WELSH MEDIEVAL HERO: TOMAS AP CWPWR of CAERFFILI Born in Caerffili and then buzzed off without looking back or, maybe not?

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I liked Tommy Cooper but I don't like the fact that he gets a statue in Caerffil before the Castle when surely more deserving of such position would be none other than a real local hero, none other than Llywelyn Bren Lord of Senghenydd and leader of the Southern Rebellion of 1315 - 16. So how come Tommy Cooper gets a statue and in such a prime spot? yes indeed ! How does this come about, such recognition for Tommy Cooper but not for Llywelyn Bren, after all Tommy Coopers Welsh connection is only via his Dad and the Caerffili connection by virtue of fact that he was born there but at age 3 moved with family to the English West Country with which for the rest of his life he had more familier association, including his Dorset accent.

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As for Llywelyn Bren, well if you know nothing of this great Southern patriot then you had better catch up on some reading, start with a Google search and you may come across much I have posted up on blogs in this connection. So back to how come Tommy Cooper and not Llywelyn Bren? well it seems that local Caerffili Tommy Cooper fans were more about and pro - active than Welsh Patriots in Caerffili. All rather odd and sad when one considers that Plaid Cymru - Nationalists have been quite numerous in this locality and have had good position on the council for a number of years, so why no Llywelyn Bren statue? indeed is there any recognition of this local hero at all in those parts or is Caerffili just too cheeesy? Whatever, time Caerffili Patriots got going with a Morgnnwg Medieval Initiative of their own, perhaps setting up a Cymdeithas Llywelyn Bren would be a great idea for a start, after all you have a Tommy Cooper Society in the area, is it not time Caerfilli Patriots recognised Llywelyn Bren?.

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Gethin Gruffydd.

LLYWELYN III and the 1282 WAR OF INDEPENDENCE ILLUSTRATED INFORMATION SHEETS:

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Yes very crude stuff but before day of PC, so what do you expect on a shoe string Cofiwn budget. Whatever it served the purpose at time of the 1982 - 1282, 700th Anniversary Commemoration. Hopefully with all this new Welsh Heritage Strategy and Cadw EU - Heritage Tourism Funding Programme we will see more and better material illustrating Welsh Medieval History being published as Posters, Wall charts and Books plus CD's and DVD's. In this connection note that Sian Ifan formerly of Cofiwn next year will start to edit up Cofiwn films of Rali Cilmeri over the years and the big one of 1982 onto a DVD to be available to Patriots and the general public. Her work will also lead on to documentary film work - the true 1282 story - on which she has already began work. Release dates I understand are to be in 2010 to coincide with release of film 1066 and 2011 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Investiture of an Englishman as Prince of Wales in Caernarfon.

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Gethin Gruffydd.

P2: BRENHINOEDD CYMRU/Kings of Wales: A WELSH REGNAL LIST INTRODUCED and EXPLAINED.

