Welsh heraldry

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Heraldry in Wales has a tradition distinct from that of English and Scottish heraldry. There is evidence that heraldry was already being used in Wales by the middle of the thirteenth century; for instance, in Gwynedd, two sons of Llywelyn the Great are recorded as having borne coats of arms in this period. [1] Following the integration of Wales into England in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Welsh heraldic tradition became merged into that of England.

Contents

Welsh kingdoms

The coat of arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, depicted in the Chronica Majora. MS 016II- Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora II, the coat of arms of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, f. 170r (cropped).png
The coat of arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, depicted in the Chronica Majora.

Before the conquest of Gwynedd by Edward I, Wales was ruled by a number of Kings and Princes whose dominions shifted and sometimes merged following the vagaries of war, marriage and inheritance. All these Kings and Princes were ascribed personal coats of arms, often retrospectively if they lived before the dawn of heraldry, and these were borne by their descendants in Wales. The two principal Welsh kingdoms were those of Gwynedd, in the north, and Deheubarth in the south. Of these, the most successful, and the last, finally, to fall, was that of Gwynedd, and the arms now borne by the Princes of Wales as an escutcheon are the historic arms of the dynasty of Gwynedd as borne by the last native Princes of Wales, including Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.

The arms associated with former Kingdom of Powys are a red lion rampant on a gold field. They were used by the House of Mathrafal when Powys was an independent kingdom and later by the Earls of Powis (de la Pole and de Cherleton families) up until the late Middle Ages and can now be found on various civic coats of arms.

The arms associated with the principal dynasty of south Wales (Deheubarth) are, on the other hand, a gold lion rampant on a red field within an indented (sometimes engrailed) gold border. Although never included in the English Royal Arms, they continue to be borne by families descended from the dynasty of Deheubarth: most notably by the Talbot family (Earl of Shrewsbury, etc.) which married an heiress of the dynasty in the 14th century.

Arms/StandardKingdom/ PrincipalityDetails
Arms of Llywelyn.svg
Kingdom of Gwynedd Contemporary coat of arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd. [3] [4] Used by the Princes of Wales since 1911, and by the Caernarvonshire County Council until 1974. [4]

Quarterly Or and Gules, four lions passant guardant counter charged, armed and langued Azur.

Escutcheon of the Powys.svg
Kingdom of Powys & later the Kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn Traditional coat of arms of Prince Gwenwynwyn of Powys. [5] Or, a lion Gules armed and langed Azure.
Escutcheon of Powys Fadog.svg
Kingdom of Powys Fadog Traditional arms of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor of Powys Fadog. [6] Argent, a lion Sable armed and langed Gules.
Escutcheon of Deheubarth.svg
Kingdom of Deheubarth Traditional arms of King Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr of Deheubarth [7] and later used by the Talbot dynasty. Gules a Lion rampant Or, a border engrailed of the last.
Coat of arms of morgannwg.svg
Kingdom of Morgannwg Attributed arms of King Iestyn ap Gwrgant of Morgannwg. [8] Gules, three Chevronels Argent.
Escutcheon of Ceredigion.svg
Kingdom of Ceredigion Attributed arms of the mythical King Gwaethfoed Fawr, Prince of Cantref Gwaelod, [9] later used by the family of Pryse of Gogerddan, Ceredigion, [9] and the Cardiganshire County Council. [10]

Sable, Lion rampant regardant Or.

Coat of arms of Gwynfardd, Prince of Dyfed.svg
Kingdom of Dyfed Attributed arms of the historically-dubious [11] Prince Gwynfardd of Nanhyfer, Dyfed, a claimed ancestor of several aristocratic families in the area. [11] Later used on the arms of the Dyfed County Council. [12]

Azures, Lion rampant between four Roses Or.

Coat of arms of Gwent.svg
Kingdom of Gwent Attributed arms of the Kingdom of Gwent, which merged with its neighbour Glywysing to form the Kingdom of Morgannwg. Later used by the Monmouthshire County Council. [13]

Per pale Azure and Sable three Fleurs-de-Lis Or.

Escutcheon of Elystan Glodrydd.svg
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren Attributed arms of Elystan Glodrydd, the reported ancestor of many families in the district of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren ("between the Wye and the Severn"), and founder of one of the "Five Royal Tribes of Wales". [14] Later used by the Radnorshire County Council. [15]

Gules, a Lion rampant reguardant Or.

Glyndŵr Rebellion

Arms/StandardKingdom/ PrincipalityDetails
Arms of Owain Glyndwr.svg
Prince of Wales(native)Used by Owain Lawgoch and then by Owain Glyndŵr during Welsh independence of approx. 1400-1410.

Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Prince of Wales (crowned 1400), bore the arms of Powys and Deheubarth quartered

Other Welsh heraldry

Arms/StandardUserDetails
COA Cadwgan ap Bleddyn.svg Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, Mathrafal Prince of Powys.Attributed arms of Prince Cadwgan, later used by the Lords of Nannau as the family memorial. [16]
Coat of Arms of NEFYDD HARDD, of Caernarvonshire, Lord of Nant Conway.png Nefydd Hardd of Nant ConwyAttributed arms of Nefydd Hardd, Lord of Nant Conwy and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". [17] Seen in the coat of arms of the Aberconwy County Council. [18]
Coat of Arms of MARCHUDD ap CYNAN, of Caernarvonshire and Denbighshire, Lord of Abergellen.png Marchudd ap Cynan of Rhos and AbergeleAttributed arms of Marchudd ap Cynan, Lord of Rhos and Abergele and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". Seen in the coat of arms of the Aberconwy County Council, [18] and the Colwyn County Council. [19]
Arms of Dafydd ap Gruffydd.svg Dafydd III, Prince of Wales of the House of Aberffraw.Attributed arms of Dafydd ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales of the House of Aberffraw, Kingdom of Gwynedd.
Coat of arms of Owain Gwynedd.svg Owain ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd and Prince of WalesAttributed arms of King Owain ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd, later titled as the first Prince of Wales. [20] Seen in the coat of arms of the Caernarvonshire County Council. [4]
Ascribed Arms of Dewi Sant.svg Dewi Sant, the patron saint of WalesAttributed arms of Dewi Sant. Seen in the coat of arms of the Ceredigion County Council. [21]
Coat of Arms of LLYWARCH ap BRAN, of Anglesey.png Llywarch ap Bran, Lord of Menai.Attributed arms of Llywarch ap Bran, Lord of Menai and one of the founders of the Fifteen Tribes of Wales. [22]
Arms of Edwin of Tegeingl.svg Edwin, Lord of Tegeingl Attributed arms of Edwin, Lord of Tegeingl and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". Seen in the coat of arms of the Flintshire County Council [23] and Clwyd County Council [24]
Coat of Arms of HWFA ap CYNDDELW, of Anglesey.png Hwfa ap Cynddelw of AngleseyAttributed arms of Hwfa ap Cynddelw, Lord of Anglesey and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". Seen in the coat of arms of the Isle of Anglesey County Council, [25] and Gwynedd County Council [26]
COA Urien Glodrydd.svg Urien Rheged Attributed arms of King Urien of Rheged, a Brythonic kingdom in what is now Cumbria, England. Seen in the coat of arms of the Lliw Valley County Council [27]
COA Cadwgan ap Elystan Glodrydd.svg Cadwgan ap Elystan Glodrydd Attributed arms of Cadwgan, son of Elystan Glodrydd of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren. Seen in the coat of arms of the Radnorshire County Council. [28]

Use

The arms of Hughes of Gwerclas, showing many important arms Hughes of Gwerclas.svg
The arms of Hughes of Gwerclas, showing many important arms

Arms of houses and of influential people are often combined, as shown in this example of the quartered arms of Hughes of Gwerclas, which gives a broad overview of Welsh heraldry. The arms are quarterly of four:

Key features shown are the predominance of the Welsh dragon, the use of colour differences to distinguish branches of a family, and the use of crests. The arms here show an allegiance to both people and to Kingdoms within Wales.

Royal Badge of Wales

The new Royal Badge of Wales, adopted in 2008 Royal Badge of Wales (2008).svg
The new Royal Badge of Wales, adopted in 2008

A new Royal Badge of Wales was approved in May 2008. It is based on the arms borne by Llywelyn the Great, the famous thirteenth century Welsh prince ( blazoned quarterly Or and gules, four lions countercharged langued and armed azure), with the addition of the imperial crown atop a continuous scroll which, together with a wreath consisting of the plant emblems of the four countries of the United Kingdom, surrounds the shield. [29] The motto which appears on the scroll, PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD (I am true to my country), is taken from the National Anthem of Wales and is also found on Welsh design £1 coins. The badge appears on the cover of Acts passed by Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament). [30]

The current badge follows in a long line of heraldic devices representing Wales. Its predecessors have all been variations on either the Red Dragon, an ancient emblem revived by Henry VII, or the arms of Llywelyn.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Deheubarth was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd. It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House of Dinefwr, but that Deheubarth itself was not considered a proper kingdom on the model of Gwynedd, Powys, or Dyfed is shown by its rendering in Latin as dextralis pars or as Britonnes dexterales and not as a named land. In the oldest British writers, Deheubarth was used for all of modern Wales to distinguish it from Hen Ogledd, the northern lands whence Cunedda originated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Gwynedd</span> Kingdom in northwest Wales, 401–1283

The Kingdom of Gwynedd was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Powys</span> 400s–1160 kingdom in east-central Wales

