Welsh Journals

Search over 450 titles and 1.2 million pages

Gruffudd's death was greeted with relief and Harold Godwinsson moved to secure his own succession to the English throne by marrying Gruffudd's widow and supporting her brother, Edwin, as earl of Mercia. Such speculation aside, Gruffudd ap Llywelyn should no longer be seen as merely hero or a brigand. He was involved in a world that extended beyond Wales and the Welsh marches. Gruffudd appreciated the use of naval power, and made himself a force in Britain with that power. He appreciated the usefulness of allies outside Wales, whether English, Irish or Norse. Finally, events outside Wales led to his downfall and death: attacks from a man who would be king of the English and death at the hands of a rival Welsh prince who, like Gruffudd, had made his own accommodation with the world beyond Wales. BENJAMIN T. HUDSON Pennsylvania State University