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Anyone who studies Welsh Medieval History, not least newcomers to this history and I am thinking of children in particular will start to hit the buffers of confusion when one starts reading up on the many Welsh Kings, Princes and Lords of the various Dynasties and Gwledydd (Independant Principalities). If it were not for all the 'ap' particularly when one gets such as Rhys ap Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Gruffydd, get my drift. , such study would be easier.  It would also make study of our medieval history if there was one commonly acceptable Regnal List of what may be detirmined as 'High Kings' with one of the four or five Royal Dynastic Courts  of our chief Gwledydd being recognised as the high court much as Tara is in Ireland. To have such a Regnal List would of course make remembering Welsh Medieval History much better and providing easier memory access to people, places and events, this of course has made the teaching of English Medieval and later history so presentable as also a device to make of England 'one nation'. Of course having a national coinage and education system that recognises such is a big step in the right direction also.
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All this had been at back of my mind for a number of years when in 1982 whilst working for Cofiwn on Blwyddyn Goffa Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Cofia 1282, 700th Anniversary commemoration, I receieved a verey illuminating letter from a Mr Dafydd P. Ifans of Llandeilo who took me to task for referring to the said Llywelyn as the 'Second' commonly known in our history as  Llywelyn yr Ail. I was of course very aware of the 'Ich Dien' version of Welsh History that constantly referred to this Llywelyn as our 'Last' Prince, when of course he was not. Thus the Welsh were constantly encouraged the  to think 'Brit' and follow what suited the Tudor Propagandists and forget about Owain Glyndwr and his son Maredudd II and if we wished a later candidate for the 'last' Princely status, Rhys III maybe our man or perhaps our 'Pretender?', executed at Tower of London in 1529.
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However, Mr Ifans enlightened me to a number of matters we needed to take into consideration regards the way we ourselves looked at medieval history and, not least that of the Kings of Wales - 'BRENHINOEDD CYMRU'. Mr Ifans informed particularly on much we ignored at our peril regards all the better understanding, appreciating and advancing knowledge of our own history , not least for starters that Llywelyn ap Gruffydd be regarded as the 'third' and not second. Thus for many years now I have referred to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd as Llywelyn III, much to the annoyance of some pobl Gwynedd. Hopefully they too and many others will 'come aboard' and accept what Mr Ifans has to say also one and all agree to recognise the excellent Regnal List of Welsh 'High Kings' he supplied me with.
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Before I publish at a future date this Regnal List, I feel I owe Mr Ifans an apology for puting his work away and do nothing about it untill now when really it should have had the priority it deserves. Further, before I get to post up the list, I am going to type up two letters I receieved from Mr Ifans as they explain a great deal so allowing us to more fully understand and appreciate his work and proposals. The previous post on this subject regard as Part 1, this post as P2 the letters thus will be on a post designated P3 &  P4 and then the actual Regnal list on post designated P5. Followed up by a Post P6 for any outstanding unfinnished related material. To conclude this post suffice to say the above may take me all of November to complete, it will also more or less 'sign me off' re my Welsh Medieval work and thus much further work on this blog will be very limited and so note my appeals and suggestions below:
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* The Regnal List I shall eventually post up could be basis of further work to complete as an illustrated Wall Chart and as a Time Line Wall Chart. Further, why not a Bio - Pic booklet as type illustated in the previous post.
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* Regards anything to do with this Regnal List or other ideas and stuff in this blog, re organisation of projects and commemorations etc. If anyone seriously wants to take over some of this work, they are welcome to my research papers be they individuals, students or publishers. There is much the serious Welsh Medieval enthusiast could be getting under way in the best tradition of Cofiwn over the years, then done voluntary but now Wales is awash with funding for such projects, so go grab fast before those less really interested in the patriotism do.
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* Of course what we really need is a Cymdeithas Brenhinoedd Cymru to get stuck into much of all this, and whatever comes out of it, not least regards the new Welsh Heritage Strategy and Cadw's Five Year plan regards the native Welsh Princes. Plus of course I am pushing for a major 'Antur Teuluoedd Tywysog Cymru' with an all Wales Gwyl Fawr Brenhinoedd Cymru being held in 2011 in and around areas of Aberffraw, Mathrafel, Dinefwr and Dinas Powys, or where ever to represent Gwledydd Morgannwg and Gwent. Now if you want to make this happen you will have to get cracking working things out and making an Initiative presentable to seek grants from a verity of sources, as Cadw and National Lottery for starters.
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* Note there is already up on web a very good Princes of Gwynedd web site http://www.princesofgwynedd.com/  which I urge you to go and check out and follow the exampe of for the Princes of Powys, Deheubarth also Glywysing (Morgannwg and Gwent). Do remember priority here is to campaign for Cadw to make Princes of Powys and Glywysing an Initiative equal to Gwynedd and Deheubarth. So yes move it!
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Last but not least, I cannot stress enough the golden opportunities to move medieval Welsh history forward in a number of areas, not just Tourism but regards many other projects as memorials and commemorations/festivals plus note I am working well ahead on a grand 'Pageant of Princes' based on the Regnal List I referr to. This Pageant has  been very much on my mind for a number of years but I have really been prompted to fast track it after seeing the perfectly terrible, historically that is Pageant in Cardiff Castle this year. Supposedly, a commemoration of the 1909 National Pageant this 2009 School childrens version (they aside) was a awful pathetic treatment of our Medieval History that needs to be corrected. To make this possible I will need a lot of talented and skilled support in areas of theatre, reenactment and pageant presentation, if your up for that do get in touch asap.
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G.Gruffydd.