welsh relations with Ireland and the Norwegians in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. Dr K.L. MAUND teaches in the Department of History at Leicester University. Contributors: DAVID MORE, C.P. LEWIS, DAVID E. THORNTON, K.L. MAUND, JUDITH JESCH, NERYS AN JONES, CERI DAVIES, J.E. CAERWYN WILIAMS

Gruffudd emerges as a figure whose biography is inextricably interwoven with the historical events of the later Viking Age and whose personal history is explained by and exemplifies the shifting orientations of the North Sea islands within the developing entities of continental Europe and Scandinavia in the mid-twelfth centurySAGA-BOOK OF THE VIKING SOCIETY An important contribution to our understanding of twelfth-century Wales... [Jesch's] detailed exposition of the evidence of saga and skaldic poetry will be of particular interest to Welsh and Irish scholars. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW An altogether valuable volume which certinly takes the study of the subject forward in a highly commendable manner. STUDIA CELTICA Add[s] to our knowledge of one of the most remarkable figures in Welsh history, and advanc[es] considerably our understanding of one of the most interesting and complex texts to survive from medieval Wales. * CAMBRIAN MEDIEVAL CELTIC STUDIES *

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780851153896
ISBN 10	0851153895
Title	Gruffudd ap Cynan
Author	Kl Maund
Series	Studies In Celtic History
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Boydell Press
Year published	1997-01-23
Number of pages	230
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.