Bryn Euryn & Llys Euryn
Bryn Euryn is a hillfort and associated manor house near Conwy, north Wales. The hillfort itself does not necessarily date to the Iron Age period, but is associated with Cynlas the Red, the King of Rhos in the early 6th century. The local name for the site is Dinerth, Fort of the Bear. Cynlas is notable for having been one of the five “tyrants of Britain” denounced for his sins by the chronicler, Gildas. Excavations revealed a “massive well-built” limestone wall, up to three meters high and the site commands extensive views of the Conwy Valley. Eventually, the Kingdom of Rhos became a cantref, or administrative unit, of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the hillfort was abandoned in favor of the manor house known now as Llys Euryn. This house is thought to have been built at least by 1240 Read more…
The Welsh Dragon
For most of history, the Welsh dragon was not a very common symbol. In fact, it was flown by only one king, Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon, who reigned from 655-682 AD. It was so distinct that his flag came to be known as “the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr”. Today, it is known as the ‘Welsh dragon’ and the the Welsh flag looks like this: (my The Last Pendragon Saga is about a mythic version of Cadwaladr) Within Welsh mythology, the story of the two dragons, one red (for the Welsh) and one white (for the Saxons) fighting beneath Dinas Emrys dates back to Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in the 12th century. The coat of arms of the Welsh princes in the 13th century was this: With the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and the complete suppression of everything that had belonged to or Read more…
Archaeology news in the UK–exciting update!
I am always on the lookout for interesting archaeological finds or digs in the UK. I have three today: The first is the ongoing quest for the grave of Richard III: http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/uk-world-news/2012/08/24/archaeologists-in-richard-iii-dig-55243-31688154/ “King Richard III, the last Plantagenet, ruled England from 1483 until he was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. It is believed his body was stripped and despoiled and brought to Leicester, where he was buried in the church of the Franciscan Friary, known as Greyfriars.” Richard III is the king defeated by Henry Tudur, the descendent of Ednyfed Fychan, the seneschel to Llywelyn the Great. Henry became Henry VII. The interesting problem in this case, and it has happened all over the UK, is that they lost the location of the original church where they think he is buried! You wonder how that could have happened Read more…
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