- Battle of Mynydd Carn
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Mynydd Carn
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partof=
date=1081
place=north of St David's
result= Victory for Gruffydd and Rhys
combatant1=Gruffydd ap Cynan ,Rhys ap Tewdwr
combatant2=Trahaearn ap Caradog †,Caradog ap Gruffydd †
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=Unknown, said to be light
casualties2=Unknown, Trahaearn, Caradog and other notables killedThe Battle of Mynydd Carn took place in
1081 , as part of a dynastic struggle for control of the Welsh kingdoms of Gwynedd andDeheubarth . The result of the battle had a radical effect on the history of Wales.The battle is recorded in the near contemporary biography of one of the participants,
The Life of Gruffydd ap Cynan .Gruffydd ap Cynan was a descendant of the traditional ruling house of Gwynedd, and had previously made an attempt to claim the kingdom in1075 , but had been defeated byTrahaearn ap Caradog and forced to take refuge in Ireland.In
1081 , Gruffydd launched an invasion fromWaterford in Ireland, having gathered a force ofDanes andIrishmen to support his claim. He landed not in Gwynedd but further south nearSt David's (in what would become the Paladin ofPembrokeshire ). At the church of St David's he met withRhys ap Tewdwr , king ofDeheubarth who had shortly before been driven from power byCaradog ap Gruffydd ofGlamorgan and Gwent helped byMeilir ap Rhiwallon of Powys and Gruffydd's old nemesis Trahaearn ap Caradog of Gwynedd. Gruffydd and Rhys made a pact and set forth to give battle.The Battle
The battle took place about a day's march north of St David's. In the evening Gruffydd and Rhys came up with the forces led by Trahaearn and Caradog ap Gruffydd, who are reported to have had Norman arbalisters in their army. According to his biography Gruffydd ap Cynan insisted on an immediate attack, overruling Rhys who wished to wait until the following morning.
The result was a complete victory for Gruffydd ap Cynan and Rhys ap Tewdwr, with Trahaearn ap Caradog, Caradog ap Gruffydd and Meilir ap Rhiwallon all being killed.
Aftermath
Gruffydd ap Cynan gained control of Gwynedd, and despite later being captured and imprisoned by the Normans for some years, escaped and reigned until
1137 becoming one of the most successful leaders of Gwynedd. Rhys ap Tewdwr regained Deheubarth and reigned until1093 . These two were later to play a prominent part in Welsh resistance to the Normans. The immediate aftermath of the battle helped the Normans who took advantage quickly of this internal Welsh struggle which weakened all the major Welsh kingdoms and killed three of their leaders. Later that yearWilliam the Conqueror became the first Norman King to enter Wales and signalled his power by marching straight through modern day South Wales along to St David's. There he received homage from Rhys ap Tewdwr who accepted William's overlordship. The death ofCaradog ap Gruffydd split his kingdom leaving it in disarray and helped ensure Norman dominance of the lowlands of Gwent and Glamorgan leading to the effective collapse of what had formerly been one of the most powerful Welsh kingdoms.
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