The Kingdom of Powys was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. It very roughly covered the northern two-thirds of the modern county of Powys and part of today's English West Midlands. More precisely, and based on the Romano-British tribal lands of the Ordovices in the west and the Cornovii in the east, its boundaries originally extended from the Cambrian Mountains in the west to include the modern West Midlands region of England in the east. The fertile river valleys of the Severn and Tern are found here, and this region is referred to in later Welsh literature as "the Paradise of Powys".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadwgan ap Bleddyn</span> Welsh Prince of Powys and Gwynedd

Cadwgan ap Bleddyn (1051–1111) was a prince of the Kingdom of Powys in north eastern Wales. He was the second son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Kingdom of Powys and Gwynedd.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maelienydd</span> Welsh medieval cantref and lordship

Maelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys. During the Middle Ages it was part of the region known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren and its administrative centre was at Cefnllys Castle.

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1101–1200 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1001–1100 to Wales and its people.

Cadwallon ap Madog was the son of Madog ab Idnerth who had died in 1140, while Idnerth was a grandson of Elystan Glodrydd who had died in around 1010 and had founded a dynasty in the Middle Marches of Wales, in the area known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ial</span> Welsh medieval commote

Ial or Yale was a commote of medieval Wales within the cantref of Maelor in the Kingdom of Powys. When the Kingdom was divided in 1160, Maelor became part of the Princely realm of Powys Fadog, and belonged to the Royal House of Mathrafal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Gwynedd during the High Middle Ages</span>

The history of Gwynedd in the High Middle Ages is a period in the History of Wales spanning the 11th through the 13th centuries. Gwynedd, located in the north of Wales, eventually became the most dominant of Welsh polities during this period. Contact with continental courts allowed for Gwynedd to transition from a petty kingdom into an increasingly sophisticated principality of seasoned courtiers capable of high level deplomacy and representation; not only with the Angevine kings, but also the king of France and the Papal See. Distinctive achievements in Gwynedd include further development of Medieval Welsh literature, particularly poets known as the Beirdd y Tywysogion associated with the court of Gwynedd; the reformation of bardic schools; and the continued development of Cyfraith Hywel. All three of these further contributed to the development of a Welsh national identity in the face of Anglo-Norman encroachment of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Mathrafal</span> Welsh royal family

The Royal House of Mathrafal began as a cadet branch of the Welsh Royal House of Dinefwr, taking their name from Mathrafal Castle, their principal seat and effective capital. They effectively replaced the House of Gwertherion, who had been ruling the Kingdom of Powys since late Roman Britain, through the politically advantageous marriage of an ancestor, Merfyn the Oppressor. King Bleddyn ap Cynfyn would join the resistance of the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, against the invasion of William the Conqueror, following the Norman conquest of England. Thereafter, they would struggle with the Plantagenets and the remaining Welsh Royal houses for the control of Wales. Although their fortunes rose and fell over the generations, they are primarily remembered as Kings of Powys and last native Prince of Wales.

References

  1. ↑ p188, Slater, Stephen, The Complete Book of Heraldry (2002, Anness Publishing) ISBN   0-7548-1062-3
  2. ↑ Jones, Laurence. "Heraldry of the World".
  3. ↑ Depicted in Cambridge Corpus Christi College Parker Library MS 16 II, fol. 170r ( Chronica Majora , c. 1250).
  4. 1 2 3 Jones, Laurence. "Heraldry of the World".
  5. ↑ Pennat, Thomas (1778). A Tour in Wales, Volume VII.
  6. ↑ Jones, Laurence. "Heraldry of the World".
  7. ↑ Jones, Laurence. "Heraldry of the World".
  8. ↑ Scott-Giles, C.W. "Heraldry of the World".
  9. 1 2 "Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, Vol 1, No 1". 1911.
  10. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  11. 1 2 Jones, Francis (1955). "Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion".
  12. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  13. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  14. ↑ Bartrum, Peter. A Welsh Classical Dictionary (PDF). p. 280.
  15. ↑ Jones, Laurence. "Heraldry of the World".
  16. ↑ "The Nannau Armorial". nannau.wales. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  17. ↑ Wolcott, Darrell. "Ancient Wales Studies".
  18. 1 2 Jones, Laurence. "Heraldry of the World".
  19. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  20. ↑ Pryce, Huw. "Owain Gwynedd and Louis VII: The Franco-Welsh Diplomacy of the First Prince of Wales". Welsh History Review. 19.
  21. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  22. ↑ Major Francis Jones. "Arms of the XV Noble Tribes of North Wales". theheraldrysociety.com (36 ed.). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  24. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  25. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  26. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  27. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  28. ↑ "Heraldry of the World".
  29. ↑ BBC:First Welsh law's royal approval (9 July 2008). Accessed 2009-01-08
  30. ↑ #NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2008
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